1979 Chevrolet Blazer Cheyenne K5 5.0 (305)
Summary:
A true rock hopper
Faults:
Nothing
General Comments:
First saw it 3 years ago and fell in love with it. I finally saw it again this year and bought it without hesitation.
The vehicle is solid, like a rock. It is running on 35" in the rear and 33" in front. I love the tilt steering.
Interior is ample, enough for my wife, our kid and myself. With current fuel prices, I guess I am just lucky I bought it with LPG system.
It is like a monster on the road, and most vehicles will just stop for you when you steer in traffic jams, to allow you to shift lanes.
I LOVE IT.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 30th September, 2013
27th Nov 2014, 23:43
From the owner, again!
I cleaned the condenser, no major changes. During reassembly, I fiddled with one of the bolts reading "main gas pressure", and tightened it all the way in... after two days suffering, I loosened it again, and both mileage and performance improved a lot.
Last week, I drove it home and realized one of the cylinders was not working, so I checked the spark plug cables and they were okay (I forced the engine once and 7 cables got loose), but the problem persisted. I decided to replace all spark plugs, and the problem seems to have been solved. The manufacturer's recommendation is Autolite 26; I fitted Autolite AP 25 (colder for LPG), and I have noticed a big improvement.
6th Oct 2014, 18:35
Update from owner: The day I drove it home, the previous owner told me "I guess there must be a way to make her go faster". He was right. The vehicle was really slow. After one week in use, I decided to put in a new thermostat (the car did not have one), which helped with maintaining steady temps; I also did a full tune up, including new spark plugs and wires. Finally, I ended up replacing the clutch, which helped a lot. Rear brakes needed some work too, especially one of the hand-brake cables, which was rusted beyond repair and needed replacement.
Performance has improved greatly, although it still lacks some power going uphill. Next time I get some spare time, I will take apart and wash the LPG condenser.
The car is truly a gem. I replaced all the lights in the dashboard, easy. Since it did not have a thermostat, the temp gauge was not working, and that was one of my fears. The gauge works accurately. I also had been working solely on LPG for more than 2 years; I finally changed the fuel filter and poured in some gas... no problems, it works just fine! Fuel gauge, fuel pump, fuel lines... the thing is unbreakable!!! As it is now, I am getting almost the same mileage (cost wise) as my 1996 Suzuki Sidekick (1.6L)... so I guess that, by cleaning the condenser, it will improve both mileage and power...
On the road, the car is just impressive, and usually I get questions from older folks who grew with those things. The interior is fine, the upholstery needed a few missing screws, all sorted out. I redid the wiring for the stereo, installed speakers and a new antenna, and the car is ready to go.
I can say, I really like it and plan to drive it forever.