You have two different grilles between the pictures shown? The earlier style GMC grille looks way better than the later one, but the later ones are a lot tougher and easier to find in good shape used. The earlier ones love to crack.
I don’t love the GMT400s like I do the earlier ones, but GM still made a simple, common sense, no-frills truck platform with your traditional power teams that anyone could learn to work on and not hate them at the end of the day. That commands a lot of respect now, and they will one day be regarded as a bonafide classic, that much is clear. This is 100% for 88-93, and it’s a little less for 94-95 and a little less for 96-98 (99).
The more I work on GMT800s, the more disdain I have for them. Not so much hating on the LS-based engine offerings, even though there are some external design faults that I would argue about, but the little things they added to make it more difficult and costly to work on really signifies the direction GM was taking in the 90s. And if you have to impromptu special order a tool or make one for something you weren’t aware of until you took things apart, that can make a day project quickly turn into a nightmare.
It’s a nice truck, though. Tough break on the wrecks, but at least the truck (and you) was able to walk away to see another day.
