Junkyard Gem: 1997 Chevrolet Tahoe, Rocky Mountain Rambler 500 Version

My dwelling state of Colorado is host to a number of wild road-and/or-off-road rallies that includes amusingly modified hoopties doing issues they have been by no means designed for. There’s the Lemons Rally, the Gambler 500 and the Rocky Mountain Rambler 500, to call a number of, and — as you’d anticipate — lots of the taking part automobiles wind up within the Entrance Vary boneyards that I frequent. As we speak, we’ll be taking a look at a Rocky Mountain Rambler 500 veteran that appears prefer it simply rumbled off the set of a Mad Max film.

The way in which you establish one in every of these rally machines is to search for the occasion stencil sprayed someplace on the physique. I wish to suppose that I’ve had an affect on this stencil pattern.

Up to now on this collection, I’ve documented a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed 1996 Acura RL from the Rambler, an Astroturf-covered 2008 Volkswagen R32 from the Rambler and a “Good Vibes” 2005 Pontiac Vibe from the Gambler.

The chains-and-electrical-cords decor is top-notch.

The purposeful glasspack-topped twin stack exhaust should have sounded imply. It actually seems proper.

I hope all occupants wore their seatbelts, as a result of these chains do not seem like they’d have been capable of preserve anybody safely inside on a jouncy mountain path.

The rattling and clanging of chains should have been a formidable accompaniment to the roaring V8 noise.

The V8 making that noise is likely one of the final of the unique lineage of small-block Chevy engines factory-installed by GM in the US: a Vortec 5700 aka LT-family Chevy 350. If that is the unique engine, it was rated at 250 horsepower and 330 pound-feet. This engine made it into new vans till simply barely into our present century, and remains to be offered as a crate motor.

There’s nonetheless a little bit of Tahoe recognizable inside, even with the intensive physique chop.

It went out in a blaze of rally glory. Now, The Crusher awaits.

Simply because the Beastie Boys did a number of years earlier, Chevy Tahoe entrepreneurs sampled the Gyuto Monks for this business.

The unique purchaser of this truck in all probability by no means imagined that it will be doing this a quarter-century later.