I’ve had it in my head for a while now that the GMC Typhoon is darn near unobtainable. This typically happens when you follow a certain make and model for a spell, forget about it, and then go back to look at recent results. It seems there’s numerous examples of this high-performance super truck selling in the low $20,000 and sometimes the high teens, if it’s a little rough around the edges. Is there softening happening in this once-white-hot market? The 1992 GMC Typhoon shown here on craigslist has a healthy 129,000 miles on the clock but it sure looks a lot fresher than its odometer would suggest.
The seller is asking $33,000 for the truck, which actually seems a touch high in the current market. There are plenty of examples of lower mileage specimens selling for under that price, and this is simply the phenomenon of the enthusiast and classic vehicle marketplace. Sometimes vehicles are hot, and then the market shifts and new interests cause a certain model to fade to the background. The best of the best Typhoon and Cyclone trucks will always be pricey, but what we’re clearly seeing right now are examples with some miles on the clock and/or signs of use settling back down to more reasonable numbers.
Now, that being said, this still looks like an incredibly clean specimen for something with over 100,000 miles. The seller reports that the Typhoon had two elderly owners before him, and clearly, that’s a demographic that seems no need to modify this truck any further than the factory did. The Typhoon features a turbocharged 4.3-liter LB4 V6 with a healthy 285 horsepower and 350 lb-ft of torque. These high performance, limited-production offerings from GMC quickly became known as sports car killers, far faster than vehicles designed from the start for speed.
You love seeing a mostly stock engine bay with these trucks, as many of the more affordable examples have been extensively modified. The other issue is rust, as Typhoons and Cyclones from the snow belt love to develop corrosion behind the plastic trim. And sometimes, owners remove the plastic trim, which then goes missing and is a nightmare to track down. All sorts of minor faults can befall these ridiculously cool trucks, so finding one with no stories, no mods, and no rust is a home run for anyone in the market. I’d try to bargain down slightly for this one, as the mileage will always hold its future value back. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Tony Primo for the find.
It’s nice but it seems pretty expensive to me? I spent about 1/3 of this on my Cayenne with about the same mileage and condition, and it goes off road and can tow things, and is probably about as quick.
Cayennes are cool. I love Porsche vehicles. However, there are far fewer Syclones & Typhoons than Cayennes in existence. The rarity WILL always command strong prices.
Friend of mine still has his 1992 S-10 single cab RWD w/4300 vortec. Man…that thing moves, almost scary. Couldn’t imagine it with a turbo.
I’ll say it again, please bring back a small body on frame truck, that actually has a usable bed.
So, market price for a vehicle such as this is around $20k (and likely falling) and he wants $33k. Calling 50+% over fair market just a touch high is being very kind.
Ridiculous price given the mileage.
Love it . . Wish I had the leather and drive train in my 2001 standard cab sport side Xtreme . .
Being from the Chicago area. A MAJOR RUST INSPECTION IS NEEDED! Having grown up there, the truck would have had to only been driven 6 months out of the year AND had the undercarriage flushed out every year to be rust free. Buyer beware!
I live in Chicago and while I don’t drive my hobby cars in winter, I’ve never “flushed out” an undercarriage. I’m not sure I even know what you mean by that but it’s not necessary. My cars are still perfect.
This said, yes, I’d check the underside to make sure there’s no rust.
When I lived in the Chicago area I bought a brand new Honda Civic in the winter if ’78. Before it had 200 miles on it it had won 4 first place Ice Racing Trophies. Every spring I would put the car on a lift and spend a couple of hours flushing out every nook and cranny I could find. I would also peel back the window weather strip to flush out the doors. In 1982 Honda had a recall for rust issues. I dropped mine off to my friendly neighborhood Honda dealer. The service manager who I used to work with. Wanted to know why my car was the only one he had seen without a required repair. Mine was the only one with “0” rust. I sold the car to a friend when I moved to Nevada and he drove it a few more years before he moved to Nevada. But the winter had taken its toll and only lasted another year before it was dead. He did not keep up the spring time regimen.
We used to go to the car wash after a winter storm. Flush the undercarriage and clean salt off the body. Chlorine corrosion still gets into frames & tight areas.
Wanted one when new but couldn’t afford it. Looked at a couple of low mile ones in the mid 90’s, 2 very nice looking but terribly full of rattles and rough riding. A pass for me.