73-87 differences

[bigblock73]

With the help of Chris (Capt Kaos), and the future help of Ken (kiilew) and Mike (Swerve), I put together a year by year list of the differences thru the 73-87 model years.

http://www.73-87.com/7387info/7387differences.htm

There wil be more added as Mike and Ken get back to me, and if you see anything you think should be added, feel free to contact me so we can get in on the list. (Cough cough...Joe, Dave & N2trux...cough cough)

Hope you like it.

[Grim Reaper]

Good stuff. Few things to add.
Like the poster above said the gas door was a mid year change at some of the plants. The K5's also got a floor change in 78 that gave rear seat passengers a foot well. This also alowed for the Fold and tumble seat for the rear to alow for a quck wat to get full cargo space.
78 was also a majore electrical change. Sometime Mid year they discontinued the glass fuse fuse block and went to the Spade style.

The 241 replaced the 208 in 90.

90 and 91 power mirriors was an option on the Blazer and Suburban.
91 the Suburban came with the 4l80 in the 3/4 ton

89 was a style redoo getting a new 4 spoke steering wheel over head consols in the Sub, new grill treatment to try and make the Subs, Crews and Blazers look a little more like the new body trucks.

The 4 year carry over had several reasons. Not the least of these was the military contract to provide trucks and truck parts for 10 years.

The 89-91 had a 30 spline front and rear axle. there were 27 or 28 previously.

[N2TRUX]

Ok I haven't read all that's on your site so excuse me if some of this is repeated.

What new for 82 from the confidential salesperson guide...

6.2 liter diesel with 130 SAE net hp @ 3600 rpm and 240 SAE ft/tq for p/u chassis cabs, Blazer 4x4's and Burbs.

5.0 "2bbl" discontinued.

Auto with O/D offered on select C/K 10 and 20 models.

Chrome front bumper standard

16" wheels replace 16.5" wheels on C/K 20 and 30 series

8 ft stepside box no longer available on C/K 10 series.

Blazer- Soft top option discontinued

And as we all know this was the last year for the 2wd Blazer C/K in the 73-87 series....

[cliffsta]

speedo changed in 79 i believe.

[cliffsta]

maybe a small detail; at some point mid year in like 78 or 79 the shift indicator changed from yellow to orange

[bigblock73]

Thanks for all your suggestions. This list will never be finished, because there are soo many things that changed...but that is half the fun.

I am sticking mostly with the biggest changes, so i will go thru all your suggestions later on tonight and edit my list.

Moonlight, I am pretty sure raingutters weren't available until '74...if a 73 has them more than likely they were added by the owner after GM introduced them. My '73 does not have them in case you were wondering. I am not going to go into great depth on things like woodgrain patters, headlight bezel color, and gas pedal shape, I may, but can you see how long this list would become? You gave me some good additions tho, and I will add as many as I can.

Grim, thanks for yours too, I will get them added.

Ken, got most of yours already, but I did miss a few.

Once again, thanks for the info...and keep them coming.

[Captkaos]

From what Jeff indicated to me he was looking for major changes in the model run. Slight changes are going to happen though. It is a general guideline for the years, some of the stuff you are mentioning though I am trying to document for another page, but don't have pictures of everything and a page put together.

Some discrepencies are going to happen. For example, GM "officially" stopped using 12botls in 1981, but there are 82's that have them.

As for the rain gutters, when the truck was designed in 1973 there was none upon release, but one of the engineers (can't remember his name now) found that rain entered the cab and designed these gutters that would bolt on, but GM didn't want them, so he pattened it on his own sold it to dealers the first year. After GM noticed the response, they started putting them on from the factory in 1975, before that they were dealer installed.

As for the gas cap exposure, I listed it as 1978 because that is when it "started" for the Blazers/Jimmys. BTW, my 1978 Jimmy has the door.

[cliffsta]

[QUOTE=moonlight]The steering wheel changed slightly in '78 and I believe the wooden bed option was discontinued in 1980 (according to Peterson's 4 wheel/off-road magazine).. Am I being too detailed?
QUOTE]
not fully true; wood beds were available in stepsides all the way through 87. Why, I have no idea, especially since the wood (or lack of) in the bed of Ol Red is exactly why wood isn't terribly practical

[bigblock73]

Mark, I admire your enthusiasm and am glad you enjoy these trucks as much as I do. You may be crazy, but it is a good crazy IMO.

I am sure you can see how a list like this can snowball from a two to three sentence per year article to a 2000 word essay per year if every single detail about these trucks is documented. On top of that, I doubt there is a single person alive that knows everything about these trucks, what options they have, and when they became available or discontinued. GM, as well as all the other auto mfrs, do some strange things when producing vehicles. Whether it be changing things along the way, not documenting things completely, or whatever...there will always be someone saying "Well my truck has this", or "My dad bought this truck new, and I know it came with this piece". Compile all that with the fact that some of these trucks are now over 30 years old...anything could have been done to them by any number of people, owners, dealerships, body shops, you name it.

I appreciate your comments, and by all means, don't feel you can't enlighten us on some of the things you know...I too am always happy to learn things about these trucks.

[87 STEPPER]

Good stuff there Jeff!

Here's some more info for 1987.....Is..the...Last year the stepside bed is offered .....In 1988 GM restyles it and calles it a sportside bed.

[bluex]

Originally Posted by cliffsta

not fully true; wood beds were available in stepsides all the way through 87. Why, I have no idea, especially since the wood (or lack of) in the bed of Ol Red is exactly why wood isn't terribly practical

I was told the bed I got is an '84 and it has the wood. Well it did have, I replaced it with a new piece of treated plywood last week. I know it was factory, I was planning on putting it back, but it fell apart on removal. That and I had to cut out about 6 of the bolts. Maybe it was an option in the later years? I dont see many stepsides around here, but they all have wooden (or lack thereof) floors.

Paul

[bigblock73]

Originally Posted by moonlight

Did you see my pics of the '74? I like the one with the grill up front and the 70's Chevy truck banner in the backround... Kinda "artsy" don't ya think?

Yes, I checked out the pics, both of those trucks are beautiful! Your C30 is the same color mine was when it was new. I must give you praise, anybody can cut up or modify a truck, but it takes a special person with A LOT of will power and dedication to keep them stock!

[cliffsta]

yeah i heard somewhere that the fleetsides didn't get them after 81 or something, but it most definately could be false. or whatever.

[ElGracho]

Jeff, I've been thinking of making this page too. Great idea. Another idea I have is to come up with a picture of each grille from 73-87 (91) for both Chevrolet and GMC. My trucks will be a start...

Anyhow, I think it might be worth noting the differences between the 73-74 instrument cluster bezels the use the backlit wiper switch lettering vs the others that will fit the 73-80 dash pad. That is something many people would find useful since dash bezels are commonly in need of replacement when restoring or restifying these trucks.

I'll add more if I think of them...

[Grim Reaper]

To put some things in perspective of who some will find things on one truck of the same modle year and another truck may no have it is there was more then one plant. I think these trucks were built in 4 plants over the year if you include the Canada plant. So you may see 78's with and without gas door depending on when the tooling was changed. So most of the chages will have a little discrepency.

[bigblock73]

OK, updated the page with pretty much everything that was suggested.

Thanks again for the suggestions everyone.

Joe, I like your idea too, might want to get in touch with Chris...he is thinking the same thing you are. Both of you please keep me in the loop so I can help out if needed.

[cliffsta]

hmm, i think no one mentioned that the stepsides had rear side markers back in the day, i think until they switched from round trailor lights to the square ones. the square ones have a sidemarker already built in, therefore eliminating the need for the ones on the rear fender. But if im not mistaken, which i probably am, i think they kept the extra sidemarker until 77, and steppies got the different taillights in 76. I could go get my LMC and know for sure, but im lazy

[gchemist]

83 - First year to have a matching color line bezel with the grill. 84 was the last.
83 - Last year of the long dual line emergency cable.
83 - Last year of the floor dimmer switch!!! I love it!!!
83 - Last year for the cruise control vacuum cut off line at the brake pedal. It went electronic in 84.
82-83 Only years to have gear selector with the words "Automatic Overdrive" above the letters. In 84 GM went to a circle around the "D".
Need more?

[1972C10]

Pretty Informative I have an 85 C20 that came with heavy duty everything and a 454/400 never had cats but had two smog pumps The fuel fillers are larger than half tons and other trucks and does not have Unleaded Fuel only on the gas gauge

Did they offer lead fuel trucks back then? Im assuming its over 8500gvw

[Russell]

My 80 has a colormatched line through the grill

[swervin ervin]

Originally Posted by gchemist

83 - Last year for the cruise control vacuum cut off line at the brake pedal. It went electronic in 84.

Not so. My 85 has vacuum cut off line at the brake pedal for cruise.

[apstguy]

Don't forget that GM went from a shaft style radio to a 1 1/2 DIN style radio in subs and blazers in 88.

[bagged81]

81-82 had the front turn signals in the front bumper. After that, they went behind the grill. At least that is what I tell everybody, lol.

[87 STEPPER]

Originally Posted by gchemist

83 - Last year for the cruise control vacuum cut off line at the brake pedal. It went electronic in 84.

Naaa! my '87 has it i think ya better ck that again G.