Highlander Paint

[special-K]

I know it was a long time ago when I owned my first 67-72. It was a '72 shortbed I bought off the OK Used Car lot in '73. I liked these trucks since they first came out when I was a 12 year old building model kits. I didn't know all the different details like we do now that they are older. I didn't know all the different badges,which year they called them what,or what came with what. They were just good looking trucks and some were fancier than others. I never knew what a Highlander was until 1986 when I almost bought one that was listed in Hemmings Motor News and I looked at it. I even remembered that one wrongly as being a "Holiday" package,not Highlander. But,that was when I knew that's what I had back in 73-75 because my truck had plaid seats just like that one.
It wasn't until really getting into the nitty gritty,reading brochures and discussions on this site,that I realized just exactly what came with the Highlander packages. I could have sworn my truck was solid paint Ochre and after learning more about the package I doubted my memory...even wondered if I did paint work. That's pretty bad when you can't remember a thing like that. I always thought my memory was pretty darn good but have experienced,both personally and in others,how you can have something a certain way in your mind (right or wrong) for long enough and you have it there as fact. But,I remember that thing being all yellow with a plaid seat and Parchment interior. I also have it in my mind it was a 3spd,for that matter. I know of a few other exceptions to the rule on other 67-72s I've known over the years,like a '68 4wd Stepside with a 9' bed or my 4spd Highlander K/20,that I never bring up because I can't prove it with pictures. No,I never saw a 427 or Corvette option,just a few other exceptions to the rule.
Right now there's a truck on Ebay that is the topic of another thread. I believe it is 100% original and is the first (other than mine) Highlander I have seen with solid paint. The Highlander was the first of what is now the industry standard in packaging. You get the savings by getting a group of options with no exception. I figure in '72 since this was the first of that,yet still in a time the factory made exceptions and allowed all sorts of individual options combined,they must have allowed exceptions in the Highlander package...as long as you paid for it. Maybe,since the Highlander package was supposedly an end of design attempt to empty out the stock,Chevrolet did even more to get them cleared out. Like allow variations on this package.
Here's that Ebay Highlander:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1972-...item43a5dc8864

[72highlander]

Tim, my first highlander, the one that got me started on them, was a solid medium olive big block. Was original paint and was right there on the spid. I just think solid paint was less common in general on these trucks. I've also only ever seen one black one, and it had a white roof. It does appear to me as well the blue one on ebay is original, and i'm not generally a fan of solid colors, but that all blue looks good.

[sameyrasmea72]

Originally Posted by 72highlander

I've also only ever seen one black one, and it had a white roof. .

This would have been a neat truck back in it's day. Black and white with orange highlander interior.

[special-K]

Yeah Frank,it is nice in solid Blue. Back then,I probably would rather had no trim on mine. I liked the yellow paint,shortbed,402,tach,and posi!! I haven't checked,but I thought deluxe two-tone was part of the package.

[DannyK]

$49,000 ? Really ?

[Spoof]

If special-K says somethings so...thats good enough for me.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by DannyK

$49,000 ? Really ?

The seller is reasonable enough to accept offers on that. "How about divide that by three?"

I checked the brochure and should probably rename this thread "Brain Fart". Or,more like "A.D.D.Thread",cuz I think I never paid attention to the differences of the three groups. I always thought a/c,tilt,and automatic were also on all Highlanders. I remembered my truck being a 3spd and don't remember having a/c,tilt,or upper and lower mouldings. I thought it was only upper,but since I now know the truck was a Custom Deluxe it must have been only lower. But,the brochure lists the upper moulding as part on Group A. So,all Highlanders have upper mouldings,like Cheyenne Supers. It makes sense that two-tone was still an option since it was on Cheyenne Supers as well. The question I now have is this...Even though these are Custom Deluxes,did they come with upper mouldings only with lower an option?

[ChevLoRay]

Here's a pic. Looks nice. I guy I know bought a '72 SWB new, 350/3-speed. Same blue color. Minimal trim. Still has it.

[bruceman1968]

Originally Posted by special-K

I believe it is 100% original and is the first (other than mine) Highlander I have seen with solid paint.

Hey Tim, might be the SECOND (other than yours). Check out the SPID in this thread from 06 which you are in. (I'm thinkin never mind the repaint)

YG8, 611 and 510 MEDIUM BLUE

http://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vboa...d.php?t=201279

[cjohnson6772]

Forgive me if this is a silly question, but is that hood ornament original? I've seen them before but never thought they were factory. If it is factory, then what packages did it come with?

[BB72CHEVKT]

I have two highlanders and one has upper and lower trim and the other just the upper.

[no moa]

So how do you tell if you have a highlander? listed on the SPID always?

[special-K]

Originally Posted by no moa

So how do you tell if you have a highlander? listed on the SPID always?

Yes,it will be listed as an option. They always have Parchment interior and are Custom Deluxes. If it still has the original seat the seating surfaces will be one of four plaids to go as closely with the paint as possible: Black/Gray/White,Green/Black/White,Blue/Black/White,and Orange/Black/White. There were three levels with all having below eye line mirrors,chrome bumpers,Monte Carlo wheelcovers (as pictured),upper side mouldings,black carpet,and door edge guards. If you see all these on a Custom Deluxe you know it's a Highlander.
The second group up also added automatic transmission,tilt,and power steering. The highest group had all that plus a/c and tinted glass. These option packages were offered at an advertised savings of $94.50,$178.50,and $260.50,respectively,off what the groups of options cost individually. This was the first of what was to come with option group pricing. So,just like the plastic door panels and glue to windshield mirrors,the '72 marked the end of a great run of trucks while introducing features that were to come on the next run.

[no moa]

Originally Posted by special-K

Yes,it will be listed as an option. They always have Parchment interior and are Custom Deluxes. If it still has the original seat the seating surfaces will be one of four plaids to go as closely with the paint as possible: Black/Gray/White,Green/Black/White,Blue/Black/White,and Orange/Black/White. There were three levels with all having below eye line mirrors,chrome bumpers,Monte Carlo wheelcovers (as pictured),upper side mouldings,black carpet,and door edge guards. If you see all these on a Custom Deluxe you know it's a Highlander.
The second group up also added automatic transmission,tilt,and power steering. The highest group had all that plus a/c and tinted glass. These option packages were offered at an advertised savings of $94.50,$178.50,and $260.50,respectively,off what the groups of options cost individually. This was the first of what was to come with option group pricing. So,just like the plastic door panels and glue to windshield mirrors,the '72 marked the end of a great run of trucks while introducing features that were to come on the next run.

Well thank you for that info Special K, i'm trying to determine if mine is or not.
Mine is Custom deluxe, below eye line mirrors, upper side molding, black carpet. I'm not sure what a door edge gaurd is.

Does have auto, PS no tilt though. I also have the parchment doorpanels, black dash pad, no seat so i'm not sure what it looked like.

I'm very glad to learn this stuff, just wish my SPID was in better shape. I don't see a parchment, but i could be there, There's 4 of them i can tell what they were.
Thanks again, great info!
Glen

[ChevLoRay]

Door edge guards are stainless steel trim that fits onto the outer end of the doors (vertically) to protect the ends of the doors from dings when opened into another vehicle, brick wall, etc.

[special-K]

The door edge guards are polished stainless steel "caps" clinched onto the edges of the doors to prevent nicks in the paint. They run from the bottom almost to the window and about 3/16" shows. They were a common accessories on cars in the 60s-70s but could easily be gone,especially if the truck was painted. They were sold in the accessory books,so if you find any pictures of those...maybe in the "Show Me Your Lits" thread. They're on that Ebay truck but you really can't see them.
I kinda think your's isn't one,unless it was ordered by someone who didn't want tilt,ordered the basic Highlander and paid more for the power steering and automatic than if they got the "Group B" with tilt. Tilt was like $69,IIRC. Upper trim only on a solid paint truck is a telltale on a Custom Deluxe.

[no moa]

I did find the Door edge gaurds on the SPID.

I'm gonna list all my SPIDz on my build thread. I'm still trying to figure out my paint code.
Funny it has alot of the stuff, but its not. I really hate not having my SPID intact.

[70cst]

This is a very informative thread. Thanks guys!!

[sameyrasmea72]

Originally Posted by no moa

I did find the Door edge gaurds on the SPID.

I'm gonna list all my SPIDz on my build thread. I'm still trying to figure out my paint code.
Funny it has alot of the stuff, but its not. I really hate not having my SPID intact.

If you truck has original carpet and all the other stuff, I bet is was a highlander. I have seen a couple highlanders w/o tilt.

[bruceman1968]

no moa, looks like you got YG8 on your spid. Throw up a pic and let these guys take a look.

[no moa]

I don't know if the carpet is original, its a dull black. the doors were off it for a long time, and the carpet is dirty and fadded.

[no moa]

I do have YG8.

The left side that is missing, i have figured out a couple of them.

Hydrolic Brake booster
Turbo Hydro-matic
G78-15-b highway BB
Front Chrome bumper

The rest of them i have no clue. I have about 30 SPID pics i'm trying to decifer the other ones that you can just see the end of.

[sameyrasmea72]

hIGHLANDER FOR SURE!!

[sameyrasmea72]

You got special promotional ie highlander
Looks like PLA as in plaid trim.

[sameyrasmea72]

The SPID is off a LWB truck. CE10934 is a long fleet model.