Member: Jeff French

Car: 1981 GMC Caballero Laredo

I first saw this vehicle in early August 2005; it was parked at the side of the road with a for sale sign on it. I had driven past it several times and admired its looks and the great shape it was in. At that time I wanted to get a vehicle with better handling than my full sized pick up truck but I did not want to give up the horse power of the V8 and the large and open storage space of the 8 foot box. Before finding this vehicle I was convinced I would have to get a car and do without the use of the truck box.

I contacted the seller and asked some questions. The seller was the second owner and his summary of the vehicles history was reassuring. That conversation led to a test drive and the next day I bought the vehicle. I drove the vehicle home and then around the neighborhood. The few people that saw it were curious and complementary. It has been parked undercover since then.

From the information provided to me upon becoming a member of CCCB, I contacted General Motors of Canada. I requested and was given its birthday, birth place, list of options and more. I have also obtained the original Showroom Sales Brochure, the 1981 GMC Service Manual, the GMC Caballero Parts Book, the MVMA Specifications Form Passenger Car 1981 and the GMC 1981 Trucks Option Index and Specifications.

I had an appraisal of the vehicle done by a classic and antique auto appraiser in Vernon. The appraised value is twice what I paid for it.

I had thought about contacting the original owner for the rest of the vehicles history so when George Tyre asked me if I would put something together for the magazine I knew I had to find the original owner. I found the original owner and this is what I learned.

Early in 1981 Mr. Beverly Mustard of Penticton BC bought this vehicle from Loewen Pontiac Buick GMC Ltd. in Penticton. Mr. Mustard retired in 1974 and wanted a tow vehicle for his travel trailer. He chose the Caballero for its work horse attitude and it’s easy to handle manner. In particular he liked the positraction differential. Mr. Mustard added a sunroof for better touring and propane for better fuel economy. The vehicle was driven almost daily and when at home it was parked under the carport. The paint was touched up in the mid 80’s and almost all the mechanical service was done at A&J Auto in Penticton. Mr. Mustard decided to sell the Caballero after 22 years of ownership.

Mr. Hank Cornelius of Vernon bought the Caballero in 2003 as a pleasure vehicle. He bought it for its looks and great prospects. He maintained it very well and put very few miles on it. It was kept in a garage and seldom driven in the winter. Mr. Cornelius wanted to restore the Caballero until he found a frame-off restored Chevy pick-up truck he could not refuse. He put the Caballero up for sale and before the add hit the newspaper, I bought it.

So here we are today. I have this almost completely original 1981 GMC Caballero Laredo. It is one of 87 Caballero Laredo’s sold in Canada in 1981. It has less than 153,000 kms on the odometer and the cruise control like the AM radio all work perfectly. My plans for the Caballero are uncertain. I like to go fast but I would hate to alter its originality. Either way, this Caballero is a keeper. She’s an Okanagan girl with great prospects.

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