• Ringbrothers revealed custom Chevy K5 Blazer at 2024 SEMA show
  • Custom SUV features LS3 V-8 rated at over 500 hp
  • Ringbrothers also presented a custom Plymouth ‘Cuda and Buick Grand National

Ringbrothers has built up a penchant over the years for its impeccable muscle car restomods, but the Wisconsin company has also dabbled with SUVs since 2018, namely the Chevrolet K5 Blazer.

Ringbrothers has used the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas to present a restomodded K5 Blazer nearly every year since, including at this year’s show where the company unveiled a blacked-out 1972 example dubbed Tuka.

While earlier builds have sought to retain a classic look and feel, virtually every part was replaced or customized for the Tuka build. This extends to parts you can’t see, which added up to Ringbrothers spending more than 3,700 hours to complete the build.

K5 Blazer fans will notice the box sides and tailgate have been raised to match the height of the door. A custom fiberglass canopy has also been fitted over the bed. It was hand-built and integrates a panoramic roof from a modern Blazer, while the rear window was borrowed from a Jeep Wrangler.

Ringbrothers Tuka 1972 Chevy K5 Blaze - Photo via Drew PhillipsRingbrothers Tuka 1972 Chevy K5 Blaze – Photo via Drew Phillips

For the chassis, Ringbrothers turned to a 2016 Toyota Tacoma for parts. There are also some aftermarket items like control arms from Total Chaos, extended-travel leaf springs from Offroad Design, and dampers from King Shocks. The vehicle rides on a set of one-off 18-inch bronze wheels from HRE and features a custom spare tire mount behind the rear seat.

Ringbrothers Tuka 1972 Chevy K5 Blaze - Photo via Drew PhillipsRingbrothers Tuka 1972 Chevy K5 Blaze – Photo via Drew Phillips

Power comes from a LS3 6.2-liter V-8 sourced from General Motors. Thanks to some custom parts, including the headers and a 3.0-inch stainless steel exhaust with Borla mufflers, the engine manages to deliver approximately 525 hp. Here it’s paired with a Bowler Tru-Street automatic transmission and four-wheel-drive system.

Inside, there’s very little in the way of retro design. Instead, Ringbrothers has gone with modern elements like a custom carbon-fiber dashboard, carbon-fiber steering wheel, a mixture of billet-machined and 3D-printed switchgear, and Dakota Digital gauges. Bronze accents are repeated throughout, like on the steering wheel, dash, gear selector, and seat cushions.

Ringbrothers Tuka 1972 Chevy K5 Blaze - Photo via Drew PhillipsRingbrothers Tuka 1972 Chevy K5 Blaze – Photo via Drew Phillips

Ringbrothers’ other builds at the SEMA show include a 1970 Plymouth ‘Cuda called Infected, and a 1987 Buick Grand National called Invadr.

In the case of Infected, Ringbrothers picked a vibrant pink paint finish that will likely prove polarizing. The car also features a modern 807-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 Hellcat Redeye engine, and custom body work wrapped around a chassis with an extended wheelbase.

For the Invadr, Ringbrothers retained the Grand National’s signature 3.8-liter V-6 but called on California’s Duttweiler Performance to take things up to hypercar levels. With a twin-turbocharging system and reinforced internals, the engine pumps out an insane 1,246 hp.

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