Short-bed trucks are all the rage today and they have been for a long time. I’m not sure when the trend started, but I’m guessing the 1960s is when they started coming on strong in the marketplace. This 1971 Chevrolet C-10 Cheyenne short bed is listed here on eBay in Chair City: better known as beautiful Thomasville, North Carolina. There is a $5,500 buy-it-now price listed, or offer.
A short bed pickup is arguably better proportioned and just plain visually cooler for most of us. They’re really enough or even more truck than most people need when it comes to hauling capacity. Unless you’re a contractor, farmer, or someone else who relies on your pickup as a work vehicle, you can haul just about anything in a short bed when it comes to regular hauling duties.
The second-generation C-Series trucks (and K-Series for those needing 4WD) came out in 1967 and were available until 1972. This is the top trim level, a Cheyenne. A 1971 Chevy truck brochure says this is “The one you could drive to the Met and hold your head up high.” I’d love to see that today, but I’m sure it’s happened. You can see a fair amount of rust on this truck, unfortunately. I was surprised at the somewhat low asking price until I zoomed in on the photos, it’ll take a talented welder to solidify this short bed.
The interior looks good, but up top, you’ll need a welder to figure out the roof, which appears to be covered by body filler. Replacement panels are available for just about every square inch of these trucks, so that’s good, you may need a few. The door sills look as if they’ll be rusty soon, as well as other areas. But hey, the seat looks good! This truck has a bit of a secret, drivetrain-wise.
The seller says this is a 350-cu.in. OHV V8 and it’s wearing an interesting hat. It’s now loaded up with Tuned Port Injection (TPI), a multi-port fuel injection. The standard 350 would have had around 250 horsepower and we don’t know what this one puts out, but the seller says it runs and drives, but has been sitting for a while. It’s backed by an automatic with floor shifter conversion, and it needs a battery and the brakes are stiff. Plus, it needs a lot of rust repair. Hagerty is at $10,900 for a #4 fair-condition truck, how much is this one worth?
Is that a hole in the left valve cover above the spark plug behind the corroded looking alternator and in front of the disconnected hydraulic line of some type?
That’s for the pct valve or breather tube to the air filter.
This truck looks rough, but with current demand and the fact that every part you could ever need available it might not be a bad deal. It will require a close hands on inspection.
These trucks came from the factory with rust as did my ’72 Blazer. This is heavy rust as the eBay ad clearly shows and in my book would not be a smart buy unless you have another body sitting around.
Sold, seller took an offer below asking price.
Steve R
Thanks, Steve!
I gotta 68 sitting by my pond ,roof gutters completely rotted off since the 90s,the wife grows tomatoes in the bed…
The way it sits on that trailer it looks like a long box, but maybe it’s an optical illusion.
??? THIS is not a short bed!!!
It’s not just me, then, thanks. Personally I feel a long box pickup is more useful and looks better anyway.
Are you sure, Rusty?
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/attachment.php?attachmentid=1654697&stc=1&d=1495643639
It looks like a short box to me.
Short box started at the beginning of pickup trucks on the 20s -30s, when they were the basic standard pickup. The long boxes came along with 3/4 ton and the like for farmers, contractors, etc that needed greater hauling capacity, then in the 60s when half-ton pickup chassis became stronger, then the half tons got the 8 foot boxes as well, and that became the “standard” but the short boxes remained in the repertoire, then when 60s and 70s pickups became collectable, the short boxes were extra cool. Today’s standard pickup architecture is a mashup of a four door car and an ultra short box pickup, and not very good at either
yup, older is better.
Just wish the law on maker’s doin replacement prts was 20 or 30 yrs steda 10.
Like this 1 tho amah ford guy. All ways (almost) use a MPFI when U can. Ask
any 1 who lived thru carbs. One good thing w/the newer… only thing?