1972 Chevrolet Blazer - 2005 Top Truck Challenge

Blazing Bare
Nick Devlin of Hubbard, Oregon, brought his tapered and tubed 1972 Blazer to the table. With a built 427ci small-block churning 39s through Dana 60s, will this year's mud pit be enough to bog down this challenger?

The mighty orange Chevy is all about function, as illustrated by a Warn 16.5Ti winch, which is ready for action. Barebones and built, Nick hopes his purpose-built Bow Tie will blaze ahead of the competition and prove once and for all that simplicity rules.

The front suspension of Nick's Blazer is minimal by design, utilizing tried-and-true leaf springs, in this case the 6-inch Skyjacker variety, and a beefy Dana 60 axle with a McNamara locker and 5.13:1 cogs. Fourteen-inch-travel Pro Comp shock absorbers soak up the boulders, while steering is accomplished through a Redneck Ram.

Bringing up the rear is a slick Eaton differential sporting a Detroit Locker with 5.13:1 Yukon gears. As simple as the front, the rear is also located by a set of 6-inch Skyjacker lift springs.

PRP seats highlight the stripped-down interior, which has Auto Meter gauges monitoring all of the vitals. There is nothing fancy about an interior made for the dirty work of off-pavement fun, but this cockpit gets the job done with only what is needed.

The real magic of Nick's Blazer can be found under the hood, where a blueprinted and balanced 427 resides. This torquer mill puts out an estimated 700 lb-ft and 650 hp. From the built TH400 trans and 2,200-rpm stall torque converter to the triple-stick transfer case, Nick has built a vehicle that can get the power to the ground over any terrain.