Quote:
Originally Posted by ho70
After reading this thread, just realized the truck I bought last week is a C package Highlander
per oldchevy website:
During 1972, a unique Chevrolet promotional pickup was introduced for a limited time in 1/2 , 3/4, and 1 ton models. This truck was designated the €œHighlander€. Unfortunately, it did not have side emblems or related name plates that would cause people to remember this special model. On the actual truck the word Highlander was only listed on the glove box door inside ID sheet.
This vehicle was actually a modified middle series €œCustom Deluxe€. The horizontal lower side trim has black inserts, not wood grain. The usual €œCustom Deluxe€ chrome emblems are displayed on the front fenders. As with most of the 1972 GM trucks the dash housing, glove box lid, and door panels do not have the wood grain inserts as on the top of the line Cheyenne Super.
It is the cloth seat inserts that stand out on the Highlander interior. This feature was the special Scottish plaid nylon cloth seat insert material. Four plaid colors were available, depending on the exterior color.
GM used the top of the line 1972 Cheyenne Super seat covering but instead of the hounds tooth inserts substituted this unique Tartan plaid material. The vinyl seat edging, door panels, and seat belts were all parchment no matter the seat or exterior color.
The exterior feature of the Highlander is the attractive stainless wheel covers on the ½ ton. They have no emblem or letters and are specific for this particular model truck. (These actually had been used several years before as the stock 15 inch cover on the 1970 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.) The 3/4 and 1 ton Highlander used hub caps, not wheel covers, that were stampings from the standard base truck.
Actually, the more advertised feature of the Highlander was three pre installed option packages. Chevrolet put together several popular factory options in a base package and reduced the total regular price as much as $260.00. Original equipment (standard on the Highlander package A) were chrome front bumper, upper body moldings, door edge guards, and Below-Eye-Line door mounted mirrors.
Package B included the above items plus turbo hydramatic transmission, power steering and tilt steering column. Package C added the above plus air conditioning and Soft-Ray tinted windows.
|
First off h070, Congratulations on you truck find!
The added cut and paste to your post last night surprised me this morning prompting a reply. As stated in my earlier post yesterday, I revived this thread only because there was an ad referencing this specific, early, thread by a seller and it did not represent the latest and best information.
The pasted information has many factual errors that I have an easy hundred hours sorting out over the years.
It was not limited, in fact I have information that suggests Highlander Plaid trim upgrade to the Custom Deluxe was available at the start of production for 1972 until the end of the MY. The first availability of the promo/savings package bundled trucks is being researched. It was not an across the board option, in broad terms it was limited to Fleetside Pickups, Blazers and 4x2 Suburbans as far as I can tell from the data book.
As stated there were no emblems or badging. However the glovebox descriptions varied and "Highlander" may or may not be seen depending on time, plant and if it was a trim or package truck.
It was, as they say, based on a Custom Deluxe trim. In fact it required the RPO Z62 trim (or Z84 on Blazers) and retained almost all of the Custom Deluxe interior. In reality it only changed cloth, keyed trim colors and added carpet.
The seatcover is a Custom Deluxe style with plaid cloth replacing the standard cloth seat inserts, the Cheyenne Super pattern cover was NOT used.
The exterior trim on "most" trucks seen is the woodgrain and not the normal black as standard on Custom Deluxe trucks. Having been able see very few Highlander build sheets is hard to give any absolutes but they do backup the woodgrain exterior molding usage on package trucks with lower molding. Neither molding was required on trim Highlanders and package trucks included only the upper trim as part of the "A" package.
Wheelcovers were standard only on package C/10s and these were the PA1. It should be noted these covers could be ordered on any trim level 4x2 C/10 in 1972 and were not exclusive to the package trucks. K/10 package trucks as well as CK20 and C30 trucks used the P03 Chromed Hub caps.
Again as I posted above there were two distinct variations.
The Highlander Plaid trim trucks that only changed the interior colors and added carpet.
The Highlander promotional packages that included the Highlander trim in addition to bundled option savings groups.
A= YG6 Plaid Trim, Special Wheelcovers C10 (PA1) or Chrome Hubcaps C20-30 (PO3), Chrome Front Bumper, Upper (Belt) Molding, Door Edge Guards and Below Eye-Line Mirrors. A $94.50 savings.
B= YG7 (includes A) Adds Turbo-Hydramatic Trans., Power Steering and Tilt. A $178.50 savings.
C= YG8 (includes A and B) Adds A/C and Tint. A $260.50 savings.
Finally it should also be noted that GMC offered the plaid trim upgrade as well but not a "package" that I have been able to uncover. However due to the efforts of board member Mister-B I have C1500 GMC plaid SPID in my collection.