The Wikipedia page for Wells, Minnesota, tells us it’s the birthplace of Secret Service agent Larry Buendorf, best known for collaring Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme before the unhinged former Manson Family member could get the sights of her Colt 1911 on President Gerald Ford.
What the page doesn’t tell you is that the ’70s are back, baby, but only if you live (or take a trip to) Wells, Minnesota. The requirement for this time travel? Ownership — or the purchase — of a late-model Chevrolet Silverado.
It seems Blake Greenfield Chevrolet Buick has a hit on its hands. Thanks to GM Authority, we know that this GM dealer, located south-southwest of Minneapolis, has resurrected the best paint job ever applied to a Chevy pickup, applying it to a 2014 Silverado 1500 Double Cab it had sitting on the lot. As dealers are wont to do, the truck’s image found its way onto the dealer’s Facebook page.
A surge of interest (and memories) followed. The paint job, initially intended as a custom one-off, is now on offer thanks to the “overwhelming nationwide interest,” according to the dealer. It’s a paint job everyone will remember. Applied to the C/K series in the 1970s and 80s, the two-tone job accentuated the pickup’s full-length, ruler-flat character line, with the broad section of lighter or darker paint terminating between the front wheel arch and the headlights. Some models came with a hood and cab in the same color.
The Wells version replicates the earlier models’ paint borders with silver and dark gold striping. The white paint and trim carries around the back of the truck, with custom “Chevrolet” lettering on the tailgate. (It isn’t known whether the truck contains a 40-channel CB).
Another bit of retro flair, which may have readers either rolling their eyes or reaching for their wallets, is the addition of “Cheyenne Super 10” and “Big 10” badging, fore and aft. Cheyenne Super was a higher trim line at the time, while Big 10 denoted an option code that increased the truck’s gross vehicle weight rating over that of a stock C10. It was, essentially, a “heavy half-ton.”
Owner Blake Greenfield, who describes his dealer as “very small,” claims to be “shocked and extremely flattered” by the public’s interest in a paint scheme long abandoned by GM. Yesterday, the decision was made to begin taking orders to customize trucks.
“Customers can bring in their current trucks to have them customized or buy a used or new truck from one of our dealerships and work with us to customize it,” the dealer said on its Facebook page. “We are currently working on a price guide for prospective customers.”
[Images: Blake Greenfield Chevrolet Buick/Facebook]
I actually do like how the paint scheme turned out. I don’t like the additional model markings, however.
I agree with that, too (in addition to comments below about the paint scheme should match the actual character lines of the truck).
Mis-badging is a pet peve of mine.
I like it!!!!
Like the paint scheme minus the Big 10 badging on the side of the bed.
Agree!
Those rims are what really makes it look like an old-timey truck.
The striping doesn’t work over the bulbous squared wheel arches. The entire appeal of the ’70s paint scheme was the smooth, long, and low shape.
Gives me a Rare Rides idea though. ;)
Exactly. If the striping incorporated the entirety of the wheel flares (which, on the originals, it did), it would look a lot better.
Actually, the originals didn’t have much flare at all (the area within the metal trim is basically flat), plus they also used square wheel arches:
http://www.wheelsforless.com/assets/images/customerrides/77C10U10717807345U10717907352.jpg
It also helped that on the squarebodies (as well as other ’70s trucks), there was a definite shoulder line from headlight to taillight that served as a perfect boundary for two-tone.
I agree. It could follow the lines of the truck better. Neat idea, not so great execution.
It’s still a darned beautiful way to paint a modern, slab sided truck.
Would probably cost a pretty penny for GM to do it on a production basis (though perhaps painted steelies would make up for some of that), but I suspect it would still sell pretty darned well.
Love the combination of the Raised White letters, with the wheels. The plant scheme is excellent . Ditch the badging and the Decals.
Another bit of retro flair, which may have readers either rolling their eyes or reaching for their wallets, is the addition of “Cheyenne Super 10” and “Big 10” badging, fore and aft. Cheyenne Super was a higher trim line at the time, while Big 10 denoted an option code that increased the truck’s gross vehicle weight rating over that of a stock C10. It was, essentially, a “heavy half-ton.”
Make mine a 4×4 K10 and I’ll take my badging saying: “Scottsdale”.
Yes, Big 10 / Heavy Half put them at 6000 GVW which was emissions exempt, or at least much less rigorous levels. No cat conv or unleaded fuel required which was favorable at the time.
Actually, 6,000 GVWR was the cutoff for catalytic converters, so the GVWR for the Big 10 was 6,025 lbs, just 25 pounds over the requirement.
This is also why the F-150 was born, because the F-100 fell under the 6,000 GVWR requirement for a catalyst.
Dodge’s D-150 cut it even closer: 6010 lb. GVWR was all it needed to drop the 440 in a regular cab/short bed 4×2 truck. Ford and GM did the same with their 460 and 454, respectively.
And then by about 1980 all three discontinued the big-block in their half-tons anyway, in the name of MPG.
I have to correct myself – it was 6,050 lbs. for the Big 10 (Chevy), Heavy Half (GMC) and the F-150 (Ford). In the case of the Chevy and GMC trucks, there’s no catalyst or EGR (I’d forgotten about the EGR part):
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=155294
Yeah, I have mixed feelings…about the-striping .
Very nice!
That looks far better than a “tape-and-decal” badge job has any right to. I love it.
Consumers reminding braindead manufacturers what makes trucks cool. It’s not the stat sheet. Ask any segment or industry that has chased that rabbit down its hole. They will all tell you it doesn’t lead to wonderland. Motorcycle industry is perhaps the best example.
Next up: the GMC Gentleman Jim.
http://www.sub5zero.com/sites/default/files/uploads/2012/01/jim2.jpg
GET OUT OF WORDPRESS!
Uhhh…what?
Haha, you’ll see.
Think you may have blown up his Rare Rides’ spot.
Bingo!
Crap, sorry about that!
Just be sure to read it tomorrow ;).
Oh man, I remember that. But hey, don’t forget the Beau James!
https://gearheads.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/beau.jpg
If only the edges lined up with ANYTHING on the truck.
Yep.
I think there should have been a trigger warning for this article, because I really feel the need for a safe space after seeing the cultural appropriation and racist use of Cheyenne on a truck that has not one drop of Native American blood. Furthermore, the Big 10 label could be a trigger for the weight challenged among us. Perhaps TTAC should have a diversity and inclusion editor with 3 or 4 assistants to make sure such things don’t have again.
Good thing they didn’t take a top-down picture of the truck, because there’s a Confederate flag painted on the roof.
Just figured out what I’m doing to my 2500HD. (in deep crimsom)
Staying Alive Staying Alive ah ah ah ah
That should be the stance and bumper height on all stock 4wd GM trucks IMO. Love this thing. The white steel wheels, the two tone paint, the stance, etc. Would be awesome if Chevy started offering this nationwide.
I’ll be damned. I remember these trucks from my childhood. I thought that the BIG 10 meant that it had a 10 foot bed.
Perhaps they just looked big to me.
Until 1973, if you got a one-ton regular cab *pickup* (most one-tons at the time were DRW chassis cabs or SRW crew cabs), it would have a 9′ narrow bed (Ford Flareside, Chevy Stepside, GMC Fenderside, Dodge Utiline) on a 6″ longer WB than the 3/4 ton 8′ bed with 6″ more overhang. These 9′ beds were effectively replaced by DRW 8′ pickups, or in Ford’s case by the LWB Super Camper Special.
You know, I’m no truck paint scheme critic but I know what I hate. And… I don’t hate this.
With apologies to C. Montgomery Burns.
(To tell the truth, I love this!)
Does this mean some Ram dealer will offer a the Dude version?
https://www.allpar.com/photos/dodge/trucks/1970s/dude-ad.jpg
RIP Don Knotts.
Cool.. my dad had a 1979 Suburban, wasn’t those colors, but same idea, also had 4 large different color stripes running down either side of the hood..was a nice truck, and stayed in family until 2000 ( and over 250k miles)
I do like the paint, but I’ve got mixed feelings about the emblem job.
That paint job, wheels and tires are perfect.
The only thing I would change is to make the Chevy bow tie blue.
Next up…a reinterpreted “L’IL RED EXPRESS” at your local Dodge dealer…
If you order the Hemi in a standard cab configuration – that’s definitely going to be “EXPRESS” when you step on the go pedal. Given the current fascination with “Bro-dozers” a Warlock version would likely sell better.
Oh dear, yes please. I can do with out the green, but blue or red with this paint scheme…be still my beating heart and wallet. The wheels are perfect.
The additional badging is not for me, but I can see how some would want to get as authentic as possible. I would insist on the dealer advertising on the side fender be no removed or not installed in the first place.
As was mentioned above. GM, if any are reading this site, you want to sell more trucks. Here you go. Some guy in podunk nowhere formulated the plan.
If I’m going to buy a vehicle in Minnesota, I’d go for the tan Ciera instead.
Couple years ago, I brought forth the idea to build a modern replica of the GMC from The Fall Guy (reg cab, long box) since we were just getting into vinyl wrapping and it would’ve been a cool one off show piece. I also suggested building a replica A-Team van using a Savana or a ’70’s custom van with a printed mural. My third suggestion was to take a reg cab, short box and turn it into a GMC Street Coupe or Sierra GT. What ended up happening is they two toned a couple of crew cab 1/2 tons but without the faux trim to separate the colors. Both trucks had a lot of interest but were hard sells to actually get someone to buy them.
What sells nowadays is a blacked out crew cab 2500HD Duramax with a 6″ lift. We just sold three of them…
From a bit of a distance it looks good. I don’t even mind the Big 10 decals. What does burn me is the dealer stickers on cars. If they want to have their name on my car they better pay me advertising money as I drive around.
Even that’s old school; a lot of dealers used to put their emblem on the driver’s side of the cowl. The other thing was the silver painted step bumper with the dealer’s name and city stamped in the steel, and painted red.
Yes, it bothered me even back then.
Agreed that there may be ways to tweak the paint to better fit the vehicle’s shape, but generally this is the first time I’ve thought this truck looked attractive.