This stunning truck is a 1982 Chevrolet C20 Scottsdale and it’s in surprisingly nice condition. It can be found on craigslist with an almost-too-reasonable price of $3,900! You can’t get much for that price anymore and certainly not usually a truck in this condition. This beauty is in Waldport, Oregon, right on the Pacific Ocean and about 100 miles southwest of the capital in Salem.
The Scottsdale was the mid-trim level for Chevy trucks and this one is in fantastic condition. I fully expected to see another couple of thousand dollars on this price. The C20 designates a two-wheel-drive, 3/4-ton pickup. The seller mentions that the windshield has a crack in it and for $130, plus shipping, and maybe some cussing, you could put one in yourself. I would probably hire that sort of job out, paying the extra $100 for a pro to do it, but that’s just me.
I expected to see at least some rust here, but the only thing I noticed were a couple of clunks on the top of the tailgate. The bed of the truck looks great, it must not have been heavily used. Maybe this truck was just used for towing duties? This Chevy still wears its original paint, pretty amazing. There is a bit of crazing in front of the rear wheels, I’m guessing that it may have had some sort of chrome or aluminum rock shield on those areas. This truck has power steering, power brakes, cruise, and dual tanks; no AC, unfortunately.
The owner has sure been kind to this truck, that’s nice to see. Sometimes these things are beat up and abused like they’re just a machine. Wait a minute, they are! Well, you know what I mean, it takes a special person to care about their vehicles and to maintain them. This one looks like it has been very well maintained and cared for. It doesn’t look like it has 95,150 miles on it to me. I would have guessed maybe half that amount of miles given the nice condition of this truck. The interior looks almost like new, other than the stick-on (hopefully) fold-down cup holders on the dash and the aftermarket tach mounted on top of the dash.
The 350 V8 looks high and dry and if it wasn’t for the missing paint and surface rust on a few components, it would be as much of a standout as the rest of this truck is. This one has a small exhaust leak when it’s cold but that supposedly goes away once it’s warmed up. That’s something that I would want to fix, but I don’t know if that would be too high on most others’ priority list. I’m guessing that this engine is the 165 hp version, which was on trucks up to 8,500 GVWR. There are new plugs, wires, cap, and rotor, and the timing was set; there is also a new battery. This really looks like a great deal to me. You just don’t see rust-free trucks from this era anymore, and if you do they usually aren’t this nice and priced under $4,000. Is this one a good deal or have you seen others in better condition for less?
These were just the nicest trucks ( for the time) Still resembled a truck, and could be used as such,( and still fix it) and fancy enough to take on a date. Living in N.Wis. the pickup truck is king. It’s understood, nay, required, that everybody have a truck. ( and 99.8% American) I’ve seen around here, where trucks are truly the retired person’s baby, and I’m sure that’s the case here. GM trucks melt away around here, but if I was looking for full size pickup, this would be mine. Very cool find.
Is that a mid-30’s IH C series behind it?
Hi Howard. That DOES look like a ’34 – ’36 Binder behind it.
These were good trucks. This era was the BEST to come from GM. For dependability and ease of service, they were great. Lots of them still on the road….
Hi geomechs, not in my neck of the woods. I believe this is an artists rendition ( Cal. plates) but I have seen them like this. http://photovalet.com/data/comps/VCZ/VCZV01P06_10.jpg
This “appears” to be a special order combination?
According to a GM Heritage document that I just downloaded, the only engine available was a 292 I-6. To get the 350, a K-Series (4X4) would need to be ordered. I have not read the whole thing, but that struck me right away.
I like this truck. I wonder how long it would last before Michigan killed it?
Hi Alan. I would have to dispute that document that you downloaded. I worked for a GM dealer at that time. The 292 was the standard engine but the 350 and even the 454 was available. You couldn’t get anything bigger than a 350 in the 1/2 ton but the regulations were noticeably reduced with the 3/4 ton and up. Our shop sold a lot of trucks like this, equally between 350s and 454s. We did sell (1) K 2500 with a 292, which, I might add, is still in service on the same ranch….
Hi, Alan. I found that info on page 14 (of the PDF) of this GM Heritage Center document showing engine ratings.
https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits/Chevrolet-Trucks/1982-Chevrolet-Truck.pdf
Thanks geomechs and Scotty G.
What I saw was way up on page 3, I had not read far enough.
Does appear as though the 7.4L was for the “Bonus” and “Crew” cabs, and not the standard cabs, though. But I’m reading it on my phone, so forgive if incorrect, hard to get even half a page in a size big enough for me to see. Fascinating reading. GVWR for all, regardless of engine size, was #8600.
I wonder if it has the 3.73 or the 4.10 axle?
I need to use a bigger reader. With the auto trans, it looks like the 4.10 was it.
My Dad had a 1983 GMC like this one. 8500 GWV, 350 and automatic. 4×4 was not required in order to get the 350. Loaded to the gills, it was the only vehicle he’d ever purchased with power windows.
This one is a beaut. Unless the lower trim strip was still screwed on for 1982 models, somewhere along the line I can’t help but think the owner had to re-glue it. I remember seeing a lot of saggy, then missing trim on these.
Probably better that I don’t have room in the garage for this one. Otherwise I’d love to have it.
This is the next collectible truck. The previous generation C-10’s were nearly as unnoticed as this one just a few years back. Fill a warehouse with nice examples like this and wait 10 years.
My good buddy from high school – his parents owned a shop and they had almost this exact truck but it was an ’83. He got to drive it once in awhile and it was a screamer. It was a special order for transporting steel and had the 3 speed manual with creeper gear. Shifter like a bus. Giant trans and giant rear. Had a 350 but it didn’t have emissions on it since it was special order. Had a quadrajet on it and I swear that thing would rev to 7000 rpm and that spread-bore carb would almost suck the hood in. Of course we never measured it on a dyno but it had to have WAY over 300 HP. He took me home late one evening (early one morning) and opened up the 4-barrel up a hill about 2 miles from my house. When I got home my dad was standing there in his tighty whiteys – we had woken him up! The windows in his room were open because we didn’t have AC. Never known ANY other engine that ran like that one in that brown truck. We surmised that by random chance all the tolerances in that mill lined up perfectly. It was really incredible. Had load range “E” tires and if you did a burnout on blacktop it would literally machine a groove 1/8 inch deep in the pavement. Beat on it for a long time and heard it was still going (although not as powerfully) at 300K miles but the body was totally gone. I love telling this story!
I agree – these are creeping up in price.
There’s one sitting in a driveway down the street that
still looks savable,& I hope someone does.
BTW,those square Brown things on the dash
are fold down cup holders,I believe.
Did anyone else notice the backup lights are on in the rear view pic? To me, that indicates a problem with the backup light switch on the transmission. I doubt the truck was idling in reverse for the pics.
These trucks will be the next hot GM. The box bodies used to be so common, but good clean examples like this are far and few between.
I am the owner and selling this truck. I placed the transmission in reverse (engine not running) and turned the key on to show that the backup lights still work.
This is a great truck, just want someone to buy it. Thanks so much.
This is in better shape than the one belonging to my ex-wife’s dad was, and that was 20 years ago. Seems like a steal.
These full-size pickups are among the vehicles America does best. They are superb for their intended purpose, and incredibly durable with even middling maintenance.
I stripped the IFS off a junkyard ’82 Scottsdale because it fit perfectly outside the frame rails on my ’56 International S100.
I see these all the time around my little town’s local walmart, but they have different colored body panels along with rusted tailgates. The Midwest road salt eats them alive but they just keep on running. Sure is a nice truck.
lots of’em here in s.w. Oregon
Boston Creme Pie….as a truck!
I had this same truck but a 1985. It was mint condition with a 454 auto. It was only 2wd. Only 75,000 miles. That was 13 years ago and sold it for $2,000. I want a 4×4. I wish I still had it.
I was never a big fan of the grill on this year Chevy truck, and it was almost the only body part that didn’t rust. I had an earlier model 1978, drove the truck for over 10 years, had to replace the dog legs and patch panels over the rear wheel wells twice. That said I would still love to have this truck.