Hot rods come in all shapes and sizes. Whether your tastes lean toward muscle cars or trucks, a hot rod is a hot rod. The guys at Ringbrothers agree and have released an unbelievably cool four-wheel-drive hot rod — meet Bully, an out-of-this-world 1972 K/5 Blazer.
This modern interpretation features a 1,200-horsepower Wegner Automotive-built 6.8-liter LS3 force-fed by a 2-9-liter Whipple supercharger. BULLY’s abundance of power is transferred to the ground through a Bowler Performance Transmission’s Tru-Street 4L80E automatic transmission. Underneath, BULLY rides on a fully custom chassis built by Roadster Shop, supported by Currie Enterprises Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear axles, mounted via a triangulated four-link suspension that employs two FOX coilovers per wheel.
“BULLY is a thorough reimagining of Chevrolet’s premier off-roader, and every aspect of this build was designed to push the envelope,” said Ringbrothers co-owner Mike Ring. “We wanted to exceed current limits of what to expect in an iconic four-wheel drive while maintaining the extreme attention to detail we’re known for.”
We’re told the Ringbrothers invested more than 8,500 hours to bring this vision to life, and the Blazer features a multitude of one-off 3D-printed and machined parts. Covering the smooth sheetmetal is BASF’s Glasurit waterborne mix called Bashful Blue. The exterior features tasteful carbon-fiber accents in the form of custom fender flares and a hood with machined billet covers. The reworked body and flares make room for massive 325/65R18 Cooper Discoverer STT PRO tires wrapped around 18×12-inch HRE wheels.
Bringing everything to a quick stop are Baer six-piston brakes on all four corners. A Holley Dominator EFI system handles fuel management duties while Motul lubricants keep the engine at peak performance. Flowmaster headers and mufflers customized by Ringbrothers deliver the soundtrack.
“This project was meant to stand above, both figuratively and literally,” added Jim Ring. “Our partners HRE Wheels, Whipple Superchargers, Motul, Painless Performance Wiring, Miller Electric, Holley, and so many more enabled us to see this build from concept to production. We’re honored to work with the very best in our industry and thank them for their continued support.”
The new take on a vintage interior features fully custom upholstery by Steve Pearson at Upholstery Unlimited. The in-house fabricated seats use an aesthetic that is based on the theme of “floating” and combine the Blazer’s rugged nature with unsurpassed craftsmanship. Three individual pods separate the dashboard and house the Dakota Digital instrumentation and custom Ringbrothers carbon-fiber steering wheel.
Bully is an excellent showcase showing that Ringbrothers offer a plethora of billet aluminum parts, like the steering wheel, side marker light bezels, and more for enthusiasts to customize their own Blazer. Visit Ringbrothers.com for more details.