When you get up close, this 1984 GMC Sierra Classic 1500 looks like it’s been used as intended, but also cared for enough that the body imperfections won’t likely be a deal-breaker for many potential buyers.  In other words, it seems like a good old work truck ready to keep on giving.  However, this one’s hiding a nice surprise under the hood that should up the ante considerably when it comes to desirability.  This pickup can be found here on Craigslist in Englewood, Colorado, with a posted asking price of $12,000.  Barn Finds reader Mike F. spotted this one, and we’d like to thank him for sending us the tip!

For a driver, the exterior isn’t bad for a 40-year-old truck, and it must have looked really sharp in the early days with the two-tone brown and tan paint.  However, as with most work trucks, things begin to happen that take their toll outside, with a few blunders showing such as the driver’s quarter plus an area around the door lock on the same side.  The bed is no stranger to hauling either, but the seller reports that structurally the body is solid, and no filler has ever been located in any of the panels.

While the outside could qualify as somewhat ordinary, under the hood is anything but, with the original engine replaced with an LS1!  The seller says the swap was performed professionally by Flester Performance in Gilette, Wyoming, and the results have proven satisfying and reliable.  The 5.3 LS features FiTech Ram Air fuel injection, with the RPM only turning 2,800 at 80 MPH, so this one’s a good highway cruiser.  The suspension is also said to have been completely redone, although there’s no word on what kind of attention the automatic transmission has gotten as of late.

This one’s well-equipped on the inside by mid-eighties standards, especially for a pickup, with a few visible niceties including power windows, door locks, and a tilt steering column.  The interior isn’t perfect, but the owner mentions that the carpet and seats have been redone, plus he also states all of the gauges are working.  The idea of this one becoming a fantastic project for someone is thrown out, but I’d probably start by just enjoying driving this one for a while and saving the cosmetics for some point in the future.  What would you do here?