Custom projects are a gamble, both in terms of being able to finish what you start and hoping that someone else will appreciate your hard work. The real gray area emerges when the project doesn’t get finished and you’re forced to sell something highly customized in an incomplete state. This 1976 Chevy LUV pickup has a bit of that going on with lots of obviously custom touches (it’s a convertible, for starters) and a high-performance engine swap along with some unfinished details like the lower front valence bodywork. Find it here on Facebook Marketplace for $7,500 and thanks to Barn Finds reader Robert Gressard for the find.
To me, cutting the roof of a vehicle has to be one of the most “point of no return” moments in the life of a project vehicle owner. Suspension modifications, custom paint, even an engine swap – child’s play compared to lopping the top off of a vehicle that didn’t leave the factory as a convertible. The LUV is an interesting choice for a custom build, and you can see the seller didn’t stop at the convertible conversion, with deep side skirts, a step-side bed, wide wheels, and what I assume to be flared front fenders. The bodywork has clearly been massaged in multiple places to make the wheels work with the wide stance.
Inside the cabin, you see some obvious hot rod hop-ups, like the tufted velour upholstery and a three-spoke steering wheel. The drivetrain is another area of enhancements with the seller noting that the humble original powerplant has been replaced by a fuel-injected 383 engine with custom headers and exhaust. While it starts and runs, the seller notes it still “needs work.” There’s no power steering (not a big deal) and the seller doesn’t detail what, if any, other upgrades have been performed. The truck itself had just 50,000 miles before being modified and the engine and transmission apparently have less than 10, indicating this is either a crate engine replacement or a total rebuild.
More custom bodywork greets you out back with what is obviously one-off design for taillights and the rear tailgate. Whenever I see wild projects like these, I always wonder if the panels exist off the shelf (like if you wanted to build a custom LUV, there’s a vendor that sells the taillight panel as-is) or is this a mixture of panels and body filler to create this look. There’s no hardtop (duh) but the next caretaker may want to rig up a custom soft-top arrangement. The asking price of $7,500 may be a bit too much for someone to swallow who has to pick up this project where it’s been stopped, but it could be quite a show piece when finished. Would you take it on?
Ruined the heck out of this one!
I don’t LUV this.
They took a nice little truck and ruined it. No one is going to want this atrocity.
Truck of my dreams. Another thing to keep me awake at night.
Since there’s no roof, it’s not a convertible, it’s an open vehicle. It’s likely to stay that way, since someone hacked off half the windshield frame, making it difficult to attach a hard or soft roof. Even so, the most jarring thing about this truck to my eyes is the oddly positioned Chevrolet emblem in the grille.
We spent all those years on this?
I knew this looked familiar .. LOL Chopped top/Convertible LUV’s, S-10’s, Couriers, Rangers, Toyota pick ups, were the rage in the late 80’s – Thing is this doesn’t seem to have a way to put a top on for slightly inclement weather. OK isn’t necessarily known for it’s warm, always sunny climate .. My buddies here in CT all had either the hardtop designed to clamp back on, or a soft top configuration.
Overall, sort of nostalgic, but that rear end kills it for me, along with the mismatched lower skirts, they don’t follow the same line, one curves down away from the body and the bed skirts are big square blocks. As the body still needs finishing before new paint goes on her, those issues could be fixed… I wouldn’t say I’m tempted, but, at a different time, different place in my life, I just might be.
Great recall!! I’m sure that these types of toy models inspired them!
That model kit is based more or less on a Luv picktured in a 1977 “Petersen’s Trucking Trends” magazine, build by Vini Bergeman at his Kolor Me Kustoms California shop. Photo link out of the magazine here: https://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/uploads/monthly_2016_01/T-top_stepside_PTrT.JPG.fdef6bfd5982d9c821614367968d9769.JPG
Maybe add a roll bar at least?
My four letter “S” word wouldn’t have been “show” piece.
I know that saint Louis Auto salvage in Oklahoma has a couple of these trucks in their yard would have to contact them about a good cab or even just the top to make it fit the potential is there if you have the ambition to tackle it, for me I would pull the engine trans for another project then cut the frame making the box into a utility trailer and scrap the rest. But I would only offer $500- $1000 bucks for it as it sits good luck to the seller.
friend (Rainey Blackmoon) built (local cheb plant) these AND had one buta up scale Makiado. 5 speed, 4WD other extras. Framingham, MA GM plant back in ‘70s. Then they put millions into it to convert to paint plant and just as quickly shut it down… smarts of the multinationals, right? (well, yes. ‘follow the money’ even if destruction/devastation over here – $ elsewhere, foriegn gov, us gov).
GAG ME WITH A SPOON!
Maybe $500?