What year front clip do you like best?

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1990Jimmy

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New to this forum. Have a 1990 GMC Jimmy and I want to change the front end looks of it. Thinking about the 1984 grille, bumper, and stacked headlight. What your favorite front clip? Here's mine now.
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Here's what I'm thinking

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ChuckN

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1. 73-74 GMC
2. 81 GMC stacked

The horizontally placed headlights on the later models seem to be polarizing- either people retrofit them to older trucks because they like them, or can’t wait to change it to something else earlier.
 

Strick

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I like the round eye deep recessed grill look (1973-76)
My '76 High Sierra has the same grille and I also have one from a '73/74 truck. I was comparing them and they are both the "deep" grilles. I thought that '76 is when the more shallow grille was installed but looking at my stash and at your truck then obviously they were deep until '77.
That's a great looking truck too, btw.

Strickland
 

TotalyHucked

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Stacked square lights from '81-88 have always been my favorite but I've really come to like the round eyes the last couple years as well. I'm not a fan of '89-91 at all.

FYI in case you're not aware, the core support has to be swapped to make that change.
 

RecklessWOT

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While all the round eye trucks are gorgeous, I think I slightly prefer the stacked light grilles on the post-'80 trucks. Out of those I personally like the '83-'84 Chevy best.

For GMCs I would say I'd probably go with 81-82 myself, but the one you have pictured looks great as well, definitely an improvement over what it looks like now. Personally I cannot stand the 90-91 grille, but I know some people are all about it, to each their own.

The 85-87 (-88 for burbs) grille still looks pretty decent, but my least favorite of the stacked light grilles (even though I've owned both an '87 GMC and Chevy lol), I don't like how the center trim strip doesn't continue through the headlight bezels like it does on the '84, especially on the Chevy where it is color matched to the body then just stops at the lights. The bezels were painted black on my GMC and that seemed to improve the look of it.

Eventually I will be converting my '87 to an '84 grille when I get around to painting the truck.
 
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Craig 85

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Back in 1995 I had an '80 3+3 the rage was to update them to the 89-91 front end, but I was cheap and went to the '85. I like the 73-78 fronts the best, but also like the look of and '84 Chevy.

If you did want to change you truck, you'd need a new core support, etc and good luck finding one of those GMC grills.
 

Doppleganger

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The stacked lights with 83-87 GMC grills are my all time favorites. I have a K20 that I would almost change to GMC grill and emblems.....but thats too cobb for me.
 

TropicalSilverado

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I favor the look of the stacked rectangular headlights but the earlier ones look good too. Especially the one year only 1980 grille.
 
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RecklessWOT

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This question is like asking which one of your kids you love more.
Just cause one is a little uglier do you love them any less? Lol
If my kid were as ugly as the nose of an 89-91 I'd accuse my wife of cheating and give it up for adoption.
 

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