If you want to create a recipe for a desirable vintage truck, starting with a Chevrolet and adding a short bed with the stepside option is a good place to start. Throw in rust-free condition and a not-quite-typical color and you have a veritable home run on your hands. This 1969 Chevrolet C-1o appears to be just such an example and was recently removed from a barn in upstate New York where it remained for years after its longtime owner passed away. The seller specializes in restoring old farmhouses and other forgotten structures from way up there in New York, and this is the first time he’s selling a vintage vehicle so it’s offered with no reserve. The truck runs well and has been converted to a floor shift manual, and you can find it here on eBay where bidding has reached $6,600.
The videos that this seller has on YouTube are pretty great, as they take on some major house projects that to my eyes, look too far gone to restore. But then again, that’s what they say about those of us who rescue old cars! This Chevy, comparatively, looks like a straightforward rejuvenation project and I don’t think you need to touch the body if you’re OK with patina. The seller doesn’t go into great detail about the truck’s cosmetic condition, but from what we can see, it looks reasonably solid. That said, upstate New York is not kind to vehicles of any age, but the photos the seller includes of the undersides look promising. The bed is certainly in good shape, which is typically one of the more vulnerable areas on a vintage rig.
The floor shift conversion is interesting, as I wouldn’t have thought an older driver who was accustomed to shifting on the column would see much of a need for a re-located shifter. Regardless, it should make this C10 more appealing overall, as while there’s no real detriment to shifting on the column, most buyers probably prefer the idea of a floor shift. The interior photos aren’t great but the bench seat does appear to be intact and the rubber or vinyl floor covering is in good shape, too. Overall, this truck leaves you with the impression that it was looked after, as it’s a bit too clean for an unrestored example with average miles for the condition on display to be an accident. The seller does note some of the original documentation in the glovebox was chewed up by mice, so there may be a few nests and bad smells to extricate.
The truck looks very classic with its two-tone paint job featuring white paint on the roof and a goldenrod body. The bodywork looks very nice in photos with no signs of rot running rampant in any of the lower extremities. I’m sure you will find the occasional weak spot on this truck as it’s virtually impossible not to in this part of the world, but it definitely looks like one of the better unrestored examples someone living in this part of the world could hope to find. The no reserve auction makes this one appealing as a potentially low-risk proposition, too, if you’re buying sight unseen, and there are few more certain propositions for getting your money back in the vintage car and truck world than a short-bed Chevy pickup in survivor-grade condition.
Great find for what I consider a plausible price. Good luck getting it registered in NY, however. They are REALLY red on rusty vehicles. Yearly inspections would sideline this in a minute, possibly other places, certainly not in Wisconsin. That would sideline half the vehicles. I’m sure the floor shift was to replace the worn column shift, and pops must have worked for some implement dealer, as that looks like some machinery color,( Case or Cat maybe?) sprayed with ol’ trusty Binks primer gun and 2 hp compressor in a dusty shed,, but that’s okay, at least it’s presentable. This truck, again, will nickel and dime you for a while, but it will balance out, eventually, and you’ll have probably THE most sought after truck today. If you aren’t into that, it will be reassuring to know, you’ll have a truck that will carry you to your grave, with no need for any other, until the bitter end. Unless you plan to sink another $10g’s( easy) to make it worth $15 grand, by all means, have at it. I’d be happy just the way it is.
Not seeing a problem with registering this vehicle in New York. As long as the frame is not rusted through, as it’s seems it isn’t shouldn’t be a problem. My old Jeep has the same amount and it’s registered and state inspected. And passes. Not every New York vehicle is a rolling rust bucket.
I live in upstate NY and don’t know what you are talking about concerning registration or inspection. The State is a mess, but I’ve never had any issue registering or inspecting my many 60’s vehicles. I currently drive a 69 C10 Stepside that I got from S.C. and it is a rusty beater. It is my bad weather vehicle. As long as the lights, horn and brakes work you are good to go.
Reason I say that, is I spent a summer in a small town, Olivebridge, just outside of Kingston. The guys son-in-law runs a very successful, high end sports car repair shop, and does state inspections on all cars. It was all done on camera, and I saw 1st hand, vehicles like this, he simply couldn’t pass. I suppose, it, like anything else, is a “who you know deal”, and he DID okay an inspection on his father-in-laws rusty dump truck, but heavy trucks, at the time, weren’t under such scrutiny, but NY has no sense of humor in that regard. One reason I “settled” on mountains of Colorado.
This could be registered in New York with no problem. It’s done every day . Unless the frame is completely rusted through it’s not a problem.
I had a column-shifted 3-speed in a ’79 C-10. They get really sloppy after about 15 years of shifting. And while they *are* rebuildable, it was far more expedient to buy a floor shift conversion kit. I just looked; they’re $200+ now, but back in the day I paid $19 or maybe $29 for that kit.
I think this truck is taking advantage of the C-10 popularity. It does check all the boxes and would probably make a nice truck. However, if you do the math it would be a nice truck for allot of money
Bidding is almy$10k now I’m sure it’s going much higher nice old truck
I once had a 69 with 307 and three speed. Decent truck. Nothin fancy. Probably end up being a restomod. That’s what I’d do, but it’s already gone Past what I’d pay for it.
Ended: Dec 07, 2021 , 6:13PM
Winning bid:US $10,101.00
[ 51 bids ]
Located in:Essex, New York