These days, it’s hard to find clean and relatively affordable examples of vehicles that are popular enough to have a following. In the full-size truck world, General Motors’ “squarebody” trucks are very desirable, which makes this driver-quality 1978 GMC High Sierra 2500 quite tempting, especially when considering it’s available here on eBay as part of a no reserve auction.
This GMC is available in Tacoma, Washington with a clean title. The seller mentions that before their ownership, this High Sierra had one adult owner who one garage kept the truck its entire life and also kept the original manuals, maintenance receipts, and a mileage log.
The exterior is in good shape, with the seller mentioning that both the paint and body are all original with no touch-ups or repair work performed. The rear bumper has some damage on the passenger side and there are some features that I would remove (like the sideboards on the bed), but overall, this truck is well-kept and the seller claims it is completely rust free.
Inside the cabin, you’ll find a remarkably clean tan interior. Despite its relatively utilitarian nature, the High Sierra trim was one of the luxury trim levels for the truck! The most notable change to the interior is a Cobra CB radio, and comfort features such as the power locks, power windows, air conditioning, and heat all function without issue.
There’s a 454 cu.-in. V8 engine under the hood, which pairs to an automatic transmission to drive the rear wheels. The drivetrain has 78,000 miles on it, and the seller states that it runs and drives exceptionally well.
At the time of publication, bidding for this GMC is at $5,900. Would you join the bidding on the no reserve auction for this sweet Sierra?
Very nice! This should take on most tasks and do so for a long time to come. I see the A-C belt is gone so there’s obviously some problems. I wouldn’t be surprised if the pulley bearing has given up the ghost. If it’s deeper fix what’s broken and do NOT try to convert it to R134; use the R-12 substitute. Those A-6 compressors will make that cab colder than the ex-wife’s side of the bed, thus contributing to severe frostbite if you stick to the original.
Kind of interesting seeing the High Sierra. It was between the Sierra Grande and the Sierra Classic. We sold a lot of Grandes and Classics but the High Sierra kind of got lost in the shuffle. It was just one notch shy of the Classic. Another interesting thing to see: the lack of a Tilt-Wheel, yet there’s Power-Windows. We sold a lot of trucks and very few of them went without the Tilt-Wheel.
The rear bumper has seen better days. My ’79 got rear-ended by a Toyota Tercel back many years ago. The car hit the center (hitch) plate and all it did to the bumper was put a dent in the plate and shear off one of the mounting bolts. The car itself was completely accordian’d; both people trapped inside; EMS used the Jaws of Life and a Port-A-Power to pry the victims out. My head took out one panel of my sliding rear window. I’ll always feel safe in a Wide Body…
Over the months AND years, it’s clear BF’s has a “knack” for featuring certain vehicles. Grand National Buicks, Corvettes, and lately, square body GM’s. Am I being too vain thinking they are poking hot sticks in my eyes? At least this is a more plausible price for one. I have a “High Sierra”, felling pretty smug thinking it was a top of the line pickup, until geomechs informs us it was the “middle” offering. Hey, aside from some optional doo-dads, IT’S THE SAME TRUCK, PEOPLE, sorry for shouting, badge engineering at it’s finest. And AS an owner of one, it qualifies me to say, they are okay, being a Ford/Studebaker/IH fan, nothing I’d buy another one for. It doesn’t have adjustable ride control or chilled cup holders, it’s a truck. A late ’70’s truck, and I think people are making these out to be more than they are. Seeing prices 3 times ( or more) than I paid for one, adds fodder to my belt. Thx BF’s!!!
Nice shape and would make a good tow vehicle. Non existant here in the NE. Good luck to the new owner. Stay safe.
GMC= Garage mechanics Companion
Cheers
GPC
I’m really liking the yellow and white color combo. If it were mine, I would delete the bug guard, aftermarket fog lights, running boards, and the cattle fence on the back.
Is it missing the gas caps ? Just looked it over and does look like a nice one. Checked on the bidding and the one pushing it past $5000 has – 0 – feed back. Will watch to see how it does.
This one looks nicer than yesterday’s red square body. That 454 can pull.
Yellow has it going on
Gotta wonder what the bumper got caught on??
Would think they would have changed it or even repaired it.
Couldn’t stomach those color combo’s but a true time capsle it is!
This truck wouldn’t have been good enough for Rocky Rockford. He had a Sierra Classic. 😉
As geomechs said above, the High Sierra wasn’t as commonly seen as the other three models. An uncle of mine had a base 1975 Sierra 1/2 ton, light blue with a six and a three-speed. I learned how to column shift in that truck. The only luxury it had was an AM radio. I heard Joe Walsh’s “Life’s Been Good” for the first time on it. I am reminded of that truck whenever I hear it.