Appropriate tow vehicles can be a significant investment for owners needing to haul a heavy load. However, more affordable alternatives are available for those not fixated on owning the latest and greatest models. That’s where vehicles like this 1984 Chevrolet K10 Silverado fit into the equation. It is a solid and tidy survivor, and the diesel V8 under its hood should provide enough power and torque to make towing a breeze. It needs a new home, with the owner listing it here on eBay in Winterset, Iowa. They set a BIN of $18,000, although interested parties can make an offer.
Chevrolet introduced its Third Generation C/K Series in 1973, with the range remaining in production until 1991. It received a mid-life facelift in 1981, with our feature K10 rolling off the line in 1984. Apart from the new larger aluminum wheels and tires, it appears to be an unmolested survivor. Its panels wear their original combination of Dark Brown and Tan. Although it has marks and imperfections, the overall condition is above-average for a vehicle of this type and age. It still shines well, with no patchiness or lifting clearcoat. It looks like there might be small rust spots developing forward of the rear wheel arches, but the floors and frame are rock-solid. Someone has applied a spray-on bedliner, but there are none of the dings or dents suggesting abuse or carelessness. The chrome and trim look excellent, and the glass is spotless.
K10 buyers in 1984 could choose from several engines, although the pick of the bunch for towing or off-road adventures was probably the 6.2-liter Detroit diesel occupying this Silverado’s engine bay. It sends 130hp and 240 ft/lbs of torque to the road via an automatic transmission and a dual-range transfer case. The diesel is what I generally term a “lazy” engine. That term is not derogatory but signifies that it produces its maximum power and torque low in the rev range. Mountains of both occur below 2,500 rpm, meaning there’s little point revving the heads off this V8. It also allows the K10 to crawl into pretty harsh territory, with the engine running at little more than tick-over. The seller recently fitted new glow plugs and states it currently sees service as a daily driver. It is in excellent health, running and driving as it should.
While the K10’s interior presents well for its age, there is one unknown factor. The seat sports an aftermarket slipcover that doesn’t tick the boxes for me. The seller supplies a couple of sots with the edges pulled back, revealing cloth and vinyl upholstery that looks pretty good. I’d like to get a closer look to determine whether there are any rips or other problems, but the indications are promising. The remaining upholstered surfaces and carpet look impressive, and the dash pad is crack-free. It is unclear whether there are any aftermarket additions like a stereo, but the occupants benefit from ice-cold air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, and a tilt wheel.
Although it isn’t perfect, this 1984 Chevrolet K10 Silverado has plenty to offer its new owner. It is a tidy and solid classic that should effortlessly haul some heavy loads. Its off-road abilities could allow its new owner to access the great outdoors, and, most importantly, it offers that person those characteristics at a fraction of the cost of a new vehicle. The BIN figure looks competitive in the current market, although it would look more so if the seller is willing to consider reasonable offers. If you’re searching for a tow vehicle, this one is worth a closer look.
Weren’t those diesel engines a piece of garbage?
I seemed to remember not hearing a good thing
about them.
The good news is there are shops that specialize in making the 6.2L Diesel reliable. Technology is definitely better now – you can combat the inherent weakness these had from new.
As a side note, the dreaded 5.7 Diesel has a small following as well.
Keep in mind these are not abused daily drivers anymore. Most are pampered and enjoyed.
I hope someone will comment with more details on these 6.2 Diesels. I remember the injection pump was something that was a problem back when new…
Yes and no. Geomechs is the person who would know, he worked on many of these. I heard good and bad. I knew folks that got a ton of miles on these, some had terrible luck. Again, this was when diesel fuel was 1/2 the price of gasoline, and a frugal buyer went with the numbers, when a 454 would easily out perform this slug. How different could it possibly be? People who had no previous experience with diesels, are the ones that had trouble. Hard starting,( note the 2 batteries) lousy mileage, noxious exhaust, found out what ether was used for, the kiss of death for a diesel, btw, and having to get fuel at those God-forsaken, heck hole truck stops,,,put many back into gas jobs. People drove these too hard, and I should know, I made my living with underpowered diesel trucks. It was called finesse, don’t kill the dang thing, but Americans kept their foot to the floor, and wondered why they puked. This is an okay truck, yeah, yeah, the price, but since gas motors today are stretched thin, a diesel makes the most sense for many. The local gas station says, he sells diesel fuel almost 4 to 1 over gas. Newer diesels can’t be compared to these, and are actually better, but you’ll pay for it. At $1.00 more per gallon than gas, and maybe 10mpg, you’d be foolish to even run this thing. The 4 wheel spin is and the apparent popularity of these trucks is a plus, but no offers tells me nobody wants this motor. $5gs, tops, as is.
Not entirely garbage – if fuel economy was your only concern they did offer decent MPG for its day if you could live with all the rattling, shaking, smoke and coughs not to forget that horrible smell.
Fairly reliable if used to propel the vehicle itself only – much, much better than the 5.7 before it. It’s a low output engine, problem was that many of those who bought 6.2s did so with the intent of using it for a lot of towing which this engine isn’t suitable for. They have a weak crankshaft so when put under strain or turbocharged the crank could fracture…!
It’s a decent K10 but the truck itself AND the next owner will be much happier with any SBC swapped in
Im my limited experience, back away from this one, Adam calls it Lazy. True. I drove a one ton 84 with a small backhoe bucket on the back, and I was i granny gear on a hill, then ran out of fuel on the way home as it sucked the cetanes like no tomorrow. Add the age, Put a later diesel in it or a gas eng. Run Forrest, Run…..
Cheers
GPC
Agree with Howard on everything but what he thinks it will sell for. Guys are paying $10K for these in BAD shape. This one looks to be in good shape. Bet it sells closer to $12K. A swap is easy enough if you hate the diesel that much. And a lot cheaper than buying a crapped out truck and doing a full restore. I think the no bid reflects what people are afraid he wants for it
This looks like a long wheel base. Short wheel bases demand the big dollars.
Ether is a kiss of death for a diesel huh? Not hardly! Maybe the newer garbage, but older stuff is not an issue at all. You can blow propane down the throat injected and won’t hurt a thing either. Don’t spread false information Howard 🙄
The pre-turbo diesels were not performers. With a trailer in tow they were a hazard to merge onto the freeway with. The turbos made the engines so much better, more power, higher mpgs, cleaner running ,,,
Hope Its got the t400 over the overdrive tranny.
The overdrive tranny felt as anemic as a 305 at 65 mph.
I had 2 of These one with t 400 and 410 gears and 40k , and one with 100k and overdrive
A friend said once i drove a cummins I couldn’t go back to the 6.2 . I thought he said that so i would buy his cummins.
I broke down and paid 2500for a 94 5 speed 4 wheel drive and that was 13 years ago and to me the 5 speed Cummins is the toughest truck.
The 6.2 did get twice the mileage of the gas 350 and had lots of grunt ….
As far as tuff trucks i would say 70 Chevrolet with 350 4 bbl motor 4 speed 4 wheel drive ( all trucks) then the 70 72 Ford 390 4 speed 4wheel drive( this was a tough truck, Mexican mercuries eith 427????) Probably throw this 6.2 i to this mix…
But the 94 cummins 5 speed Trumps them all, The 7.3 was also a great truck, as well as the duramax. But I only can talk about the Dodge
One of my 6.2 was a nightmare with inj pump issues, the 350 in 1970 was the peak of simplicity, Add Hei
Had a small fleet of Chevrolet P30 step vans in the late 80’s with naturally aspirated 6.2 diesels. The repair costs to keep running were astronomical. Horrible engine that turned me from buying Chevrolet for many years