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Supercharged 454: 1979 GMC Sierra 3500 Classic

There are a few features that instantly make trucks of a certain vintage infinitely cooler, no matter their mileage or colors. For one thing, it needs to have a short bed; for another, it would ideally be a dually. Of course, in a perfect world, it’d have a kick-ass engine like a 454 V8. But even in my most audacious truck fantasy, I wouldn’t expect to find an example with all of those features and a supercharged 454 under the hood, but that’s exactly what we’re working with here with this 1979 GMC Sierra 3500 pickup. Find this supercharged beast here on craigslist with an asking price of $15,000.

When it comes to vintage truck shopping, this dually already possesses many of the qualities that are traditionally most important to address: seemingly rust-free condition with a very clean interior and a healthy drivetrain. Since the truck is located in Montana, one can reasonably assume it’s dry underneath and hasn’t been stored somewhere that would lead to undercarriage rust. The colors are great, featuring a two-tone yellow on white color scheme, and the paint looks original. The single cab arrangement with the dually rear axle is an unusual setup, and one you don’t see every day.

The interior is far better than expected, especially given it’s one of the lighter colors. The seat upholstery appears to be clean and undamaged, and the same goes for the carpeting. Given the unusual configuration of this GMC, it makes you wonder what the first owner used it for. Of course, being in Montana, it seems likely it was a working vehicle, but the clean cosmetics run counter to that. However it was used, the GMC was not abused, and the seller notes the first owner chose some desirable options, including full power features, air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, and cruise control. A Clifford security system was also installed at some point.

Now, the supercharged 454 is the real story here, regardless of the desirable dually setup or single-cab design. This obviously wasn’t standard equipment, so a previous owner took it upon themselves to increase the performance of a truck that already got out of its own way reasonably well. No details on the parts or equipment used in the upgrade are listed, so you’ll need to do some digging to find out exactly what was upgraded as part of the supercharger install. A previous owner definitely took steps to keep the truck looking relatively stock from the outside, so it’s a bit of a sleeper at the moment, aside from the regurgitations of the dual exhaust. Do you think $15,000 for a supercharged dually like this is a fair price?

Comments

  1. Avatar angliagt Member

    Jeff,
    You say it’s in Montana,but forgot to list where.
    It’s located in Huntley,Montana,in the billings area.
    The posting has also been deleted.

    Like 3
  2. Avatar Steve R

    Sold quickly.

    Steve R

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Dan August

    Should have a gun rack to be a real Montana truck…

    Like 6
  4. Avatar Bud Lee

    Nothing cool about pulling horse trailers .

    Like 4
    • Avatar Dave

      Nothing cool about following horse trailers either…

      Like 13
  5. Avatar Miguel - Mexican Spec

    It is interesting nothing was mentioned in the write up about it also being 4X4.

    I would think that was an important element to this truck.

    Like 12
  6. Avatar AMCFAN

    You would be a red neck driving this. In a literal sense. The big clear single cab window with the sun beating you down.

    The 454 being supercharged is a novelty but the thirsty gas engines like this has been antiquated by the diesel. 3 MPG VS 20 is a pretty big deal.

    Too much truck to haul firewood. Perhaps convert it into a classic car hauler. Hodges Custom Haulers in Paducah KY can extend the frame and make a nifty rig.

    Just dont drive this square body wonder in the rust belt. the body will be powder in very short order.

    Like 5
  7. Avatar DayDreamBeliever

    Gone before i got a look at the CL ad…
    Wouldn’t surprise me if the driver’s seat was a shambles, or had been rebuilt.
    From experience driving a 2011 Chevy 3500 dually standard cab longbed, they ride like …. A TRUCK! Bouncy, bouncy!

    Like 1
  8. Avatar Todd Zuercher

    This is a long bed – not a shortbed. There aren’t any shortbed dualies unless they were some sort of custom build.

    Like 7
  9. Avatar Car Nut Tacoma

    Beautiful looking truck. I’ve always loved the 1973-80 GMC 3500. If I bought something like this, I’d have a diesel engine installed, I’d think a GMC 6.5 litre L65 Turbo Diesel V8 engine. $15,000 is a good price for a good original survivor. I’d be willing to pay $10,000 for it. That’d leave enough money to have the truck inspected, make sure everything works as it should.

    Like 1
  10. Avatar Robt

    You all are missing the beauty of this thing.
    454 with a blower snugly fit under the air cleaner! And as mentioned above, a 4×4!
    Sweet. Sold before anybody had s chance to check cl.
    Somebody had a plan.

    Like 0
  11. Avatar 433jeff

    Driving a supercharged bigblock is a super highlight! Hello??? That truck becomes funnnn. You cant compare it to a 6.5 diesel can you? The pull in a straight away? Listening to it(No need for a stereo at least not in my experience, the only bad part about the big block chevy with a supercharger is i could no longer her the m22 whine. If your worried about gas mileage, Try the 305 auto , just make sure there is a goid tailwind

    Like 2
  12. Avatar Miguel - Mexican Spec

    I am curious if the front drive shafts can handle the extra power and torque from the super charger.

    Like 0

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