- Seller: Carolyn I (Contact)
- Location: King George, Virginia
- Mileage: 0 Shown
- Chassis #: 1GBJC34W2BB138808
- Title Status: Clean
- Engine: 454 cui V8
- Transmission: Automatic with Spicer P.T.O.
Work trucks tend to disappear once their useful lives end, which makes surviving examples like this 1981 Chevrolet Silverado C30 rollback increasingly difficult to find. Combining classic square-body Chevrolet styling with a heavy-duty commercial chassis and a Jerr-Dan rollback bed, this Chevy appears to offer equal appeal to collectors of vintage tow trucks, business owners looking for a shop hauler, or enthusiasts seeking an old-school workhorse with real capability. Located in King George, Virginia, this Silverado C30 is offered as a Barn Finds Exclusive with an asking price of $5,500.
Power comes from a 454-cubic-inch big-block V8, backed by an automatic transmission and paired with a Spicer P.T.O. system to operate the rollback equipment. The seller states that the truck has remained with the same owner since 1987 and was reportedly maintained regularly until health issues prevented continued upkeep. According to the seller, the truck has been started and moved around periodically over the last several years but currently requires tires and is believed to need a fuel pump, which is included with the sale.
One of this truck’s standout features is its 17-foot Jerr-Dan aluminum rollback bed, a hard-to-find period-correct setup that appears complete in the photos. Documentation and identification tags for the rollback system are shown in the gallery, and the aluminum construction should make it more corrosion-resistant than a comparable steel bed. The heavy-duty chassis and rollback configuration give this truck a purposeful stance, ready to return to service with the right attention.
Finished in blue and silver, this square-body Chevy retains the rugged, no-nonsense styling that has made GM trucks of this era increasingly collectible. The photos suggest honest age and work-truck wear throughout, but the body appears complete overall, with the Silverado trim, grille, and commercial equipment still intact. Interior photos show a blue cabin with bench seating and what appears to be a largely original presentation consistent with a truck built for use rather than show duty.
The seller describes this Chevrolet as a “solid, classic rollback truck that just needs TLC to bring it back to usable life,” and that assessment feels appropriate. Whether destined to return to work hauling classic cars, become shop advertising, or simply serve as a nostalgic piece of square-body Chevrolet history, this C30 appears to offer a lot of utility and personality for the asking price.
Ad says automatic transmission and PTO, I’ve installed my share of ptos over the years but the only autos were Allisons. There’s no pto port on a TH350 or 400 so I had to look that up. Apparently you unbolt the tail housing and the pto is sandwiched between that and the main case, when shifted in the pto runs off the output shaft, when shifted out the output shaft is again coupled to the driveshaft. Kinda like a pumpdrive transfer case on a firetruck. Learn something new every day!
And the aluminum bed? a third the weight of a steel bed!
years ago i bought one at auction,everyone thought the transmission was shot because it would not move,paid for it ,put pto out of gear and away i went
Another vehicle on Barn Finds that I would like to buy HOWEVER I refuse to have to PAY A FEE FOR THE PRIVELDGE OF BIDDING.
If that truck was within a hundred miles it would be sold right now. Not a 1981 grill, I like the 81 82 grills the best. I have a 1982 K30 Silverado I bought new and its the best truck I have ever had and still drives like new at 113K. Grease and oil changes are the life blood.
That was a 25K dollar truck when new with the bed attached. If it runs good well worth the coin. To bad they say it needs a fuel pump, seems like the all time excuse now. I would set up a fuel can and electric pump and start it first.