When was the last time you came across a K5 Blazer with a Toyota chassis?

The automotive wizards called the Ringbrothers are at it again. The annual SEMA Show, which focuses on aftermarket modifications and custom builds over boring from the factory machines is the perfect place for builders like them to show off what they’ve been working on over the past year.

Their first SEMA reveal this year was a Plymouth Cuda called Infected. The second, at least if we’re going by model year, is a 1972 Chevrolet Blazer called Tuka. It does something unthinkable yet ingenious, putting a K5 Blazer body and GM Performance V8 on the chassis of a 2016 Toyota Tacoma.

Something New Based On Something Tried And Tested

We’ll give you a second to let that settle. Placing classic Chevy steel (and some fiberglass) on a Tacoma has to be some sort of crime, right? But the Tacoma is an off-road and reliability legend for a reason, and a big part of that is the chassis. Ring brother and co-owner Jim Ring described it well: “This project is all about crafting something new and highly functional from a tried, true and familiar K5 that can be used daily while no stranger to playing in the dirt.”

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The Ringbrothers fabricators spent more than 3,700 hours building Tuka from the ground up, and almost nothing looks stock compared with either stock truck. The bodywork has been carefully massaged to improve the original Blazer’s proportions by raising the tailgate and box sides two inches to match the lines of the door. To ensure that the new slick look worked, Tuka also got a new fiberglass rear hard top. The panoramic roof in the fiberglass topper comes from a modern-day Blazer, while the rear glass is from a Jeep Wrangler.

The one-off topper isn’t the only new composite panel, as the Ringbrothers added a carbon fiber hood to the build. Other big changes that you probably won’t spot right away include flush-mount glass, Frenched marker lights, new bumpers with grille-mount running lights, and power mirrors from a modern Blazer.

Custom Cabin And The Obligatory V8

Ringbrothers had the entire cabin made for this build designed by Sean Smith and fabricated by Gabe’s Custom Interiors. It includes a carbon fiber dash with modern instruments and 3D-printed and billet-machined switchgear. The Toyota chassis comes from a 2016 Tacoma. The new frame brings an independent front suspension to the K5 body. It also has Total Chaos front control arms and a custom rear suspension. King Racing shocks at all four corners finish off the chassis upgrades, and the truck has custom 18-inch wheels from HRE.

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Power comes from a 6.2-liter GM Performance LS3. It makes 525 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque. The transmission is a four-speed GM 4L60E modified by Bowler, and it uses an NP208 transfer case for 4×4 and low range. That sounds like a reliable recipe on top of a legendary chassis with classic looks. It’s controversial but brilliant, and it’s surely worth every single penny of its doubtless considerable cost. “We wanted to leave no stone unturned in creating something wholly unique, designed to embrace the open road and the unbeaten path,” said the other Ring brother, Mike. “This truck is built for driving in style and with modern comfort.”