Update 7/19/17: I just heard from Todd, the seller, and he has lowered the price on this Viking down to $3,900!
Seller Description: 1959 Chevrolet Viking 60 1-1/2 Ton (16,000 GVW) Flatbed Truck. Recently rescued from a Century Farm in Rural Polk County Oregon. Although the truck sat under a tree for the past several years, it’s in amazingly good condition. According to the most recent owner of the last 20 years, the truck was purchased new by the U.S. Forest Service and was in service in Polk County, Oregon until it was retired. Ownership/Title history is a little unclear after that but it’s probable that the odometer reading is correct at just under 40,000 original miles.
Original (Engine Code 3769925) 261 cubic inch 6 cylinder with a single barrel carburetor. 4 speed manual transmission with 2 speed rear end. The truck is not currently running but I believe it wouldn’t take much to get it on the road again. Body and chassis are solid overall with some minor rust issues in the bottom of the doors and back of the cab. Tires are older but in near perfect condition.
The seat has been covered in vinyl, probably near the time it was new and the original blue cloth upholstery can be seen from the back of the seat. Wearing it’s original (Paint Code 705A) Glade Green paint, it has great patina and no major body damage. 2 original T3 headlights that are still functioning. The truck also has a period correct “Tuk-A-Way” by Maxon Industries, Hydraulic lift gate. These old medium duty trucks are gaining popularity and appreciating in value for use in advertising and company promotions as well as classic haulers.
Special thanks to Todd for listing his Viking with us! It looks like a good old truck with potential to be a cool hauler. With a more modern drivetrain and new flatbed, I think you could actually turn it into a car hauler. It wouldn’t be as practical as a new flatbed tow rig, but one of those wouldn’t look nearly as awesome as this! Be sure to message Todd via the form below if you’d like to give it a new home. And if you have a classic car or truck that needs a good home, please consider listing it here on Barn Finds!
Asking Price: $4,900 $3,900
Location: Salem, Oregon
Mileage: 39,971
Title Status: Clean
Super truck…….overpriced by 5X. There are many like it still lurking at farms and ranches here in the northwest. I am frequently offered them for less than 1000.00, maby 1200.00 if running. Many are one owner trucks used for short periods each year.
Thanks for your thoughts Dave. I would love to find more of these trucks and would buy many more at or less than $1000. Please let me know if you run across any for sale.
I can have 4 off them by next week here in Western Idaho.. And another 1/2 dozen the following week from central Oregon. I will be in the Palouse the following week…..I am sure we can find a dozen there.
I bought 3, 1990 model and newer nice low mileage IHC’s with diesels 2 weeks ago for 800.00 each from the Army. The highest mileage one has 77,000 miles, new tires and drove 700 miles getting here. I will sell those for less than what you are asking for this one.
Hi Dave, I am not ready to purchase a truck right now, but would live to be able to contact you given your access to so many. What is the best way to stay in touch. Do you participate in any car forums where I could send you a message there?
Something magic happened in the last few years…Apparently when I was not looking, older odometers stopped turning over, and any old vehicle that reads “xxx” mileage must not have ever turned over.
I also see that a lot Dan. I can only go on the information that I got from the previous owner and the condition that the truck is in. I just can’t imagine it would have 139,000 miles on it. It could, but I would guess not. Hopefully it wouldn’t be a deal breaker.
The fifth digit in the Vehicle ID plate is an “O”, which stands for
Oakland. The truck was assembled in Oakland, CA.
My 58 Apache 3100 was Glade Green. It’s a great color, and
perfect for the Forest Service.
A 261 is no slouch. I’ve driven a few just like this, with either 4 or 5 spd. transmissions. You could always use more power when you’ve got 300 bushels of wheat in the back; you got quite skilled at shifting a 2 speed axle. I might add that I’ve driven a couple with V8s (283) which went faster but lacked the torque of the big six. If you went up to the Spartan series you could get a 348 which was a good performer for the period.
Stuck record for me: This should be restored and used. It would be a great conveyance to bring that antique tractor to the steam and threshing show. For that matter, use it to carry that old brass era car to a show. When you’re not at a show, put it to work retrieving your next project….
Those Chev. odometers would just quit working after many years. The speedometer however kept going. My old Chev truck odometer quit working at 189,000. The truck sat for ten years.
When I got the truck going again I had the odometer repaired.
My guess is this odometer quit at 139,000 and the truck continued to be used
around the ranch/farm until it wouldn’t go anymore, then parked.
Best truck name not being used today
There is one that looks at least as good with a working dump bed (more valueable) on eBay in Kansas with a buy it now of 1500.00
I think it’s a very cool looking truck! Im not usually one to comment on “Big Trucks” but this one, for some reason, just piqued my interest? I got nothing with regard to anything else other than it looks neat! Hope it goes to a good home and gets put back to work.
I do have one other non ad related question. How are you supposed to get back to the front page, without having the re look at all the images, as you continue to hit the back arrow key. Don’t say ” hit the go back to story” option. That doesn’t get you to the front page. Only to the original write up! Then back to all the images again!
Just click the logo at the top of the page to return to the homepage. Guess we need a home link up there?
And maybe a back to top button Jessie, to ease the pain in my aging scroll finger. And your new staff of writers is pretty good, Thanks.
Can you fault a guy for asking…..obviously….you guys do.
Look at the condition of the body….stored inside for some (maybe lots) of its life.
Pretty good shape. Looks like the original powertrain.I don’t think the price is too far off, given that it is pretty much all original. It has a lot of road trips left to go….these are rebuildable and just keep going…..and going…and going.
Those that know of dozens of these hidden in the weeds, specifically where are they?
Eastern Oregon, Washington and Idaho. There is a great looking 61 on eBay for 1500.00 buy it now that has an operational dump bed. You need to get out more.
Can’t find this three State vehicle on eBay. What’s the link?
I don’t know how to link with my iPad. 1961 Chevrolet c 60 in a search should bring it up. That one is in Kansas. These have been overlooked by people for ever that took the old pickups that were parked with them. The market for them is slim…….not many people with a use or place to park them.
There are 5 similar old farm trucks on my local Craigslist right now for under 2000 asking price including a nice looking 58 Viking, running and driving with a really nice bed in Lewiston Idaho for 1500.00 asking.
Lewiston 1958, new front tires, running and driving, asking 1500.00
Todd, this is a great find.( I especially like the front bumper!!) While I like a good deal like anyone else, I don’t think you are being unreasonable. The truck that Dave is showing, is not what you have here. This, I’d more than bet, IS 39K miles. These trucks weren’t used a lot, and the rear lift, is probably worth half the cost ( very handy items to have, save your back, they will) This would never look like this with over 100K, they just didn’t drive these that much. All the switches means, it must have had extra lights, or something. This a rare piece, and HD Forestry specs, not wimpy farm trucks, like Dave shows. :)
Best of luck, this won’t be here long. Sorry, I don’t care what others say, you won’t find trucks like this under $5 g’s anymore.
And ANOTHER thing, I got reprimanded once for ripping on someone’s submission ( without knowing BF’s offers this service) We all like BF’s, and these postings help keep the site going.
Hi Howard. I agree with you; what you’re getting is more than a used up farm truck although I’ve worked on (and ran) a lot of farm trucks and a lot of them were fairly substantial. We had a ’61 GMC with 351/380 Clark and 18,500 rear. A neighbor ran the Canadian version of the same thing only it had a 348 Chevy motor. Some farmers who got sick of replacing broken axles wised up and ante’ed up for the extra equipment. Every farm truck was overloaded so you might as well do your best NOT to have it fold up in the middle like a piece of safety wire.
Howard…….you know as well as I do……this is simply a 16,000 GVW farm truck that spent its first few years with the Forrest service. Lift gates have little value used, have had them in my yard that wound up selling by the pound. The truck has probably been out of the Forrest Service for 50 years. I like it and these old truck 6’s are great. My only issue is with the price. I buy and sell a lot of trucks and equipment and like to get my prices too but I hate to see unknowing people taken advantage of. I try making my money on the purchase end so we can sell for a reasonable market value. That way, I have happy repeat customers and can sleep well. The policy has served me well over the decades. It is also what I teach the employees and managers of my various enterprises.
I’ve never seen one of these giant Chevys with a regular truck bed – I’m guessing it wasn’t practical to have anything other than a wrecker or flatbed behind the cab. Still… How neat would it be to take a 50s Apache bed, and scale it up so it matches the rest of this oversized beast? Love these things.
BradC,
There is/was a a guy here in CT that did just that. Medium duty truck like this, but with a proportionally sized pickup bed. I last saw it about four years ago. I think it was a crew cab too.
It was really cool. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pics.
– John
Personally I think it would be great with either a 348 or a 409 and a roll-back on it. Take your vehicle to the show on it and have 2 for the price of 1 display :-)
I don’t have a place or need for it, but I like it none-the-less.
The ones I drove in Canada in the 90’s at my BIL’s wheat ranch at harvest time had no rust on them and low miles, 30-40,000 mile. Only really used in the summer and then back in the barn for 7-8 months. They ran like tops.
I have two 59 Viking 60s!