Ringbrothers Delivers 1246-HP Buick Grand National and Long-Travel K5 Blazer for SEMA

After showing off a custom 1970 ‘Cuda earlier today, Ringbrothers pulled the covers off two more incredibly impressive builds at the 2024 SEMA Show: a twin-turbo 1987 Buick Grand National and a brute of a K5 Blazer. Let’s take a closer look at each of them.

“Invadr” is the moniker of this stealthy 1987 Buick Grand National powered by a Duttweiler Performance 3.8-liter V-6. The engine uses two 62mm Precision mirror-image turbos to cram 32 pounds of boost into the hand-ported Twisted 6 Racing cylinder heads. Burning E85, the boosted V-6 puts 1,246 hp to the rear wheels through a Bowler TREMEC T-56 Magnum six-speed manual transmission.

Ringbrothers is known for building powerful rides, but it’s never just about the engine, and this Grand National features a host of subtle modifications that add up to one special machine. For example, the factory plastic bumpers that warp and never quite fit right were replaced with stainless steel pieces accented with aluminum bumper guards. The fenders were also massaged to fit properly with the new bumpers and look factory while doing so. Ringbrothers designed and built a custom carbon fiber heat extractor and extended the rocker panels to get rid of the awkward pinch weld.

“This car is all about presence. The bodywork is subtle at a glance, but the ferocity of what’s under the hood begins to materialize on second viewing. And then you drive it,” said Ringbrothers co-owner Mike Ring. “The acceleration of this car is nothing short of violent. This may well be the fastest car we’ve built to date.”

“Invadr is one of those cars we’ll remember building for a long time,” added Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring. “It’s a combination of state-of-the-art fabrication and imagination plus the Grand National’s DNA, culminating in an incredible final product. None of this would have been possible without our partners Gentex, HRE Wheels, BASF, Dynamat and more. We are grateful for their continued collaboration with our team.”

“Tuka” is a K5 Blazer built on a 2016 Toyota Tacoma chassis and uses Total Chaos control arms for increased travel up front. The powertrain is all Chevy though, as it’s powered by a 525hp GM Performance LS3 V-8 and a Bowler 4L60E automatic transmission mated to an NP208 transfer case.

The removable top is perhaps the most interesting part of the build. Ringbrothers raised the sides of the body and the tailgate to match the height of the doors, meaning a factory top was out of the question. Instead, a custom fiberglass top was built incorporating the panoramic roof of a modern Blazer and the glass rear hatch of a JL-generation Jeep Wrangler.

Inside, Sean Smith designed a utilitarian interior and handed off the fabrication to Gabe’s Custom Interiors. “TUKA is distinct from the Blazers we’ve built before as it melds our knowledge of the platform with updated underpinnings creating our desired on and off-road vision,” said Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring. “This project is all about crafting something new and highly functional from a tried, true, and familiar K5 that can be used daily while no stranger to playing in the dirt.”

If you can’t see these two builds at the SEMA show in person, here’s the next best thing. Click through these photos to see more details about these two builds.