Great colors are just the start of the desirable attributes of this 1976 GMC Sierra 2500, a Camper Special model that comes with all of the requisite upgrades necessary to hit the trails with all of your gear (and, presumably, a camper shell in tow.) It’s been in the care of one family from new until 2019, when it traded hands for the first time since leaving a Montana dealership. The listing notes the first owner chose to spec it with all of the heavy-duty options, and that it has just under 57,000 original miles. You’ll find it here on eBay where bidding is over $6K with no reserve.
The seller notes he purchased this truck from the original owner’s daughter, who presumably took ownership when her parents passed away or could no longer drive. The original owner was a cattle rancher, so it’s possible the heavy-duty equipment wasn’t used for exploring the great outdoors but simply for handling the rigors of the job. Some of the HD features include the “….bulletproof 4 speed and NP205 gear-driven transfer case,” skid plates, “big hub” Dana HD front end, brush guard, and of course, the Camper Special package with 8400 GVW. Tires appear to be quite fresh and the painted bumpers look tidy.
The interior is nicely aged, with no major rips or tears noted. Fake wood trim in the dash is clearly fake but in good order. The corresponding trim on the bottom of the dash matches the green exterior, but you’ll have to be a fan of the color to enjoy being surrounded by different shades of olive, pistachio, and lime – the 70s were a groovy time! The dash pad has only some very minor cracks, which is hardly surprising considering the GMC lived in a climate-friendly to surfaces that can grow brittle with extreme sun exposure. The seller notes everything works, even the fasten seat belt buzzer, and the truck retains original glass.
It is believed that the 56K miles are original, and the seller states that the original 350 pulls like a low-mileage example would, with no funny noises or smoke. Both fuel tanks are still operational, as are the corresponding gauges. The seller notes that the truck is a little cranky when cold and could use a choke adjustment, possibly, but that it overall runs smooth and strong once warmed up. The original radiator hoses and clamps remain installed, which is certainly a testament to its originality, but I’d still change them out for peace of mind. Bidding seems reasonable at the moment, and with no reserve, it starts to look like a potential bargain, too.
That’s a beast of a truck .
Well now, I thought I was looking at a truck I did the PDI on when it was new! We sold the almost identical twin to this one, with the exception of the roof being green. We sold the otherwise identical truck to a rancher who drove it away and brought it back for a few nuances a couple of weeks later. By that time it didn’t have a straight piece of sheetmetal left on it. Feeding the cows and they all crowd around the truck and push everything in. The top of the roof and the hood were also damaged by falling hay bales. Anyway, the truck was well used in typical rancher fashion for three or four years and since the body was shot, the guy opted to keep the truck and just buy a new one off the lot, only to subject IT to the same abuse. I wouldn’t say this unless I had grown up on a ranch myself. Ranchers take good care of anything with hair on it but if it has wheels all bets are off. Except in our case where we also did a fair bit of farming, Dad was somewhat more careful about the care and feeding of his trucks…
My uncle was a farmer. He bought a new Chevy truck with 4 speed every three years.
After three years it’s like the rancher. Not a straight piece of sheet metal except for the ash tray.
I had another customer, an old bachelor who had a C-1500 Sierra Classic. He chewed snuff and spit it all over the dash. His gauges would be completely blotted out with that gross crap when he brought his truck in for work. We’d always give his truck a bath and detailing inside and out, and he never disputed a bill; in fact he just took out his checkbook slid it over and had me fill it out, plus make the entry in the back. He’d sign it and be off to the coffee shop to join in the crowd there. He probably had the only ash tray we pressure-washed…
My Grandfather owned a cow-calf operation and ran 1500 pairs. HIS trucks were always in good condition, but his sons(my dad and uncles) were always trashed to the point of the doors falling off. You could tell right away who did hands-on work with the cows :) Cool truck here, love the color and the grille guard. Dad had one on his 1973 GMC and I helped him put it on – heavy duty is an understatement!
I’ve always loved the look of these trucks
I had 4 of them in the late 80’s
Different years ,series,and drivetrains but all looked the same.
My Inner Redneck would love to completely rebuild one with all the options and upgrades you could do without changing the look
The brush guard looks to me like it’s from a Canadian military “five quarter”, a sort of cousin to the original Chevy CUCV. If that is the case, that brush guard in itself is worth a pile of cash.
Surprised it has a 350 instead of a 400 or 454. Most of the camper specials I’ve seen had a 454.
Being a 4×4 with a manual transmission you were limited to a 350. The 400 was available with an automatic only. The 454 was a 2WD option.
Kermit would be green with envy when someone outbids him.
I have no use for anything this heavy duty, but I love it! Even the shade of green is good (usually not a fan of green).
I had a very basic Blazer this shade of green, single tone paint. It had a black full removable top (1975, last year of that). 2 wheel drive, 250 six & a 3 on the tree. I miss that truck.
This would be even better!
I have no use for anything this heavy duty, but I love it! Even the shade of green is good (usually not a fan of green).
I had a very basic Blazer this shade of green, single tone paint. It had a black full removable top (1975, last year of that). 2 wheel drive, 250 six & a 3 on the tree. I miss that truck.
This would be even better!
just rebuilt a 77 camper special, doing a flatbed instead,,, bad boy love this truck,,, lol
Does anybody know what final price the auction site sold this truck at? I’m very curious because I came across the exact same model but in slightly better than poor condition