This 1978 GMC Jimmy is a nicely preserved survivor wearing great colors and sitting on what looks like a mild lift kit. The seller claims it looks to retain original paint but doesn’t specify what sort of mileage the odometer is showing. While it’s tough to gauge from here whether the Jimmy has been previously restored, it seems to at least have been put back to factory specifications if it was previously refreshed. The great colors and sharp interior, along with what looks like upsized tires on factory steel wheels, all work well together. Find it here on eBay for $26,900 or best offer.
The Jimmy comes with the upscale “High Sierra” trim, which I believe amounted to color and upholstery options unlocked by choosing this option. Don’t quote me on that, but at least I’m fairly confident it didn’t translate to any kind of heavy-duty equipment. The square body K5 Blazer and Jimmy have been lighting it up on the auction circuit over the last few years, leading sellers like these to not even bother with a no reserve auction, knowing full well the asking price listed here is well within the range of current sale prices. The factory chrome bumpers appear to be in excellent condition.
The plaid upholstery was an optional trim, and it looks to be in better than new condition here. In fact, it does seem more likely some areas of this truck have been restored. Seeing the cloth trim contrasting with the baggy map pockets on the door panels indicates to me the bucket seats were likely tired at one point in time while the other areas weren’t touched. That’s OK by my book, as the close-up photos of the exterior do seem to indicate the paint is original and details like the dull chrome and GMC logo on the grill also confirm most of the exterior remains untouched. If this was a truck from the West Coast or mountain states, a nicely preserved exterior with tattered upholstery inside is a common sight.
The engine bay provides further evidence that this GMC is a survivor-grade truck, with an engine bay that is nothing if not authentic. The 350 is said to run well, but with no indicated mileage listed, it’s hard to say how much life it has left. Then again, 350s do tend to grow on trees, so I wouldn’t sweat it too much. Plus, a truck that still looks this good all these years later had to have been loved at some point, so I doubt the previous owner neglected to attend to the very basic attention these square bodies need. Given it appears to be a solid survivor truck with some smart updating already done, this Jimmy looks like a fair deal all around.
Mostly well and good. The body seems to be in decent shape but it may be sporting a repaint. I fall to understand why people insist on installing lift kits in these; they’re high enough from the factory and looking at this tells me that someone was lacking some ‘size.’ I also see U-joints by the 24 pack because of misaligned driveshafts. That’s a GM Goodwrench engine under the hood. Nothing wrong with that other than I would want to know what happened to the original. Another thing I see is the locking front hubs. You couldn’t get Part-Time 4×4 with an automatic transmission until ‘79, and even then they were scarce. That would mean that either someone went to a lot of trouble locating a 205 transfer case or converted the 203 to Part-Time. And that’s a risky proposition because a lot of converted cases burnt out the main shaft because the owners didn’t read the part in the instructions that told them to run it with the case locked in high so that the chain will turn and bring lube up to the top shaft. I know I’m being trivial but if you’re trying to get a premium price for your truck you need a premium truck…
Hi geo, we sure can agree what a sweetheart this one is. They, and all these other big 4×4’s were all the rage. Few survived the salt bath, the very market they were intended for. I know I balked at the $30K dollar YJ, but this is an exceptional find. There’s a jillion Jeeps, but big Blazers are few and far between. It’s a sore subject with me, that “lifting” foolishness, and seems the thing to do for appearance, because, to an expert ( us), we know just how unsafe it makes the vehicle. If you need that kind of clearance to get somewhere, you probably won’t make it without a winch anyways. Nice find, regardless, and considering, it’s truly $25K dollars worth of vehicle. Lot of “watchers”, no bids, so perhaps a bit steep, but it will sell. Someone with deep pockets and lives up north will surely grab it.Then it will turn into this,,( btw, I know, I’ve posted this before and the irony of the beer sign next to it) https://www.flickr.com/photos/eyellgeteven/29691632601
Hi Howard. Yeah, lifting those trucks definitely made them more top-heavy. I actually liked the looks of those that weren’t overdone but I also remember working on those same trucks. Cha-Ching, cha-Ching, cha-Ching. I remember talking to one of my counterparts in Great Falls. He told me about a guy that had a lift kit installed, then wiped out the garage door and support, not to mention the cab. “Well, Mr. Insurance man, I don’t know WHAT happened; I had the truck in there last night and it FIT! The footings must’ve settled…”
It is a period correct lift. Who didn’t do this in the 80s. I like it.
You got a good point there; probably 25% of these were lifted to some extent back in the day. Was that really 40+ years ago? I never lifted any of mine but I did run the bigger tires. Working in a GM service department I got quite skilled at replacing constant velocity U-joints.
Lower the GD thing to where it belongs.
Very nice Jimmy!
$26k worth?? Not for me! Maybe $15k.
Survivor?? Definitely not. Has definitely been freshened!
Item location:
Mundelein, Illinois
It’s impossible to dispute whether it’s a nice truck ’cause it is – I just think it’s FAR from 27K nice. Looks lifted 4” which IMO puts a K5 in the ‘just right’ category. A K5 will take 33” tires without mods; these look like 35” to me.
This K5 obviously was wearing more ‘gear’ previously – we see marks from a brush guard in the front bumper (bent+missing outer bolts), there are holes in the RH quarter and tailgate from a swing-out tire carrier. Personally I’d prefer to see this carrier still installed, IMO that’s actually a wise place to put the spare (unless you need to open the tailgate constantly), as there’s really not much room for luggage in the back. Rear bumper also bent. Seats+ rear interior panels sourced from a different K5 not exactly matching original interior. The massive gap between LH front fender/A-pillar suggests it’s been replaced with some overseas repop sometime.
I don’t want to be negative here ’cause I really like squarebody K5s. The nicest surprise here is just how sound its body seems. As we know it is rust that will kill these – so far this year I know of 5 mid80s K5s sent to the crusher. And before anyone ask yes they were all beyond due to rust…
Price is OK if original not a repaint
Ended: Jul 02, 2021
Price: US $26,900.00