1981 Chevrolet Blazer

[missaudball]

I would like input on how much a 1981 Chevrolet Blazer is worth.  Color is white.  Excellent exterior and interior condition.  We are the original owners.  Known issues are the air conditioning doesn't work and it only gets about 10 miles per gallon.

 

Edited November 3, 2021 by missaudball
adding photo (see edit history)

[JACK M]

I think the two wheel drive Blazers are more in demand by the street guys.

4 wheel drives are popular as well but I don't think as much.

I had a 1 each of these stored stored here for a neighbor a few years ago while he was moving and people would knock on the door wanting the 2wd, not so much the 4wd

 

[John_S_in_Penna]

We'll need a bit more information to help you effectively:

 

---Value depends tremendously on the condition, and

in the car world, one 1981 Blazer could be near perfect and

showroom new, another could be a worn driver with some

nicks and scratches, and other could be a rusty near-derelict.

Please post some pictures, showing the exterior from various

angles, the interior, and the engine compartment.

---What is the mileage?

---What engine does it have?

---Where are you located?  This forum has members all over

the world:  America, Canada, Australia, France, Malta, etc.

Can we assume you're in America?

 

From what you say, we also assume that the vehicle runs and

drives perfectly.  Is that correct?

 

And gas mileage doesn't matter, as long as that is what the

vehicle achieved originally.  Trucks and truck-type vehicles

are pretty popular these days.  We'll be happy to help.

[TAKerry]

That looks like a pretty clean truck. Mecum had an auction in Dallas recently and that thing would have easily hit 30k, maybe close to 40k. An auction in Monterey and you may be lucky to get 20k. Its all about the target audience.

[John_S_in_Penna]

Thank you, Miss, for adding the single picture.

Providing more information will be helpful, too.

[md murray]

Dude, Lenny Kravitz drives one! -these are Uber cool and hot as a pistol these days (unlike poor old Lenny ironically). When I drive my old Bronco around it gets so much attention it's actually annoying. Meanwhile, most everyone my age definitely thinks that it's just plain weird that I play around with an old Packard and that's if they even notice it at all! Throw it on that silly Bringatrailer site and I'll bet it rings the bell. 

 

[mike6024]

I would say $25K to $30K. If it's as nice as it looks I would auction it on Bring a Trailer. They have done well there. The 4 wheel drive boosts the value significantly.

 

Comparables:

 

 

SOLD FOR $41,000 ON 9/26/21, 1979 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Cheyenne 4×4

 

 

SOLD FOR $23,750 ON 8/19/21, 1984 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Silverado

 

 

[Bryan G]

After years of being all but forgotten, these are suddenly hot. The new Bronco helped shed light on the various old Broncos, and some of that spills over to these. Plus the "square body" trucks (nobody called them that until they day before yesterday) have become quite popular of late. This is a great time to have one for sale. Choose your venue carefully and you could be rewarded handsomely. 

[TAKerry]

These vehicles fall into what I call the 'flavor of the month' category. They are def. hot right now. IF I owned one and was not particularily attached I would def. sell. A couple of years from now there will be something else that is right for the moment, and the value of these trucks will drop off. Unlike a lot of other just plane ole OLD cars, that seem to have a slow and steady pace as far as value.

[missaudball]

Here are additional pictures.  Mileage reads 17,144 but it hit 100k at least once that I know of.  Mileage is probably 117,144.  In addition to the air conditioning not working, the engine is leaking and the fuel gauge is broken.  Location is California.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[EmTee]

12 hours ago, missaudball said:

In addition to the air conditioning not working, the engine is leaking and the fuel gauge is broken.

 

All of those engines leaked oil (esp. valve covers).  For top dollar, it would be a good idea to clean-up the engine bay and replace the valve cover gaskets and address any other 'big' leaks.  Do you know what's wrong with the A/C?  Again, for top dollar it would be preferable to get it working, even if converted to R134.

 

The gas gauge issue is probably due to a sending unit that has failed from age and ethanol.  Again, this would be a pretty straightforward fix that would remove another excuse for buyer price negotiation.  How is the upholstery?  The back seat looks good, but I see covers on the front seats.  Reproduction seat covers must be available for these trucks, but it may or may not make sense to tackle that prior to sale.  Buyers (I think) would be more likely to accept some upholstery flaws if the vehicle is sorted mechanically.

[TAKerry]

With no rust underneath (assuming so), body looks great. Int looks like a 6/10. IF the front seats are good, and the dash is good that no. would come up a couple of points. With the mileage that motor probably needs a little work. Unlike todays cars that will run 250k trouble free, 100k for that era is pretty good. I am far from being a dealer or broker by any means, I just keep an eye on what asking prices are through multiple publications. I would think if you listed that for private sale i.e. f/b, BAT, etc. you could easily get 20k-25k. I would stand by that if you detailed the engine compartment to make it look nice and purdy, get a good coat of wax, tire clean etc., at the right auction ( Mid west, south, south west areas) I would not be surprised to see it hit 40k.

[Bryan G]

Where I live, these were rusted into Swiss cheese 30 years ago. This truck is cleaner than 90% of the restored ones I've seen.

[mike6024]

Yes you're right. The condition of the body is much more important than a minor oil leak. If it has not been in an accident, and has minimal to no rust it is very valuable.

[John348]

On 11/6/2021 at 12:03 AM, Bryan G said:

Where I live, these were rusted into Swiss cheese 30 years ago. This truck is cleaner than 90% of the restored ones I've seen.

 

I agree these were real rot boxes in the north east. My son had one that was rusty before he even started to plow snow in the winter and in the summer use it on the beach to surf fish so it saw more then its's fair share of salt and it was real crunchy. I remember when they only a few years old that those trucks were rotted out all over the north east 

Edited November 7, 2021 by John348 (see edit history)

[8E45E]

The latest issue of Four Wheeler magazine has a write-up with excellent photographs of a restored '81 K5 Blazer.

 

Craig

[chistech]

My 83’ started life as a M1009 military blazer stationed in AK. It had the cold weather package that consisted of a diesel burner you lit, 24v fan, 24v fuel pump (24v because they actually draw half the amps allowing for longer run times)special duct work, and totally enclosed battery boxes. The system kept the batteries and drivers compartment warm without running the engine. The hot air exhaust was through the side of the passenger fender and you could even attach a hose to the pipe once the cover was removed then use it to heat a Quonset hut. You can sometimes find these systems on the surplus sites. My blazer I believe was a end of the cold war listening truck as it did not have a fiberglass top but some sort of body that was attached to nut-serts installed along the sides and roof. The rear seat had been removed and many radio racks were in place.
     Because it was stationed in AK it helped with both the mileage and the rust issues as AK uses no deicing agents on the road. I just needed to replace the rockers and one tiny spot around a rear wheel well. It only had 27k original on the odometer. I purchased from a guy who bought it out of a local DPW auction after they had flooded it with the town’s orange paint, including right down the defrost ducts. The guy kept the Diesel engine and transmission/transfer case for his chevy plow truck and I bought the rest for $500. That’s a steal for an almost rust free blazer up here in New England never mind the stupid low mileage. Using a couple of diesel, fully optioned parts blazers, I got all the bling parts I needed including a hard top with sliding glass. I converted over the firewall to an a/c one and added the AC box. I originally put in a 6.2 diesel/700r takeout from one of the parts blazers but now it has a fully rebuilt 6.2 and a Monster Transmission built 700r. I civilianized the interior with power everything and Tahoe leather front seats. I kept the military brush guard and tow rings but went with chrome bumpers instead of painted ones. 
   The truck gets 24-26mpg highway and is one of my favorite “modern” vehicles to drive. Super tight turning radius, monster hydraulic assisted brakes, and a convertible top for the summer make it the perfect fun truck. Today it has 36k, last year I was offered $24k for it, and it isn’t as pristine as it was when first done. I’m not selling it and my son will get it someday but these trucks are a hot commodity these days and pricing in the NE is even better for a rust free one. 

Edited November 8, 2021 by chistech
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