Thoughts? Price is in my range, and I like these GMCs a lot... does it look like a good project truck?

Link: http://southjersey.c...3268067034.html

1978 gmc 3/4 ton pickup 454 - $1500 (south jersey)

had it for 10 years bought it for the motor, will sell alot less without the motor. its a p/s , a/c , pdb, cruise, duel exhaust, turbo 400, trailer hitch, bedliner on top of great bed checked the bed today today, tires look great cant remember even having to add air. the trucks looks ok but needs alot of the usual stuff, havent had it inspected in the 10 years been. using qqq tags just to go here and there. anyway i want the motor, the trans is a 400 turbo and isnt any good but it will move. not into 8 luggers, or long beds, or towing. so take a look and if interested will go from there be advised it always looks good and is waxable , but the 15 year restoration is coming back in all the usual places

I believe this is a High Sierra trimmed model, can't make out the dash plaque since it's missing it's fender emblems. I'd definitely need to keep the motor in it though!!

Edited September 15, 201213 yr by GMTruckGuy74

I just sent the seller an email. Hopefully I'll get a reply soon. If it's worth it, it would be great to score this truck, with the engine, for a $1,000. I can see this as it's future paint scheme:

Also, I'm not sure that the tailgate is the original - the small stainless steel strip looks to be from the earlier part of this generation ('73-'75/'76), as I'm really only familiar with this tailgate trim (which is pictured on a Sierra Classic model):

The seller replied:

i picked it up for the motor, around year 2000 but didn't want to separate until ready. a week later found 85 suburban 454 with butchered moon roof had no regrets parting out so gmc ws spared. it says high siearra , the only thing that i see replaced are faded old chrome valve covers. its that blue color eveywhere so i think its original color. i only drove it about 500 miles . i have an 83 and 90 pickup with 454's in it. i used to get cars and trucks like this and do the odds and ends in a day, now i havent changed the headlight in 10 years. has am fm still in dash missing a knob , dual batteries , i never tried the cruise control, like i was saying in add , im a half ton guy, i would leave it whole if i could get a complete motor and a couple bucks. if i pull it i will leave all acessories.

I believe the narrower tailgate trim strip is a later addition to this generation of trucks... post '81 restyle? Not certain when the break was, need research.

And the hood has the extra little contour at the front edge for aero enhancement, I believe that happened later than '78 as well, I believe it was '79?

EDIT: after looking at brochures, I see the full tailgate applique in pictures from '79, and the hood contour is not shown on 78s, but it can be seen in the '79 catalog. All of these changes may have been made when it was re-done 15 years ago, as stated.

Sounds like the dude wants that big block out, regardless.

The narrow tailgate trim is early, not late (I think it looks much better than the later one that fills the whole cove).

This truck reminds me of my '79 GMC, that interior is quite familiar. Even the color is the same - except that mine had the two-tone with white as the secondary color.

I couldn't see the bedsides well enough to tell if the bed is original or not (should have a round gas filler without a door if it is.)

The truck seems to have no mirrors, but they should be the big, ugly ones, not the tidy stainless ones that GM used from '81-'91.

Either that or the small, passenger car style would be correct.

The hood is rotted junk - I remember that look well.

Otherwise, it looks to be a fairly solid and well-equipped High Sierra.

Without more pics and info, I'd say this is a decent buy at a grand (if you can get it with the 454 at that price).

Oh, and I might have the radio knob it needs.

1974 Chevy:

1975 GMC:

'75 GMC:

Woodgrain trim! Haven't seen one like that in ages.

Looks like it used the full insert in the tailgate with that trim - that's a bit odd.

'76 GMC:

I'm trying to find a picture of the narrower stainless tailgate trim piece, been hard so far.

Strange.

Maybe it's a GMC thing, but the only early trucks of this bodystyle I've ever seen with the full insert had newer tailgates.

Maybe it depended on which plant built them?

I do know that the later trucks did not use the narrow trim (at least at Chevy, if not at GMC).

'76 Chevy:

'77 Chevy:

That brochure shows both!

Well, as far as finding a picture with the narrow trim piece, I give up for now, I'm heading in to work for a few hours.

EDIT: ooo... where you see it? Maybe it was a Scottsdale/mid-level GMC trim piece and not top of the line... I'm going crazy until I solve this conundrum.

Edited September 15, 201213 yr by ocnblu

Me too...

This is a mystery.

So I found this listed on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/...59d4877&vxp=mtr

Says it's from a '78 shortbed. Really weird the brochures don't show this.

Edited September 15, 201213 yr by BigPontiac

My uncle's '75 Scottsdale had no trim panel on the gate, but I remember Chevy using the narrow trim piece as well as GMC, with a gold outline and gold "CHEVROLET" script.

Now I'm really interested in knowing which trim levels used the narrower strip. Thanks a lot for finding that, BP!

"Custom Deluxe" models didn't get the trim at all, not sure about "Scottsdale", and "Silverado" always got the trim - but narrow or wide I can't say for sure. I know that Silverado got the big panel from '81 on up, not sure about earlier.

"Scottsdale" was a pretty common trim level back then - maybe it got the narrow trim?

On the 400s, Scottsdale had a black "Chevrolet" panel on the gate while Silverado got aluminum, and the base just got lettering.

Does "High Sierra" equal "Scottsdale" with "Sierra Grande" equaling "Silverado"?

If so, that may solve the mystery - GM has always featured loaded examples in the brochures.

In the late '70's, the Chevrolet trim levels were Custom Deluxe, Scottsdale, Cheyenne, and Silverado. The corresponding GMC trims were Sierra, Sierra Grande, High Sierra, and Sierra Classic. The third trim levels, Cheyenne and High Sierra, got the smaller insets. The top-of-the-line Silverado and Sierra Classic trims got the full inserts.

Thanks bobo.

Yes, thanks!

I had forgotten the Cheyenne...

Thanks for all of the discussion on this GMC (and the tailgate issue). No time to post this weekend, but like bobo stated I did find out that this was the trim used on the High Sierra models versus the Sierra Classic that used the full-width aluminum trim. ocnblu, thanks for posting the various brochures, the '77 Chevy one shows the color combo I'm envisioning this truck in

Unfortunately, no time to see this truck this weekend and it's the opposite direction I work in (but closer to my home). If the truck doesn't sell this week, I will try to get out there next weekend. I'm very interested in seeing how much work this thing needs overall. Any areas I should pay particular attention to? Being a restored 15 years ago truck, I'm curious if there's anything hidden in the bodywork I won't be able to see.

And I need it to come with the 454 V8 if this deal is to go through

I found this picture from the '78 GMC Sierra brochure that shows the electric blue with either a light blue or white inset color for the two-toning that really makes this truck stand out:

Where would I find the Parts Service Label with all of the RPO codes listed on it? The glovebox seems the likely place...

Edited September 17, 201213 yr by GMTruckGuy74

I believe it's in the glovebox, if it is new enough for the label...

Glovebox.

That's where it was on both my '78 Chevy and my '79 GMC.

However, the adhesive gives up and the label comes loose - so good luck.

Got an email from the seller last night, there's a deposit holding it for someone else, so we'll see what happens.

Hope things fall your way, Roger.