I’m in Wichita, Kansas as I write this so once I got to my hotel I hit Craigslist to see what’s out there, or out here. I came up with a few interesting vehicles but this truck looked like a heck of a deal. It’s a 1975 Chevrolet C30 Silverado Camper Special with factory dually package, cool! It’s on Craigslist here in Wichita for a great price of $3,950.
The C30 was Chevy’s 1-ton pickup and they made the two-wheel-drive C-series as well as the four-wheel-drive K-series trucks for the US until 1999. This is a third-generation pickup and it looks like it’s in great shape, with just a couple of small areas of rust after over forty years. You can get a whole fender for $90 if you didn’t want to try to tackle the rust repair. It doesn’t look that bad and you can probably just make those little pieces to replace instead of replacing the entire front fenders.
This truck has been in storage since 2006 and it has a mere 98,000 miles on it. There are no engine photos, unfortunately, but the seller says that 7.4L, 454 V8 runs great and it has a 400 automatic transmission, power steering and brakes and even AC, but apparently the compressor is missing so that’ll have to be sorted out. It also has a factory dually package with steel, not fiberglass, fender extensions. One of them has a couple of scrapes on it, but it doesn’t look too bad. The Silverado was the top of the line for these trucks with all of the gauges and trim and everything that you’d expect in 1975 on your top of the line pickup. I wonder if they ever hauled a pickup-camper with this one?
The interior looks good from the one photo that’s provided, but the seat cover/blanket is either protecting a nice-looking seat or it’s covering up a ripped seat. I’m guessing the latter. I’m driving to Texas tomorrow morning starting at 6:00 am, otherwise I could check this one out in person for anyone who may be interested in it. It sure looks like a good truck to me, a top of the line Chevy 1-ton with duallys for hauling a camper, that’s the kind of truck that you’d want for such a thing. Or, pulling a car trailer.. Hmm.. even better! What do you think of this one, is $3,950 a good price for this good looking rig?
In N.E. Ohio….this would be sold already.
Great find Scotty. That is a nice looking truck.
They are Bullitt proof work hourses.
I will admit that is one good looking rig. Not a GM fan but props to this one.
Wow, that’s basically free. That’s a 12 000 dollar truck up here in Canada.
Anyone who went to Newtown Exxon (CT) in the 1970s might remember the owner (Tony) drove a carbon copy of this truck. His truck had the 454, too. I know they made a lot of them but it’s still feels strange when this happens.
Good looking good Truck for a nice price. From photo would say needs seat redone. Looks like a hole in both covers. Most trucks with any use need this done.
Can’t go wrong at $3000. If you can take the mustard.
It has the AC Compressor: “a/c (needs freon compressor turns )”
You’re right, whippeteer! I misread that, dang, good catch. It comes with an air compressor for the air horns and other accessories, I’m guessing?
A steal @ $3K. You could make that back in a weekend pulling stumps with the 454.
My dad had a 3/4 ton version. With 454/400 same as this truck. He ran his on propane and used it for a small logging operation. He would pull a 18′ three axle trailer with 4 cords of wood on it and drive it out of the bush on the forestry roads. Needless to say I’m a big fan on these gm trucks. His too was only a two wheel drive version.
Hi Mark. How did your dad do one propane? We had a few customers convert to propane with varying results, the drawbacks being mostly valve failures.
Hi Geomechs he first had the heads redone with sodium valves and stelite seats. This is now standard in most engines but it wasn’t then. Then the distributor timing has to be changed, higher base timing with lower total advance. And because propane is such a dry fuel you have to make sure you stay on top of fuel mixtures. If a gas engine runs lean as you know it will run hot where as a propane engine will run hot when it is run rich. The weak point is the propane carbs if the diaphragm on the air side gets a pin hole they won’t hold the plunger up and as you know rich can happen in two ways to much fuel or not enough air. When I worked on school buses the impco carbs were bad for having to much spring pressure of the plunger and the engines would run rich on a new carb, the cure was to trim back the spring. I think altitude factored into it and in Calgary we’re fairly high up. As for my dads truck he ran it for about ten years without to much trouble. He eventually replaced with a 3/4 ton dodge 4×4 cumins diesel with 5 speed manual trans. It’s a 1992 model and he still has it and it’s in nice shape. He’s 85 now so it mostly sits in his garage now.
Had a Century unit on mine. Start on gas, switch to propane down the road and back to gas before shutting down. What I liked was the clean oil. Put over 200k on that thing without any problems.
I’m in Virginia,, otherwise it would be in my driveway already
A lot of ranchers and rodeo cowboys had these in our region back in the day. Good trucks overall. Some minor rust issues but the powertrain was very reliable. If you ever got the motor hot the valve seals would cook and it would start using oil. Some tranny failures due to electrolysis; always check the auxiliary ground coming off the battery and make sure that the engine to body ground is intact. Otherwise the headlights and cab accessories will ground through the frame/rear axle and the transmission causing all the bushings to plate themselves onto the shafts spinning inside. We actually had a number of transmission failures due to that reason alone!!!! A lot of guys took some time getting used to the ‘training wheels’ on the back and snagged the rear fenders from time to time trying to slide into a tight parking space. I wouldn’t mind having this truck come to my place.
10 mpg at best, with a tailwind, downhill, coasting in neutral
Wow! Great deal! I recently sold this 1974 GMC for $13,500. Definitely better condition but for $3k this one is nice. The one I sold is heading to the middle east.
if you don’t push that 454 it may drive by every second gas station. If you are hauling anything or have a heavy foot make sure you have a can of gas with you at all times. Beats walking.
I bought one of these years ago. While it had a large gas tank, the rate it consumed it was hard to believe. It is the only vehicle I have ever owned that you could physically see the gas needle move, 4-6 MPG was normal. Horrible fuel economy. Finally sold it to buy a 2008 Cummins Dually Dodge, it was like being reborn…
The seller has a 2nd gen Monte Carlo and that 2nd gen Blazer too
If you go there you should be leaning with at least three vehicles …
Is there a listing for the Blazer I couldn’t find a link.
All dually fenders on GM were fiberglass. None were steel.
My dad had a 77 Silverado 1/2 ton pickup. Nice truck but about 8 mpg is all you could expect, even with a very light foot.
Gas mileage is really a very moot point. This is a machine meant to do work.
In the 70s if the work needed being done than the cost of business was factored in.
And today the incredibly low cost of ownership would far surpass the cost of fuel.
Great truck. I know 454’s and it’s going to need a rebuild in the next 50,000’miles even with today’s syn oils. Figure that in and it will costs you 3000 to overhaul it right but what a tank you would have. I have 1990 in my driveway with 287,000 miles on it. I rebuilt the motor completely at 145,000 and put a monster 400 transmission in it at 180,000 and I can stay with these diesels all day long hauling 20,000-25,000 lbs of cows. They get a little better fuel mileage as I average 8 and I run Mobil one and Lucas fuel additive. My engine puts out about 400 HP and like I said bring them Fords on. Rams give me trouble.
I have seen this truck on Craigslist before. Not sure which city/state but it was about 6 months ago.
If it runs, this is a steal! Super solid looking truck.