What's the Pinnacle of our trucks?

[Coley]

Originally Posted by westong

I have two holy grails I can think of.
One is a 72 BB Swb and the other is sitting in my driveway waiting to get restored. It is a 72 factory black gmc Sierra K10 Swb. Here is a pic of how it looks now and as you can see the 1980's was a blast for the old girl. She has been used and abused but has a ton of options. I wish it had a am/fm listed on the spid but it did come withe the dealer installed 8track player that I sold for more than I payed for the truck to make the wife happy. Here is a pic of the SPID.

Just curious, shouldn't the spid list the GMC option as a Sierra or Sierra Grande' vs. the (Chevy) 'Cheyenne Equipment' option?...given that it is a GMC.
Also is now painted a 2 tone green?...or is the darker color the original 'black' element. Do you still have the tow hooks for it?
....I'm a bit confused as to what I'm looking at vs. the pics.

all Good
Coley

[westong]

Originally Posted by Coley

Just curious, shouldn't the spid list the GMC option as a Sierra or Sierra Grande' vs. the (Chevy) 'Cheyenne Equipment' option?...given that it is a GMC.
Also is now painted a 2 tone green?...or is the darker color the original 'black' element. Do you still have the tow hooks for it?
....I'm a bit confused as to what I'm looking at vs. the pics.

all Good
Coley

The z84 option was universal with chevy and gmc....chevy was Cheyenne and GMC was sierra. I do have the tow hooks just not put on, when I bought the truck they were in a center console that was beat to a pulp. Like I said the 80's were good to the old girl as far as the paint goes. The inside of the cab and the bed are black as anywhere the nice two tone paint is chipping off.......her name is "two tone" and will stay that when she is painted all black....just fits the old girl. I was fortunate enough to meet the 2nd owner who bought it from the original owner....I'm the 3rd....when he was a young man in 74-75 he was working in the Texas oil fields and a sales rep of sorts would drive out monthly to stock/sale supplies in the 72 gmc. He always asked if it was for sale and one time the guy said yes.....The truck was pretty "pimp" for the times I was told....when I got it it had a factory 8 track and and a GM cb installed as well as a dealer installed soft top option on it. I love the truck

[67ChevyRedneck]

Wow... I wish GMC had production numbers still, but that's got to be one of only a literal handful of trucks.

In terms of "best truck I could buy brand new that I would have kept for 20+ years" would have been a fully loaded 72 BB shortbed Cheyenne Super.

In terms of style, I can't get over the clean lines of a 67 shortie two toned and decked out with CST trim.

[Mrturner1]

67 swb hands down. Gonna be worth ALOT next year too

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

67 swb hands down. Gonna be worth ALOT next year too

Eh, I have a 65 Mustang and while prices did go up a little around the 50th anniversary, they settled back down soon after, and the Mustang 50th was a huge hyped up event with large shows planned in Charlotte, NC and Las Vegas, NV. I went to the Mustang 50th in Charlotte, it was definitely something to see. I haven't heard squat about a GM truck version for the 50th, maybe we need a forum get together for it!

[dennislbrooks]

I am partial to 67 but I think a 68 would have been a nice year to order a K10. 396, np205, sm465 short or long fleetside. I like the 3/4 tons also in a fleetside k20. So if you are asking which is most desirable --worth most-- I do not know but I have the pride in knowing I restored my truck - every bolt-good and bad.

[special-K]

No big block K-model till '77 K30.

The ultimate SWB truck is owned by a member here. It's a '70 dark gold BBC Sierra Grande with many great options. Figure Chevy didn't even have an equivalent till late in '71.

I've become a GMC nut after all the rare and odd combo trucks I've owned. I have sold down my collection to just two remaining trucks that I feel represent the 67-72 pickup spectrum. First and last year, SWB 2wd and 3/4t 4wd... '67 Super Custom Wideside C1500 and '72 Sierra Custom Camper Wideside K2500. I had about all covered at one time, from CST Blazer to Suburban Custom Deluxe/10 BBC to CST Custom Camper/30 cab & chassis to Cheyenne Custom Camper/20 to CST/30 Stepside to Cheyenne Super Custom Camper K/20 to Custom Deluxe K/10 SWB. But that didn't nearly cover all the coolness to be had out there.

67-72 GM trucks are the pinnacle of trucks, period.

[TwoFiftyShifter]

Dazed and Confused truck? Was a 72 Cheyenne Super in black SWB.

[cleanfreak]

I am partial to the 67-68 swb's (have 2 of 'em) , but 71-72 bb loaded swb is the one that everybody seems to lust for , the money they bring when they are perfect suggests this to be true.

[SoCoC10]

1967 SWB CST 327 auto blue on blue with wood bed and Buddie buckets. Seems like they got it right, right out of the gate. Then it was all down hill from there.

[special-K]

^^^ Nice '67. I believe that's dark turquoise with aqua interior. A great combination. A light green or light turquoise top would really set that mutha off (when it gets painted)

Yes, '70 was the highest HP, then power was decreased. Had to do with emissions I think. Compression was lowered, mostly. A 350 was 250 hp in '70 and by '72 it was 175 hp (IIRC)

[mike16]

my vote is for the 68k20's

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

So many nice varieties I consider equal. In my humble opinion, a 1971 with all options would be cream of the crop. K-10, 402, SWB, A/C, Cheyenne Super with all the trim. Though a C-10, 402, SWB, A/C, Cheyenne Super with all the trim and an original wood bed should rival that.

[davepl]

As usual, "it's not that simple". This is probably not the best thread for this data but gotta put it somewhere!

There was a small cam change that came either with or the year after the 70 402 as well. I believe that's also the about the time of the change from closed chamber to open chamber heads.

That was primarily for emissions but it's a better burn, I believe.

Bumping up the displacement slightly on the 396 to 402 would have increased compression ratio slightly, as more swept volume into the same chamber. Unless that's the year they also changed chamber design.

Anyone know when the switch from closed to open chamber heads would have been for the 402? 1971 maybe?

Camshaft for the 396 in 1968-1970 was the 3874872.

Camshaft Intake duration @ .050" == 196°
Camshaft Exhaust duration @ .050" = 196°
Camshaft lift - Intake == 0.398"
Camshaft lift - Exhaust = 0.398"
@ 114° LSA
____________

Camshaft for the 402 in 1971-1972 was the 3963544. That's the "LS4" cam:

Camshaft number = #3963544
Camshaft Intake duration @ .050" == 192°
Camshaft Exhaust duration @ .050" = 203°
Camshaft lift - Intake == 0.398"
Camshaft lift - Exhaust = 0.430"
@ 111° LSA

Two different cylinder heads were used, 3933146 in 68-69 and 3973195 in 70.

In 71-72 you got head 3999240, unless you had AIR then 6272290.

[ck5566]

When you asked "Whats the Pinnacle of our Trucks" IMO you have opened up the flood gates. In the Dictionary the definition is the most or the best of it, the top of the line, it goes on & on & on & or as much stuff as was stuffed into it. There are some of us that just the truck what ever its yr is is the Pinnacle for them. It could be 1/2 a hand full of Options or 2 hand fulls of options or any thing in between. If you are talking about our trucks (67-72) then IMO its the 50th Anniversary yr. that's the 68. I have owned trucks from the 50's 60's & 70's and I have to admit that my favorite/ pinnacle yr of truck is the 1957 Chevy 1/2 ton short step.

So to get back to the Pinnacle of our Trucks I think what ever Floats your Boat is the Pinnacle of it. Every thing else is just Options. my .02 cents & I am sticking to that.

[tommys72]

id say the pinnacle is....one you can get in and drive with no issues. Whether its full blown tootsie build or a bone stock 6 cyl....my opinion of pinnacle is driving them them anywhere between 44 and 49 years after they were built. Mine isnt a restored show truck or a loaded BB SWB, nowhere close actually, but just as fun to drive.

[BossHogg69]

Originally Posted by tommys72

id say the pinnacle is....one you can get in and drive with no issues. Whether its full blown tootsie build or a bone stock 6 cyl....my opinion of pinnacle is driving them them anywhere between 44 and 49 years after they were built. Mine isnt a restored show truck or a loaded BB SWB, nowhere close actually, but just as fun to drive.

Love this response - well put.

[ck5566]

Originally Posted by BossHogg69

Love this response - well put.

Me also 2X's what ever shape there are in DRIVE THEM!

[67ChevyRedneck]

Mine.

Debate put to rest

[TwoFiftyShifter]

I think in general, you have a slew that love the 67-68 front end, and another group that loves the egg crate 71-72 with factory discs. Obviously, short Fleetside trucks with V8 auto are the desirables. I think there are a slew of K20 guys too - because they are rarer and so very rugged compared to a nice C10.

To each their own, but we all know a good truck when we see one. Just like the 60-66 guys - tough to beat a 66 SWB fleet big window with the 327/350, right? And a slew of '63 guys because of its unique one year only combinations.

[special-K]

By the very nature of what a truck is, they are offered in a variety of configurations to suit a variety of uses. So there can be no single pinnacle. There can be a pinnacle for each configuration, but even that is subjective. It still depends on intended use. A SWB big block with all the bells & whistles (meaning comfort & convenience options) is not above a 292, HD everything, posi, leaf spring, 16" rubber (for heavier rated tires) when it comes to one needed to do all it can do in a hard day's work. They weren't good for hauling longer loads, getting farther off road, hauling more people, having an enclosed cargo area, mounting a tow body, or hauling a camper. That's why there are long beds, 4wds, Suburbans, Panel Trucks, C/30s, and Custom Campers.
Pinnacle can mean fanciest, most heavy duty, most useful all around, etc.

Based on low production I'd put the SWB K/10s, K/20 Suburbans & Panels, Longhorns, C/30 Stepsides, 2wd Blazers, Cheyenne Super Stepsides (any), and Dual Rear Wheel C/20 cab & chassis at the top of collectibility along with the more obvious favorite(s). Add GMC to any and you have ever more rare...and those are my pinnacles

[Spartan]

i like them all bare bones to fancy shmancy.
However... Right now for me the pinnacle would be a 68 gold k20 panel with 327 or a 1970 k20 with the factory aux fuel tank also in gold. Both with the factory ramsey bumper and winch. Alas for now I have a few 69 k20s needing attention so even if a hens tooth presented itself to me I'd have to scramble.

I call the 69s the "dark years" because its the year with the 69 only dark interior options and I would add that for me a pinnacle truck would be a 69k20 with dark blue interior stock and in perfect condition...pretty much what we all like to an extant.

See the theme? K20 any year any trim level. mmm and while we're at it a 67/327/4spd k20 panel owned by a mining company with the lettering still on the doors with HD everything...