As expected, Season 4 of Car Masters: Rust to Riches on Netflix was entertaining with a lot of wacky, interesting, and even questionable builds. But the 1980s Chevy Blazer build that Mark and his team undertook as a trade deal to get hands-on and a Kenworth Big Rig has to be the coolest build of this season.
We say this because, with minimal work and comparatively tastier visual mods, an 80s SUV was converted into a sinister-looking drop-dead pickup. If you guys remember, there was a build of a similar character in Season 3 involving a 1956 Ford Stepside. The Ford was given a rare paint job, and also had a gothic vibe to it.
But this Chevrolet build packed more than just a dark paint job. The rear axle was given a serious swap and the interior was upgraded to open-top luxury. Apart from the cool axle swap, Mark and his team didn't fiddle much with the mechanical aspect of this build. The visual overhaul was cool and the red-black color contrast clearly gave it a devilish vibe.
Top marks for Tony's airbrushing skills too. While there wasn't a deadline for the project, this Chevy build was quite tight because the guy with whom Mark was planning to trade the Blazer with was already getting a lot of cash offers. So, it was a risky build, for sure.
Gotham Garage transforms a 1980s Chevy Blazer into a sinister-looking head-turner.
The Donor Car - A 1980s Chevrolet Blazer
A second-generation Chevrolet K5 Blazer was taken as the canvas for this cool build. Shawn Pilot was able to hook Mark and the team up with a fairly well-maintained build. So much so, that they were almost untethered to peek under the hood.
The donor SUV came with a slew of powertrain options during the 80s ranging from a humble 250 cu.in. inline-6 to a chunky 400 cu.in, V8. It was also offered with a home-bred 6.2-Liter Detroit Diesel V8. But this particular donor was fitted with a fairly powerful yet efficient 350 cu.in V8 that churned out 160 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque.
Swapping The Rear Axle For A Dually
The major and only mechanical mod done to this Chevy Blazer was to swap the rear axle for a custom dually setup. Mark wanted to give it a wide and heavy-duty appeal, and clearly 5 inches of additional fender flares was clearly the agenda! Apart from the axle situation, the roof of this SUV was taken off to give it a pick-up appeal. The build was already looking rad.
A Sinister Paint Job In Red And Black
But the coolness factor shot through the roof when Mark and Tony got on to paint this Chevy Blazer. Mark gave it a rich black base coat and Tony went on to create some sick red flames over the sides and the hood. It was clearly looking like a "hellrider". The Blazer was also stanced-over for a killer visual appeal even when static.
Loads Of Custom Exterior Bits
Apart from the head-turning paint job, the exterior of this Blazer build also got a slew of Gotham Garage specials. The front fascia was completely revamped with three bar lights stacked on top of each other instead of the grille! And the headlamp location was given a "flaming" insert in black.
All of this was underlined with a thick chunk of shiny chrome bumper. The hood was custom with a muscular scoop running along the length at the center and highlighted by Tony's airbrushing skill.
The side profile was complemented with custom Fuel wheels finished in a black-and-red combination that went very well with the paint job. The rear fender flare was about 5 inches wide and had a "Gotham Garage" metal plank drilled onto it.
Talking of metal planks, the front fender also got one in the "Gotham Garage" logo. It also flaunted massive rearview mirrors taken right of a modern Ford Heavy Duty pickup truck.
A Custom Interior With Red Leather And Suede
The interior was also given a befitting makeover complete with red leather upholstery and suede inserts. There was clearly a luxury angle to the cabin. The second-row bench seat was exposed as the rear roof section was removed on this Blazer. This will clearly pave for a unique interior experience for the lucky owner. The dashboard was also revamped with red trimmings and a custom chromed steering wheel.
Trading In The Gothic Chevy For A Big Rig
Right from the start, Mark was not eyeing the profit from this K5 Blazer build. He badly wanted to get the 1957 Kenworth big rig as it had a deeper connection for him. And so after this gothic Chevy build was done, Mark and Shawn took it over to the guy who owned the big rig. Thankfully the Kenworth was still there, and with Brain loving the work done on the Blazer, the big rig was finally coming home.
Source: Netflix