The Story

Here is a brief history of how I found my ‘77 GMC Sprint. I used to own a 1976 El Camino Conquista (second owner with 35K miles), but decided to get rid of it. It always stuck in the back of my mind. I have a friend of mine who lives in Tucson, Arizona and always on Craigslist looking for classic cars. He had a ‘73 Pontiac Grand Am that I purchased from him. The ‘73 Grand Am is the same as the one that I purchased new in 1973 while living in Florida (I only had it for about 6 months and was forced to sell it, when I moved back home).

Anyway, we always scout for old classic cars in Arizona, since in our area they are all rust buckets. When I found the GMC, I had Mike go over and look at the vehicle and BINGO, it was in perfect shape, but it was sitting in the driveway for at least 2 years. The wife who owned the vehicle said that it was her husband’s. He had passed away and never got a chance to finish it. He did rebuild the 350 motor and the suspension. To be honest,  I didn’t realize that GMC made a Sprint and I did not know how rare they are. Mike said that it was in excellent shape, except the interior was faded and the clear paint faded on the body. The undercarriage is so clean, that you can eat off it. Mike got it started for me and had it shipped to my business. People around here could not believe what I found, and how rare these Sprints are.

I have a lot of plans for this baby! I have a brand new turn key 350/ 427 HP ready to put in, because I didn’t think that the motor that came with it was done right. It was okay when running for a while, but then it back fires through carburetor. It could be the timing chain not set right or a camshaft. That’s why I decided to get a new motor. I want to make a sleeper out of it. It is fully loaded, including tilt, cruise, A/C and power windows. Also, I just received the original build sheet, and it is all #’s matching. It was built in California and has never seen winters. Finally, I love looking, and I keep looking, because they are out there. Always on the computer, searching.  Thanks, and I will you keep you updated on new finds!

Marco Barbato