Chevy TrailBlazer Roadster: Weirdest Convertible SUV Ever Built

This 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer is like an even weirder Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. Someone removed the roof but left the stock interior and all the structural compromises intact.

Priced at $6,845, this wildly impractical convertible SUV still manages to feel strangely tempting.

Whimsy is a term we often see thrown around on social media about mystery-boxed stuffed toys, 900-calorie 'coffee' drinks, and overpriced accessories. But what if someone applied that same whimsical spirit to a 2005 Chevrolet TrailBlazer? The result would probably look a lot like this.

This SUV-roadster hybrid goes too far in some areas while not going far enough in others.

The best part? You can own it for less than $7,000, though you might want to think twice after reading about all its quirks.

Whoever built this either started with a well-used SUV and decided its retirement plan should involve becoming the world's strangest beach cruiser, or they chopped it years ago and somehow kept it alive and looking this clean. Frankly, either possibility is impressive.

With over 170,000 miles on the odometer, this TrailBlazer has clearly lived a life, yet it still looks shockingly tidy. The paint shines, the bodywork appears straight, and the cabin is bizarrely untouched.

That's perhaps the funniest part. Open the doors, and it looks like a completely normal TrailBlazer inside. There isn't a giant touchscreen, a fake carbon-fiber dashboard kit, an AutoZone shift knob, or even one lonely pine-tree air freshener hanging from the mirror.

The builder went to the trouble of removing the entire roof, B-pillars, and rear structure, then apparently decided the stock gray cloth interior was perfect as-is. Which, to be fair, is kind of respectable.

There's a strange purity to this creation. It doesn't look like a show car. It doesn't look like it was built for social media. It looks like one person had an idea, committed to it with concerning enthusiasm, and then just... stopped when the roof was gone.

According to the dealer, an older man traded it in, though they didn't have much more information than that. Even better, the dealership's online description treats it like any other used TrailBlazer.

There's no mention of the fact that the roof has been deleted and the vehicle now has all the structural rigidity of a graham cracker.

That said, it's possible this was a professional build along with a few other similar TrailBlazers built for special events over 20 years ago.

There are a few small downsides to consider. Like weather. This thing absolutely has to live indoors unless you want the interior to become a mold experiment by Labor Day.

The Murano CrossCabriolet at least came with a power-operated fabric top. This has nothing. Leave it outside through one thunderstorm, and you'll be driving a damp sponge.

Then there's the tiny matter of safety. The original TrailBlazer's roof, B-pillars, and C-pillars all helped the body maintain its shape. Remove those, and you're left trusting that the windshield frame can somehow hold up the truck if it ever goes tires-to-the-sky.

Spoiler alert: it probably can't. There's no visible roll bar, no extra reinforcement, and no sign that rollover protection was anywhere near the top of the builder's to-do list.

Still, there's something undeniably charming about it. The 2005 TrailBlazer's 4.2-liter inline-six made 275 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque when new, and this one sends that power to the rear wheels.

With some weight removed and most of the chassis stiffness gone with it, there's a non-zero chance this thing is actually hilarious to drive.

Is it silly? Absolutely. Is it probably a terrible idea? Without question. But for $6,845, this may be the only first-generation TrailBlazer on Earth destined to spend the rest of its life as a garage queen, hauled out only for sunny days and confused looks at gas stations.

And honestly, that feels exactly right. Given that it's only around five hours away from me, I might have to find out what it drives like in person soon.