There are a couple of schools of thought on which Chevy pickup has a better look, the single-headlight models or the twin-headlight models. That’s just scratching the surface on these trucks, of course, but I’m always about how a vehicle looks. If I don’t like looking at it I could care less how good it works, that’s just me. I know, I’m shallow that way. This 1955 Chevrolet 3800 pickup can be found on Craigslist, or here on the CL archive, with an asking price of – are you sitting down? – $12,000! It’s located in the Cape May, New Jersey area. Thanks to Bill W. for sending in the tip for this Chevy pickup!
I’m still trying to get over the asking price, but these 3800 one-ton pickups are rare. As a general reference, NADA lists a low retail value of $7,625. I’m not sure if this truck is even in that category or not so the asking price may be set up for some Pawn Stars-like negotiating room. “I can let it go for $12,000.” “I’ll give you $5,500 and not a penny more.” “Well, I can go down to $11,000 if it’ll help you out, boss.” “Hmm.. well, I have to have it shipped, restore it, pay a guy, etc.. I can go $6,500 and that’s my top offer.” “As much as I hate to, I can let it go for $10,000 cash and that’s my bottom line.” “Make it $7,625 and we have a deal, I’m not gonna go no more.” (in my best Rick Harrison voice)
Despite the outdoorsy look to the paint (moss, leaves, etc.) this truck looks really solid and straight. The tailgate is even in decent condition with just a little rust-through on the bottom edges. This is a mid-1955 “Second Series” Chevrolet pickup from the Task Force series. It replaced the former First Series from the Advanced Design series of post-war pickups. The new pickups were much more modern in design as well as having an available V8 for the first time and an upgrade to a 12-volt electrical system.
The seller says that “she’s a very rare 1955 3800 1ton, with a special order with a 9 Ft step-side bed (only year offered). Chevy only made 27-35 (been told) of these as they were a special order, called Long Horns.” This is it for interior photos but sometimes there aren’t any interior and/or engine photos and this seller has provided both. Power steering and power brakes were available for the first time, I can’t even imagine that on a monster truck like this, but it would sure be nice.
This is the standard engine for this truck, Chevy’s 235 cubic-inch Stovebolt Six with 123 hp. A 145 hp 265 V8 was available for the first time. The seller says that this “6 cylinder and runs, (smokes like a champ) about as original as you’ll find.” I think that a one-ton truck is a hard sell in the first place, and then given the asking price this one may be around for a while. Have any of you owned a Task Force pickup?
Love the truck, hate the price…too bad its out of reach for someone on a budget.
Hope somebody rescues this gem
Terrible. Perhaps some of you may be “shell shocked” by these prices, but in this condition, who in their right mind would pay more than $2 grand for this. I suppose they figure, better jump on the bandwagon before the whole thing goes bust. I’m currently watching B-J auction, in Palm Beach, and the prices for these unbelievably pristine cars, ( that you know the builder has $50g’s or more invested), are struggling to get $15 grand. Maybe the bottom has begun to fall out. ( just watched a stunning white ’55 T-bird convertible, sold for $29g’s. Wasn’t that a 6 figure car a few years ago?)
Oh, and a nice truck,,,for 2 grand.
I’ve been watching also. I’m starting to think that if I really want a nice car at a good price the auction circuit would be a great venue. Seems to me the paint jobs on some of those auctioned cars alone supports the price. Plus you can take a warm vacation to Arizona or Florida and they serve drinks and give you a hat. Good times.
I would NEVER EVER buy a car at one of the well known auctions. Ever. Talk about a fool and his money being quickly parted. I suppose when you reach a certain age, and some things are working less well than others, pulling out your wallet and overpaying for cars is an acceptable substitute.
Just dumb. I’m sorry . When a ’70 Chevelle sells for 70 grand and I used to pass them up (as many of us did) for 1500 bucks……well…you just cant fix stupid.
These auctions have ruined the old car hobby while at the same time paradoxically saving many cars though some of them are unrecognizable. Oh well I’ll step off my soapbox gingerly so I dont break my neck on the way down!
Mountainwoodie, I can dig what you say, but look a little closer. The early cars on the venue are not the $70k overpriced ones. There can be deals at auctions. Remember you have to judge each car on it’s own merit and value. One thing you are right on is that when you reach a certain age, circumstance and attitude will change. “I would NEVER EVER” are famous last words.
To quote an internet sage………….crackpipe pricing.
I’m with Rube………2K if you deliver it to me……….:)
The world is crazy if this sells for $12k
I found 2 of these on Classics on Autotrader, 1 for $10,000, the other for $37,500. Both are better than this. The $37,500 is a beauty,
I own a 55 Cameo, and got it for $1000, but that was 50 years ago. :-) I would never want to get into an argument about what this truck is worth, because I believe it is all about what the potential buyer sees in the vehicle in question.
If a person is going to buy this truck with the idea of restoring it, the restored truck will be a hard riding, hard driving, work truck. There is little likelihood that the restorer will recover the money and the time spent restoring the vehicle. The standard 3/4 and 1 ton rear end had 4.57 gears, it will not be a good candidate for highway driving.
If he modernizes the truck, it will likely make the asking price of the truck meaningless, because he would probably put the body on a modern chassis.
I have a mad love affair with Task Force trucks, and hope this one finds a good home.
I do think it is overpriced.
Bob
First of all the 9ft. bed was available on a 1-ton throughout the sixties. We had a ’59 and it had a 9 foot bed. I think you could pull the bed off this and drop it on a ’66 tonner with few problems. The Longhorn, according to my info, was a Fleetside with a 1 ft. extension that came out around ’69 and was available through ’71 (It might also have been available in ’72). Now for the truck itself. Rough riding but you can put a lot in it and go almost anywhere. Hard to kill. Lots of them out west had hoists installed as well as side boards, and they hauled grain with them. I think the seller is dreaming but it’s a lot easier to come down in price than to go up. I might add that this truck would need a restoration and then use it like a truck should be used….
This was not a special order, it was an only order if a pick up bed was specified. While the half ton truck (3100 and 3200) was offered with both nominal pick up bed lengths of 6′ and 8′ respectively, the 3/4 (3600) was offered with only 8′ pick up bed length and 1 ton (3800) only with 9′ pick up bed length. This was true going back as far as 1948, my 1950 one ton pick up had a 9′ bed.
I suppose, there in lies the deal with this. We, as older folks, look at this truck altogether different than someone who will resto-mod the heck out of it.( and some beautiful creations, I might add) We know, and drove these trucks, that cost a fraction of what they’re asking, for what they were intended, more like machines, like a tractor or a combine, and when done, it was put back in the shed until needed again. There was nothing fun about it. Because of it’s sheer style, the lure is too great to resto-mod this, and someone with deep pockets eyes probably just lit up, because finally, a decent “double nickel” Chevy pickup came up that they can do what they always wanted to do, and there’s really nothing wrong with that, but guaranteed, it will never haul a pebble again.
Hi Rube. Just like you said, these trucks got used and re-used until they were completely used up. But actually they could be a lot of fun. When I went to high school, a lot of us drove the farm truck into town. Well, I had vehicles of my own but I had chores to do before school so I often drove the truck in. I might add that there were times when the old farm trucks outnumbered the cars.
Older folks? Hey, speak for yourself. I’m a young man. My granddaughter just told me that. Well, she told her mom and dad that Papa can still pack her around on his shoulders and even take her up and down the stairs. And ‘real old’ people can’t do that anymore….
“rare” does not always mean valuable
I agree. It is rare that I crap my pants. It is never desirable.
Dream on,…these trucks in this condition are maxxed out at 5K, Tops. Of course 25 years ago they were $500.
The seller has his facts mixed up. This truck was never referred to as a “Longhorn”. I am no expert, but as the owner of a 1955 second series 3100 “Big Window” and a 1970 Longhorn, I feel I can weigh in. First of all, surprisingly, my Longhorn actually doesn’t ride rough. It is not as smooth as my c10 with rear coil springs, but due to the fact that the rear leaf springs are “progressive”, the extra springs don’t come into play until needed. The information mentioned above, is somewhat correct. Here is an excerpt from http://www.longhorntrucks.freeservers.com: “The Longhorn was produced from March 11th of ’68 until the end of that generation, in ’72. It was only available in 3/4 ton and 1 ton versions. The main thing that makes it a Longhorn, is the frame, and front of the bed are extended by six inches, making the wheelbase 133 inches, up from 127, and the bed now measures 8 1/2 feet long.
The easiest way to I.D. one, assuming the badges are missing, is to look at the front of the bed. G.M. didn’t spend a whole lot of time or money on these, and if you look at the sides of these trucks, you’ll see a body line where they added to the existing long bed. Also, there is a ‘Longhorn’ emblem on the bed sides. On the ’68, it’s located over the rear side marker light, while all the later models have it located directly in front of the side marker. All Longhorn trucks should have a wooden floor in the bed, and seven, or eight leaf, leaf springs in the back, as opposed to the weaker coils found on most trucks in this time frame. Naturally, the best way to tell if you’re dealing with a Longhorn, is by the model number. For the 3/4 ton, a six cylinder will be a CS21034, while the V-8 trucks should be CE21034. If you’re dealing with a one ton truck, the six cylinder will be CS31034, and CE31034 for the V-8 trucks. G.M.C. also had there version, but I can’t seem to find much information on them…This extra long truck, was aimed at the booming camper industry, and was capable of hauling the largest camper on the market at the time. Although, with the extra cargo room, you can understand why so many were put to work. “
Hi Steve. You pretty well nailed the Longhorn. I knew that it was phased out in the ’72 production but I understood that GM intended to put it to bed at the end of the ’71 model year. We had a few of them come through our shop, and some are still in use. Interesting enough I never saw one of them hauling a camper. Field fuel slip tank, farm equipment parts, bales of hay and straw, tools, and a load of crazy kids. I saw one pulling a boat to the lake but that’s as close to a camper as I ever saw….
Some incorrect information in the description. The 1ton single wheel truck, were all 9′ beds, and although scarce, were more plentiful and available during the complete Task Force run, not just 1955.
Also, this is a $5000 truck.
Now the ad dosn’t say it, but for that price I’m assuming there’s 10 grand in the glove compartment.
The exaggerated price is easily explained by the location provided in the same sentence. I have yet to see any craigslist item I want that is in NJ that isn’t at least twice what anyone else anywhere else would ask for it!
Being raised in the first pawn shop in Hillsborough County and spending many hours there, I must comment on the pawn shop reference! LMAO, in real life pawn shops don’t operate like Pawn Stars! (:-)
This is what we use to refer to junk. Couldn’t get a $100.00
Smoking engines didn’t really bother me and are nothing new to me. Had a $50.00 ’57 6cyl 1\2 T in the late 70’s-early 80’s that used a quart of oil every 75-100 miles that was my daily driver for 3 years and never let me down. Only repair I ever did on it was a new clutch and installed a $20.00 truck top load 4 spd that it didn’t really need. I just wanted a 4spd. Sometimes I would throw in used rear end or manual tranny fluid that a buddy had drained from their cars. Also owned a $25.00 ’63 Rambler in 1974 that used a quart every 25-50 miles so I used the oil my buddies had drained from their cars most of the time. Didn’t have this one long, just a couple of months until I could afford a better car. A few others along the line also.
I purchased a 1956 1430 (Canadian one tonne) for $800 last spring, it’s in better shape than this one with a fleetside box off a 57 or 58 that someone extended at one point to fit the longer frame.
For me to tag my 57 3800 in Virginia I have to pay taxes annually on the low retail of 7200 bucks which mine is not really worth that. But on the other side of the price complaining, my tires (6 of them cost) 1200 plus parts to repair to get it running good, build a flat stake bed, master cylinder wheel cylinders brakes, kingpins, wheel bearings and several other parts and glass. Heck I haven’t even fixed the body and figure I’d have to ask close to 5G just to break even on parts and get a little of my labor back. But to just pull a barn find and slap a huge price tag on it to make some cash I think he will have that until either a fool and his money show up or it will continue to rot away. Just my 2cents
For those of you hating on the price, I own a fully restored 55 first gen 3800 flatbed. Only wish i could post photos in discussion.You have no clue how hard parts are to come by or even how rare this truck really is.Made for only two months with speacialized 55 only parts.Mine is selling for over 75k you wanna hate on price there you go.Last one to go up for auction that i can records of sold for 125k Trust me when i say,its worth it when it comes to the 55 first gen 3800.Less than 10k made only made in one factory at the time with unique features.You wont regret building this beauty.There are classics then there is this…
Carlos, arent you referring to the early 55 (first gen) with the body style same as the early 50s trucks (some had 5 window cabs)? This listing is for a second gen truck. Not to say it is common but certainly not as rare as the first gen body style 55s.