Jon’s 1970 Chevrolet C5 Blazer

Four hours of pouring rain. A convertible top that didn’t quite seal. Soaked pants by the time they reached Nashville.

For Jon and his family, it became a favorite memory.

In 2025, Jon, his wife, and their four children took their 1970 Chevrolet C5 Blazer on its first trip together to the Triple Crown of Rodding in Nashville, Tennessee. The weather didn’t cooperate, but the kids loved the adventure.

“The convertible top was not perfectly sealed, so my pants were soaked by the time we got there!” Jon remembers. “But the kids loved it, and we created so many memories.”

Watch the family adventure

From a Texas project to a family cruiser

Jon found the factory two-wheel-drive, full-convertible Blazer in Texas. It already wore its orange paint and 22-inch US Mags wheels, but plenty of work remained.

It needed an interior, tuning, new gauges, and air-conditioning repairs. The top had never been installed, so getting it to fit properly became another project.

Jon tackled all the work himself except the interior finishing. He mounted the seats to get the fit right, combining Slosh Tubz and Snowden seats with a buddy seat. Then his good friend Todd Smith brought the interior together with what Jon calls “his magic touch.”

Classic character, modern hardware

The Blazer’s build included:

• A Chevrolet 454 V8 with FiTech fuel injection.
• Complete QA1 front and rear suspension with two-way adjustable shocks.
• A Wilwood brake package.
• Dakota Digital gauges.
• Vintage Air air conditioning.
• A custom interior built around the seating arrangement Jon fitted.

The hardware made it an interesting build. Taking the family along gave it a story.

A different next chapter

Jon owned the Blazer for a year. After stepping away from his hot rod business to pursue a career path that was better for his family, he sold it to help support that transition.

The Blazer moved on, but the memories stayed—including a very wet drive to Nashville that the family can still laugh about.

What’s a car-trip memory your family still talks about? Share your story with The Collector Chronicles.