1977 GMC Sierra Classic Heavy Half-Ton review from North America

Replaced radiator after the origional one finally rusted through at 82,000 origional miles.

Replaced intake manifold after dealership said it needed to be replaced. Which was a big fat lie so I was repaid for the money I spent on the New after market manifold and mabor. Thankyou BAR.

Replaced 4 barrel carburetor at 55,000 miles.

New starter at 61,000 miles.

This truck was the best. I bought it from my granma when I got my drivers licnese. I was a jr. in high school. The truck was my grandpa's, but when he dies in 1985 my grandma kept the truck and just had it sitting in the front yeard ever since as sentamental value. She drove it about once every sunday 2 miles to church. that's about it. When I bought the truck it had the standard old people features. A campershell and skinny tires with the origional rims with the full wheel origional wheel covers. The truck had 54,000 origional miles on it when I got it. I payed $3,000 dollars for it from her. The truck was a Halfton 1500 with the heavy duty chassis package so it was called a Heavy Half. It had a Big Block 454 V8 with a Turbo 400 automatic transmission. After about one year of owning the truck I had turned it into one of the nicest trucks in town. It had never been wrecked or dented or anything of that sort. The 8track that was in the dash still worked. The truck had power everything. Power windows, brakes, steering, locks. It had air conditioning. I Took off the campershell and Got it repainted and bought a custom grille and put a nice diamond tred tool box in the back. She was a beauty! Since it was a heavy half ton it didn't need to have catalytic converters because it had true dual exhaust all the way to the rear from the 454 v8. So I put dual flow, asters on it and puyt some wide tires and eagle alloy rims on her. Man that baby hauled serious Butt!! The only thing that I didn't like about that truck was the bench seat. It was uncomfortable and I tended to slid in it when I would be racing around corners. I guess I would have liked it if I would have had a girlfriend to sit in the middle next to me. All in all I lived that truck and she never gave me any problems. Thank god for the dual gas tanks. It had Two 20 gallons tanks. one on each side. And with the 7 miles per gallon I was getting I was glad to have both tanks. not once did I ever have to push that huge beast from running out of gas. I would be driving and see that the gauge read that I was almost empty on one tank. So I'm sitting there driving along at 55 miles per hour and I hear the engine start to grumble and loose power. I would then quickly hit the switch in the cab to switch tanks. and the gas gauge would then read the amount I had in the other tank. Showed a full tank thank god. I would then pump the gas pedal real quick while the truck was stumbling and then hold the gas down and VROOOM. she was back in action. always made sure I had some gas on either tank. I also took the valve body off the ransmission in my transmission class I had at college. "took auto mechanics classes at college" I put a mild shift kit in The valve body and From There on the truck would shift quick and hard and the tires would bark each time it shifted when I would punch the gas. I blew away many imports and other cars in that truck. and beat many many other american trucks. The only other truck I ever lost to was my buddies 1993 454 ss chevy pickup. he barely beat me. most likely because his truck was a lot lighter. I loved that truck and wish I wouldn't have sold it a couple months ago. I see the guy I sold it too hot rodding around the city alomost once a week. I miss that babie, but I don't miss the cost of fuel. at $2.35 per gallon for the high octane. I was getting killed with only 7 miles per gallon with the Big Block. Oh Well.