CHARLIE BROWN

A Showstopping ’68 Chevrolet K5 Blazer

- WENDY WILSON

WHEN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS, YOU CAN’T IGNORE IT. Two years ago, Alex Martinez had the opportunity of a lifetime: to own one of the best K5s out there. The measurement tech from Edinburg, Texas, learned the 1968 Chevrolet K5 Blazer was for sale, and he jumped at the chance to call it his own.

“I bought the truck built in late 2018,” Alex says. “It’s frowned upon to buy a built truck, but once I knew it was for sale, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to own one of the best K5s in the scene, even though I prefer to build them myself.”

And looking through these pictures of Charlie Brown, you can see why he invested in it.

The K5’s exterior features Auburn Pearl paint with clear and basecoat from PPG, masterfully applied by Robert Meza Alamo Customs in Alvin, Texas. There’s also modern, sleek graphics in burnt orange with silver from Bobby Garza at Good Times in Alamo, Texas. One-of-a-kind Alamo Customs bumpers and grille, along with four extra headlights hidden behind the grille, decorate the outside. The wheelwells have bead-rolled tubs and firewall. Other custom bodywork includes a chopped top—1 inch in front and 3 inches in the rear—with custom glass and Kindig-It Design handles to match the filler gas cap and wiper cowl.