In 2015, Icon 4×4 got a call from a customer who liked the Bronco Reformer, but since he was a Chevy guy, he couldn’t go Bronco. For him, Icon turned a 1969 K5 Blazer into another entry in the Icon Reformer series. After almost four years of private ownership, the rig’s just come up for sale for $265,000. Yes, that’s a lot of money for a truck you can find in good condition on eBay for $30,000. But we’re talking about Icon, which means you can practically point to all the places that money was spent.
You’d start under the hood, where GM’s 6.2-liter LS3 V8 with 430 horsepower and 424 pound-feet of torque replaces the 307-cubic-inch V8. That engine shifts through the GM 4L85E four-speed automatic, and burbles through a ceramic-coated exhaust. The stock body and chassis remain, the latter powdercoated, but all the running gear has been replaced, starting with the Dynatrac Dana 60 axles, Atlas leaf springs work with Fox Racing shocks and rebound dampers, and Currie sway bars. And Atlas II twin-stick, shift-on-the-fly transfer case controls the part time four-wheel drive. Hydroboost assisted disc brakes clamp down at all four corners behind American Racing 17-inch wheels on 35-inch BFG All Terrains.
Reworked sheetmetal includes the custom truss front bumper and nickel-plated grille with black inserts. The stock side mirrors get more nickel plating and a brushed finish. Soft gray tinted windows tie into the ghost tinted side markers. Stainless steel Icon badges in the original K5 font mark this member of the clan against Fiat Blue Ocean paint, just about the only brightwork since the stock body trim has been removed. In back, the custom rear bumper supports a tire carrier with a pivot lock, while underneath, a a stainless steel gas tank is shielded by a skid plate.
Getting in the cabin is made easier by door-activated, powered steps with courtesy lights. Inside there are leather and goodies everywhere. A new wiring harness powers all sorts of electrical upgrades like power steering, a more robust climate control system, ambient LED lighting, seat heaters. A tiltable, leather-wrapped wheel sits ahead of new gauges backlight by LEDs. The stock-looking instrument panel fits a restored in-dash radio that will probably play second fiddle to the Pioneer head unit stashed inside the locking center console. Front bucket seats with headrests will be far more comfortable than the original units, the stock rear bench has been restitched with Italian leather. An integrated roll bar with three-point belts for everyone.
A whole lot more’s been done to the Blazer, and Icon having done the work so well is part of the reason the truck is for sale. The restomod company wrote, “the owner said it was too perfect, and he was afraid to drive it!!!” That’s why in four years the rig’s only done 1,200 miles. As for that price, Icon also says it would be impossible for them to recreate the truck even for $265,000, and there will never be another one.
