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Greatest Catch typography

Captain “Wild” Bill’s 1972 K5 Blazer

BY Fuelish Media
T

here’s nowhere else Captain “Wild” Bill Wichrowski of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch would rather be than reeling in tons of king crab. Well, that was until his 1972 K5 was finished and delivered. Now you can catch him rolling around town in the type of truck he fell in love with when he was a kid. With such a busy schedule and having some valuable connections within the car restoration business, the captain figured it best to holler out to one of the truck scene’s premier builders for help.

1970s K5 Blazer off-road SUV, yellow with white hardtop, ocean view
interior of K5 Blazer, tan upholstery, classic dashboard, beach in background
classic K5 Blazer lifted, yellow and white two-tone paint, beach backdrop
Enter Dan Hogan of Hogan Built, who is a high pedigree builder capable of producing an astounding lifted truck. His work is in very high demand, and there is, of course, a sizable wait list to have him so much as breathe on a truck. That’s just how it goes, but there are times when special exceptions are made. When Hogan asked Captain Bill why he chose a Blazer to build he had a very simply answer to give: “My dad’s friend had a K5 that I remember absolutely loving when I was young. I saw one years later at Virginia Beach with the top off and since then I was officially hooked on the idea of grabbing one for myself. Years passed by without finding one, but one day I made a comment about my search for a K5 on somebody’s social media post and I was put in contact with Dan Hogan. We hit it off and soon enough he tracked down the perfect Blazer for a project.”

Hogan does have a knack for locating killer trucks to work on—most would say that he has perfected the art. This particular 1972 K5 was found originally purchased in the Tucson area and was only resold once before Bill got his hands on it. “The truck spent most of its life in that same area of Arizona,” Bill adds. “I would fly to town from Alaska before driving to my house in Sonora, Mexico. I would maintain my rigs south of the border, and I eventually took this Blazer down there to begin cleaning it up for a redo.”

close-up view of K5 Blazer's lifted undercarriage and off-road suspension
rear cargo area of K5 Blazer with a green Coleman cooler, tan interior
classic K5 Blazer dashboard, tan and green interior, beach visible through windows
Well, Bill’s schedule became increasingly busier with filming Deadliest Catch and had no time to work on it and Hogan ended up hauling the truck from Mexico back to his shop in Arizona. When it came time to start overhauling the chassis system, Hogan referred to his trusty playbook by reaching for Deaver leaf springs, Reed spindles, and Fox 2.0 shocks to not only give the K5 a major growth spurt but much-improved ride quality as well. A Red Head/Offroad Designs crossover steering package was put into place to allow Bill commanding control over his rig in all-terrain conditions. Assisting with the truck’s off-road prowess is a set of 17×9 Black Rhino beadlock wheels and 33-inch BFGoodrich A/T rubber along with Wilwood braking components that will come in handy, too.

With the K5’s chassis well taken care of Hogan then focused on selecting the right engine to power it. Of course, there’s no losing with a brand-new LS3 crate engine from GM Performance. While this mill comes well-equipped directly from the factory, there is always room for improvement. To increase the LS3’s performance output, Hogan outfitted it with a DeWitt’s aluminum radiator, a Holley intake manifold and fuel injection system, Hedman headers, a custom stainless exhaust setup from Rad-Fab, and MagnaFlow mufflers for good measure. A 14-inch air cleaner was also added to the mix, as were small-block Chevy valve covers that were smoothed and painted Hugger Orange, as was the entire LS block to add a nice throwback touch. Behind the K5’s LS3 is a fresh 4L80E transmission and torque converter from Hughes Performance, as well as a driveshaft from TAD Driveshafts in Phoenix.

Hogan Built badge on custom K5 Blazer engine bay
At the beginning of the project, Bill and Hogan were both interested in maintaining the Blazer’s original medium olive paint code. Since the truck required a good amount of bodywork, Hogan started by gapping and aligning panels where necessary. The fuel filler was relocated to a hidden compartment behind a marker light for a smoother appearance, but when it came time to spray the truck with fresh coats of PPG paint, the only color selection in the cards was an original medium olive green over a crème brûlée white. While the paint purposely held the K5 back in 1972, updating the exterior with the inclusion of modern Hella LED headlights, United Pacific mirrors, Mar-K wood grain trim, and fresh panes from State 48 glass went a very long way to creating a clean, vintage-inspired façade.
restored K5 Blazer engine with bright orange Chevy V8
BFGoodrich All-Terrain TA tire on K5 Blazer, close-up, beach background
underneath view of K5 Blazer's suspension and rear differential
A similar design approach was desired inside the Blazer as well as the same olive paint was incorporated into the cab. Doubling down on the classic aesthetic, Bell Upholstery, along with help from Ceballos Customs, first installed TMI seats using custom Hogan Built brackets, then wrapped the top of the dash and covered the custom door panels that Dan’s team fabricated special for this project. German square-weave carpeting and a CON2R steering wheel rounds out the interior overhaul, but it’s the contemporary 12V accessories in the form of Classic Instruments gauges, RetroSound head unit, Rockford Fosgate audio components, and Vintage Air climate-control that substantially levels up the K5’s amenities list.

Transforming the Blazer from its original condition to what it is now only required roughly 18 months of Hogan’s time once he got the ball rolling, but he was able to forge a lasting relationship with Captain Bill during the process. “Becoming friends with Bill over the course of the build happened naturally as we collaborated so closely,” Dan confirms. “From designing the truck to planning a trip with it to SEMA, as well as promoting it for Barrett-Jackson, there was a lot for us to work together on.”

Captain Bill also agrees with that sentiment as he has nothing but great things to say about his experience with the Hogan Built crew. “The Blazer was a great canvas for [Hogan] and his team to showcase their skills and workmanship on,” he adds. “The proof is right there, and I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”

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