From our “what’s it worth” department here at Barn Finds, is this 1960 Chevy Apache truck. It’s offered for sale on here on craigslist in Lawton, Oklahoma and it looks to be in fantastic original condition. The asking price is $7,000 which isn’t exactly a giveaway, but look for a moment longer and see what amazing condition this truck is in! The seller’s description is short on details, but the few photos provided are good enough to at least get an idea.
It has attractive dark green paint, which looks like it could be original, but I’m guessing the white paint on the bumpers and grille has probably been freshened up.
The interior looks decent, and it appears to have air conditioning that was installed back in the day, perhaps by the dealer or a local shop, as it certainly doesn’t look like a modern install. The seller says the air and heat are in working condition and that the truck runs and drives well, which isn’t surprising considering how good it looks.
It has full wheel covers, which I don’t know if they are original or not, but our more knowledgeable readers will hopefully enlighten the rest of us on that. Whether or not they’re correct, they seem to look pretty good.
So what’s it worth? Of course, these are cheaper options out there. But in my book, this one is worth the extra dough because the to-do list is practically non-existent. It may even be a bargain at this price. It’s way too nice to rat or hot rod, and it’s probably too nice to even do a restoration on. I’d probably remove the wrap from the steering wheel and call it a day. Drive, use, and enjoy! Do you love this truck as much as me?
He may have to trailer it to Dallas to get that kind of money for it, most Okies in that neck of the woods are not impressed with old trucks, and probably do not have the funds to buy it. Me included. I’d give 3K maybe for it, upon inspection, were I in the market.
From the pics it looks like a nice driver, like the seller said, “too nice to rat rod” , $7000? For that price I’d want to know more, especially the engine and transmission. Even then, it’s a pretty high asking price.
235 or 250?
it would most likely be a 235, GM di not start using the 250 in trucks until the late 60’s early 70’s.
I have an original 1960 Chevy Apache with a straight 6 in it and is a 250 engine.
I just bought a 2000 Silverado with 81,000 miles, for about a grand less than this truck. Having grown up driving and riding in old trucks like the one in this ad, it’s hard for me to imagine preferring it to the point of paying a premium over the cost of a much more modern and civilized ,somewhat newer one .
The advantage of buying this old truck at a fair price, would be that it will hold it’s value as the suburban goes down to scrap value. Most modern vehicles will not retain even a small percentage of their original price. You notice I said price, not value. There is not much value in new cars, hence the huge depreciation right off of the showroom floor. I bought a running 2000 suburban 4×4 for $500.00, Decided it was not worth keeping. I had to replace every inside door handle, and every piece of plastic trim inside the truck was broken or missing.
Newer (1980s?) aftermarket in-dash cassette stereo. I don’t pretend to know the market but it seems like a lot if everything isn’t perfectly original and working very well…
not enought in the photos/text to make me think it is worth going to do a PI at the asking price. interesting find.
The interior should be a gray/silver color and the top of the dash a flat black. I had a 1960 custom my grandpa bought new. 1960 was the first year for torsion bar suspension in the front. Then they went away from it. Amazing that they started using it once again in the 80’s.
I am reading Travels With Charley right now, and find myself liking this truck.
Pfttt!
:-D
Naaaaaaaaaaa too much $$$.
This is a great find, although, clearly a repaint on a no rot ( but probably surface rust) truck. The engine compartment is the giveaway, ( and covered steering wheel and worn emergency brake handle) but the truck itself is still very presentable. While this isn’t a great deal, trucks like this were driven hard, usually contractors, and very few survived. My old man used to borrow a mason friend’s truck like this. I remember it was a basic truck ( I don’t think it even had sun visors) with cement and dents all over it. BTW, those hubcaps are not original. These came with small white “dog dish” hubcaps. Again, a little steep on the price, but try and find another like this. Cool truck. http://www.uscars.de/pickups/60pu5.jpg
Maybe it comes with the cart that’s in the bed @ that much dinero….
Would have to be a recent vintage shifter kart to really sweeten the deal!
I think I do see the clutch and shift levers, and the plug/wire. KZ/ICC, perhaps?
I noticed the steering wheel and fairing peeking up when I first looked at the photos, and wondered if anyone else had spotted it. Your post answered that!
Did somebody actually say “modern and civilized” in here?
My wife would love having this for drives. It is a Bridges of Madison County clone minus the photographer’s name painted on the door.
These were totally reliable vehicles and this one appears next to new. I currently own a 2005 F250 which I’m afraid to drive because each time I do, I end up walking home. This truck could be made to run by taking a wire from the battery pos. pos to the coil. Not so with our new vehicles as they are fly by wire specials and one must talk to the computer to get anything happening. Simple is better, my first vehicle an Apache 32 never once let me down and I could fix anything that did with ease. With a little care and respect this machine could be operating just fine in another 55 years. Not so with our current plastic junk and we are now paying up to eighty thou for a truck that gets us A to B, just like this one can. Thus it’s a bargain.
May be some of you think is too pricey, but I always think: Find one just like it in a (at least) decent condition and put some money here and there just to put it in dependable driving condition, how much will cost? I´m not saying its worth 7G, but I´ll consider it.
Like Howard said, wrong hubcaps. The ’60 had the carryover hubcaps from the later 50s, pointy ones with the circling bowties. Chevy changed the grill and signal portals for ’61. They also went to a flatter hubcap with the single bowtie. My Dad had a ’61 Apache 10 stepside with 235/3 spd. To this day it’s my favorite truck out of all that Dad had over the years.
Same color as my father in law’s. Yup, his had dog dish hub caps. Never garaged, reliable as an ax. He left the snows on all year around for driving in mud and snow. He loaded the back end with a big slab of slate. First pickup truck I ever drove. Pure work truck that lasted forever. HIs had the “Big 6”. Great truck, good memories. If it were cheaper, perfect truck for a teenager to learn to work on.
Beautiful truck but I would venture it has been repainted including the interior. Ought to be a silver or bronze color inside I think, as Howard A noted.. The inside of the engine compartment kind of indicates the overall condition before the repaint. That said I’d love to have the truck but I think the seller may be a bit optimistic. I looked long and hard for a Sixties Chevy before I bought my ’72 C 10….I actually prefer the earlier design though the 67-72 C-10 are very clean designs in their own way.
well its 4 years too late to sway the man in question…But hind site is 20/20. The trucks is a perfect original authentic Apache C10 specimen and a ideal candidate for a total restore that when done is worth 25-39k depending on the pursuit to detail, especially in regards to the drivetrain and chrome added. That being said 7K is a bargain for a solid canvas from which to paint a masterpiece. The hood alone is worth $1500.00-$2500.00 to a 1960-61 die hard Apache collector. I challenge anyone to drive around for a entire year and see a single 1960-1961 Apache with a factory hood still intact….they simply do not exist anymore. So yes 7K is a lot of money for a dinosaur …but a living breathing dinosaur what is that worth? I hope you bought it…. because I just saw a similar dinosaur bring double that price recently and the buyer was elated!