Looking for info/owners of special edition trucks

[Brian76GMC]

Well my whole scanner program is offically trashed. All the pics I had scanned are gone, the program itself no longer works, reloading the software does nothing and A big hammer is about to remedy all of this frustration ARGG!!!!!!!!
Looking over the two brochures I have, there seem to be two differant trucks. One is a Indy Truck and the other is a Heavy Hauler. They both look identical except the Hauler does not have the decals that say "60th Annnual Indianapolis 500 Mile Race" on the fender or "GMC/Official Truck" on the bedsides. I do beleive mine may be the Heavy Hauler edition.

[CHEVY383]

Originally Posted by 79BIG10

Hooter afraid not. Yes you have most if not all the options but the Silverado itself is what makes it more common than the others.

seems to me your a fan of 79's well what do you know about the 78 GMC Desert Fox Stepside.

[CHEVY383]

does any one here know any thing about the 78 GMC Desert Fox Stepside or any one that owns one

[wedgemon]

Some Spirit pics . . .


Thought I had more...

Here's some dash emblems...


- Dave

PS: Would like a Pic of a ROYAL SIERRA...

[bigblock73]

Originally Posted by CHEVY383

does any one here know any thing about the 78 GMC Desert Fox Stepside or any one that owns one

This is all I have.

http://www.73-87.com/Special_Editions/Desert_Fox.htm

I don't think these went into production though...

Wow, this thread was dug up from the grave.

[84 400]

the other links don't work. ahh too bad i want to see this armodillo truck.

cool threade

[bigblock73]

Originally Posted by 84 400

the other links don't work. ahh too bad i want to see this armodillo truck.

cool threade

Got LOTS of pics on 73-87.com....Amarillo too.

http://www.73-87.com/Special_Edition...l_Editions.htm

[Misled]

I'll dredge up my old thread on the Chevy Sport here......

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=199159



Misled

[Texasdeere]

Here are a few nice GJim pics I have on the puter. I personally have never seen any special edition trucks on the road before so they must be pretty hard to come buy. I have seen them on here though:http://www.73-87.com/Special_Edition...l_Editions.htm and http://www.gmcspecialeditions.com/

[ElGracho]

Originally Posted by 84 400

...ahh too bad i want to see this armodillo truck...

It's not the Armodillo or the Armadillo, it's the Amarillo. Kinda like Amarillo, Texas.

Here's the link to the Amarillo page on Jeff's site:
http://www.73-87.com/Special_Editions/Amarillo.htm

That's pretty much all we know about it. Nobody seems to have seen one outside the magazine articles, so I'm pretty sure it never went into production. It uses many of the pieces we see on other special edition trucks of that period. For example, the magazine articles show the same front spoiler used on the 1977 and 1980 Indy Haulers. The article from Truckin' seems to show even more aftermarket parts than the truck shown in PV4 on Jeff's site. (cab spoiler, wheels etc)

As far as the Desert Fox, I think it was the same thing. It was in PV4 in 1977 and 4 Wheel and Off Road (number 2, a special supplement to Hot Rod) where the article was even available as a separate reprint. I've never seen or heard of one of the trucks outside of those articles.

Oh yeah, you really did bring this thread back from the dead!

Jeff posted while I was looking through brochures and old magazine articles, so he beat me to it...

[hiway]

The Big 10 and Heavy Half were basically a susp. upgrade.

[N2TRUX]

Diggin up bones. Great thread regardless of the age...

[GMC350]

Originally Posted by ElGracho

It's not the Armodillo or the Armadillo, it's the Amarillo. Kinda like Amarillo, Texas.

Here's the link to the Amarillo page on Jeff's site:
http://www.73-87.com/Special_Editions/Amarillo.htm

That's pretty much all we know about it. Nobody seems to have seen one outside the magazine articles, so I'm pretty sure it never went into production. It uses many of the pieces we see on other special edition trucks of that period. For example, the magazine articles show the same front spoiler used on the 1977 and 1980 Indy Haulers. The article from Truckin' seems to show even more aftermarket parts than the truck shown in PV4 on Jeff's site. (cab spoiler, wheels etc)

As far as the Desert Fox, I think it was the same thing. It was in PV4 in 1977 and 4 Wheel and Off Road (number 2, a special supplement to Hot Rod) where the article was even available as a separate reprint. I've never seen or heard of one of the trucks outside of those articles.

Oh yeah, you really did bring this thread back from the dead!

Jeff posted while I was looking through brochures and old magazine articles, so he beat me to it...

I talked to lots of people that seen them running around in the 80's and my brother has one in his garage.

[bigblock73]

Originally Posted by GMC350

I talked to lots of people that seen them running around in the 80's and my brother has one in his garage.

OK, we need pics.

[GMC350]

I don't have a camera. But the Fox is in restore, but don't have the money so it's just sitting.

[TexasJeff]

I am not sure this is true or not, but I have heard that the Gentlemen Jim and Beau James trucks were deals GMC did with James Garner (Rockford Files) because of GMC's place in the series with Rocky's trucks. I sure would like to know if this was true or not.

[ElGracho]

I have the original press release from GM announcing the Gentleman Jim (and the brochure, but this is a letter on GMC letterhead). It makes no mention of the Rockford Files.

[TexasJeff]

Thanks for the info Joe, I have always been curious of that rumor.

[bigblock73]

OK folks, purchased a bunch of stuff pertaining to the Desert Fox this weekend. Basically, it was a option package you could purchase thru GM, with Hickey performing the upgrade. It was available in fleetside (swb & lwb), stepside (swb & lwb), and Blazer...all of which had to be 4wd. I have all three order forms (with price and options) and the brochure for the option package. I'll scan them this week and publish them on 73-87.com. I also purchased quite a few Chevy Sport brochures, and quite a few Chevy vs. Ford brochures that were for the salesmen, not public.

EDIT: Oh, I also got a Sun Tiger 73-87 convertible brochure too.

[chevyrestoguy]

I owned a 1976 Bonanza 1/2 ton LWB Spirit of 76 a few years back. Not many options, but a very nice truck. The seat had been re-upolstered to just blue and white, the door panels were still the stock white, and the carpet was blue. There was no special paint on the outside, just the standard blue with the white insert between the trim. I sold it to a buddy who let his 17yr old drive it to school everyday. He totalled it by rear-ending a 2005 Chevy truck at a stoplight. The same buddy owns a body shop, and they straightened the frame and replaced the front clip. It's still at the shop because the kid lost interest in it. I have been stewed over trying to get it back, but just watching that 17yr old destroy a 85K mile one-owner truck in a scant few months broke my heart. It's like it's damaged goods now. I hope to change my mind because it deserves better than what it got.

[Misled]

I'm looking farward to seeing them.....

[bikernut]

I worked for a GMC/Pontiac Dealer from 1971-1980. I was told by the company GMC rep when he visited the dealership the "BEAU JAMES" was called this because of everyone calling the GMC's Jimmie's so GMC figured after the "GENTLEMAN JIM' they would do another and call it that. my $.02 but I don't know if it is worth that much.

[joe231]

I realize this is an old thread, but there has been some interest in these special trucks lately and I thought i would bring it BTTT.....

I also saw what I believe to be a Gentleman Jim truck down by Springtow, TX awhile back...wish I would have gotten pictures

[truckfan]

WOW am I glad someone resurrected this thread.

Growing up in Oklahoma in the 1980s, Chevy and GMC trucks were king. I lived in a town of 600 people and there was a Beau James AND a Gentleman Jim in my highschool (I will look for an old yearbook photo of both). the GJ only came in the black and gold color, while the BJ was blue and silver. I also remember a "Black Gold" edition, though it could have been dealer installed.

In college i had a good friend with a "Mini 18" 1980 square headlight chevy, stepside w/ Chrome stacks and a 5.7 diesel. had curtains in the back like a trucker and air horns on the roof. factory aluminum wheels. am sure i do not have pics. would love to find another.

My truck is a 77 Bonanza 1/2 ton w/ a factory 454. it has PW PL tilt/cruise. being a bonanza it has carpet, no headliner and no carpet on the doors. the man i bought it from ordered it and it cost $7500! (i have the invoice). not an SE, but still rare....

keep em coming......

[kris's66lwb]

what about the bonanza trucks does any one know anything about them i have one and all i know is it is a chyenne with bonanza badges what else is special about these trucks and its a big 10