Needing spid info on my new 71 gmc 2500

[Ozark Tim]

I bought a cool 71 gmc 2500 from josh here on the boars
The truck was built 2-71 and the spid shows the following options
Z84 custom sport truck and
Z17 Sierra Grande Custom
I'm assuming this was a precursor to YE9 as the trucks decor is like a Sierra yet it has rear fender Sierra Grande emblems and above the door handles it has the Custom emblem like the ones used on custom campers, but no camper emblem.
It's very original and was just curious about what seems odd to me on the decor package.
Any gmc experts out there that can chime in to confirm my suspicion.
Thx
Tim

[Joesjunk]

Where are the GMC experts??

[davem815]

I am not an expert.

I believe in '70 and '71 GMC it was a Z84 Super Custom trim level, with a Z17 Sierra Grande Option Package
Also available was Z62 Custom trim level, with a Z16 Sierra option package (not sure about this one)

Then in '72, Z62 change to Super Custom, Z84 changed to Sierra, and YE9 was Sierra Grande.

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong. I have been confused about Sierra/Sierra Grande and been trying to understand them.

[Ozark Tim]

Thanks for chiming in Dave.
It sounds as plausible as anything I can think of. The gmc trim levels finally seemed to get more simple in 72 as you mentioned.
Thanks again
Tim

[special-K]

It's true, GMC started the Sierra Grande in late '69. It was a package on top of the other trim levels till '71 when it became it's own trim level...along with the Cheyenne Supers. I guess that ran into '71 a bit and you have one of those. It doesn't come up much, but I believe I have seen where that is how it was, a bit later in early '71.

[davem815]

Were early '71 GMC's:
Deluxe, z62 Custom, z84 Super Custom, with z16 Sierra, and z17 Sierra Grande option packages? (like 71?)
or Custom, Z62 Super Custom, Z84 Sierra (like '72?)

When did GMC switch to the new names and how did you get a Sierra Grande early in the year before YE9 Sierra Grande? Or did GMC introduce YE9 Sieera Grande at the beginning of the model year before Chevy introduced the mid year YE9 Cheyenne Super???

[Ozark Tim]

Thanks Tim I believe you are right
Dave as it would seem and my 71 2500 as mentioned here shows both Z84 and Z17 options both on the same spid.
As others mentioned the Z17 option was selected as an adder to for example the Z84 option.
I should have just bought a 72, it's so much easier to figure out...ha.

[special-K]

It makes for a factory production oddity, which is cool in my book. Confuse them all, is what I say. Make 'em scratch their heads. I used to have "experts tell my my '71 Custom Camper wasn't a Cheyenne because it didn't say so anywhere. I'd say, then it's a rare '71 CST and they would say no such thing. "Well it has to be something". They'd say it is, it's a Custom Camper. A guy that worked for me had a '71 Longhorn Custom Camper, but it had Custom Deluxe trim. That fender badge option really threw people off, especially in '71. I had a '71 CST Custom Camper that was a Cheyenne with a 396 that was a 402! People insisted it was mustard yellow, or Baby Poupon, but was Okry!

[davem815]

Thanks Tim and Tim,
I confused myself after I gave the first answer.
Ozark Tim, would you mind posting your spid and pic or descriptions of the badging on your truck?

So I assume GMC did not use YE9 and continued to use z17 until '72? Even though chevy came out with YE9 in late '71?

Special k, I also find these oddities interesting.

[Ozark Tim]

I sure will as soon as I am at my office to load pics off my desktop Dave