Ringbrothers Chevy K5 Blazer Hides a Toyota Secret

Every effort has been made to transform this K5 Blazer into a true luxury SUV.

What do you get when you put the body of a heavily modified 1972 together? Chevrolet K5 Blazer with a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine, a new transmission and a long list of other modern upgrades built on the 2016 Toyota Tacoma chassis? That’s what you get. It’s called “Tuka” and it was brought to life by Ringbrothers, who debuted at the show SEMA Exhibition in Las Vegas.

The American firm has a wealth of experience updating and restoring cult classics, and that’s especially evident in this Blazer. Gone is the SUV’s original chassis, and in its place are the bones of a 2016 Toyota Tacoma. It also features an upgraded King suspension developed for the Tacoma, along with anti-roll bars and a Toyota steering rack.

Read: Ringbrothers Tusk’s 1969 Dodge Charger features a 1,000-horsepower Hellephant V8 engine.

Although the chassis is Japanese, the engine proudly screams “USA!” USA! USA!.” The noisy LS3 sits under a custom carbon fiber hood and produces 525 hp and 487 lb-ft (660 Nm) of torque. It’s mated to a Bowler Tru-Street GM 4L60E automatic transmission and transfer case. NP208 and the Tacoma’s underpinnings should drive like a new car.

Having spent over 3,700 hours creating ChevyRingbrothers also carefully modified the car’s bodywork. The tailgate and body sides were raised two inches, there was a new fiberglass rear roof with panoramic roof, and the rear window was raised from the Jeep Wrangler.

The all-black paint job, contrasted with some subtle orange accents including front and rear tow hooks and “R” badges, gives the car an undeniably fierce look. 18-inch wheels from HRE with a dark bronze finish complete the package.

Drew Phillips

Gabe’s Custom Interiors was tasked with giving the K5 a complete overhaul of the cabin, and they did so with a carbon fiber dash, new gauges, billet and 3D printed switchgear, and a carbon fiber steering wheel. Ringbrothers also installed a rearview mirror/camera system, a Vintage Air Gen IV HVAC system, and a custom audio system. Every square inch of the interior feels new, but it still looks as rugged as the original K5’s cabin.

“Almost every detail of this jacket is custom,” Ringbrothers co-founder Mike Ring said of the design. “We wanted to go all out to create something completely unique, designed for the open road and off the beaten path. This truck is designed to drive in style with modern comfort. None of this would be possible without our trusted partners at BASF, Dynamat, Gentex Corporation and HRE Wheels to help us realize our vision and bring the character of this design to life.”

In the Tuke, Ringbrothers have managed to create something that’s both a love letter to the original Blazer and a forward-thinking machine built to eat the miles. It’s an homage that doesn’t hesitate to go its own way, as a true American classic should, even if it relies on Japanese bones to hold it all together.

Louis Yio