At $19,500, Is This 1988 Chevy K5 Blazer a Smokin’-Hot Deal?

Chevy recently announced that its next Blazer will be a crossover EV, a far cry from today’s Nice Price or No Dice K5 4X4 edition. Let’s see if this old-school SUV is priced to still bring the heat.

According to the ad, yesterday’s 1970 Volkswagen Squareback 4X4 (yes, that’s a thing) needed only a carburetor to be a driver. Looking at the pics in the ad, that declaration certainly stretched credibility as the heavily modded car appeared to need far more to be roadworthy. Most of you thought that the car’s $5,000 price tag also tugged on credulity’s cape. That was made plain by the massive 95 percent No Dice loss the Vee-Dub suffered.

Look, I get it. The holidays are upon us and soon it will be a brand-new year. Who has time to take on another project? Fortunately, today’s 1988 Chevy K5 Blazer looks to be a turn-key truck, with only minor work needed to spiff it up and make those annoying neighbors jealous.

Chevy introduced the K5 Blazer for the 1969 model year, entering a burgeoning market already occupied by the Jeep CJ, International Harvester’s Scout, and chief competitor Ford’s Bronco. Being based on the K10 pickup, the Blazer was not only roomier and better riding than any of those rivals, but it was also more economical to build. Ford’s bean counters readily realized this, and the company switched the Bronco from a stand-alone model to an off-shoot of the F-Series with its second generation.

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Speaking of second gens, that’s just what this K5 represents. The first generation Blazer lasted for just four model years before it was refreshed as part of the K10 overhaul in 1973. The second-generation Blazer would then run for the next 18 years with only minor changes.

This one comes from near the end of that run when full-sized SUVs were losing the popularity battle to smaller, mid-sized trucks. In Chevy’s case, that was the S-10-based Blazer. These have lots to like, though, with decent space overall and a removable cap over the back that the Blazer’s smaller namesake never offered.

Here that top is painted white to match the main color of the rest of the bodywork. That’s complemented by a red insert that wraps all the way around the rear. There are some chips noticeable in the paint and the rub strip is missing on the doors, but otherwise, it all looks serviceable. Plus, there’s a hood ornament! Remember those?

The spare tire lives in the load area for theft deterrence and to give the K5’s booty a clean appearance. The tailgate flips down just like a pickup’s, but the rear window needs to be retracted beforehand so it’s a bit of a two-step process. Once open that offers access to a large, flat load area that looks clean albeit exhibiting some fading in the carpet. Another issue is some sag in the headliner over the forward part of the cabin. On the plus side, the seats appear to be in terrific shape, as does the rest of the interior, save for some cracks in the dash soft cap.

This Blazer has been fitted with the Silverado trim so it has niceties like cruise control, power windows, and A/C, along with the full-carpeting.

Power comes from a throttle body injected 350 CID V8 that in this model year gave it up to the tune of 210 horsepower 300 lb-ft of torque. Behind that is a 700R4 automatic that the present owner says was “rebuilt by an excellent family owned shop with performance shift kit.” The combo sends the ponies through a two-speed transfer case to both front and rear axles. According to the ad, the truck has enjoyed proper maintenance over its 155,000 life and runs without issue. The only problem noted is a somewhat cryptic note of some work needed on the A/C.

The title is clean and the ad claims that the truck wears nearly-new Michelins and is overall in “super condition for an 88.”

Now, what might one expect to pay for such a clean truck? The seller asks $19,500 in exchange for the title. Putting that in context, that price is about $300 less than the starting point for a Kia Soul, that company’s cheapest car and one of the least pricy new cars on the market. It’s certainly way less than what Chevy will ask for the new Blazer EV.

What do you say, does that seem like a deal for what’s likely one of the best REAL Blazers on the market? Or, does that price just not light your fire?

You decide!

Raleigh, North Carolina, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

H/T to FauxShizzle for the hookup!

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