This 1983 C-10 Silverado short-bed is a nice, clean looking vehicle. It may not be the most glamorous of pickups, but it is a neat and tidy example that seems to be in good condition. You will find it listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it comes with a clear title. Bidding on this C-10 has reached $5,400 at the time of writing.
As I said before, it may not be the most glamorous of vehicles, but it seems to make up for that lack of glamour by being in great condition. It seems to be an honest vehicle, and the fact that the inside of the tray exhibits the sorts of scratches that you would expect in a pickup is a reassuring sign. Nobody has made any attempt to disguise this with paint or a tray-liner. The rest of the body looks straight, and there are no obvious signs of rust. The paint looks to be in good condition, and the shots of the underside of the C-10 don’t reveal any nasty rust-related surprises.
As with the exterior of this C-10, the interior looks to be in good condition. There is some minor creasing of the vinyl on the edge of the driver’s seat, but otherwise, the interior looks to be in good condition. The vehicle features power windows and power locks, and the recently overhauled air conditioning works well.
Gracing the engine bay is a 5.7 liter V8 which is backed by an automatic transmission. I did notice that the vehicle has a tow hitch, so the engine and transmission combination should make most towing jobs a breeze. The seller states that the engine runs perfectly, and doesn’t exhibit any strange noises or smoke, and the transmission shifts smoothly. He does state that the truck has traveled a genuine 42,731 miles and that the Ohio title verifies this.
We’ve seen a few pickups come across the desks here at Barn Finds lately, but this one has probably been my favorite. I think that it is because I’ve always liked the square-bodied vehicles, and this one looks tough and understated with enough creature comforts to make motoring an enjoyable experience. It is the sort of vehicle where you could throw just about anything in the tray and not have to worry about scratching the finish. To put it simply, it’s practical.
What do you mean “not the most glamorous of pickups”? During this era, these were the nicest pickups you could buy. I don’t think people went shopping for the most glamorous pickup, trucks weren’t for glamour, like today. People wanted a TRUCK truck, not some car with a box, and this was the best that it got( trim levels were a personal choice, it was the same truck folks) :0
Some people get all bent out of shape about short boxes, and for people like me, who will never haul a sheet of plywood ( or worse, sheetrock) a short box makes perfect sense. Easier to park, fills up with less junk, all new trucks today are short boxes, just for that reason. This much nicer than mine, with 1/3 the miles, price seems fair. This a nice truck, and glamour has nothing to do with it.
Interesting comments regarding truck bed sizes, Howard A. I think the reason truck beds(NOT trays, Adam) are short today is because truck buyers want four doors. With for doors and an eight foot bed you’d almost need a Class B license to drive it as it would be 20+ feet long. Most pickup owners don’t use them as trucks, anyway. They want four doors with the truck look. Most hardly use the bed at all.
I find pickups today are just too big for my taste. My ’95 regular cab short bed Ford F150 looks like a compact compared to most pickups today. However, I use it as a truck for hauling everything from small machines to loads of mulch, furniture; pretty much whatever I can fit into the bed. I use my Dodge Magnum when I need four doors.
While I like this very clean Chevy C-10 overall, I just couldn’t live with the exterior color. Bland beige doesn’t work for me.
Back in the day we sold a lot of these. I would have to say that there was quite a rise in short box pickups in the early 80s. It was as if the public was getting ready for short-box extended-cab, then short-box, crew-cab trucks. They all followed a trend. I might add that until the late 50s, the vast majority of pickups out west were short-box; anyone who wanted a long-box got a tonner, or at least a 3/4 ton, but otherwise we didn’t get a lot of long-box trucks until the early 60s.
This color strikes a chord with me. I remember the boss, who thought that Neutral (this color) was the best color and much better than white (what a lot of dealerships were bringing in for their personal/staff/sales trucks. If the truth be known, one of his best friends with whom he attended church, had a fleet of trucks this color. He was never very receptive to my reference of; ‘Calf Scour Yellow,’ which anyone who was raised on a farm/ranch is familiar with (if the truth be known, I didn’t have any use for that pompous jackass friend of his anyway and that was one of the ways I kept stirring the pot). But he shouldn’t have been quite so mad because my personal ’79 GMC had the deluxe paint job: Brown, with the Neutral side panels
Funny you mention the color as “Neutral”. I remember, as a kid, the 64 Crayons in the box ( with built in sharpener) had this color as “Flesh” color. It was changed to “Peach” in 1962.
LOL!!! I remember the flesh-colored crayons, but I’m a little fuzzy about peach. I don’t think I’d want to eat a peach that was that color. Maybe I’m just being fussy…
Common Howard that is just your opinion! My opinion is Ford has always made a truck with true truck suspension! Not a truck body stuck on a car suspension!
I like Fords, had many, and drove several more. Truth be known, this ’77 GMC is like the 2nd GM truck I ever had. Ford, to me, was the best, but these were the nicest, comfort-wise. My ’77 ( with new tires) rides like a Cadillac. I can’t say that about the Ford.
Well, here’s my take on the never ending debate over Ford vs Chevy: I’ve owned both (still own both); worked on both, had friends who owned both, and I’ve come up with the same conclusion: the cost per mile is nearly identical. Where one was really good, the other might be lacking–and they both took turns in those posts. I spent just as much time under the hood of my Ford as I did, my GMC/Chevy. Excluding fuel costs, between my ’85 Ford Bronco and my ’79 GMC K-1500, it comes down to pennies as to which one cost the most. Now if you really want to count costs up, try my wife’s import SUV. That (Chintzy Recycled Velocipede) cost as much in 200K miles as the other two in 300K.
Had an 83 4×4 shortbed—loved that truck. patched and patched until I surrendered to the ironworms. This one is a beauty. Would take this over a new one!! Good luck to the new owner.
Cheers
GPC
Its perfect, 2-wheel drive ,short box, and super clean and hopefully the bid will stay within reason. I would love to have this truck. Timing is everything!
“Tray” and “tray-liner”??……..what’s that?? Where are you from? Do you mean bed and bed-liner? I’m 50 years old and have NEVER heard those terms before.
I believe he is Australian !!
Easy now, I like the terms he uses, this IS a world wide site, it’s not Chinese, you can figure it out and for the 8 people that agree with you, it’s a big world out there,,,
I wished I knew what state you’re in with a handle of Jamestown Mike? I happen to live in a Jamestown! Could it be possible that we know each other? LMAO
Awesome find. Looks like a great truck, and I LOVE the color.
I can live with the color, but I’d paint the roof white and the center section of each side white making it a two-tone tan/white. Right now, it’s just too much beige. Everyone can leave Adam alone. It’s not his fault he’s Australian. I say keep using his native terms. I learn something almost every time he writes a description.
I agree leave Adam be! I have always wanted to go to Australia and I might need him to show me around! I wished that he was my friend! LOL, seriously!
Very nice truck and I’m a Ford truck guy. Howard I have a 2016 F-150 quad cab 4×4. Yes they are bloated but we don’t have much choice anymore, just like most if not all are fully loaded with stuff most will never use. We like the 4 doors for when another couple rides with us or the grandkids are with us, couldn’t do that in either of our Mustangs. As far as hauling stuff we have a bed liner with a roll up bed cover and we have hauled appliances, patio set, patio blocks and bricks along with bags of sand / cement / mulch / 8′ sheets of plywood with the tailgate down, one engine and we pull a car trailer with it so it fit’s our entire needs. When the wife retires in 2 years we will sell her work/Walmart Mustang and so the truck will be our only daily driver and it will be worked even more while getting 22 to 23 mpg hjghway.
There are some color combinations GM never should have offered, and bland fleshy beige over pale brown is one of them. This is a a nice truck but would be so much better in any other colorway.
BTW, a tray is what you put under this thing to keep it from leaking on the garage floor.
You would prefer even green on green? That green ’70 camaro on barnfinds with vinyl roof(so wrong – even worse on a 2nd gen t/a – i seen one) for sale with low miles, has horrible looking green inside, unless mother nature turned it that shade of green or the camera or my monitor is not adjusted properly. lol I’ve seen some blue interiors as well that have parts that turned partially green – like the kick panels, while the door panels are still blue – yuck.
Jamestown Mike,
The Australians have different terms than we are used to in the US. 95% of the English language is the same in all English speaking countries, but the other 5% can mean something completely different in different countries.
If you ask a girl in Niagra Falls, Ontario for a “Rubber,” she will hand you an eraser if she has one. Try that with a girl 10 miles south in Niagra Falls NY,
(who isn’t your wife, girlfriend, or a hooker) and she will call you bad names,
or worse. A friend from Pittsburgh almost hit the first Canadian classmate who asked her for a “Rubber” because where she grew up in Pittsburgh, that’s a condom.
Good one!!
Without the side trim these just look like a Custom Deluxe, base model, el cheapo.
Still good trucks, but without the trim, meh …
My buddy calls this color “old man tan”, and I have to agree with him.
That is a clean truck from that era! No rust on the bottoms of the doors. I grew up in N.J. in the 1970’s to the mid 1990’s and by the 1990’s these trucks were rusted out from road salt and the weather! This is a good deal to buy!
My family and I have had more 73-87 GM trucks than i can count. Now just down to one, an 85 4×4 Jimmy. Actually, GM did more than tack side trim in a custom deluxe to make a higher trim level. In 1982, the custom deluxe had two large almost square headlights. The silverado had four smaller rectangular headlights.the front marker lights were in the bumper regardless of trim level. This used a different core support. Later, 1984/5 (?) GM went to a smooth front bumper on silverados, with the front marker lights in the grill. The custom bldeluxe kelt the lights in the bumper.
Mark,
Those trucks from the 1970’s were toast by 1985. The “Lifetime warranty”
rustproofing people replaced the fenders on my 1977 short bed 4X4 twice before they went out of business in the mid 1980’s. But it was the worst case scenario, it lived dead on between Cleveland and Buffalo in NW PA.
I have a 1984 4X4 short bed 4WD that my Dad and Uncle owned forever. The frame was solid, but I replaced everything else but the cab, hood and tailgate when I inherited it after Dad passed away in 2006. The cab has about 40% new pieces too.
I kicked myself for doing it, but everybody knew Dad and my Uncle loved that truck (Red short bed with rally wheels, looked cool) so the family thought I should do it. Now it looks like it’s a winner on sale price, but I’ll still lose money on it because I can’t sell it. Dad and Uncle Dick would haunt me forever.
As far as towing, the short wheelbase trucks aren’t the best for towing a heavy load. They do OK as long as you’re careful. I got into Suburbans when I sold my 1977 (Old English Sheepdogs with 6″ of snow on them beside you in the single cab truck gets old after a while) so got the benefit of towing a big load without a problem.
I heard, in the 80’s GM used imported steel from Asia, that were in fact ground up ’65 Chevy’s and such, they bought from us, made it into Chevy pickup and Suburban body parts with poor prep, cheaper than we could produce them. I never got an answer as if that was true. Makes sense. Geomechs would know.
Hey new to “barnfinds” , but can relate on this truck as I still have my 82 Chevy deluxe that I bought new in 82. Has 90k miles , long bed , dual side gas tanks, air and 4 wheel drive. Used it as a farm truck for decades. I restored it a few years ago as it was pretty beat up. Some rust even though I always parked it in a barn. Debating during the restoration period of painting it a solid light brown, similar to this 83 shown above. So happy I kept the 2 tone , brown with beige strips original color after seeing this solid color. I dropped the 4” silver trim that went around the truck. Mine is all original, except the paint and will keep it forever. I have kept many of my cars that I bought new as I can’t seem to part with all the memories that came along with these relics. Great reading yall’s post about cars and trucks in barnfinds.com
Hi Steven, welcome aboard. These square bodies are still very popular in Colorado. This is my ’77 GMC short box. Aside from it’s dismal mileage, that I complain about constantly,( it also has dual tanks that I could not afford to fill) I really like the truck. It was a one owner when I got it.
I may be in the minority here, but I really like the original colour combination on this truck. Despite the apparent blandness, I actually think it stands out in today’s sea of black, silver and red… today’s colour choices are bland, as are today’s designs.
I like it. It would be perfect with a lowering kit.
Exactly, 2×4 drop. I’d leave keep the original wheels on it too. This truck would make the perfect driver, you can pump a lot of gas with the money you would be saving on payments, registration and insurance.
Steve R
With all due respect, absolutely not! Why does everyone always seem to want to lower or lift every classic vehicle they come across? They were designed to sit at their stock heights for a reason. One being that they look best that way (at least in my opinion).
There are so many lowered vehicles out there at this point that if someone wanted to make their own classic car “unique”, leaving it stock would be the best way to do so!
One of the reasons that I have had such a hard time finding a classic vehicle of my own is that there seem to be so few unmolested examples left. Far too many have been chopped up, and/or lowered or lifted in some form.
In fairness lowering a pick up has functional advantages. I lowered my 09 and again 13 Silverado crew cabs because I load the bed daily, but with only 2-400lbs and I don’t off-road. Moving tailgate loading height down 4” adds up favourably to the back.
Andre-
On the newer full – size pickups, lowering the suspension a bit certainly would have benefits, I totally agree with you there.
The thing is, I believe that most new trucks available in the United States for the last 20 or so years have been built, right out of the factory, too high off of the ground (and too big in general) to begin with! So lowering your modern trucks by four inches or so actually makes a ton of sense. This would put their bed floors about even with that of the C-10 featured above, the most practical, best looking height (at least in my opinion).
Most all Chevrolet trucks produced from the industry’s beginning through the end of the C/K series came straight from the factory at a decent ride height. Wanting to moderately lower pretty much any full-size truck (regardless of make) built after that era is completely understandable.
I just hate seeing the classics getting chopped, lifted, and/or dropped.
Nice basic truck, can not buy much in the way of new for that money.
Also no computer, easier to fix
Can we use the word rubber here?
“…My ’77 ( with new tires) rides like a Cadillac.”
I am a chevy truck guy to the core. I own everything from a first series 55, 2nd series 55, 2970 Longhorn, 85 4×4 Jimmy, 2001 2500HD, and owned numerous 67-72 as well as a 76, 82, 84 C10. I have to wonder if you have ever actually ridden in a Cadillac of the same vintage as your truck. The 73-87 trucks do not ride as nice as even the 72 and older trucks with a coil sprung rear axle, and those still do not ride “like a cadillac”…
When I am in a truck I want to experience a truck! Not a car! I was raised in Cadillac and Mercedes! So yea I know how they ride! Actually you have proven my point, a Chevy is just basically on a car chassis! A frame and all! I didn’t want to bounce after I go over a bump or dip! I want to go through the obstacles feel the bump and it’s over! Now I don’t know if you were referring to my post or not! I have to defend the reliability and structure of a ford! LOL, as you can see I am all in on Ford!
So…I don’t follow…you were raised in a cadillac, and you still think the GM trucks ride like a cadillac. Not sure how I “proved your point”, though. I took your statement that your truck rode like a Cadillac as a brag, not a ding AGAINST the GM trucks. As far as Ford goes, the twin I beam front suspensions of the era were pretty tough, but not the best set up, in my opinion and others as well. The reason the GM trucks were “just a car suspension” was the fact that the GM car suspensions of the time were overbuilt…like… a truck! My family never had any half ton Fords, but my dad had a 73 F350 that was his first welding truck. It had a steel bed he built and hauled an SA200 Lincoln, oxy acetylene cutting rig, grinders and assorted tools. It was a good truck, but rusted out fairly quickly. It started out with a 390 but we swapped a 428 into it. It took premium fuel though, or water injection with regular. It ran like a scalded dog, especially for a loaded F350. He bought a later model (79?) F350 with a WEAK stock 400. He planned to swap the 428 into it, but after it broke an axle (!) he sold them both and bought an 80 GMC C30. We never noticed much in the way of difference in payload capacity between our Ford’s and Chevy 1 ton or our C10 Chevys and friends Fords. (I used to use my 76 Chevy C10 “Heavy half” to haul hay as a kid, and routinely hauled as much as friends with F250 Fords. (My brother used it to move a 40 ft. “park model” trailer short distances a couple of times, when my dad was away working and the C30 wasn’t around. Why have a truck that doesn’t have any payload capacity, AND rides rough? As far as going over an obstacle, feeling the bump and being done, if you DIDN’T experience this in a GM truck, I would say your shocks were in need of replacement. About the only thing I can think of that Ford had Chevy beat was the doors/ hinges. The Ford trucks closed with a good thunk and never seemed to drag in short time, like the Chevys.
Gee Steve, I think that you misunderstood me! I have owned ford trucks and cars since way back in the 50’s! My father was the GM guy! Not me that’s for sure! With that being said, I have ridden around in plenty of GM trucks, and I DON’T LIKE THEM! LMAO, now I don’t no any other way to put it! Haaaahaaaa!
My 3/4 ton dodge 2006 diesel 2 wheel drive is a nice ride height
Nobody asked what genuine miles means compared to original miles? You guys are slacking!