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59K Miles: 1985 Chevrolet K10 Short Bed

This 1987 Chevrolet K10 Fleetside has just under 60,000 original miles and presents incredibly well. It left the factory with a generous list of optional equipment and the preferred 5.7L 350 V8. The truck’s short bed is the preferred design for a Chevy of this vintage, largely because of the perfect stance and proportions right out of the box. The looks alone will sell this Chevy all day long, but you really should take a look at the listing here on eBay to understand just how clean this truck is. The bid price has reached almost $26K and looks like it has plenty of room in the tank for a higher final bid price.

The truck is offered with no reserve. The paintwork is super nice, and the same goes for the bumpers. I know some Chevy fans always have their eye out for a perfect piece of trim across the tailgate, and this one looks to be mint. Check out the old-school California license plate – this has been a West Coast truck for a while. The seller is quick to point out that this is original Frost White paint and its condition is a testament to what’s possible when an owner actually tries to take care of a vehicle over the long-haul. Now, that being said, it has a bit of an unfair advantage as it was put into storage for decades after rolling up against 60K miles.

It’s always incredible to me when you see stories like this of a truck just being put away for decades. Was that the plan, or did it just sort of end up that way? The Chevy is very well-optioned with some very clear intent behind the way it was spec’d out. For instance, the original owner opted for power door locks but kept the crank windows. The locks are nice to have as it’s a pain to reach back and forth all the time, but crank windows are way easier to live with. It comes with the top-tier Silverado trim package and all of the cosmetic concerns are pretty much non-issues here, from the crack-free dash to zero evidence of sun fading or other environmental damage.

The 350 has the optional 4 BBL carburetor and the seller reports it runs very well. The doors are said to slam just right and the truck drives right on down the road as you’d expect a new K10 might. While it seems like clean short-bed K10s aren’t hard to find, many of them have been restored to some extent and as the seller is right to point out, with non-OEM parts as part of the refresh process. Finding one that is pretty close to how it left the factory is not nearly as easy to find, and likely why bidding is as strong as it is. Do you think trucks like this are worth $30,000 nowadays?

Comments

  1. Avatar FordGuy1972 Member

    A good write up, Jeff. It’s obvious you really like this K10. This pickup is practically the Holy Grail of Chevy’s popular square body; all original in and out, top trim level, 350 V8, 4×4, low mileage, A/C and a short bed, all in amazing condition. The only thing that is missing for some may be the fact the pickup has an auto trans as opposed to the more desirable 4-speed manual. Another point worth mentioning is that the ebay auction page has more pictures of this truck than any vehicle ad I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t be surprised if this K10 surpassed $30k, it’s pretty near a unicorn considering the original condition and options.

    Like 4
  2. Avatar Bick Banter

    I’ve always liked these and this is a great example. I think the price is way too high and get you into the territory of basically a show piece that you’ll not want to use as a truck. But obviously the market feels differently.

    Like 4
  3. Avatar Mark

    My moms cousin bought one of these new, he let me drive it a while, very nice. He paid like $12,000 new. I’d say 30,000 for this or 60,000 for a brand new one, I’d be buying this one all day long!

    Like 2
  4. Avatar junkman Member

    I had this same truck back in the early 90s. Only difference, mine had a red cloth interior. I was not impressed with the ride, which was like riding in a buck board. I sold it to a high school kid for his first truck and he beat it into the ground using it for a sealcoating truck. Got to have an 8ft bed if you want a decent ride.

    Like 5
  5. Avatar Paul

    thought the last year of the square body was a TBI not a carb

    Like 0
    • Avatar Turfman

      This is a 1985 not 87

      Like 1
      • Avatar Mark D

        Really nice pickup. The last one I owned was a 85 silverado. The dash in it was the same as my neighbors witch was a diesel. I think all chevy did was saved some money and used the same plastic mold on eather pickup.

        Like 0
  6. Avatar Turfman

    This is a very nice truck! I had the exact same truck and color except with the 4 speed manual in the late 80’s. These are getting very hard to find in this original condition without being restored. I thought it rode and drove great but I was also coming out of a Jeep CJ5. I am going to keep an eye on this one

    Like 1
  7. Avatar Bill West

    The square body actually lasted until the 91 model year as 1 tons and the Blazer/ Suburban.

    Like 3
  8. Avatar Tyler

    Nice truck, but I use a couple of questions. What is that metal canister between the air intake tube & the core support? I have owned many of these trucks but have never encountered that. Is that something special the California trucks got? And second, if it’s all original, why does it have a cluster bezel from a diesel truck?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Larry

      How can you tell that the cluster is from a diesel? It show unleaded fuel only .

      Like 0
      • Avatar Tyler

        The cluster is correct but the bezel is the style from the diesel trucks. You can tell from the spot near the top of the bezel between the speedo & fuel gauge.

        Like 0

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