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Long Hauler: 1978 Chevrolet C30 Car Hauler

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Are you wondering how you’ll get your next Barn Finds vehicle home? Or, maybe you were thinking about changing careers like some of us do every few years? In either of those cases, this could be your ticket. This 1978 Chevrolet C30 is configured into a vehicle-hauler and it’s also a crew cab so you can take your family with you on your runs. It’s in Midlothian, Illinois, about a half-hour south of Chicago, and is listed on eBay with a current price of $4,200 and less than two days left on the auction!

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Barn Finds writer, Jeff, showed us a nice Ford F-350 Shorty Hauler back in early-March. That was a beautiful truck and it was much more original and compact than this Chevrolet is, but this Chevy is a crew cab so you can sleep in the back when you’re on the road. The seller says that there is some rust but it’s very solid for its age.

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You’re not going to sneak this one next to your garage if you have a homeowner’s association; someone will complain. It’s hard to miss; it’s red and it has a 17′ long bed on the back. This whole rig is 28′ long. And, that’s not just some homemade bed on the back, it’s a Hodges Custom Hauler! In the mid-1960s, Roy Hodges built a car-hauler to take his race car to the track. When the first crew cab pickups came out in the early-70s he had to have one. He sold it to someone and he built another one, and then another one, and another one, and the rest is history. This 17′ wedge bed would be about $5,200 unpainted, so add that onto the price of the truck; and then add on the price of a winch, and lights, and all of the other custom touches that this truck has and this is one heck of a deal!

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Speaking of custom touches, those aren’t 1978 Chevy pickup seats! The seller doesn’t say what they’re from other than they’re power, custom leather seats and I have no doubt that they’re a lot more comfortable than a 1978 bench seat would be, especially when you’re heading to Portland or Dallas or Milwaukee to pick up your next vehicle, at $800-$1,000 a pop. The back seats look great, too.

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This is a 350 V8 with a “mild cam” and a four-barrel carburetor and it was rebuilt about 18,000 miles ago. It has a slew of new parts including a new master cylinder, water pump, fuel pump, fuel lines, belts, starter, etc. It’s ready to go! This would be a fun way to pick up your own Barn Finds car, or to haul your race car on track day, or if you were just looking to make a little money and see the country, it might be a nice part-time retirement business. How would you use this truck: to make money on the side or just to haul your own vehicles?

Comments

  1. Avatar Dave Wright

    Gone……….nicely laid out truck at a reasonable price. Best used for casual short runs, a modern diesel would save more in fuel cost than the payment for long distance work.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar Ray Rittam

    I owned a Black one like that and it cost a Fortune to drive anywhere. Beautiful Truck, But man it was well known at all gas Stations from San Francisco to L. A. LOL The man who bought it put a Mercedes out of one of the larger cars he picked up as a Insurance Total out.
    I owned Pittam’s trucking & Transfer and Transport Companies.

    Like 1
  3. Avatar Doug Heaton

    I owned one similar to this back in the day. Was a young car wholesaler and hauled A LOT of vehicles on it. Never let me down. Was bulletproof!!!!

    Like 1
  4. Avatar JW

    Gone… Reserve not met, so did he just yank the ad or did he sell it out right to someone. Who knows, I haven’t used ebay in over a year as I’ve done better with Craigslist buying & selling at no cost. With a 17′ bed and a 350 V8 I hope your not in to big 4×4’s as I would think you wouldn’t be haulin home any early Dodge / Ford / Chevy crew cab 4×4’s with this without a struggle. I guess as a race car hauler for the weekend 1/4 mile fun it would be fine but for long hauls yes I think it would cost you a lot in fuel.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Kornmanone

    I so would love to own one someday soon

    Like 0
  6. Avatar brian

    these things have the turning radius of the titanic.I drove one with a 21 ft bed and it sucked getting around in town

    Like 0
  7. Avatar SSPBill

    A few years back I read an interesting take on the decline in participation of amateur auto racing in the US. I cannot recall where but the writer argued it was due to the enclosed trailers. His point was the loaded flatbed/slanted trucks were a form of passive advertisement. I’m sure it has more to do with economic but I do recall seeing these passing through town on Friday and Saturday nights back when I was a kid.

    Like 1

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