I guess that in every famous family there is going to be a lesser-known sibling, and in the GM family, the Sprint is the lesser known brother of the El Camino. Like so many of these lesser-known siblings, this one has fallen on hard times and is now looking for someone willing to bring it back from the brink. The Sprint is located in Angier, North Carolina, and is listed for sale here on eBay. At the time of writing there has only been the single bid on the vehicle, and with that being $500, the reserve has been met.

It should be no surprise to learn that the Sprint and the El Camino are brothers. However, while Chevrolet rolled 41,606 El Caminos off the line, the Sprint only numbered 5,536 cars. This one is going to need some pretty major restoration, but it is a vehicle that surprises just a bit. It looks quite crusty, but the worst of the apparent rust seems to be confined to where there used to be a vinyl top. The floors actually look promising, as does the bed. The photos don’t give us a clear look at the quarter panels or rockers, but the lack of rust in the floors is a surprise for a vehicle that is not only sitting exposed to the elements but has no rear window. It’s hard to be completely sure, but I believe that the Sprint may have started life finished in Cottonwood green, but that it did undergo a repaint in this darker shade at some point. That color combined with a vinyl top would have resulted in a nice looking vehicle.

The Sprint was available in two basic trim levels, the “Standard” and the “Custom.” This one is a Custom, which was the premium model in the range. It brought a few extra options, and nicer, more luxurious trim to the vehicle. This one originally featured a green interior, and it looks like the bucket seats and door trims are still present, along with the center console and shifter. It appears that the original owner chose to have the seats trimmed in the green vinyl with cloth inserts. It does look like a fair amount of the dash is missing, so anyone considering a restoration will have to do a bit of searching for replacement parts.

Powering the Sprint originally was a 402ci “Invader 400” V8, backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission. The Sprint looks like it also featured power steering, power brakes, and air conditioning. While the transmission is still present, the 300hp V8 is long gone. Still, this is a GM 402, so sourcing a replacement won’t be that difficult. Dressing the engine bay will be slightly more difficult, as the engine and air cleaner wore different decals to its brother, including an “Invader 400” decal on the air cleaner.

This 1971 GMC Sprint will represent a fairly major restoration project for anyone willing to take it on. What impresses me most is the fact that it appears to be relatively solid, and when you combine this with the vehicle’s relative rarity, may make it worth the effort. The big-ticket items with this car are the fact that it is a Custom, it was optioned with air conditioning, and that it featured the 402 engine. You can buy a reasonable example for around $14,000, but a pristine example with those options can fetch sums in excess of $26,000. That would seem to make this a worthwhile restoration.