When Gene Popejoy of Carlstadt, New Jersey, spotted this ex-military '86 Chevy K5 Blazer for sale at a dealer, he knew he had to have it. Reason No. 1: Military-spec Blazers are extremely rare, and this one was in excellent condition. Reason No. 2: It would make an ideal foundation for a bulletproof trail rig.
After a brief negotiating process and a quick transfer of funds, Popejoy was in possession of the title to the nearly stock Blazer. From that point forward, it was game on. His objectives for the buildup were clear: Keep it simple, strong, and totally bling-less. Overall, it took five months of turning wrenches and spinning sockets in his free time to accomplish that goal. The end result is a no-nonsense rig with a lot of swagger and a beefy drivetrain to back up that attitude. Popejoy often takes the truck out to battle the hostile terrain in the northeast, including the Pine Barrens in New Jersey. Mission accomplished.
 A 3-inch body lift helps make...  A 3-inch body lift helps make room for the big 44-inch tires. Up front, a custom winch mount/brushguard/receiver hitch holds a Warn 8274 winch. It's cool that this assembly was designed so that the military brushguard could be left in its original position. Out back, there's an aftermarket 2-inch receiver hitch and the original pintle hitch and tow rings remain intact. The original military paint still adorns the exterior of the truck, but Popejoy added a set of Bushwacker fender flares. |  True to its military roots,...  True to its military roots, the interior is devoid of carpet, radio, and other civilian accoutrements. It still has the original rifle rack in the cargo area. Popejoy ditched the military seats in favor of a pair Jaz seats. He also added a Grant steering wheel and a B&M shifter. |  Up front, the big Rockwell...  Up front, the big Rockwell axle is fastened to a pair of 12-inch-lift Superlift leaf springs, which bolt directly to the stock spring mounts. Like the rear axle, the front has a Detroit Locker and a 12-inch-diameter Boyce pinion brake. Power is transferred from the transfer case by a custom heavy-duty front driveshaft. |
 Here you can see the hydraulic...  Here you can see the hydraulic steering ram that is mounted on the backside of the front axle. It is part of the Boyce kit that includes a steering box and required hardware. This system allows Popejoy to steer the big 44s, no matter how much resistance is present. |  The military-spec nonturbo...  The military-spec nonturbo 6.2L diesel isn't exactly a powerhouse, but Popejoy has found it to be reliable nonetheless. The only mods he's made to it is a pair of freer-flowing exhaust straight pipes. The engine is bolted to the stock TH400 automatic transmission. |  The Blazer used to sport an...  The Blazer used to sport an NP203 transfer case, but that was swapped out for a beefier NP205. Popejoy built the transfer case himself by combining parts from two 205s. |
Mud can trash axles in short order, so Popejoy installed a pair of Boyce-built Rockwell 2.5-ton axles. These axles were narrowed 7 inches by the folks at Boyce and fitted with Detroit Lockers and 12-inch-diameter Boyce pinion brakes. These beefy axles are more than up to the task of reliably spinning the 44x19.5 Boggers on 15x12 Boyce steel wheels. Popejoy says that the rear axle (shown) was relatively easy to install. He simply replaced the stock leaf springs with a pair of Superlift 8-inch-lift springs, which bolted right to the factory leaf-spring mounts. He used 4-inch drop shackles to create 12 inches of total suspension lift. Custom shock hoops hold two shocks per wheel, and a custom heavy-duty driveshaft transfers the torque from the transfer case.
Owner: Gene Popejoy, Carlstadt, New Jersey
Vehicle/Model: '86 Chevy K5 Blazer
Estimated Value: $35,000
Engine: 6.2L diesel V-8
Aspiration: Stock intake, straight-pipe exhaust
Output, hp/torque (estimated): N/A
Transmission: TH400, B&M shifter
Transfer case: NP205
Suspension, f/r: Superlift 12-inch leaf springs, three Rancho shocks per wheel, custom shock mounts/Superlift 8-inch leaf springs, two Rancho shocks per wheel, custom shock mounts
Axles/differentials: Rockwell 2 1/2-tons/Detroit Lockers; Boyce 12-inch pinion brake, hydraulic steering
Ring and pinion: 6.72:1
Wheels: 15x12 Boyce steel
Tires: 44x19.5/15 Boggers