Below is a list of all the different trim levels offered by GM for our trucks, from 1973 through 1987.  At the bottom is a brief description of each trim level.  This list was compiled by Ken Lewis, or KIILew as he goes by on the message boards.

Thanks Ken.

1973-1974

Base model - Chevy Custom/GMC Custom
Z62 - Chevy Custom Deluxe/GMC Super Custom
Z84 - Chevy Cheyenne/GMC Sierra
YE9 - Chevy Cheyenne Super/GMC Sierra Grande
 

1975-1981

Base model - Chevy Custom Deluxe/GMC Sierra
Z62 - Chevy Scottsdale/GMC Sierra Grande
Z84 - Chevy Cheyenne/GMC High Sierra
YE9 - Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra Classic
 

1982-1987

Base model - Chevy Custom Deluxe/GMC Sierra
Z62 - Chevy Scottsdale/GMC High Sierra (Note this change)
Z84 - Discontinued
YE9 - Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra Classic  
 

Here is a basic explanation of the trim levels.

For 1973 to 1987 the trim level option codes for Chevy and GMC regular cab pickups followed this very general outline.  They were:

Base trim (No option code)

Trim theme:  Minimal chrome trim on the outside.  Inside, you will find a black rubber floor mat (no carpeting), and a basic vinyl upholstery (occasionally custom or deluxe cloth was found as an extra cost option from '82 onward).  Door trim panels with basic vinyl finish, minimal insulation, a basic black bezeled instrument panel with idiot lights rather than gauges, and no headliner were part of the trim.
 

Lower intermediate trim (Option code Z62)

Trim theme:  This trim was a minor upgrade of the base trim described above.  A little more chrome dressed up the outside.  Inside, the most significant upgrades involved the use of a color keyed floor mat (vs. the basic black noted above, with carpeting only in very special cases) and a choice of "custom cloth" or "custom vinyl" upholstery.  These two seat upholstery choices were shared with the higher level (Z84 and YE9) trim packages mentioned below.  Interestingly, other woven/striped vinyl upholstery selections were exclusively available on this trim level in various years and included carpeting to replace the usual color keyed vinyl mat.  Also, there was a little more floor insulation, and the door panels differed only slightly from base with very minimal wood grain or chrome molding additions.  Still, no headliner.
 

Upper intermediate luxury trim (Option code Z84)

Trim theme:  This was a truly a luxury level trim and was only a very small notch below the top-of-the-line option.  It represented the greatest price jump between levels, and in most years, appeared almost identical to the YE9 trim noted below.  In all years, a more deluxe molding package, along with a tailgate insert for Fleetsides, was included.  Inside, many major additions to the Z62 level were found, including cut-pile carpeting, and insulated full headliner, and door trim panels with large wood grain or brushed aluminum door appliqués.  The door panels also had map pockets.  Special hood and cab-to-fender insulators were also found here.  Because of the near redundancy of this trim with respect to the YE9 level below, I suspect, option Z84 was discontinued after the 1981 model year.
 

Top of the line luxury trim (Option code YE9)

Trim theme:  A few minor additional exterior moldings complemented those included with the Z84 trim.  The most significant outside difference was the inclusion of the V22 Chrome grill/Deluxe front appearance package as standard with this trim starting with the 1980 model year (this package was optional at extra cost with the other lesser trims).  Inside, the YE9 level included the BC2 Deluxe instrument panel (a wood grain or brushed aluminum finish instrument cluster with full gauges replacing idiot lights) which was also optional at extra cost with the lesser trims.  The headliner, floor carpeting, and insulation features were identical to those found on the Z84.  Door panels were almost identical to those found on the Z84, although door pull straps and lower panel carpeting were added to those found on the YE9 after 1976.   Finally, full vinyl trim covers replaced the lesser trim models abbreviated covers on the lower kick panels.  

Interestingly, the Cheyenne name was resurrected for 1988 when it was assigned to the base trim level, replacing the Custom Deluxe name. GMC naming conventions changed entirely to SL, SLX, and SLE.  Today Silverado/Sierra no longer refer to trim options, but instead are a model reference to the Chevy/GMC pickup line.

There were some other less common trim packages which overlapped those noted above.  They included the Z77 Chevy Sport/GMC Street Coupe exterior graphics packages that exclusively used the Z62 trim interior appointments with the addition of the floor carpeting and the V22 Deluxe front appearance option, and the BC2 Deluxe instrument cluster.  The Z77 option, which also included N67 Rally wheels as standard, was available only on the 1976 to 1981 Chevy/GMC short bed 1/2 ton pickups.  GMC offered some other interesting limited edition models during the 1975 to 1987 time frame, but I won't get into those here.

Also offered were several Chevy Bonanza/GMC Royal Sierra option groups.  They were special year-end promotional packages (analogous to Ford's old "white sale" Explorer pickup packages) with special discounted price groupings of popular appearance/convenience options.  Prior to the 1980 model year, the Bonanza/Royal Sierra packages were based on the Z62 trim level with the addition of floor carpeting; after that time, the packages offered a choice of Z84 or YE9 interiors.  In later years, Canadian customers wer offered similarly conceived "Wrangler" packages.  The Wrangler packages included some very distinctive and exclusive paint/decal features; really neat collector's items!

Some of the trim items found in higher priced trims were optinally available in the lower level trims at extra cost.  Most (but not all) of the exterior moldings found in the Z84 and YE9 packages were either available separately or as part of the various two toning paint options on the base and Z62 trims.....ditto for the popular V22 Deluxe Front Appearance option, and BC2 Deluxe Instrument Cluster.  Other common appearance options included a fancy 1973 to 1981 bucket/console/carpet combination available with (essentially) all trim levels and various wheel/tire options.

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