MINT

Dan Hogan of Hogan Built (previously Hogie Shines) is one of the highest-end classic Chevy truck builders out there today and has since narrowed down his creations specifically to K5 Blazers. His trucks receive a tremendous amount of attention from serious vehicle collectors as well as celebrities looking to find that perfect niche addition to their stable. The last Blazer he built, which he aptly referred to as “Blink”, was specifically fabricated for clients Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian but they ultimately ended up passing on it. This left Dan no other option than to roll it on the auction block at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale where it ended up fetching a whopping $400K for that ’71 CST Blazer – a record number for these vehicles, and $100K more than his off-market asking price for it. 

While Dan doesn’t necessarily have a preference where he sells his builds (either directly for a customer or through an auction house), he has managed to roll one out every single year that his shop has been in business. He has found this successful in creating a lot of positive attention for his business as well as injecting cash flow directly into his account, which he always seems to immediately reinvest into the next project. Well, this is exactly what Dan did after the sale of the ’71 was complete, but not only did he purchase one more Blazer to build, he bought a total of three more project vehicles to work on to put on the market. 

Dan’s plan was to create three different package levels with these next three builds, and he selected this particular ’72 K5 Blazer seen here that he affectionately calls ‘Mint’ to be the top-of-the-line, cream-of-the-crop option, which he hoped would be as sought after in the next Barrett-Jackson auction than his last big-ticket sale. With a limited amount of time to get the trucks completed, Dan jumped right into the builds but specifically placed a priority on his next potential high-dollar Blazer. 

For those who have paid any amount of attention to the trucks that Dan has completed recently, they tend to have a few things in common – a trend that he planned to carry on with this ’72 K5. A rough and rugged exterior demeanor is an important facet in any high-profile Hogan Built project, so staying true to fashion, a 6-inch lift featuring Deaver leaf springs, Reid Racing spindles, Fox shocks and custom shock mounts and one-off crossmembers were put together to climb to the desired ground clearance. To make that ground clearance fully customizable; Dan reached out to Filardi Fabrication to create one-off shackles and hangers to allow for the ride height to be meticulously dialed in when desired. Dan leaves no detail unattended to, and to drive that fact home, the frame was fully welded, sanded smooth and properly coated to ensure years of worry-free protection. 

To finish off the rest of the chassis overhaul, a complete lineup of Wilwood braking components and stainless plumbing material were put together for the sake of optimum stopping performance and cleanly installation. To maintain the Blazer’s off-road appearance and ability, Dan picked a set of 17-inch KMC Crawl beadlock wheels and 37-inch BF Goodrich KM3 mud terrain tires to provide an extreme level of traction on any type of on- and off-road conditions. So far, things were off to a great start. 

Moving onto the K5’s upcoming power source, Dan had a few options he was weighing out but in the end going with his gut feeling of selecting a brand new LS3 crate engine. At this point, there was no holding back. The whole reason behind this build was to deliver top-shelf power and dependability, and an LS encapsulates both of these important characteristics. The Blazer’s fresh powerplant was soon upgraded with a DeWitts aluminum radiator to keep it running cool at all times, along with a Holley intake and fuel injection and a CVF Racing serpentine package complete with an alternator and water pump. Dressing the engine up are classic OG script valve covers and a 14-inch round air cleaner to give the modern engine an old school flavor. 

Wanting to give the LS a deeper, more aggressive sound, a set of Hedman headers, a 3-inch exhaust system designed by Rad Fab of Glendale, AZ, and a Magnaflow muffler fit the bill perfectly. A Hughes Performance 4L80E automatic overdrive transmission was then mated to the LS for its ability to harness the LS3’s near 600hp count with ease. A custom TAD driveline was also included into the build for the sake of including nothing but the best in the high-performance department. 

While Dan did put an emphasis on creating a Blazer that was powerful and capable, he was also concerned on making it one of the cleanest ones out there – minty clean, in fact. The PPG ‘Mint My Mind Over’ and Mercedes Cirrus White paint colors proved to be the perfect combination for the K5 once its entire exterior surface was sandblasted and completely massaged smooth by Dan and Nick Bielenda. Repop chrome bumpers were obtained, and then they were tucked in and painted on the backside for an added touch of class. The rest of the Blazer’s applicable factory exterior accessories were also sent out for a chrome dip. New headlights and LED taillights were also thrown into the mix to complete this truck’s brand new start. 

Folks might expect to find the interior space of a lifted K5 be left unattended to for the most part, but that’s just not Dan’s style. To outfit the cab to match the rest of the Blazer to a T, Ceballos Customs and Daniel of Bell Auto Upholstery was enlisted to tackle the interior. Getting started, the team built up the factory buckets and rear bench with Snowden foam before they were covered in fresh tan leather. All the panels and entire dash were also treated to the same stitch work, which blends all too well with the German square-weave carpeting and the chrome and billet detailing found throughout the cab. Rad Fab was called on once again to fabricate a one-off roll cage, and Soundworks was asked to wire up a booming sound system that features a custom down-firing subwoofer enclosure located in the back. A RetroSounds Long Beach head unit controls the tunes, and a complete Vintage Air climate control system was installed to ensure optimum comfort wherever this Blazer may head to after the close of the auction. 

Speaking of the auction, there was definitely a lot of attention put on this ’72 Blazer, and once the hammer slammed down, it was claimed for another $400K – tying Dan’s own record he set with the sale of his last high profile K5 project. Of course, you won’t find him taking any breaks soon. There’s always another build to complete before the next Barrett-Jackson event, and with the success of Hogan Built’s own style of luxury classic Chevy SUVs, we imagine the demand for them will only increase in the future.