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Jewel of a Shorty: 1977 Chevy G10

Bring back the days of utility vans that had perfect proportions. That’s what I say when I see rigs like this classic “shorty” Chevy G10 van come up for grabs. No ugly overhangs, just squat and purposeful, like every vehicle should be. Wearing farm plates up front and said to be a recent barn find, this shorty Chevy here on craigslist looks like a lot of fun for only $3,500.

The weathered green paint and white rally wheels make for quite a combo, and the faded lettering on the side cargo panel make me curious as to this van’s history. Regardless, these short Chevys are equally good at hauling and camping, or even commuting in-town. The seller claims this one stands out for being very un-rusty, and while the primer on the sides could be suspect, it does look quite straight in photos.

My guess is that seat upholstery is original if the exterior paint is confirmed as OEM correct, but the tan door panels seem out of place in comparison. Regardless, you could definitely live with the interior for an extended period while the rest of the truck is rebuilt. Fortunately, that shouldn’t take too long since the front suspension appears to have been refreshed in the recent past. Other maintenance items include new rear brakes and tires.

What a perfectly-sized interior for hauling home car parts. Seriously, I need something like (well, I do have the Toyota Hiace in my stash!) for transporting junkyard treasures. This G10 seems like a great project platform and the seller comes across as quite genuine. With six cylinder power up front, it won’t be fast but this little G10 isn’t made for straight-line speed – it’s a worker truck packed with style, and made for more than just moving.

Comments

  1. Avatar Johnni B

    Those are wagon wheels not rally wheels.

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  2. Avatar JW

    These shorty vans were very popular where I come from, ma bell used them for their fleet and most private contractors did too along with the shagging wagon crowd. Price seems reasonable if his claims are true.

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  3. Avatar Mike

    My Dad had a 77 GMC for a parts truck at the body shop for years, with the same 250 six banger in it. The surface rust you see on the drive side is where they were known to rust out, especially below the floor level. The fix was to break a new piece of sheet metal weld in in and fill the void with spray foam, that would prevent the water from getting in there. The trick also worked to the cab corners on Chevy and GMC extended cab Pickups, I still have my 97 extended cab with the original cab corners on it and not a speck of rust.

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    • HoA Howard A Member

      Hi Mike, I thought I was the only one that did that. “Great Stuff” is,,,,great stuff ,,,for cab corners. 1996 GMC Sonoma.

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  4. HoA Howard A Member

    The guy that owns the farm I live at has one of these, only the bigger one. I can say, without reservation, that is THE worst, helpless vehicle in the snow, I’ve ever seen. Matter of fact, he parks it in the shed until Spring, because he’s afraid to drive it in the snow. It gets stuck going downhill. Gas mileage, pretty poor, (V-8) and on a ride with him ( on dry roads) to a Menard’s an hour away, by the time we got there, I felt like punching somebody. ( a certain “thumbs downer” comes to mind) Miserable vehicle. Pass on the Chevy van.

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    • HoA Howard A Member

      Wait, there’s more. I just saw the “Farm Use” plate on the front,,,beeeautiful. ( as in “not for road use”?)

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  5. Avatar Tom

    ‘Cause like a princess she was layin’ there
    Moonlight dancin’ off her hair
    She woke up and took me by the hand
    She’s gonna love me in my Chevy van
    And that’s all right with me

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  6. Avatar Mark

    With all due respect Jeff, “it’s a worker van that’s packed with style” is a bit of a stretch. What we have here is a box on wheels. I’m not sure if it’s worth the cost to restore or make into a 70’s-era Disco Van but it makes a nice platform for that.

    I would just make sure the mechanicals are good and use it as you originally suggested; parts hauler. When you own something like this, you’ll have friends; especially when someone has a mattress or sofa to move. ☺

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  7. Avatar Chebby

    This looks like a $350 van to me. If you want a work beater you can find a much cheaper one, and if you want to build a custom van there are many better choices to start with.

    Look how much modern Chevy Van you can get for a bit less than twice the ask: 300hp V8, AWD, and it’s even green too.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/2007-Chevrolet-Express-/232170673028?forcerrptr=true&hash=item360e735384:g:uX4AAOSwux5YTI8E&item=232170673028

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  8. Avatar Andrew

    I always found the English Bedford CF looking similar to the Chevy’s I grew up with in Europe.

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  9. Avatar rustylink

    this jewel is pure cubic zirconium….

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  10. Avatar Chuck

    This is funny, while scrolling google images for inspiration I came across this image. I bought this exact van 2 months ago.

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