FUN IN THE SUN

There is just something really cool about off-roading with the top down

In this editor's opinion, one of the coolest vehicles ever built is the first series Chevy K5 Blazer. Having owned one myself, I can personally attest to the unique driving experience the Original convertible Blazer's provide. So it doesn't take a whole lot of convincing to make me realize why Gilbert Petraskie enjoys his bright purple Classic sport ute so much.
Gil's Blazer serves two purposes. One is to look good both inside and out for showing off and looking good on the streets while the other is having a solid trail truck that can handle most of the situations that Gil challenges himself with. He has integrated off-road necessities with detail styling that definitely gets recognized no matter where he is driving the cool looking Chevy.
The thing that stands out the most with this Blazer is the bold Goofy Grape color accented by an orange flame graphic, which Gil sprayed over the entire truck in a monochromatic fashion. After spending time taking care of the restoration duties on the old Blazer, Gil also worked in a few custom modifications which include flattening out the tailgate along with molding in a Roll Pan which now houses LED taillights to replace the shaved stock versions. The traditional gas filler neck was also deleted in favor of a gas door while care was taken to remove all of the trim and emblem features. A heavy-duty boxed winch bumper replaced the stock version, an ingredient that not only adds a tough look, but provides a safety net for those off road experiences gone bad.

The chassis also sports the purple flavor. Pretty much all of the suspension components have been painted purple to match the exterior, then attaching to a smoothed and deep gloss black painted frame. A total of nine-inch of lift from a Skyjacker Suspension Six-inch Lift Kit along with a three-inch body lift gets the Blazer up and over the 38.5/16/15 Mickey Thompson Baja Claw Tires mated to Bart Super Trucker 15x12-inch wheels.

Looking up from underneath the truck and all the purple and black detailing, you can see that the same level of personalization was applied to the engine, blending the motor set up into the chassis quite nicely. Inside the rich purple surroundings of the engine compartment lurks a very healthy 383 cubic inch small block Chevy capable of more than 350 horsepower and 425 ft.lbs. torque. Len's Automotive took care of the assembly duties which included installing a 400 crankshaft, Keith Black pistons, Competition Cams .525-inch lift stick followed by an Edelbrock Performer RPM intake manifold and Holley Performance Products 750 cfm carb. Other notable features added to the purple painted and polished aluminum motor includes a large K&N Engineering Filtercharger Replacement Filter , Dynomax Performance Exhaust Headers and a Flowmaster 2.5 exhaust system. Even the Turbo 350 trans has been beefed up thanks to a B&M 3,000 stall converter which then forces the power to the 4.11 geared 12-bolt axles.

The view into the spacious and quite airy interior reveals the purple theme continues along with silver and gray accents to match the characteristics of the polished aluminum products found through the truck. Farnsworth Auto Upholstery handled the installation of the violet and silver tweed upholstery which covers Mitsubishi Eclipse bucket seats as well as flame sculpted door and rear side panels. Matching purple wool carpeting was then laid over the floorboard where a B&M shifter can be found.



The dash sports a set of Auto Meter Gauges set into an aluminum gauge face panel made to fit the dimensions of the factory gauge bezel. Of course of the most pronounced features of the interior is the really cool roll cage that Gil built which ties into the body in multiple places while including a wealth of cross over bars and custom shaped connectors that wrap around the floorboard as well as the vinyl roof cover which provides some relief from the beating sun. Even more unique is how the cage was built to fit under the Original roof should he ever decide to run the roof on the Blazer.

In summary, Gil's Blazer doesn't just look cool, but it looks like it is super fun to drive, especially on those nice days when having the top off is coveted commodity. To learn more about Gil's adventures in his cool Blazer, check out his gallery at www.ChevyTruckWorld.com where you'll find Gil participating under the name of Gilbertsgarage.

GILBERT PETRASKIE
SHAMOKIN, PA
1972 CHEVY K5 BLAZER

	A healthy 383 cubic inch small block Chevy thunders under the Goodmark hood. Not only does the engine sport a wealth of high-performance modifications, but includes color matched detail with lots of polished aluminum.	Plush purple and gray tweed upholstery covers Mitsubishi Eclipse bucket seats along with flamed side panels while Auto Meter gauges and a GT steering wheel further accent the custom driving experience.
		While a six-inch Skyjacker lift kit and a three inch body lift get the Chevy up, it’s the lavish purple, black and polished detail on the chassis and suspension that really gets your attention.
Mickey Thompson 38.5/16/15 Baja Claw tires teamed with 15x12 Bart Super Trucker wheels fit perfect on the lifted Blazer while providing the grip necessary for those off-road excursions.