This Ringbrothers Blazer is as cool as it is expensive

With most in-person auctions postponed for the foreseeable future, online auctions have been really stepping up their consignment game with some incredibly cool vehicles. This 1972 Chevy Blazer built by Ringbrothers is quite possibly the coolest first-generation Blazer out there.

For those of you who don’t know Ringbrothers’ work, the custom builder has produced some of the wildest and most publicized custom vehicles featured at SEMA over the past several years.

For a little background, the Blazer was introduced in 1969, and its sister vehicle the GMC Jimmy followed in 1970 as a competitor to the Ford Bronco, International Scout, and Jeep CJ. However, GM did something a bit different. Instead of offering a small utility vehicle, it used its half-ton truck platform as a starting point for a short-wheelbase, open-top utility vehicle. With the use of the larger platform, GM was able to offer more powerful engine options and more creature comforts than its competitors by using already available parts from the pickup and Suburban lines. Early Blazers were never made in numbers of the early Bronco or the later “square body” trucks, which makes these highly sought after.

With the ease and affordability of restoring a truck compared to a car, good driver-quality Blazers are relatively common, but a few do opt to go all out with custom builds. These are either a labor of love or an expression of superb craftsmanship on an otherwise simplistic platform. This Ringbrothers-built 1972 Blazer is without a doubt the latter. From the outside, this looks like a really well-done restoration, but the closer you look, the details that make this truck special begin to pop.

Starting with the obvious, the driveline was considerably beefed up to handle the power of the Chevrolet Performance ZZ430 small block. The Bowler 4L80E transmission and transfer case (appears to be a New Process NP205) are both indestructible in stock form but should be capable of handling much more power than what the engine is currently putting out. The standard Dana 44 front and Corporate 12-bolt rear axles have been upgraded and are running a set of 3.42 gears for cruising.

Once you get into the custom cosmetics, that’s where the extra time and attention to detail really starts to show. While not easily visible, the front fenders were stretched 1 inch, and the rear quarter panels were stretched ¾ of an inch. A custom carbon-fiber cowl induction hood with subtle heat extractors was added as well. Every piece of trim was replaced, and the Ringbrothers logo was integrated in the tailgate lettering as a subtle hint to its work. The interior has been refinished in a very cool blue houndstooth, which could have been included on trucks ordered with the CST package, like this one. Custom dash work allowed for an infotainment center, climate control, and a full Dakota Digital gauge pack. The list of small tweaks is enormous, but not a single inch of this truck was ignored.

After just 450 miles since completion, the Blazer popped up on Bring a Trailer, offered by the original client that the truck was built for. The reason? The owner wants to free up cash for his next Ringbrothers build, destined for SEMA 2020 with an estimated $750,000 build cost.

Bidding on the ’72 Blazer started out slow but within a couple days had reached $140,000. By the end, the Blazer brought an astonishing $305,000, including buyer’s premium. The seller stated in the comments that the build cost him $300,000.

It’s hard to say which is more noteworthy, the fact that this truck smashed the world record for a Chevrolet Blazer at auction by $85,000 in a time of economic uncertainty, or that the seller made his full investment back on a custom build, something that rarely occurs. This speaks volumes to the Ringbrothers name as builders, as well as showing that there’s still an appetite for once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to buy vehicles with all the right stuff.