This solid old truck was built in Kansas City. It spent much of its life in Texas, so it is in remarkable condition.
The body is original. It has not been repainted. It shows lots of patina. I guess that is a good thing. You couldn’t create patina like this truck has.
A man from Arkansas has perfected the Trailblazer chassis swap. Or in this case, the Buick Ranier V8 swap. He cuts around the firewall of each vehicle and swaps the old pickup body onto the new modern chassis.
The result is a fantastic driving, reliable, yet old-appearing pickup truck. The powertrain is the durable 5.3 LS V8, 4L60e transmission and all-wheel drive. The original aluminum wheels were replaced with a set of spares used on Trailblazers. The factory tow package is in place. The automatic air-ride system will adjust for the load and your driving.
The Buick Ranier is a twin to the Trailblazer, however, it is a but nicer. The seating is luxurious leather and the sound system is loaded with features. The steering wheel controls still work, including the cruise control!
There are a few things left to complete. We will be working on these. There are no wipers, the sound system needs speakers, the heat/AC has not been installed. There is a spare, but no jack. There is no door key. The side windows are cracked.
But lets talk about functionality. This truck is quite capable of towing a trailer. It can be driven all year long if you chose to. The powertrain is very durable. Power adders are common on LS motors, you could run it on e85. All the while, providing the illusion that you are driving a 1955 Chevy pickup.
We just installed a Vintage Air heat and A/C system. The Rainier compressor was utilized Otherwise, everything else was new. The condenser, drier, hoses, wiring, controls, etc. were all installed by a very capable shop. The heater box, heater control valve, hoses, vents etc. are all very nicely installed. The proper wiring, including relays, switches and circuit breakers were installed as well. The electronic fan is not only temperature controlled, but also comes on whenever the A/C is on. Now this truck is ready to be a daily driver, no matter where you live.
The build is not extremely complicated. Yet it works. He has done a number of them and really has it figured out.
If you like the original, patina look coupled with modern driving characteristics, this truck needs to be yours.
