Rarely seen 1966 "Sports Trim" equipped GMC 1000 found and saved

[GMCNUT]

For as long as I have been a member here and for as far back as I can recall, I have wanted to find a real, short bed 66 with the rarely to never seen "Sports Trim" interior option package. For humpteen years I have watched and waited and one never materialized. I finally decided to search for the seats out of one alone and add them to any random 66 I liked, but alas, that too couldn't be had. Finally gave up trying and went on about my business with other trucks.

A few weeks back a friend in Mt Pleasant Michigan found this one and I almost died when I saw his Facebook group post with it on his trailer. I exclaimed immediately "Its mine!" and sent him a message begging for it, and luckily he wasn't yet attached and agreed to let me have it. Not exactly in the sort of shape any of you or me would want to find one in, but beggars can't be choosers when it comes to something that has absolutely proven to be impossible to find. I brought it home last week to Alabama and snapped a few interior and interesting photos of a few good aspects about it to share with you.

Not knowing how many of you are "in the know" on these and how many aren't I will share what I know about these most rare and mysterious trucks.
The Sports Trim option shows in the data book (see photo) as being a package of things unique to the 66 model year but unlike previously believed, not unique to Custom models only - Deluxe (plain jane generally option-free) models could also be so equipped at the factory if someone wanted this interior in a plain truck too. Anyway, the Sports Trim option package gave you the special bucket seats in Fawn and Dark Fawn (charcoal or grey looking) two toned vinyl, with matching two tone vinyl door panels, both left and right special dark fawn armrests, Brown carpeting everywhere except under the seats, a folding middle seat that doubled as an armrrest when folded or a seat when folded up, and Dark Fawn dash top paint.

I can't wait to re-construct this in a solid straight form and re-birth one of the rarest GMC's I know of - this one was factory red and white to boot so I got lucky with that combo. See what you think and I will post more shots shortly

[GMCNUT]

heres a few more and Merry Christmas to everyone!

[GMCNUT]

well, these all loaded cockeyed for some reason but when I click each one they display right side up - tell me if they do not right themselves when you click them and I will see if I can fix that if not

[Ed Snyder]

Originally Posted by GMCNUT

well, these all loaded cockeyed for some reason but when I click each one they display right side up - tell me if they do not right themselves when you click them and I will see if I can fix that if not

They displayed correctly for me when I clicked on them.

Several years ago I looked at a '66 for sale here in Medford that had the buddy buckets. It was a low mileage truck in awesome condition, but I decided I couldn't afford it at the time.

[MeganK]

my seats are a two tone vinyl with a darker cloth insert. was the black all vinyl one a factory option as well.

I also have the padded dash, gray door panels and everything else. I am going to try to preserve as much of the original as possible and keep it as is...

also for clarification from all that i have read is the the carpet is a dark brown. Seems like charcoal gray would have been a more likely match based on my upholstery but I want to restore the sports trim as accurately as possible

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[Ed Snyder]

Originally Posted by MeganK

my seats are a two tone vinyl with a darker cloth insert. was the black all vinyl one a factory option as well.

I also have the padded dash, gray door panels and everything else. I am going to try to preserve as much of the original as possible and keep it as is...

also for clarification from all that i have read is the the carpet is a dark brown. Seems like charcoal gray would have been a more likely match based on my upholstery but I want to restore the sports trim as accurately as possible

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Nice to see that you've got the buddy bucket seats too, Megan. I wonder if any of the other forum members have them as well. You've got another rare option too -- the big back window. I'm curious which transmission you have -- the two speed Pow-R-Flow or the three speed Turbo-Hydramatic. And do you know if you have the standard 305E or the optional 351E engine?

[MeganK]

For the record I have the small back window. which I tend to like better...it also had the dual tank option with the toggle valve on the door sill area.

the truck originally came with a 351e and an automatic transmission both of which unfortunately are long gone.

It currently has a 500ci Eldorado Motor and a TH400 transmission. An interesting choice to say the least. I have narrowed the motor down to a 68-73 but have to get the numbers off the block to narrow it down further.

Waiting on a couple parts and hoses in the mail and will know by this weekend if it runs... if the motor needs to be swapped out I would strongly consider going back to the original set up but then again you can find a Chevy 350 engine on any street corner these days. (hope I don't get chastised for that remark)

Still kind of accessing what I have in total before I determine the ultimate direction. I love the idea of painting it but everyone that has seen it has raved about the patina so.. god only knows....

Any more questions or advice would be certainly apprecaited

Megan

[GMCNUT]

Originally Posted by Ed Snyder

Nice to see that you've got the buddy bucket seats too, Megan. I wonder if any of the other forum members have them as well. You've got another rare option too -- the big back window. I'm curious which transmission you have -- the two speed Pow-R-Flow or the three speed Turbo-Hydramatic. And do you know if you have the standard 305E or the optional 351E engine?

Yeah, the seats got torn up and people replaced the ribbed center sections with cloth - seen that a few times, like yours, but they did not come that way. All vinyl two-tone from the factory. No padded dashes either

[MeganK]

Originally Posted by GMCNUT

Yeah, the seats got torn up and people replaced the ribbed center sections with cloth - seen that a few times, like yours, but they did not come that way. All vinyl two-tone from the factory. No padded dashes either

So for clarification purposes if i want to be original as possible i should replace the cloth section with a darker gray vinyl... like the ones pictured....

One additional question. I have seen another version where the center section is the light gray and the main seat is dark gray (opposite of mine) did it come both ways or did my previous owner get creative... I like the 2 tone gray but I want to restore it accurately