The rest of the interior was the same as that found in the Z84 trim until 1975.
From 1976 forward, carpet trim was added to the lower door panels, as was a grab handle. The kick panels also came in full vinyl.
Those four models were the primary optional trim levels, but other packages were available as well. For example, from 1976 to 1981, the 1/2-ton short-bed trucks in both product lines had a Z77 option, which was referred to as the Chevy Sport or GMC Street Coupe. This kit used the interior trim from the Z62, plus the V22 Deluxe front appearance option and BC2 Deluxe instrument cluster usually found on the YE9. They also included special rally wheels, the N67, which are difficult to find today and highly desirable as a result.
Another option is a bit more rare, depending on your perspective. These were the years of the truck wars, and because Chevrolet and Ford were competing for sales, they often offered year-end promotional packages. For Chevrolet, these were called the Bonanza; GMC called them the Royal Sierra. These trucks were usually set up with the Z62 trim level, but they came with standard carpeting as found on higher models. That promotion ran until 1980, and from 1981 to 1987, you could choose between the Z84 and YE9 interior packages.
Finally, let’s talk about the Canadian offering. If you happen to stumble upon a Chevrolet/GMC Wrangler, you’ve found a truck that was only available in Canada. If you’re building it in the United States, you definitely have a collectible, albeit common, vehicle. These trucks have unique paint schemes and exterior decals, both of which were never available in the United States, making them special.
One other interesting note about Squarebodies: From 1981 to 1987, you could walk into a Canadian dealership and order the 350-ci V-8 on a 1/2-ton two-wheel-drive truck. That wasn’t possible in the United States.
Chevrolet built several special edition trucks over the years, which are usually difficult to find. They celebrated all sorts of different events and themes and always sold in small runs. Finding information about them is difficult, as it involves digging through magazines from the 1970s. The following are a few examples.
The 1979 GMC Amarillo GT had special badging, custom wheels, and a 454 big-block engine, all in a 1/2-ton truck. It also included the Sierra Classic interior package, but with an additional CB radio.
The GMC Beau James edition had a tonneau cover; custom red, white, and blue “Beau James” stickers on the bed; and the Sierra Classic trim.
The 1979 Chevrolet Big 10 was a 1/2-ton short-bed Chevy with a 454 big-block V-8. This, and the Amarillo GT, were likely produced because of the upcoming emissions regulation changes put in place with the gas shortage of the 1970s.
GMC California Sundancers came in yellow with gray accents and two-tone blue pinstriping. They also had 15X7 Mag Sprinter Western wheels, tube bumpers, a roll bar, and a sunroof.
The 1975 GMC Gentleman Jim was painted in black with a gold strip in the center of the truck and gold accents inside the chrome trim. The dashboard and interior were color matched (a rarity for this time period), and it even came with an eight-track tape player and a CB radio.
The 1977 GMC Indy 500 Special came with custom paint and decals, including a multicolor eagle design that went from the bodyline downward and stood out against the silver paint. A total of 500 of these trucks were made. GM trucks were the official truck of the Indianapolis 500 12 times over the course of this body style’s run, so there are other variants of this special edition as well.
1975 GMC Indy 500 Special
One of the guys who I refer to in this book is Joe Yezzi, the owner of Squarebody Syndicate. In the course of writing this book, I discovered that he had a new restoration project that just had to be included.
It’s a 1975 Indy 500 GMC, which ran in the 1975 Indianapolis 500 (of course), carrying a huge steel bass drum in the bed. Joe found it in the state of Washington, sitting in an overgrown blackberry bush, just rotting away. The owner wanted to get rid of it, and Joe was just the guy to buy it.
The truck, as it sits today, needs a bit of work. There’s a ton of rust, particularly in the bed rails and bottoms of the fenders, but, surprisingly, the cab and cab floors are solid.
How to Spot a Fake
Because these trucks have been off the sales floor for more than 20 years, a lot of people have worked on, customized, or modified one of them. That also means that there are a few fakes out there, and it’s important that you’re able to sort out the good from the bad.
The rarest models are usually the ones that came in the most limited runs and, therefore, are the ones most likely to be faked. The Indy 500 models are one example, but more common are the Big 10 trucks. After all, it’s easy to put a 454 in a truck and call it a Big 10, but that doesn’t make it so.
Also, the earliest years tend to be faked but for different reasons. In some states, the earlier models are still smog exempt. California, for example, requires smog checks for vehicles made in the 1976 model year or newer, so some owners swap the front ends on their trucks and even go so far as to change the VIN just to appear as if their truck were older. Always make sure to check the VIN in all locations.
When inspecting a truck, check the production date stamped in the side of the frame. If it doesn’t match with the year of the truck, say a frame stamped with “76” on a 1984 Silverado, it may be a rebuilt or salvage vehicle.
The 1976 GMC Olympic Edition was available in Canada only. It had a white base coat with a red stripe that went down the upper half of the body and came across the hood. It also had a custom Olympic emblem on the hood and stickers on the windows, and it came in the Z62 trim with chrome bumpers.
The 1976 GMC Spirit of ’76 celebrated the U.S. bicentennial. It was a white base coat with red and blue decals and custom badging on the interior. The seats were also done in red, white, and blue upholstery, with matching blue carpet.
The easiest way to sort things out is by decoding the VIN and analyzing what the truck does and doesn’t have. If you don’t know the year of the truck, there are a few tips on sorting things out correctly.
First, count the number of digits in the VIN. If there are 13 total, and the VIN is mounted on a plate in the driver-side doorjamb, the truck is a 1973–1978 model.
If the truck has a VIN on the dashboard, but it’s not 17 digits, it’s a 1979–1980 model. And if the VIN has 17 digits and is on the dashboard, it’s a 1981–1987 model. For example, should you approach a seller and he tells you that the truck is a 1973, but the VIN is clearly on the dashboard, it may be a 1981–1987 with a front clip swap. That’s quite common, as the earlier front ends are considered more desirable, so be aware.
Decoding a VIN
