For Sale: 1986 GMC Sierra in Ft Worth, Texas

We get a lot of these clean mid-80s GM 'Square Body' pickups, and they're always pleasant, clean machines. But every so often, one like this 1986 GMC Sierra 1500 Classic shows up and smacks us around a bit. This one is every bit as clean and functional as the others, but it packs a snarling, fresh 350 V8 crate motor under the hood that makes it more muscle car than utilitarian hauler and features an aggressive presentation that redefines what we consider vintage curb appeal.

While we tend to overlook trucks in our everyday life, this Sierra looks downright spectacular in its bright white livery. Maybe it's the way the dark tinted windows make it look sinister, or the slammed stance atop those slick wheels, regardless it somehow manages to look aggressive and uniformly clean all at once. It's pretty obvious that this one has been personal transportation, not a workhorse, since it was new, especially as a regular cab/short bed model, and most of its hauling was probably limited to personal gear and helping friends move. As a result, its bodywork is clean, smooth, and straight, with a great shine that still stands out at shows. Of course, things like the bright billet grille and cowl induction hood certainly help, not to mention the LED lighting up front and custom roll pan in the rear. In fact, all the lenses and lights look brand new, and between the original badging and brightwork, there's plenty of bling to go around. The bright chrome bumper up front shines up like new, which is important with a forward-canted truck with this kind of raked stance, while out back that roll bar was done right to match the clean tailgate. Inside the bed is protected with a black spray-in bedliner, so feel free to actually use this 'Square Body' like a truck is actually intended.

The stock bench seat interior gives nothing away about the upgrades under the hood, either. That's original-style blue upholstery on the seat, matching plush carpets underneath, and matching factory door panels on both sides. Billet accents on the door panels and dash add a custom touch, as does the bright blue LED interior lighting. Options like A/C (blowing cold R134a treated air), a trick leather-wrapped billet steering wheel atop a tilt steering column, and power windows/locks help make this Sierra an absolute pleasure to drive even when you're not using that 350 to its full potential. Ahead of that cool steering wheel is a combination of both stock and aftermarket gauges, with the white-faced units matching a full set of auxiliary units mounted below the center of the dash, including a giant tachometer with a bright red rev light. Entertainment comes via an Alpine AM/FM/CD/AUX that utilizes aftermarket speakers in the kick panels, while cool little additions like the removable cup holder/center console, the big footprint gas pedal, and the aftermarket rubber floormats all make this cabin feel extra special.

All that's pretty nice, but the thing that got our attention with this one is the 350 cubic inch V8 under the hood that came from Summit Racing in 2019. Complete with heavy-duty hardware like an Edelbrock 600CFM 4-barrel carburetor, an aluminum intake manifold, and Hooker long-tube headers, it runs like it's 800 pounds lighter than it is. It looks a bit flashier than stock, which is entirely the point, with a shiny blue open-element air cleaner, the black Edelbrock valve covers, and steel-braided lines that tend to show off a bit. However, other gear looks bone stock, like the accessory drive, the A/C compressor, and even the big radiator up front. A stout TH350 3-speed automatic transmission with a chrome pan works hard behind the crate motor, sending power aft to a heavy-duty 10-bolt rear end that has a bright differential cover of its own. The custom dual exhaust system uses shorty mufflers and turn-downs just before the rear axle, so the soundtrack might give things away, but you can't argue with the spectacular sound. The lowered stance is incredibly cool, assisted with a set of adjustable air shocks and Moon ladder bars in the rear, while power steering and power front disc brakes give the trucks superb road manners. Those awesome 20-inch Billet Specialties wheels offer an updated look on the old Halibrand-style wheel, and they're wrapped in staggered 245/45/20 front and 275/40/20 rear low-profile rubber with plenty of grip.

Nice truck? Absolutely. But if you're looking for something a little beyond merely "nice" then this Sierra is what you've been looking for. Call today!