HomeMediaPick of the Day: 1985 GMC Sierra

Pick of the Day: 1985 GMC Sierra

Retro license plate included

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License plate collectors love seeing a classic car still sporting its original tags. One of the most popular designs for license plates in California came out exactly 40 years ago in 1982. It became known as the “sunset” or “Golden State” series of plates, and it featured a prominent sun in the middle of the California “O” along with triple matching accent lines. This iconic design was issued through 1987 when it was superseded by a design with a plain white background and California written in red block letters.

The Pick of the Day has its period-correct plates. It’s a 1985 GMC Sierra Classic 4×4 pickup listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Sun Valley, California.

“Up for sale is a sharp-looking 1985 GMC pickup truck, 1-ton 4×4 with factory 7.4 engine, manual transmission, Dana 60 front axle, 205 transfer case, and hydro boost with 28,000 original miles on it,” the listing states.

The Sierra is part of the General Motors C/K Series of pickups that ran from 1960 through 2002. The C/K Series’ third-generation debuted in 1973 and became known under the “Rounded Line” classification. A refresh was carried out in 1981 with a facelift that evolved a reshaping of the windshield, new grilles, and modified marker lighting. A wide variety of body styles, engines, and transmissions were available for these trucks. Ten engines, in fact, were on the list – with gas engines starting from a 250cid inline-six all the way up to a 454cid V8. This one-ton pickup is powered by the big-block 7.4-liter 454cid motor.

This garage-kept truck was reportedly California-kept since new, as evidenced by those sunset plates. Following a recent acquisition from the original owner, it received a refresh in the form of a paint job along with new tires, radiator, air conditioning, belts, hoses, and weather stripping.

Mechanically, this Sierra was clearly built for putting in work, complete with cab lights, a tow hitch, and the biggest engine available. However, unlike most pickups its age, it doesn’t appear to have been put through its paces. Even the interior of the bed and the upholstery inside the cab look perfect. There can’t be many of these left in decent shape – let alone with fewer than 30,000 miles on the odometer.

“It runs fantastic and drives just like a brand-new truck, perfect for cruising,” the listing concludes. “We also have a Carfax report on it.”

The seller is asking $60,000 for this showroom-worthy Sierra Classic.

To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.

Tyson Hugie
Tyson Hugie
Tyson Hugie is a Phoenix-based automotive enthusiast who has been writing for The Journal since 2016. His favorite automotive niche is 1980s and 1990s Japanese cars, and he is a self-diagnosed “Acura addict” since he owns a collection of Honda and Acura cars from that era. Tyson can usually be found on weekends tinkering on restoration projects, attending car shows, or enjoying the open road. He publishes videos each week to his YouTube channel and is also a contributing author to Arizona Driver Magazine, KSLCars.com, NSX Driver Magazine, and other automotive publications. His pride and joy is a 1994 Acura Legend LS coupe with nearly 600,000 miles on the odometer, but he loves anything on four wheels and would someday like to own a 1950 Buick Special like his late grandfather’s.

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