“A 327 V8?! What’s in your coffee this morning, Scotty G? They didn’t offer a 327 V8 for this truck in 1986, you meatball!!” Ok, ok, the engine is out of a 1968 Camaro, how’s that for a cool transplant? From what I can tell, it would have had 275 horsepower, more than the ’86 454 V8. This 1986 Chevrolet C30 Custom Deluxe 3+3 Crew Cab can be found here on Facebook Marketplace in Olathe, Kansas, and they’re asking $8,500. Here is the original listing.
I’m assuming this truck was some sort of company truck or government agency truck with the bright orange color. That wasn’t a factory color for 1986 that I can see on any paint charts or brochures. Although there was an Omaha Orange in 1938… There was a Dark Federal Yellow in ’86, but it was only used for buses, and the Canyon Copper isn’t close. I can picture this one-ton crew cab being restored back to some sort of railroad crew truck; that’s what I’d do. I’m 70% about railroads, with the other 20% being about gigantic pickups and the remaining 10%, just whatever else life has to offer. (Maybe there was something in my coffee?)
This is a long truck, as you can see. 20.5 feet long, in fact. If you want a four-door pickup today, which is 80% or more of consumer pickup sales, you get a short bed. Then a lot of owners (not all) go on to complain about “little trucks” with wimpy beds and yadda-yadda, all while they’re basically driving a short-bed pickup with two extra doors. This is a truck-truck, a full-sized bed for real hauling duties. I love the look, but I would never have a pragmatic need for a long-bed truck. That being said, make mine a crew cab or SuperCab/Extra Cab with a long bed. Either that, or a tiny pickup, or both. By this time, Custom Deluxe was the base trim level.
Sadly, the seller is light on interior photos. In fact, there are exactly zero interior photos! I know. They say it has all original paint and interior, and they list the interior color as tan (Saddle Tan), but that’s literally the only mention of the interior. I don’t get it, but I stopped trying to understand humans in 2020. You can see that it needs rocker panels on both sides, and here’s an underside photo. There’s a bit of rust to deal with here, but hopefully it’s just on the rockers.
The 3+3 is an interesting model; we’ve seen one or two of them here on Barn Finds, and they had two bench seats for, yes, three passengers in the front and three more in the back. They also offered a Bonus Cab, which is a four-door crew cab (is that redundant?), but no back seat; it was for hauling gear inside. I love that. Or maybe fold-down seats on each side or something in case you ran across a couple of hitchhikers at night. Ok, bad idea.
Here’s what would have replaced whatever engine was in this truck. Without a VIN, we don’t know what that was, but the seller says this is a 327-cu.in. OHV V8 with a four-barrel carb out of a 1968 Camaro. It would have had 275 (gross) horsepower and 355 (gross) lb-ft of torque in 1968. It’s backed by a GM Turbo-Hydramatic 400 sending power to the rear wheels. They say it runs and drives well, the engine doesn’t smoke, and there are two gas tanks. If I had a bigger garage and an extra $8,500, I’d take a road trip to Kansas to check this one out. Would any of you drive a huge truck like this 3+3 Crew Cab?
Don’t worry, we’ll find out what was in the coffee when the test results come back,,,oops, said too much,,and this was a county highway dept. maintenance truck. Orange is typically the color for DOT and rarely did these 4 door pickups make it to civilian use.They typically took a trailer and implements of construction, or possibly a chain gang transport. It’s quite a thing to see how far we’ve come in pickup trucks, a 4 door pickup truck? Preposterous,,
For years GM didn’t offer crewcabs in middle of the line trim levels like Scottsdale and Cheyenne. It was this or a full Silverado because the market was either low-bid fleet contracts or loaded toy haulers, no in-between. Probably an 80-20 split at the most even.
And of course those Silverados were about as loaded as a loaded Chevette.
We haven’t come far at all. In 1986, trucks were for transporting people and equipment and getting work done. Today what they call pickup trucks are for the majority employed to compensate for some guy’s shortcomings. Heck, you can’t even reach into the bed of today’s trucks to get something out! They aren’t in the least bit .utilitarian .. they do, however, endanger anyone on the road not driving one.
Oh yes, endangers anyone & everyone, so much so that it’s risky just crawling out of the bed. Just like forks are to blame for fat people being fat. Drama much?
How about punishing those who drive like imbeciles? I’m talking REAL punishment, fines so steep they can’t afford to drive again or jailtime so extensive they’ll forget how to drive. Funny how the price of gas has gone thru the roof but it sure hasn’t affected ANYONE’S right foot around here. Mach 3 with your hair on fire is the norm regardless if it’s a Prius or a Class 8 truck.
The vehicle ISN’T the problem. It’s the loose screw behind the wheel.
You know I see two door short bed pickups every now and then and think man that’s sharp but I can use it like I do my four door …like you said at one time that’s about all we had.
Sorta like rotary phone….cell phone lol
This has the feel of something pieced together with parts laying around the shop. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if it’s reflected in the price.
Steve R
A 305 would be a better choice for something like this than a 327.
Probably not. The 305 is a low compression smog engine. The 327 will have greater horsepower and torque, needed for this heavy truck. The 305 might get better fuel economy, but you would probably appreciate the extra horsepower more.
In something this heavy torque is king, and the longer stroke, small valve 305 will have much more usable low rpm torque to get this thing moving than the 327. A later lb9 would also be much more efficient and happy on regular unleaded, while the thirsty 327 will demand premium and will still self-immolate unless you add some sort of lead additive to every tank of fuel.
None of this matters, though, because the 327 is what it’s got.
It’s very rare to see a 3+3 that wasn’t a dually. I remember first seeing these many years ago (along with Dodge Crew-Cabs) and thinking, “How odd. A truck with two seats and four doors” Now it’s “How odd. A truck with one seat and two doors”..What I’d never have guessed. Regarding this crew carrier, I like the engine swap. Not only more power than stock but a lighter mill. However I’m not so crazy about the rust and the lack of interior pics. It’s hard to tell what the truck is really worth.
Popular model with the paving 🚧 👷♂️ companies.
I agree, something like this,,(foreman over radio to supervisor): “Yeah, Gus, Pete here, got to the job site, but Howard forgot the shovels,,,Don’t worry Pete, I’m on my way, just tell the workers to lean on the truck fender until I get there”,,:D
What’s orange and sleeps four? Illinois DOT truck…
Being a FB Felon, I can’t see the ad, but that truck checks all the boxes for me
I’d be all over it if it was closer
Purely for utility here. Sliding window and a step bumper, stop. Back when you didn’t need 4wd. May have limited slip axle. The 327 means it still does chores. As for the trim offerings there was always a Scottsdale aka Custom Deluxe when Custom was the base trim.
All it needs is axles and transfer case and whatever else from a cut-v military 4-wheeler and this thing can go just about anywhere!
Took me a minute to find a long bed for my super crew cab 2016 F-150. I always wonder why the short bed when you can’t even fit a motorcycle in the bed!
My 1980 was just like this with the single track and a 1 -owner. Even with that good running 454 and gear drive over drive behind the turbo 400….all it would bring at the Pate Swap Meet 2yrs ago was $5500…..it went to Belgium.
Stillrunners, your truck would have brought 15k hear in AZ two years ago. Right now, maybe not due to gas prices. Trucks bring stupid money here.