The stock class winner was Thad Fleming in his vintage ’79 Chevy—with an 8-foot bed, no less. The truck’s drivetrain remains much the way it came from the factory over three decades ago. 35-inch Swampers on a 142-inch wheelbase don’t offer great break-over clearance, but Fleming threaded his way through the rocks successfully.The stock class winner was Thad Fleming in his vintage ’79 Chevy—with an 8-foot bed, no le A call from a friend alerted us to a good time to be had with a group of older fullsize domestics, so we jumped at the chance to head to the desert. ArizonaK5 is a Phoenix-area group of Chevy 4WD enthusiasts who camp and wheel together. They had a plan to gather for a second annual K5 contest at a local OHV site. Two classes competed: Stock and Modified. There was an obstacle course and a short rockcrawling course. Each competitor started with 100 points and was given a time limit to complete each of the courses. Competitor points were deducted for backing up, hitting cones, or going out of bounds. There were also a few bonus obstacles where drivers could add points to their final score. The obstacle course consisted of loose hillclimbs, tight turns, twisty wash crossings, and a couple of tricky downhill sections. The rock course followed a boulder-strewn wash. The action was entertaining, and spectators were witness to a bit of carnage on the rock course. It’s plain hard not to enjoy some good dirt action from vintage American iron! If you’re local and want to meet up with fellow K5ers, look for more information in the forums at www.arizonak5.com. The big rig of the weekend was TJ Tyler’s exo-caged ’89 Suburban. The long-wheelbase K5 has room in it to fit a custom NP241/NP205 transfer case combo behind a TBI 350 and 700R4 tranny. The 38-inch Swamper Boggers dug deep in the soft sand but got him around the courses easily for a Second Place finish in Modified.The big rig of the weekend was TJ Tyler’s exo-caged ’89 Suburban. The long-wheelbase K5 ha Luis Delgado hit the starting hill quick with three wheels of fury carrying him over the rutted bottom and on his way to finish the obstacle course. His ’74 Blazer sports a modified 350 V-8, a TH350, and an NP203 transfer case. The 36-inch military Wrangler treads spin on the stock 10-bolt up front and an upgraded 14-bolt axle in the rear. Delgado grabbed Third Place in the Modified class.Luis Delgado hit the starting hill quick with three wheels of fury carrying him over the r David Downey had a fresh set of 35-inch Toyo MTs to try out. A flexy Offroad Design suspension kept those new tires well planted. He wheeled his ’91 K5 to a Second Place finish in the Stock class. A number of short sandy climbs combined with tight turns kept the course challenging.David Downey had a fresh set of 35-inch Toyo MTs to try out. A flexy Offroad Design suspen Robert Pimentel droped down a bonus line on the final descent of the obstacle course. His caged ’86 Blazer runs a front Dana 60 and a 14-bolt rear to move 38x15.5 Cepek tires.Robert Pimentel droped down a bonus line on the final descent of the obstacle course. His Tim Cunningham ran the bonus portions of the obstacle course to land himself squarely in First Place in the Modified class. His ’81 caged Blazer is propelled with a 454 big-block thumping torque into a TH400/NP205 drivetrain. ARB and Detroit locked 1-ton axles helped him climb the challenging silt hill with 40-inch Nitto Mud Grapplers churning at all four corners.Tim Cunningham ran the bonus portions of the obstacle course to land himself squarely in F The loose, sandy hills offered minimal traction in spots, and it was sometimes easy to bounce off your line and slide sideways.The loose, sandy hills offered minimal traction in spots, and it was sometimes easy to bou AJ Servis drew the short straw to go first for the day. He wheelied up the start hill on the obstacle course and finished in good time. When he hit the rock course he was also doing well … until he met a stubborn boulder. His Blazer yielded one automatic transmission to the stronger boulder. Even with a DNF here and limping off the course, he managed Third Place in the Stock class.AJ Servis drew the short straw to go first for the day. He wheelied up the start hill on t Aaron Stevenson is part of the local Mud Militia and runs his ’85 based rig in the goo as well as the desert. His well-modified Chevy rides on heavily cut 44-inch Boggers. Propane powers the big 468ci V-8. Behind it is a TH400 followed by an NP435 four-speed, and a twin-sticked NP205 for plenty of gearing choices. Those big tires spin on a pair of Ford-sourced locked Dana 60s.Aaron Stevenson is part of the local Mud Militia and runs his ’85 based rig in the goo as Loren Lehrman brought out his clean ’85 K5 for the contest. He is running a reliable TBI 350 with a 700R4. He has clocked the NP208 for better clearance and runs 37-inch MTRs with 4.56 gears in locked 10-bolt front and 12-bolt rear axles. He won the event last year, but driveshaft issues bit him on the rock course this time out, causing him to DNF there.Loren Lehrman brought out his clean ’85 K5 for the contest. He is running a reliable TBI 3 By Jay Kopycinski Enjoyed this Post? 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