Mountain Find - 1970 GMC K2500

[Austinjay]

I got pretty lucky and had first shot at this truck over the weekend. I could not pass it up for the price. A price so good I would have been a complete jerk to even try to haggle so I paid asking price. It was about 3.5 hours away so I loaded up my truck and trailer and grabbed it as soon as I messaged the seller. I am not in the business of flipping trucks, I just love finding gems that need to be revived and driven. The story I got from the seller was that he had purchased it from the widow of the original owner about 9 years ago. He bought it for a "ranch" truck at his meat butcher facility in Salida Colorado. Apparently the truck was bought new in Westcliff Colorado for a farm and never left until the original owner passed away. This truck has very little rust, probably one of the best I've ever owned. The seller I bought it from purchased it with no engine and he never got around to to installing a 350 he bought for it. I pulled apart the engine that came with it because it had been sitting in the bed for 9 years (covered) but it was stuck. It is a 77-79 350. To my surprise, as I was pulling it apart it appeared to be recently rebuilt. Bored .060 over, very clean inside with no ring ridge. Lifters, pushrods, rockers and valves looked brand new. Unfortunately it did get some water in the cylinders at some point and its a little crispy. I am going to do a quick hone and reassemble. I think it will be just fine. Here are some pictures and I will try to update this thread as I go along.

If anyone reading this has a driver side door panel in the original red please message me.

[truckster]

Nice find. That does look pretty rust-free.

[Shifty One]

Nice find!

[HO455]

Man that's sweet! I do love me some 4 eyed 4by4. It hard to tell what color it is on my computer. Is it gray or green?

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by HO455

Man that's sweet! I do love me some 4 eyed 4by4. It hard to tell what color it is on my computer. Is it gray or green?

It was dark gold originally but was painted a darker gold metallic at some point. I need to give it a good wash and see what it actually looks like.

[Sicklajoie]

Great looking ride, love them GMC's!

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by Shifty One

Nice find!

Thanks!

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by truckster

Nice find. That does look pretty rust-free.

Thanks! so far ive only found a quarter size hole in the passenger footwell and the driver floor is a little thin with a few tiny holes.

['68OrangeSunshine]

I like the Suicide Knob on the steering wheel.

[68bowtie]

Dark gold with red! Wow awesome

[special-K]

Very nice find. It seems unusual for a truck bought for ranch use, being it's a trimmed truck and Custom camper. My guess is it was bought off the lot. Being Colorado I guess dealers would have kept a portion of stock for that market. First year automatic K2500!

That Dark gold is what I would call brown. The color it was painted is probably an attempt to match or just went with something close. This truck would originally have had lower and rear end trim. what is odd about a K-model with tool & stowage door? I've had three over the years

[402Bowtie]

Originally Posted by special-K

what is odd about a K-model with tool & stowage door? I've had three over the years

I'm fairly certain no one has ever been able to prove with a picture a K truck with a VK2 RPO on the SPID.

[leddzepp]

Originally Posted by 402bowtie

i'm fairly certain no one has ever been able to prove with a picture a k truck with a vk2 rpo on the spid.

x2

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by special-K

Very nice find. It seems unusual for a truck bought for ranch use, being it's a trimmed truck and Custom camper. My guess is it was bought off the lot. Being Colorado I guess dealers would have kept a portion of stock for that market. First year automatic K2500!

That Dark gold is what I would call brown. The color it was painted is probably an attempt to match or just went with something close. This truck would originally have had lower and rear end trim. what is odd about a K-model with tool & stowage door? I've had three over the years

Thanks! I'm pretty excited about this one. If i am reading the SPID correctly, this truck came with the pin stripe option. If so, would it still have the lower trim? I wonder if he ordered the custom camper for the HD rear springs to tow big trailers?

[special-K]

Like I said, I've had three in my 40+ years with K/20s. The only one I have pictures of has even been questioned as a true K/20, but a body swap. I know otherwise, got the history on it from someone familiar with it's story. It did have it's cab replaced due to the top being crushed and that came from a same color/same original paint condition Cheyenne 2wd, and the truck is a Custom Deluxe. The build sheet also backed the guy's story up. As a longtime K/20 fanatic I bought the truck for being so rare and exceptional. I know what it is and that's all I care. I've had way more trucks than I have pictures, so I only have proof of a few.

[DeadheadNM]

That's a nice find. Thanks for posting and good luck with the resurrection.

As a tangential aside, I don't see the tool box (VK2) listed as an option for Chevrolet pickups in 1970 but do see this available for 71. Was a tool box an option in 1970?

[IronCanine]

Awesome truck. Gotta be a special order. Dark gold only offered with black and sandalwood interior colors by the book. Also, it's a Z62 with a floor carpet option. The whole thing is kinda crazy. And I love it.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by Austinjay

Thanks! I'm pretty excited about this one. If i am reading the SPID correctly, this truck came with the pin stripe option. If so, would it still have the lower trim? I wonder if he ordered the custom camper for the HD rear springs to tow big trailers?

The Custom Camper option was the nameplate-only but the option demanded HD springs that could be ordered on any truck. The pinstripe option would have no effect on the side trim, other than a CST which got the upper trim as an included option. All Custom trim trucks got black accent lower trim and rear end trim including the trim across the bottom of the tailgate.

Originally Posted by DeadheadNM

As a tangential aside, I don't see the tool box (VK2) listed as an option for Chevrolet pickups in 1970 but do see this available for 71. Was a tool box an option in 1970?

That was available in 71/72

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Awesome truck. Gotta be a special order. Dark gold only offered with black and sandalwood interior colors by the book. Also, it's a Z62 with a floor carpet option. The whole thing is kinda crazy. And I love it.

As we've seen in so many cases, any interior/exterior color combination was possible. And there are many cases that show exceptions to what is stated in the dealer order books. For instance, my '71 book states that only a painted front bumper was available on K-models and that is not at all the case

Dark and medium gold poly '70. A handsome color combination

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by special-K

All Custom trim trucks got black accent lower trim and rear end trim including the trim across the bottom of the tailgate.

Please correct me, but I think Z62 trucks got all the bright work around the glass, but I believe to have the lower molding would have had to have BX2 call out. Of course as is well established there are anomalies and exceptions. But I don't think this truck left the factory with molding or a chrome gas cap. (Assuming I'm not missing anything on the SPID).

See Z62 details and an original paint '71 Z62 with no moldings below.

[Austinjay]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Please correct me, but I think Z62 trucks got all the bright work around the glass, but I believe to have the lower molding would have had to have BX2 call out. Of course as is well established there are anomalies and exceptions. But I don't think this truck left the factory with molding or a chrome gas cap. (Assuming I'm not missing anything on the SPID).

See Z62 details and an original paint '71 Z62 with no moldings below.

I crawled all around the truck last night with a flashlight and I wasn't able to see any evidence of lower trim hole/ bodywork to cover them. Still had the factory rubberized coating on the back side. Took a door panel off and found no evidence of lower trim holes. The truck didn't have taillight housings so I was able to feel behind the outer skin and I cant feel any evidence of holes there either. So I'm fairly certain this truck didn't come with lower trim or the trim around the taillights or tailgate.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Please correct me, but I think Z62 trucks got all the bright work around the glass, but I believe to have the lower molding would have had to have BX2 call out. Of course as is well established there are anomalies and exceptions. But I don't think this truck left the factory with molding or a chrome gas cap. (Assuming I'm not missing anything on the SPID).

See Z62 details and an original paint '71 Z62 with no moldings below.

My Custom camper spid .

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by IronCanine

Dark gold only offered with black and sandalwood interior colors by the book.

I assuming GMC bent the Chevy rules.

[IronCanine]

Originally Posted by factorystock

I assuming GMC bent the Chevy rules.

It's Fremont...there were no rules man.

[j_cst_10]

Very cool. My 70 Blazer is dark gold. Weird but cool color.

[tim71]

Very nice!