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The Complete Chevrolet K5 Blazer Evolution: 1969–1994

Robert Halloran
By Robert Halloran
Published June 10, 2026 Updated June 29, 2026 3 generations 1969–1994

The Blazer worth talking about here is the full-size K5, not the little S-10 that came later. Chevrolet built the K5 to chase the Bronco and the Scout, and it did it the easy way, by taking a shortened C/K pickup and putting a removable top on it. That gave the Blazer more room and more V8 than the competition, and the early ones with the full convertible top are some of the most wanted classic 4x4s there are now. Three generations span the classic window, and the difference between them is mostly about the top and the running gear. Here is how it ran, and what to check before you buy one.

Chevrolet Blazer — Generation by Generation

1969–1972
First Generation
"The removable-top original"
The first K5 Blazer arrived for 1969 as a shortened C/K pickup with a full removable top, which gave it more interior room and a full open-air body the Bronco could not match. Two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive versions were offered, with inline-six and small-block V8 power. It was an immediate success and established the full-size SUV formula. These early removable-top trucks are the most collectible Blazers, and clean originals bring serious money today.

Key Changes

  • → Shortened C/K pickup with removable top
  • → Full convertible open body
  • → Two- and four-wheel-drive versions
  • → Inline-six and small-block V8 power
  • → Established the full-size SUV formula

Specs

Engines 250 I6, 307/350 V8
Top Full removable hardtop
Drive 2WD and 4WD
Most wanted Clean convertible-top original
Chevrolet Blazer for Sale — 1969–1972
1972 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
Texas

1972 Chevrolet Blazer

$115,000
1969 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
United States

1969 Chevrolet Blazer

$30,995 51,415 miles
1970 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
United States

1970 Chevrolet Blazer

$67,895 115,000 miles
See all 1969–1972 Blazer listings →
1973–1991
Second Generation (Square Body)
"The long-running Square Body"
The 1973 redesign brought the Square Body styling and a much longer production life. The full removable top continued until 1976, when it gave way to a half-cab design with a fixed front roof and a removable rear section for better structure and weather sealing. Trim levels expanded, fuel injection and the 6.2 diesel arrived, and the K5 became a fixture of American roads. With the enormous Square Body aftermarket behind it, this generation is the easiest classic Blazer to own and build.

Key Changes

  • → New Square Body styling for 1973
  • → Full removable top through 1975
  • → Half-cab fixed-roof design from 1976
  • → 6.2 diesel and fuel injection later in the run
  • → Deep Square Body aftermarket

Specs

Engines 250 I6, 305/350/400 V8, 6.2 diesel
Top Removable rear section
Trim levels Custom Deluxe, Cheyenne, Silverado
Value Easiest K5 to own
Chevrolet Blazer for Sale — 1973–1991
1987 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
United States

1987 Chevrolet Blazer

$59,994
1990 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
United States

1990 Chevrolet Blazer

$23,895 250,850 miles
1977 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
United States

1977 Chevrolet Blazer

$21,495 120,000 miles
See all 1973–1991 Blazer listings →
1992–1994
Third Generation (GMT400)
"The last full-size Blazer"
The final full-size Blazer moved to the rounded GMT400 platform shared with the pickups, with fuel injection, better brakes, and the modern comforts of the early Nineties. The removable rear top was gone, replaced by a fixed roof, as the SUV market shifted toward family use. After 1994 the model was renamed Tahoe. These last K5s are the most refined and usable of the classic Blazers and the easiest to drive every day.

Key Changes

  • → Rounded GMT400 platform
  • → Fuel-injected V8 power
  • → Fixed roof, removable top discontinued
  • → Modern comfort and safety features
  • → Renamed Tahoe after 1994

Specs

Engine 5.7 V8
Platform GMT400
Roof Fixed
Character Most usable classic Blazer
Chevrolet Blazer for Sale — 1992–1994
1993 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
United States

1993 Chevrolet Blazer

$18,795
1994 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
United States

1994 Chevrolet Blazer

$16,495 266,399 miles
1994 Chevrolet Blazer Dealer
United States

1994 Chevrolet Blazer

$29,997 124,327 miles

Legacy & Impact

The 1969 to 1972 trucks are the blue chips, especially the full-convertible top cars with the original drivetrain, and prices have climbed hard for clean ones. The 1973 to 1991 Square Body is the value play, plentiful and supported by the deepest aftermarket in the classic truck world, and a clean K5 from this run is a lot of truck for the money. The final GMT400 cars are the most usable. Whatever you chase, the K5 rusts in the rear quarters, the tailgate, the floors, and the frame, and the removable-top cars leak and rot around the roof seams. Get under it and behind the rear wheels with a light before you commit.

Frequently Asked Questions

The K5 Blazer is the full-size truck built on the C/K pickup platform from 1969 to 1994. The S-10 Blazer, introduced in 1983, is a smaller compact SUV on the S-10 pickup platform. Collectors generally mean the full-size K5 when they say classic Blazer.
Yes. The 1969 to 1972 Blazer offered a full removable hardtop that turned it into an open convertible. From 1976 the design changed to a fixed front roof with a removable rear section, which is sturdier but less open.
The full-size Blazer name ran through 1994. For 1995 the four-door full-size model was renamed Tahoe, and the two-door briefly continued before the Tahoe name took over entirely.
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Robert Halloran
Robert Halloran
Fredericksburg, Texas

Texas-based classic truck enthusiast with decades of experience buying, restoring, and writing about American pickups from the 1940s through the 1980s.

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