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1971 Chevy Blazer Sells For Monster Money At Barrett-Jackson

This unbelievable 1971 Chevy Blazer restomod was one of eighteen General Motors vehicles that just sold at Barrett-Jackson’s fiftieth annual collector car auction held at Scottsdale’s WestWorld Equestrian and Event facility. The Chevy Blazer hammered for some $440,000, likely a record for a non-charity sale, and well outside the value of a standard 1971 K5.

Originally Tuxedo Black, this Chevy Blazer has been taken down to the last nut and bolt for the build. All bodywork and bumpers were completely sandblasted, smoothed, and refinished to a superior standard using PPG Chevrolet Black and Ice White hues. The fiberglass top was gel-coated and re-textured before being painted in satin finish Ice White. The “CHEVROLET” lettering across the tailgate is done in hand-laid pinstripes. Hidden behind the driver-side rear marker light is the gas filler neck. All the glass was replaced to ensure a crystal clear view. Instead of the standard painted steel wheels, the Blazer now rolls on seventeen-inch KMC Machete wheels shod in thirty-five-inch BFGoodrich All-Terrain tires, with power-assisted Wilwood four-wheel disc brakes handling the stopping duties.

Inside, the Chevy Blazer has been turned into a custom show piece. Front bucket seats, rear bench, and door panels have all been recovered in black leather with patterned cloth inserts. The dash is home to Classic Instruments white-faced gauges. At the end of the new tilt steering column is an original-style steering wheel. The Blazer has been fitted with a Vintage Air climate control system, and a Retrosound head unit with custom-made speaker enclosures for the four Infinity Cappa speakers, subwoofers, and Alpine amplifiers. The headliner is one of the coolest touches, with a backlighted floating star effect that gives the look of riding under constellations, à la Rolls-Royce Phantom. Framing the headliner is a TIG-welded, gloss powder-coated roll cage.

Gone is the factory Chevy Blazer frame, replaced by a Roadster Shop RS4 spec chassis, in gloss graphite powder coat. The ride is provided by Currie high pinion axles, Fox 2.5 coilover shocks, dual sway bars, and a four-linked front and rear suspension.

Beneath the Chevy Blazer’s hood is Whipple supercharged 6.2-liter LS3 V8 backed by a Hughes 4L80E automatic transmission and NP205 transfer case. The engine features vintage Chevrolet valve covers in Inferno Orange, as is the blower. Spent gasses exit through a fully polished three-inch TIG-welded polished stainless-steel exhaust with MagnaFlow mufflers.

The complete auction listing may be found at the Barrett-Jackson website.

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Comments

  1. Nice truck but not $440,000 nice.

    I could have done this myself for much less.

    Just another inflated BJ Scottsdale price.

    There is a large segment of buyers out there that are willing to pay what ever for vehicles like this. They have no place or the skills to built it them selves so they pay big money.

    I know many shops will build several cars a year to sell at these auctions as they make up a good part of their income per year.

    I know one guy who sells a coupe at Hot August Nights yearly and make a tidy profit.

    Reply
    1. Then why wouldn’t you?

      If YOU really COULD build this, or similar vehicles for “much less” (whatever that means) AND then sell them to “buyers out there that are willing to pay what ever for vehicles like this” then you would.

      Period

      I don’t think (mostly) anyone here believes that this Blazer cost $440k to build – That is what it SOLD for.

      My estimation is around $250-350k.

      The Roadster Shop frame/suspension/brakes alone are north of $45-50k add in the drivetrain (engine, transmission, transfer case), another $30-50+k, wheels/tires ($3-5+k), paint & bodywork ($20-50k – depending on the original body’s condition), interior ($15-25k), miscellaneous/ancillary items – guages, HVAC, shifters, etc. ($10-20+k) and then add at least 50% of those for miscellaneous labor, not to mention the purchasing of the original vehicle ($5-50k) and there you go…

      Questions?

      Reply
  2. This is very nice! I appreciate the work! But really? A Blazer for $440,000? Investment wise what are the odds of this appreciating?

    Reply
  3. As long as you do not scratch or nick it it will.

    Reply
  4. Nice for the seller

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  5. So, it’s Recreation Resto-mod that will sit in someone’s collection and not be driven $440,000 💩

    Reply
  6. Definitely a craftsman with an eye for detail. What a bunch of haters. Damn nice truck, great job

    Reply
  7. Good things aren’t cheap, Cheap things aren’t good ! But really, this is crazy $$$$ Buy 4-5 Tahoes or Yukons instead

    Reply
  8. If you got it,why the hell not. If no one loaned him the money to get it, then he can do or buy whatever the hell he wants with HIS money.

    Reply
  9. Have a 77′ K10 Stepside, GM metalic brown, cheyenne package, saddle interior, orig owner, hate the ride, leaf springs, 6″ skyjacker with hoops and 10NP 205, 12BOLT, 44, TCI maximizer backing ZZ4. HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO JUST LIKE THIS!!!! Think I’m gonna contact the Roadster Shop and start there

    Reply
  10. True, this Blazer may not be worth half a mill to everyone but to someone it is. My family has been in this business since the 1800s doing custom business wagons, carriages, and fast horse-drawn coaches. In the 30s, a relative in Switzerland was building high-end custom coach-built cars with people who were willing to pay 20k plus for their own version of individualized transportation. As a 40 plus year custom pinstriper, I received lots of money (after years of building my rep) for laying down lines on vehicles that 99% of the population would deem a waste of money. But most of my clients then, as well as now, are in the 1% percentile wealthy with the rest of my customers being blue-collar and even they were willing to pay my fee. My mentor told me way back in the 1970s, who himself got very rich doing custom pinstriping and spent wads on crazy-built vehicles, he said to treat people fairly to give them something they “want” – a product or service unique to them and they will pay dearly for it. He was right.

    Reply
  11. Wow! Amazing. $440K. And a $40K+ sales tax price on top of the auction sales price. Gosh GM in 1971 designed and engineered their full size pickups, Suburbans and Blazers to be utility and commercial vehicles.

    Ride and handling was tasked to the engineering department later. That short wheel base like the Bronco and Jeep were molar and back rattlers, and were fatiguing on long distant trips. Also gas hogs. The longer full sized big GM cars were smooth as a magic carpet, but still gas hogs.

    Reply
  12. Mankind is surely doomed

    Reply
  13. 1971 was long before GM started Killing Americans with their defective ignitions, this was worth every penny…

    Mary Barra doesn’t have to Lie about this one.

    Reply
  14. More money than sense.

    Reply
  15. I love that truck if I had the money I wouldve bought it also
    But im poor an can only dream

    Reply
  16. I looked at this generation Blazer several years ago. Very nice examples were fetching $40K and up in early-2018. While the cash outlay was a mitigating factor I selected a very nice 1996 2 dr Chevrolet Tahoe for far less than these original K Blazers are going for. The ’96 2dr Tahoe (previously known as the Blazer) is my favorite body-style. I believe those will be next for collectors and upfitters; just a beautiful truck

    Reply
    1. Nice looking vehicles. However their short wheel base makes for a rougher, bouncy ride. Also for a long distance ride much more fatiguing than in a Suburban.

      Nice collectable though.

      Reply
  17. 440k for it to set in a garage. Ilk take my 67 c10 that isn’t perfect that I drive daily in the summer up until it snows.

    Reply
  18. I’m sure Jay Leno rolled his eyes on the $440K purchase price for a restored 1971 Chevy Blazer.

    Reply
  19. BAD ASS!!!!!!!! You can bet your ass that drivetrain would get tested and if I had the$ to buy it I wouldn’t be worried about scratch’n it.
    HELL Yeah

    Reply
  20. It’s only 20k for engine and transmission with a 100000 mile warranty…check it on chevy crate engines

    Reply

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