In 2019 you can buy pretty much anything you can think of online. Most of us don’t think twice about ordering a movie, a pair of shoes or even household commodities, having them delivered to our door. But what about a project car? Are you brave enough to look at some photos (maybe speak with the seller on the phone) and fork over several thousand dollars without looking at a project in person? Let’s take a look at this awesome 1966 Chevrolet C-10 short box pickup and see if you’d buy it without looking at it. It can be found here on eBay with an asking price of $15,000. Located in Eads, Tennessee, there are a few things in the ad that makes me raise my eyebrow a bit. Let us know what you think.
As we were discussing earlier, the decision to spend several thousand dollars for a project vehicle online is a serious one. I have no reason to doubt the information in this ad is 100% correct, but there are a couple of things that don’t quite add up to me. Perhaps a phone call with the seller would clear up these questions? First, let’s take a look at the overall package. The seller claims this is a “one-family” Mississippi-owned original truck that was “Grandpaws barnfound.” Those kinds of catch-phrases always throw up a tiny red flag for me. Again, they could be 100% correct, but they are often used loosely to get peoples attention. How about the straight pipe exhaust exiting under the rear bumper (that looks new)? I’m betting “Grandpaw” didn’t like loud straight pipes…
The interior looks fairly stock. The ad says the truck shows 114,829 miles on the odometer. The ad does say the steering wheel and seat is original.
The seller uses the words “appears to be original” with regard to the drive train. You’d think with a one-family-owned truck A.) It is most likely original and B.) Should be easily verified through stampings on the engine and transmission. The engine is a 283 cubic inch V8 with a 2-speed Powerglide transmission.
This generation of Chevy truck looks great. The body curves that are accented by the body molding are very attractive. The forward angle of the side windows along with the extended roofline and trim make the truck look like it’s going fast while standing still. The paint raises a few other questions. The wheels appear to be re-painted but have original center caps and the white wall tires look good. The body on the driver’s side of the truck has clearly been sanded. It’s hard to say if this was done in an effort to make it appear to have a natural patina or if some body work was begun? This is in contrast to the passenger side that has a few dents, but the paint is mostly intact. So what do you think about this truck? Would you be willing to give $15,000 to buy this ride without looking at it in person?
WOW, has anybody ever paid that much for one of these trucks especially in this condition?
Yes, they have, and $50K more for a frame off restoration. There are actually people who simply have stacks of money and just buy whatever they want.
Tom, are you sure it was a restored version of this model of truck?
People fall all over themselves for the ’67 – ’72 and the square bodies, but I never heard much about this design as being popular.
Wrecked a perfectly good paint job by unnecessarily sanding it, to make it look “KOOL”.
Agreed. Ugh.
I have done it 3 times, online, and had luck with two of the cars.
Ok. It was a 1000 and 2000$ cars, but there comes ca 2500-3000$ on top for import, so ofcourse its a gamble, but fun.
I dont hope i ever stop buying and importing cars, all done over net, and phone.
Good luck to other future classic car owners. Beautyfull hobby…
A Toyota truck from 1966 would last longer and go for like a million miles. Not a Chey or Ford. Toyota wrote the book on truck building.
How many 66 Toyota trucks have you seen lately? How many people have you heard of looking for a 66 Toyota? Maybe they make good trucks but I’m surely not sending my money to Japan.
I guess you’re entitled to your opinion. Closing in on the repair trade for 48 years, and working on nearly everything on tires or tracks I have to say that either you have been very lucky with Toyota or unlucky with domestic cars and trucks.
In 66 Toyota was clueless in trucks with capabilities…do your homework Trace
Well, to answer the author’s question, no. I would have to see a vehicle in person to spend any amount of money on it. How else would I know its something I want to take on?
But one thing I always find curious is why the seller posts photos taken while the vehicle is on a trailer? Is that the way the owner purchased it? Could he not wait to even get it off the trailer to advertise it to flip it?
The truck would be a good buy at 7500.00 in fair condition , but not 15K!!!! I’ve seen many trucks for 10 to 12k that look much better than this one.
Obviously this generation of Chevy trucks is very popular right now. Aside from the terrible attempt at “patina” the body is in nice condition. The interior is also good. The V-8 takes it up a few more notches over a straight 6. But 15K is certainly overpriced.
I bought and imported a few ebay cars and rvs , the rv sellers are scammers and liars but the cars were ok , got a 95 z topless that was described as stock but was all hopped up , good buy !
Good find, Montana. If this is everything it’s represented to be it’d be a hoot to bring back to life-but not at $15K, and especially not without validation.
A great American president once said “Trust, but verify”.
My dad taught us “If it seems too good to be really true it probably is”.
Your gut feeling, fey, intuition, “Spidy senses” are known to our first responders by the acronym JDLR- “it Just Doesn’t Look Right!” and tells you it’s a situation that your subconscious registers as a warning sign so pay attention to it.
Montana, you’re seeing something here that’s JDLR, and some of your readers see something too. It may not mean “DON’T buy it!” but just that one should proceed with caution.
That price is way beyond my budget. I still like the truck though. I’m a little curious about the engine, and whether it’s actually original. I thought that truck engines were still painted blue in ‘66, and it was ‘67 before the trucks got the Chevy Corporate Orange. Pretty minor detail if it is a 283.
Clean interior and the outside looks goof too!! Everything seems like crazy money to me!! I still make good money or what I think good money is but I’m a working stiff not a trust fund baby!!! I’ve got bad back bad knees and when I buy a car for myself I build it!! That’s the only way I can afford it!!! But even the fixers are going for stupid money!!! I say this because I would paint this vehicle!! I know it’s only original once and you have to be careful where you park but it’s a good example and I would want to make it look new again!!!
I have bought a couple of C 10’s, one a 63 the other a 65. The 65, was parked at the local body shop, it is stone stock, short bed, with a five year old paint job. Six cylinder, three on the tree. Chrome bumpers, custom cab, two tone Green and white. Small hubcaps, and it looked real cool.. Asking 10K, showed them 8.5K and it was mine. Since it is not a one owner and has a repaint, I am changing out the drive train, putting in a 327, double hump heads, Edelbrock intake and 4 bbl, along with a muncie 4 speed and 3:70 rear. The truck will retain all its exterior stock features, and should be a nice cruiser. When I am done, I will have way less than 15K in it. The point of all this, is value is in the eyes of the beholder, but willing buyers, with cash really set the market.
Nice little truck! I have purchased a vehicle off of this very site, sight unseen except photos. I’m very pleased at the outcome
Nope 15k really. looks like the passengers underside was retaining water.Rust through and the bad is starting to sag.
Ya man it is a short box, let’s sand it down and put a giant price on it and we will make 10000 grand easy. Hate flippers
Hi Geomechs! That 283 looks original to me. I was surprised to see one of these
at the Chevy dealership (1966) with a 327 in it. Chevy’s dealer literature stated that a prospective buyer could order any engine for their new truck which ranged from a standard 6, all the way up to a 396 V-8! Of course, you had your choice of trannies too. 3-speeds, 4-speeds, Powerglides for 283’s and 327’s, all the way up to a turbo Hydramatic for the bigger engines. (I think) Every time the new models were brought out, I’d ride my bike downtown to collect all the brochures and sales folders I could carry! The artwork in them was phenominal and I used them to practice my drawing and sketching . Sure wished I would’ve kept all of those folders, they’re worth thousands of dollars today!
Hi Kenneth. The availability of the 396 is interesting news. I knew that (for ’66) the 327 was available in the light trucks but I didn’t know that the 396 was an option until ’68. It sure would be something to find a ’66 C-10 with its original 396. The 327 could be had in C-40 through C-60 as well but it had the sodium-cooled exhaust valves and was cammed different. I know in the C-70/C-80 you could get a 366, which I thought was the only BBC available in any truck for ’66. I might add that you could go all out with a GMC-built 401 or 478 V6. Like you I used to collect brochures. Over the years they dwindled to almost nothing. I have no doubt that my parents had something to do with that but I still wish I had them today…
My dad bought a C20 in 1966 motor painted grey not Orange
My dad drove one of these. It wasn’t his, it belonged to the Carpenters union where he was business agent. I rode around with him a few times in it. It was a decent truck but fairly base, I think the only option it had was the radio. I wouldn’t pay 15k for this truck simply because it’s sitting on a trailer. I’ll never buy any vehicle that’s sitting on a trailer.
God bless America
Nice looking truck….looks mostly original to me except the straight pipes and the generator/alternator, and one of the rockers has been amateurishly filled with body putty from underneath. Somebody has obviously been at work on this since Grandpa had it. Since we have become unmoored from the once commonly agreed upon valuation of old trucks ( or for that matter any old vehicle), the seller might as well shoot for the stars. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if someone paid in the low teens for this. People do crazy things. Now if it had 3 on the floor and was a long bed…….