SECOND ROUND KNOCKOUT

Daniel Cumby’s ’95 GMC Jimmy Overhaul

- PHIL GORDON

THE CHEVY BLAZER AND GMC JIMMY ARE NEARLY INTERCHANGEABLE. Aside from slight trim and badging, Chevy and GMC created an almost identical vehicle. The second generation of the Blazer/Jimmy was so popular that it was given the Truck of the Year nod from Playboy magazine and Motor Trend magazine.

In the custom truck community, the Chevy and GMC SUV model became extremely popular due to the customizations possible. When Daniel Cumby of Santa Fe, Texas, first purchased a Chevy Blazer, he made it his own by bagging and painting it to his preference. His Blazer was his daily driver and he used it for commuting to work as well as hanging with friends.

Daniel wanted to try his hand in building a full-size truck, so he found a new home for his Blazer. He quickly realized his mistake and began to miss the mini. Of course, he couldn’t renege on the sale, so he set out to find a new one. Looking through ads online, he found a ’95 GMC Jimmy in Holiday, Florida, for sale. It was already bagged but had a primer black paintjob, which he saw as a blank canvas for his creativity. After some quick negotiations, Daniel got his new project to Texas and began the overhaul, or “round two” as he calls it.

Insistent to make it a daily driver similar to his Blazer, Daniel needed to handle some maintenance right off the bat. The first step was adding shocks to the front and rear to make it manageable on the road. Daniel brought in Jesse Humbird to tweak the four-link and bag placement. The top links and slide axle had to be adjusted so the passenger bag wouldn’t rub on the floor sheetmetal. Once the Jimmy was fit for the Texas streets, it was time to start the external transformation.