A 1972 GMC Sprint isn’t a truck that you see everyday. A lifted 1972 GMC Sprint that has been converted to four wheel drive is really something you don’t see everyday. And a lifted 1972 GMC Sprint that has been converted to four wheel drive that is powered by a 4BT Cummins diesel is likely something you may never find again. This one here on Craigslist in Wichita, Kansas is probably the only one like it in existence.
The production number of the 1972 GMC Sprint was nearly 6,500 units while the Chevrolet version, the El Camino, totaled a little over 57,000 units. This in itself makes the Sprint a much harder version to find. In some respect it’s sad to see the rarer model so heavily modified. But this is also such a unique vehicle with the combination of modifications.
This Sprint would catch a lot of eyes being lifted and four wheel drive, but it would also catch a lot of ears when the sound of that 4BT Cummins comes within earshot. Modifications like this don’t come without a price and the seller states that they’re unwilling to come down from the $10,000 price tag, which is understandable.
This listing offers plenty of good information about this truck and the seller states that the body could use some work. This seems like a pretty good platform to do the necessary work and make it really nice. So, if you had the $10K what would you do with this vehicle? Use it as a toy for the river? How about a parade vehicle? There seems to be some pretty fun possibilities here!
Uhhhhhhh… No. Don’t ride the river or rock climb with this one. The transfer case and drive line will high center even if you put 80″ tires on it and lift the body another foot. Stevie Wonder riding by on a fast horse could see that. And he’s a musician.
I’ll bet this beast will do well at tractor/truck pulls though.
I am not clear if all the work underneath was done to the Sprint chassis, or was this body put on a 4WD chassis from another truck.
Has anyone seen my Banjo? Lol
It’s interesting that the builder would go to a 4BT Cummins like this one. The engine is capable of producing some serious hp but is severely limited with the VE distrubutor pump. A VE can be turned up to the point where it will blast enough black smoke to totally blot out the car behind you at the stop light. But reliably, you’re limited to 140 hp before the insides of the pump start to disintegrate. Cummins went to an inline pump later that could withstand the increased injection pressure but you can’t convert this engine to the newer version without changing the timing gear case and gears.
That said, there could’ve been a better choice than a Sprint to convert to 4×4. But I guess the choices are endless. I’ve seen just about everything imaginable converted to 4×4 or monster truck so the sky is the limit, as they say.
10 grand no way!
He can keep it!
3,tops
Nothing says build quality like an ABS sewer pipe intake.
Kill it with fire.
Hey, I like the sewer pipe!!!!
Yesirree, gonna weld me some a them shackles on that there frame and make me a mudder…kinda.
This, at least, is more like it. Checks a lot of boxes for you non-purists. Looks neat, well built, blows clouds of black smoke, which some think is cool, not me however. Years ago, clouds of black smoke out the “twin chimney’s” of a vintage Peterbilt, meant more horsepower. Doing that in a pickup today is just an annoying nuisance, serves no purpose, and may, in some places, might just get you a ticket. Being around diesels for 35 years, I just don’t understand the attraction of a diesel powered vehicle like this. At least you don’t have to jack it up to change the oil.
Carry on my wayward son, There will be peace when you are done…..Lay your wearing head to rest, don’t you cry no more………..You got a 4X4 Diesel Sprint what more could you want? The good idea fairy spent considerable time in Wichita whispering in this guys ear. I do admire the quality of his execution, However I think he would have been better served leaving it closer to how it left the factory for some real money. IMHO but hey what do I know?
Like!
This looks like a fun vehicle to drive and the problem solving in making it would have been satisfying. Kudos to the builder(s) for having the crazy courage to deviate from convention.
They are all factory once, -boring- !
I’d run it on WVO or waste ATF just to ruffle even more feathers.
Detractors of this truck are probably all wussy crybabys who keep their Matchbox cars in the packaging and erroneously equate sensibility with the good life.
Now there is one less original so no more crying . Yours is now worth more money!