Alisha Baumann is the proud owner of a 1972 Chevy K-5 Blazer resto mod that retained its old school cool style and was upgraded with new age components.
Alisha is considerably younger than her vintage Blazer, but she is absolutely the right owner for the 51-year-old sport utility vehicle.
Jim Sutherland
The first-gen Blazer was built between 1969 and 1972 as GM’s answer to the Ford Bronco and the IHC Scout. The Chevy Blazer is an early pioneer in the sport utility market and combined the rugged performance of a truck with the creature comforts of a car.
The iconic style of the 1967-72 Chevy pickup truck can be seen in a first-gen Blazer because GM fully intended to use that design for its early SUV. Most first-gen Blazers were also 4x4s and could handle rough terrain because they share a common platform with Chevy pickups from that time frame.
1967-72 Chevy pickups have enjoyed an enormous rise in popularity over the decades, an upward trend that is shared by its stablemate Blazer, an even rarer model in the Chevy light truck fleet from that era.
As mentioned earlier, Alisha is too young to have experienced the dawn of the Blazer, but she has become a huge fan of her ’72 Chevy K-5 Blazer because of its timeless good looks and never-ending cool factor.
The biggest surprise was Alisha “always wanted a Scout”, in her words, but was captivated by her Blazer when she spotted it as a listing in an auction back in September 2018. The auction was held in Alisha’s community, so she was able to have a look at the vehicle in the legendary up-close-and- personal fashion.
It is also noteworthy that Alisha told MyStarCollectorCar she “grew up with Chevy trucks” and was always a big fan of them, consequently she “fell in love” with her ’72 Blazer at first sight and bought it.
Her ’72 Blazer was originally from Arizona, so it enjoyed a snow-free world in a dry desert climate. The result was a vehicle that provided a very solid base for a resto mod project.
Alisha’s Blazer has undergone a frame-off restoration that upgraded its entire powertrain, steering and suspension system. The Blazer’s new engine is a 427 Chevy stroker small block with aftermarket fuel injection bolted up to a 700R-4 automatic overdrive transmission. Additionally, the Blazer now rides on an air ride suspension and is 6 inches higher than stock.
The exhaust system includes ceramic coated headers and stainless-steel pipes with cutouts that make the stroker engine breathe easier under load.
Alisha and her husband Andrew (owner of a ’71 ‘Cuda resto mod) attend many shows every year, all of them behind the wheel of their vintage rides because they do not believe in trailers. Alisha called her husband’s ‘Cuda the “pace car”–and added “I’m the speeder in the family”.
She told MyStarCollectorCar “120 (km/h) and it’s (Alisha’s Blazer) good”, mainly because her stylish and rare 1972 Chevy K-5 Blazer resto mod is now built for speed but retains its retro style along the way.
It is a perfect combination for its happy owner.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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