“Back roads, washboard roads, no roads at all. The four-wheel-drive Jimmy has earned a solid reputation for toughness in some of the most rugged country American has to offer.” General Motors was justifiably proud of the capabilities of its full-size Blazer and Jimmy SUVs. Our Pick of the Day is a 1987 GMC Jimmy Sierra Classic 4×4 that looks to have been spared from many of the abuses of off-road travel. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Phoenix, Arizona.
“Drives as close to a new Jimmy as you can get,” the listing begins. “It is all original. Nothing has been changed since it was built in 1987 that I know of, other than the 2.5-inch lift I had put on it, and brand-new 33-inch BFGoodrich tires.”
Although a compact version of the Jimmy, sometimes referred to as the “S-15,” was born in the early 1980s, the full-size version—using the same “square body” platform as the C/K-series pickup trucks (and the Chevrolet Blazer)—carried on for many years in parallel. As the seller points out in the listing, many of those Blazers and Jimmys were put through strenuous paces in life due to their rugged engineering. “These trucks were altered, abused, and run hard. This one is none of those things.”
As a competitor to the Ford Bronco, the Jimmy offered a similar design layout as a two-door with a hardtop. Exterior features for this well-kept Jimmy include chrome brightwork, stacked quad headlights, dual side mirrors, Rally-style wheels, and a two-tone paint scheme. The body appears straight and rust-free, and the cabin is equally tidy. Interior equipment includes bucket seats, a center console, and air conditioning.
The Jimmy weighs over two tons, so having the right powertrain was a critical factor in making it not only a capable off-roader, but also a solid tow rig. Under the hood of this one is a 305ci (5.0-liter) fuel-injected V8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. The seller says the truck “starts right up any time you want.” General Motors rated the powertrain at 170 horsepower and 255 lb-ft of torque.
“I looked for this truck for a long time before I found one this original,” the seller says. “I am only selling it because I’ve got a few other cars and I’ve got to thin the herd.”
Ready to explore some rugged country yourself? The asking price is $34,800.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
