I remember a series of past Barn Finds posts with an “Honest Truck” theme – that’s exactly what we have here in this 1961 Chevrolet C-10 Apache! It’s located in Morrill, Nebraska and is listed for sale here on eBay. As I write bidding is up to $5,600 but I suspect it will rise higher before the end of the auction. There is no reserve.
I love the look of these early 60’s GM trucks and this one is still remarkably solid. The seller tells us that the previous owner found it in a barn where it had been stored for years. After installing a new gas tank and fuel lines, a tune up kit and a new battery, the truck started right up. After that the brake system was rebuilt or replaced and now the classic truck is for sale again.
The seller tells us there are two fiberglass patches, one in the lower part of each front fender. You can see the passenger side one in this picture. There are plenty of inexpensive new fenders available so I don’t think I’d bother repairing these; that being said, there are patch panels available as well.
It’s great to see a wooden bed that is still usable! The seller states that it has 88,895 miles and while that may be on the second time around, I don’t think so based on what I can see.
The pedal pads and the seat don’t look like 188,895 miles.
This is a 235 cubic inch six-cylinder engine. One area of concern looking at this picture was the paint marks on the valve cover. If those are compression readings, that second cylinder is in trouble and cylinder number 3 is even worse. It might be worth asking the seller for a compression test prior to placing a bid. Assuming those check out okay, how do you feel about this honest old truck?
I covet this one. My dad had nearly the identical twin to this one. His was a three speed but it still served the purpose. Dad always said it was his favorite pickup. If this was closer, I’d make an exception to my downsizing…
I bought a dishonest truck once. Not good.
Once you find out, it’s already too late.
I wouldn’t worry too much about the compression readings on vehicle this old. You are going to pull it and go through it anyway. When you are done, fire it up and cruise to anywhere USA….. ain’t nobody going to look cooler than you with the window rolled down, a straw hat on jamming to Credence Clearwater Revival – heck yeah! “I can hear the hound dawgs callin me yeah…..”
I don’t have much to say about the truck. But the lead photo caught my attention. An old truck, with dull gray paint (and/or primer?), sitting in a snowy driveway near a barn in a flatland location. Quite stark. I can feel the cold wind blowing, makes me shiver just looking at it.
A thought: would this truck “sell” better if it was being offered with lush green grass and attractive trees as background? So, does the presentation matter?
Thanks Jamie.
Yarr, matey, I likes it too. What were they thinking with that hood design? Great little truck. Quite frankly, this is what I had in mind before finding my ’77 GMC, but I made my choice, and I’m happy with it. I like the 6, again, going to need some gearing adjustments. This old stovebolt will be throwing rods at 60 mph, they just weren’t designed to go that fast. Great find, I’d say the price is spot on.
Actually, Howard, I remember Dad tromping the pedal down pretty good in his truck. There was a time back in the day when us kids missed the bus so Dad took us in. More than once I saw the needle hit 80–on a poorly maintained gravel road…
My dad owned a 61 but His had the other style bed, but is was a short bed. When he died in 78 it went to one of my brothers who took it to Tennessee then to Georgia where it sat and deteriorated until some guy came along and bought it from him. I never liked to hood on these, but I liked everything else. It had torsion bar front suspension. Dad’s had 235 and 4 speed with limited slip rear axles.
God bless America
Not everyone liked those Eyebrow Hoods.’ I loved them while many despised them. My dad loved the way that torsion bar front end rode. He was disappointed when they abandoned them in ‘63.
G.M lost a law suit to Chrysler over the torsion bar suspension.
God bless America
I wasn’t aware that. I do know that GM also used torsion bars in the medium trucks. We had a 3-ton and I liked it. Dad said that GM quit them because of breakage. But that might be what the dealer told him…
To John, I read, there was no evidence that Chrysler sued GM over patent infringement. It was an urban legend because Chryslers torsion bar got all the attention, but I believe the GM, while similar, had a slightly different design. GM abandoned the torsion bar in ’63, because it was more costly than coil springs, something Chrysler had debated for years, finally ending in 1972.
Man the memories this old truck brings to me. My Dad bought a brand new 61 just like this one, the first new truck he bought for his new shop. Dad opened his Body shop in the fall of 1960. Anyway Dad had this truck for parts runs, pulling cars and trucks on a trailer into the shop. He had this truck still when I got to drive in 1979, my older brother had already learned to drive in it 2 years earlier, of course he was hard on the clutches in any thing he drove. Dad told me to get a clutch in it and for me to learn to drive it, I had 1 clutch or it got parked. I tore into it one evening and had it running by midnight. The next morning Dad drove it around and told me to jump in, and told my brother to following in the service van (automatic transmission in the van lol) Dad drove me out into the country about 30 miles. Pulled over, jumped out and said drive it home. I figured I killed it a dozen times, because he parked it on a uphill grade, with in a hour or so, I drove it into the drive way. a week later Mom took me to get my license in that truck. The examiner took a look at it, climb in and off we went. He was surprised to see seat belts in it, something Dad had put in it.
This truck was a tough old truck, I drove it until I rebuilt my own, and it went back to the shop, Dad sold it sometime in the 80’s to a guy that worked there, he bought it for his son, and he drove it until it just quit running. Miss that old truck.
The good thing about the old truck, when you own a Body Shop, it was always repaired right, and always looked sharp. It came out with a 235 with a 3 on the tree, and when Dad drove it, he drove hard and fast, (why the seatbelts, for Mom), I have seen Dad tow a 16′ flatbed trailer with a car or truck on it into the shop, this was before he bought a actually car hauler, but the old engine gave up the ghost sometime in the early 70’s because I remember putting a new 250 in it, helping Dad with it.
Wish I had asked to keep that old thing, it was a good old hard working truck. A lot of people did not like the hood design, but Dad always said it reminded him of Mom, she was big on top!!! He would say that and if Mom was around she would give him the drop dead look or toss something at him, but then smile.
I really don’t think anyone would buy this truck for the six cylinder motor anyway so buy it put a small block with new breaks!! Then drive the tires off it!!
Sold for $5,600. Seems like a deal.
I bought this Apache. The seller represented it fairly and I am excited to get started on her. When I saw it go on BF I thought it would go up but in this case, I was lucky. I will check in from time to time to show my progress. I look forward to new Barn Finds every day, keep up the great work! Jerry Kenney, Frisco TX
I had a 1960 back in 1967, 6cyl three on tree, always loved the hood in that era. The interior and dash in those trucks were really the best, Glad to hear the sale went good.
joeroy – I learned to drive on a 61′ just like this one!!