1986 K5 Grille and Headlight Swap

[Alex Meador]

Hey guys, so I'm working on building a 1986 K5 blazer that was a barn find and was in surprisingly good condition for being in northern Michigan. when I bought the truck it had the front end torn apart and the engine removed but still had all of the panels and trim. Now 4 months since I've bought it and I have a 2001 5.3 LS in it and I'm finally getting to buttoning up the front end and I've realized that I don't have any of the brackets/headlamp assembly hardware (must've gotten misplaced by the previous owner) to make it even more strange when I looked at the grille it came with it appears to be the 1989 style with the high and low beam mounted next to each other and then the turn signal and marker lights mounted below. I've search everywhere and I can't seem to find the correct assembly brackets for the 1986 double headlight style (with high and low beams mounted on top of each other) and the only place I can find 1989 style stuff is LMC truck and its pretty expensive for just some headlights. The grille that came with truck is also cracked so I was planning to buy a new one anyway so all of that to say I was wondering what it takes to swap to a different grille and headlight style? will the various styles all fit and bolt into the same openings or will I need a new core support as well? right now the easiest style to find seems to be the single headlight with low and high in one unit with the turn signal below. Any recommendations on what I can get that will fit?

 

[Jawzjeep]

I just did a 78 to 84 front clip on a K-5 I sold my buddy. I was like all square bodies are the same and was so wrong.

The core support you go with should dictate which headlight style you're going to be able to run to an extent. Unless you get into some fabrication. Unfortunately I can't give you the exact year range dates. Someboby here can I bet.

 

[Jawzjeep]

Here's a picture of the 81 core support that all my 84 stuff fits on to. So that's somewhat of a range.

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[AyWoSch Motors]

To the best of my knowledge, there are 2 core support styles. One for 73-80, and one for 81-87 (or 81-91 for blazer/jimmy, burb). The only thing that changes from year to year are the cutout for the lights, some brackets, and some of the bolt holes. Everything should swap over fine.
I have put a 83 core support with 87 parts on it no problem.

 

[Craig 85]

The core supports from 81-87 will work, including 88 Blazers, crew cabs and Suburbans. Be aware there are 2 styles of core supports if you are going back to the 86 stacked headlights. There is the 2 headlight version and the 4 headlight version. The different is on the bottom, turn signals vs headlight openings.

2 Headlight

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4 Headlight

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[TPISly-C10]

i'm planing to swap my 2 st up for a 4 set up too...and to date in new stuff ADM look like they sell the best repo....but i think gonna wait and find a suburban at the junkyard (not the first time for me to ripoff an old Square in the junk loll) and to have a OEM core and all the thing we need to make de swap!

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[rpcraft]

If you were close buy I would swap you but I already have the parts to do the single square headlights.

 

[Raider L]

@TPlSly-C10,

I've wondered since I rebuilt my truck if a four light rad. support would have fit my '74? Boy, that would have messed their minds up. They wouldn't have had any idea what they were looking at. And not square lights but four round lights like a '58 Cameo, but of course lights going up and down not across from each other. It still would have messed with their minds, ha, ha. They, being the car show judges, and other people to.
I noticed the "four light support" has the square head light adjustment hole next to the light hole, where the "two light" one above it only has square holes for the upper head light holes. The four light one would be the one I would use so I could adjust all four lights.

 

[rpcraft]

It would fit but you would have to change the fenders, the hood, and whatever else attaches to the front clip. To be fair i would just keep your 74 setup. It is the embodiment of what people envision a square body to look like. A day doesn't go buy where I wish someone had stopped me from getting rid of my 77 Jimmy. Square front, big flat hoot, and 2 round headlights. The only way you can make a chevy better is to get a GMC... lol