ORANGE SLICE

The Cutting of a True Citrus Classic

YOU USUALLY only get one shot at something great, so when it comes along, grab it! In the case of this rather rare ’76 GMC Sierra, Ronnie Wetch got not one, but two chances at it. He sold it the first time he owned it, but more about that later …

Now, for those not in the know, this truck, especially in factory condition, is important because it’s a limited package GMC pickup known as the Impact edition. These were first released to the public in 1976, which was an exciting time because buyers were able to custom order their truck with multiple wheelbase options, as well as interior, wheel and other premium appearance packages to signify it being an Impact model. Long story short, these don’t come up for sale very often, so if you happen to see one available, it wouldn’t be a bad decision to snatch it up if the price isn’t too wild.

Now, if you don’t recognize the name Ronnie Wetch, you’d more than likely recognize his voice, as he is the host of the C10 Talk podcast. Yep, that guy. So one day, a buddy of his sends him a screenshot of this very truck for sale on Craigslist in Great Falls, Montana. Knowing exactly what the truck was and being familiar with the area since he grew up in Big Sky Country, Ronnie reached out to the seller of the truck, who happened to be its second owner and has had it since 1990. A deal was struck, and a plan was put in place to organize a rendezvous that what would soon become one of Ronnie’s greatest and most memorable road trips to date.

“My plan was to go grab a buddy or two, buy the truck then drive truck back home to Arizona,” Ronnie says. “I pitched the idea to two friends who I thought might make the journey with me: Kyle Oxberger (@metaloxfab) and Kevin Stickel (@digitalc10). I figured one out of the two would bite, but both ended up confirming to join me. Yep, three full-grown men would be sharing the bench seat for the ride back home.”

Ronnie and Kyle caught a flight to Montana, and Kevin rented a car and drove five hours south from Calgary, Alberta, to meet them there. Together they would somehow make the most of the drive back to Arizona.

The guys gambled on the truck actually making it to Arizona, but it ran great. The only major hiccup the guys hit along the way was getting stuck in some crazy traffic since they stopped in Great Falls, Idaho, (along with what seemed like the entire state) to watch the solar eclipse of 2017. The logjam to leave put them about 10 hours behind schedule, but it was nothing a case of 5 Hour Energy drinks couldn’t fix.