Smile, You're Being Lit: The KC HiLiTES 1977 GMC Jimmy

Some builds chase the newest everything. This one goes the other way. It's a 1977 GMC Jimmy, GMC's version of the full-size K5 Blazer, finished in matte black, lifted on BDS suspension and wearing KC HiLiTES the way trucks did when it was new. The yellow Smiley covers, the round chrome-backed Daylighters and the light bar mounted up on the roof are all straight out of 1970s off-road culture, and KC has been building that look for as long as this truck has existed.

It isn't a museum piece, though. Under the retro styling is modern LED where it matters, a modern power system to run it all, and the kind of rear-end setup you'd normally find on a current-day overland build.

The Daylighter, on the Truck It Was Made For

The KC 6-inch Daylighter has been one of off-roading's most recognisable lights since the 1970s, and a '77 Jimmy is about as natural a home for it as you'll find. This truck runs a mix of the original halogen and the modern LED version, all in the same classic round housing.

On the halogen side there's a Daylighter Halogen 2-Light System in Spread Beam and a Daylighter Halogen 2-Light System in Spot Beam, each running a 100-watt H3 bulb in KC's shock-mounted steel housing. Spread lights up the sides of the track and spot reaches down it, giving the warm, classic halogen glow that suits a truck of this age.

Alongside them is the modern version: a Daylighter Gravity LED 2-Light System with an SAE/ECE street-legal driving beam. It's the same iconic shape, but inside is a CREE LED with KC's G6 Gravity optics putting out 2,300 lumens and reaching 724 metres, while drawing just 20 watts and 1.63 amps per light. That's further than the halogen goes, for a fraction of the current — an easy win on a truck with a 1970s electrical system.

A pair of KC Flex Era 1 pods adds modern, compact LED. Each one takes interchangeable flood, spread or spot lenses and is small enough to tuck almost anywhere.

Dressed in Smileys

The Smiley face covers are what make this truck. They're the most recognisable thing KC has ever made, and on a '70s Jimmy they're exactly right. The roof lights wear the classic yellow Smiley, and the A-pillar lights wear KC's limited-run Retro 6" vinyl "THE ORIGINAL" Smiley Sunglasses covers, which protect the lenses from weather and stone strikes and come off quickly when it's time to light up.

Down in the front bar, the Daylighters wear KC's 6" ABS Stone Guards in black with the white KC logo, which suit the matte-black paint. KC's 6" yellow plastic cover, with the black Daylighter logo, rounds out the collection for anyone who'd rather go straight yellow.

Lifted the Old-School Way, With Modern Damping

The lift is a BDS Suspension kit for 1977–87 GM half-ton trucks and SUVs with FOX shocks. Leaf springs up front, a lift block or new rear leaf springs out back, and BDS's steering corrections, so the classic chassis sits higher and still drives straight. Upgrading from BDS's standard NX2 shocks to the FOX 2.0 Performance monotubes gives this 49-year-old truck far better damping than it ever had from the factory, and a BDS/FOX steering stabiliser up front calms the steering on big tyres.

BDS rates that kit for tyres up to 35 inches, and the Jimmy runs chunky mud-terrains on chrome steel wheels, which is another period-correct touch. A steel winch bar up front carries the recovery gear.

*The BDS kit isn't a Tough Trucks stock line. If you want the same setup on your own '73–'87 GM truck, call the team and we'll help you source it.*

A Modern Back End

The rear is where the Jimmy starts acting like a current-day overland rig. A RIGd Supply UltraSwing Mega-Fit Spare Tire Hitch Mount carries the spare off the hitch receiver and swings clear so you can still get into the rear. It takes tyres up to 40 inches, and it's made in the USA with a lifetime warranty. It also comes in a 2.5-inch receiver version.

The swing arm also carries RotopaX packs: a 2-gallon RotopaX water pack and a 2-gallon RotopaX fuel pack, giving roughly 7.5 litres each of extra water and fuel, mounted and locked where it's easy to reach. A Trail'd 52-litre Boondocker Water Tank adds a proper water supply.

Modern Switching

Wiring this much lighting through a 1970s dash would mean a row of toggle switches and a lot of relays. Instead, everything runs through a Switch-Pros SP9100 Panel Power System: a single compact panel and power module that controls every accessory circuit from one place, keeping the cabin clean and period-looking. Switch-Pros' RCR-Touch 8 flag is part of the setup.

Old Truck, Classic Lights, Still Working

The KC Jimmy shows that classic and capable aren't opposites. It looks like it drove straight out of 1977, with the Smiley faces, the chrome and the round lights, but it's lit, lifted and kitted out to be used.

Every part on this build that Tough Trucks supplies is listed below. Add what you need to your build list to order online, or send it through as a quote request and the Tough Trucks team will build it for you.