1977 Heavy Half fender emblem

[tannermartinson]

Hey all! Have a question for y’all . I am restoring a 1977 Silverado Heavy half and was wondering if all heavy half trucks received a sticker on the rear fenders or not. I see that some have them and some not. TIA!!

 

[bucket]

GMC was Heavy Half. Chevy was Big 10.

I think they all got them if equipped... unless another package took priority. GMC Street Coupe or Chevy Sport, for example.

 

[Grit dog]

GMC was Heavy Half. Chevy was Big 10.

I think they all got them if equipped... unless another package took priority. GMC Street Coupe or Chevy Sport, for example.

Eh, certainly not an expert but I think the F44 gvw trucks don’t all get the bed decals. I’m not aware of fender emblems at all but Icbw.
My 77, original paint is a F44 truck (8 leafs, 1.25” disks, heavier gvw. It had/has a couple different non factory stickers on it guy put 8000gvw stickers on for hauling camper back when it was new or new ish and some other decals on the lower bed sides that are very old. However there is no evidence that the truck ever had Big10 stickers unless they were removed very early in its life before any paint shadowing or fading could take place.
The other add on decals are basically burned into the paint surface at this point.
I added the BIG10 stickers after I bought it couple years ago.

 

[tannermartinson]

Eh, certainly not an expert but I think the F44 gvw trucks don’t all get the bed decals. I’m not aware of fender emblems at all but Icbw.
My 77, original paint is a F44 truck (8 leafs, 1.25” disks, heavier gvw. It had/has a couple different non factory stickers on it guy put 8000gvw stickers on for hauling camper back when it was new or new ish and some other decals on the lower bed sides that are very old. However there is no evidence that the truck ever had Big10 stickers unless they were removed very early in its life before any paint shadowing or fading could take place.
The other add on decals are basically burned into the paint surface at this point.
I added the BIG10 stickers after I bought it couple years ago.

Thank you for your write up!

 

[legopnuematic]

@Grit dog I could be wrong here, but I believe 1978 was the first year for the bedside stickers.

 

[Grit dog]

@Grit dog I could be wrong here, but I believe 1978 was the first year for the bedside stickers.

75-80 according to Googler. I feel like I’ve seen older than 78 but ???
Maybe 75 first year F44 package but no stickers?
Brochure lists big10 specs for 77. Didn’t look at earlier.

 

[jagbuxx]

My truck is an unrestored original ‘77 F44. “heavy Half” decal was not until 1978…

 

[legopnuematic]

75-80 according to Googler. I feel like I’ve seen older than 78 but ???
Maybe 75 first year F44 package but no stickers?
Brochure lists big10 specs for 77. Didn’t look at earlier.

1975 was the introduction of the F44 package. If you look at literature from the beginning of the 75 model year (~Sept 1974) the GVWR max for C10s is 6000lbs as shown in the brochures, but if you look in the 1975 vehicle information kit, F44 is quietly mentioned in the C10 GVWR selection page:

You must be registered for see images attach

In 1976 the F44 package shows up both in the brochure and information kit, a little more prominently, then 1977 the F44 package received its own vin designation and is even more prominent in the literature.

Then 1978 brochure is the first year to show a truck wearing the Big 10 bedside decal.

 

[tannermartinson]

1975 was the introduction of the F44 package. If you look at literature from the beginning of the 75 model year (~Sept 1974) the GVWR max for C10s is 6000lbs as shown in the brochures, but if you look in the 1975 vehicle information kit, F44 is quietly mentioned in the C10 GVWR selection page:

You must be registered for see images attach

In 1976 the F44 package shows up both in the brochure and information kit, a little more prominently, then 1977 the F44 package received its own vin designation and is even more prominent in the literature.

Then 1978 brochure is the first year to show a truck wearing the Big 10 bedside decal.

Oh very cool. Thanks for the info!

 

[xm20k]

Yes a decal no emblem the only package that got an emblem was the camper specials teepee medallions on the cab band as far as I know of.

 

[bucket]

Yes a decal no emblem the only package that got an emblem was the camper specials teepee medallions on the cab band as far as I know of.

The Bonanza option got it's own actual fender and dash emblems.

But yeah, the Heavy Half and Big 10 option got a decal on the bed.

 

[bucket]

Eh, certainly not an expert but I think the F44 gvw trucks don’t all get the bed decals. I’m not aware of fender emblems at all but Icbw.
My 77, original paint is a F44 truck (8 leafs, 1.25” disks, heavier gvw. It had/has a couple different non factory stickers on it guy put 8000gvw stickers on for hauling camper back when it was new or new ish and some other decals on the lower bed sides that are very old. However there is no evidence that the truck ever had Big10 stickers unless they were removed very early in its life before any paint shadowing or fading could take place.
The other add on decals are basically burned into the paint surface at this point.
I added the BIG10 stickers after I bought it couple years ago.

Like I said "if equipped".

I'm sure it was like many things with GM at the time. The Big 10 option included a certain amount of options. But it wouldn't surprise me if each of those options was available separately.

I've got no information to back any of this up. But if a truck was ordered as a "Big 10", it should have the nomenclature on the bed... but I also have not done the research to determine the RPO specific to the Big 10 or Heavy Half.

I guess, in short... I don't know,

 

[Mogulmasher]

Interesting topic. I've got a '77 F44 C15 and was gonna order repro Heavy Half decals because they look cool. I didn't realize the decals didn't come on trucks until '78.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Our 78 GMC Sierra shop truck was a Heavy Half, with the 5/8 ton rating, truck 12 bolt and no cats so it would run on regular leaded gas. We bought that truck brand new, and I can vouch that it never had the bed decals. I'm not sure what the build date was but we bought it in May '78 after buying the parts store business. It came from GMC Truck Center in Pasadena on 225, IIRC, so I would figure it wasn't that old when we bought it.

 

[legopnuematic]

Yes a decal no emblem the only package that got an emblem was the camper specials teepee medallions on the cab band as far as I know of.

In addition:
Trailering special, 3+3, bonus cab, and for suburbans the Estate package.

5.7 diesel trucks got a diesel badge over top of the regular fender emblem.