It’s cheap Chevy Truck Monday in the Scotty G wing here at Barn Finds and here’s another one for your consideration. This is a 1974 Chevrolet C10 Stepside Shortbed and it’s listed on Hemmings in Redmond, Oregon. Take a guess at the asking price: Nope, lower. Lower. Ha, no, lower. The seller is asking $1,700!
The third-generation Chevrolet pickups are hotter than royal wedding iPhone footage right now and this looks like a great one, at least from a few feet away. The seller says that there “is rust issues as you can see in the photos.” Replacement panels are easy to get but as always it comes down to using one of them there fancy new e’lectronical calculators that the kids are using in their arithmetic classes and seeing how much to spend before you’re upside down, financially.
Speaking of being financially upside-down, Hagerty lists a #4 fair condition example as being valued at $4,100 which would take no time at all to surpass when ordering new fenders and cab corners, wood for the bed, and new floors, etc. A #3 good condition value is $9,700 which is more like it. Or, there’s always plan b, just maintain it and drive it as is and fix it up as you go along over the years.
The interior needs a fair amount of work, both metal work and other. Chevy’s third-generation K and C-series trucks were made for an amazing 14 years before the next generation pickups came out in 1988. This truck has a column-shifted three-speed manual and that’s always fun. The seller says that this “pickup has had good maintenance its entirety and will make a great daily driver or a fun restoration.”
Like the orange plow-truck ’72 Blazer, this ’74 C10 Stepside has the smallest engine available, Chevy’s 250 cubic-inch inline-six, this time with 100 hp. I know, most people would want a V8 but this is a great engine and with gas prices creeping up and up, and probably up, it never hurts to get a few extra mpg. The seller says that it “runs and drives like new.” It does not get any better than that! I’d redo the floors and the interior and maintain and detail the engine and then pick away at the bodywork here and there. Would you throw down some fairly major greenbacks on restoring this truck or would you maintain it and drive it as it looks now?
Hmm, thanks to Scotty, I’m feeling better about my ’77 GMC. This is about as bare bones a truck you can get. It’s got nuttin’.( except PS) Mine, compared to this is a Cadillac, but I’d almost have preferred this truck. Even though, the 6 doesn’t get that much better mileage, and struggles on the highway, where my 350 has power to pass( as the gas gauge drops) it’s just a simpler truck and I like the stepside box. It’s why it was equipped this way. There’s a ton of repro parts for these, but I’d leave it as is, and use it as it was intended.
Howard
Agree on the gas mileage. My rebuilt 6 in my ’72 C 10 struggles to get 15 mpg. Since I use it as it was intended, short haul work truck etc, I can live with it. The Sixes were notorious for lousy gas mileage. I suppose if I was so oriented I could squeeze a few more out.
Cant beat the price though I admit I am prejudiced to the earlier ’67-72 iteration and these square fronts never appealed to me but each to his own…..
The idea that a straight 6 of this era will get better mileage than a V8 is
pure BS. The 6 is heavier than the V8, and the one barrel carb is very inefficient when compared to a 4 barrel. I personally owned a 1957 Chevy 1/2 ton panel truck with a 235 cu in 6 and a 3 speed manual trans. The best I ever got was just over 14 mpg when doing mostly freeway driving.
Following a catastrophic failure of the exhaust valve in #2 cylinder, I discovered the least expensive route to get back on the road was to buy a wrecked ’64 Impala 4 door, and install the 250hp 327 into my truck. To my amazement at the time, the truck was now getting over 17 mpg in regular driving, and of course it got up to speed quicker, as well. Wish I’d never let my ex talk me into selling that truck !
Doug I had a similar experience when I went from a 318 to a 383 in my ’67 Dodge PU. Got a couple of mpg better and a lot more go. The six in this PU should get good mileage as a friend of mine bought a brand new ’75 Chev Van 250 six and 3 spd manual trans and got 25 mpg on the highway. And he drove everything he owned hard and fast and I do mean fast.
Design seen by millions, plus worn example. Iconic patina.
I can’t see this lasting a day. It will be gone by lunchtime
for a 44 y/o truck it doesn’t look all that bad , that 6 will keep chugging along, we all know the hi perf addons at the very most a stock 350, maybe the paint will buff out? oxidation? would make a nice project for someone who is new to the hobby to start with It would be a fun truck to go to the cruise in with .. would keep the 6, and maintain it till it is no longer feasible to put more $$ into it
If this isn’t gone by noon I have no faith in America
Great truck, ordered perfectly from the factory and completely unmolested.
America wins. The truck is gone. A lot of iron for the price. I have a 63 and a 65 C-10 and converted the 63 to a 283, runs great. The 65 is a six banger and is about to get a fresh 350 and a muncie 4 speed put in it. These are great trucks and will only increase in value. For now anyway.
That 250 in-line six was a good engine. I had a 66 with a 3 on the tree. I used it to go to work when I was in local 242 in Seattle as a construction laborer. It was a Suburban. It eventually stripped the timing gears (no chain on those) they were gear to gear. I gave it to some young men who repaired it and drove it to California.
Well it’s gone, plus it was clear across the country from me. This was a great price for a good price. I would have spent the money to bring it up to at least #3 condition. Doing most of the work myself, I’m sure I could have stayed under the $9500 value.
They are still using trucks like this in the Seattle area. the Ironworms aren’t so bad out there.Here in rust belt you could hear them rusting on the dealer lots, recycled steel. Too bad as they were great trucks.
Good luck to the new owner, you have a great truck there!!!
This truck is exactly like I would have ordered it except I was 13 going on 14 at the time. Lol..Not sure why but even when I was young, if it didn’t have to constantly haul or tow large loads I had this sick and twisted attraction to the most completely base model that any of the Big 3 at the time had to offer. Yeah I know, I’m crazy. P.S. I did have a similar C10 years later. Long bed stepside, 3 spd but was swapped out to a grannie tranny before I got it. Straight 6 and no options I was aware of except posi. Loved that old pig!
I had one for work, SNB with a six and a three speed. Seem to remember the shift linkage binding in reverse quite often
I had the same shift linkage issued with my 76. Also, it had the 250 w/ the integral head, which wasn’t the best design idea. Replaced that with a regular head and intake – no more problems there.
Drive it
All it needs are nice wheels
One more $1700 cheepo. https://madison.craigslist.org/cto/d/chevrolet-pickup-1970/6596766896.html
Willing to buy this or anything close.