I’m normally excited to see short vehicles – short cars, short trucks, small motorcycles, anything small and easy to store. This non-short 1980 Chevrolet C10 long-bed stepside is so long that I could probably fit a Subaru 360 in the back of it. This long hauler can be found listed here on Hemmings and it’s located in Pendleton, Indiana. The seller is asking a short price for this long truck: $3,500 or best offer.
From some angles, this truck looks almost like new and it’s so long that the seller only has one photo showing the whole thing… They do show most of it, other than the engine (sigh) and the inside of the long bed, or box if you grew up in the upper-Midwest. Pool or pond, anything would be good. We always called it a box but most people look at me like I’m from outer space. Like if I were to say, “I’d like to get a topper for this pickup box.” What?! Oh, a cap for the bed? Next slide…
See, most of this truck really does look good, doesn’t it? I shouldn’t be so excited about a pickup but vehicles rarely last 40 years where I’m from, especially if they’ve been driven in the winter. The 1980 Chevrolet truck had a one-year-only grille that a lot of folks covet. This truck doesn’t have the optional square headlights, or they were optional on anything below the Silverado trim level.
That’s one big bumper! You can see that the tailgate appears to be about the only piece that needs more than a buff and wax. For $260 you can get a new one if you didn’t want to practice your welding and bodywork skills. Hagerty is at $3,300 for a #4 fair condition truck, $9,300 for a #3 good condition truck, and $18,000 for a #2 excellent condition truck. That’s quite a spread.
There are no engine photos, unfortunately, but it has Chevy’s 250 cubic-inch inline-six with a two-barrel carburetor and between 125 and 130 horsepower. There is no word on how it runs or if it runs but the truck only has 68,000 miles on it. The interior looks pretty good in some areas but in others, it looks well-used. The sun appears to have given parts of it the beatdown but like the tailgate, pretty much every single part or piece of this truck is available in the aftermarket world. Or, just fix what needs fixing to keep it running for another 68,000 miles. Have any of you owned a long-bed stepside pickup?
Don’t think I’ve ever seen a long box stepside. It looks so out of place. Can’t say this on Hemmings, but this is a tired truck and I believe that’s 168K, but that site is caddywhompus anyway now. At least the price is right. Nice find.
Years ago, long boxes were common but as times changed they became less popular. NOW you hardly ever see one. This appears to be the 8 foot long bed but they ALSO made a heavy duty 9 foot bed as well. It was usually found on the 3/4 ton trucks. This one is a half ton. If I had this truck, the running boards would have to go. O7o
Pool or pond? A pond would be good for you, Carl.
These trucks have become quite rare. As for the box length 8’ sounds right, the 9’ were referred as a long horn. They were available on the fleet side box too. If this were mine I’d get rid of running boards and I’d shorten that bumper on both ends. This is a standard fleet side bumper of the day but they look terrible on a step side. This truck looks pretty base to me. I’ve always referred to them as a rubber mat special. The 250 cid engine would better serve to replace a stove bolt in something older and put a 350 cid in here. Nice find.
had a 58 Apache longbed stepside with stock racks for a few years….fun truck.
the 9′ beds were on 1-ton models. had a 52 GMC like that.
Such a huge rear fender for such a small tire.
These definitely ran out of steam by the late 70s. A lot of hardliners insisted on trucks with the long stepside boxes but we actually got to the point where we ordered them in special because no one would pick them off the lot. This truck would be a good workhorse but it might not be as attractive as a show truck. But then, it might be the most popular truck at the show. Definitely some rust issues with the tailgate, the bottoms of the doors and likely in the cab corners and the floor, so a restoration is in order. I sure hope it goes to a good home and is used but looked after.
I remeber seeing one back in the 70,s Geo. It was longer then 9 feet. I had to turn around and go back and get a better look. The guy told me it was a special order and original. I,m thinking it was a mid-70 model. I liked it. Would have to make so many trip. He was in the furniture business.
would not have to make as many trips
I had a few of these late 70’s early 80’s chevy’s and I’ve always loved the way they looked, until I saw this!
God, that is an ugly looking truck!
If one were going to actually use this pickup for pulling anything that little 6 would be a serious detriment. The pickup is truly interesting looking in that I have never seen one in this configuration before?
I never heard of a long bed stepside truck referred to as a “non-short.” Too funny! I remember when these were not considered rare, although they were never common.
Ah, does this take me back, my first truck was a Chevy long bed step-side like the one in the add, except it was a 3/4 ton. It came from the El Paso water company painted blue. It had a 3 speed on the tree and a 350. Now I don’t understand why but that truck was really fast,( 3/4 ton a little less smog equipment?) I was in a truck club called “Beds Inc.” One night we all went to a seldom used paved road near the edge of town and ran out trucks against each other, well I beat every other truck except the member with the nick name “Fast Eddie”( go figure). One night coming home late I was on the gateway and opened her up, top out a 130mph, not a real smart thing to do on split rims. Yes she was ugly compared to a short bed, but she made up for it in speed!
Bigger tires or even a dually for the rear would help along with a 350 of course. The right parts truck would make the swap a worthwhile project.
In the mid 90s I had one of these. It was a 1975. At that point funds were low because of life circumstances but I needed a truck. Despite the fact that I thought it looked as ugly as homemade sin at the time I bought it anyway because it was the best bang for the buck I could find. It was black, a previous owner fitted white spoke wheels to it and tires just a little bit bigger than stock, not huge ones by any means but they really looked better than stock size. It had a 250 straight 6 and a ‘granny tranny’. Heck of a truck. Could keep up with freeway traffic in Phoenix too. Took several 100 plus miles road trips also. I ended up falling in love that old truck. :)
Early 80, and round headlights……..nice. They really went down hill in the looks department later on in 1980 with the square headlights…
Those eighties GM trucks with a stepside bed and those huge fenders are about the most out of proportion trucks ever made IMO. This long bed version with the under-sized wheels and tires just exaggerates the ugliness. I don’t mean to disparage anyone’s truck, and obviously some people like them as there was a lot of them sold, especially short beds, so don’t hate me.
What were they (GM) thinking ?
My ’72 C-10 Fleetside with a 250 six banger is not exactly fast and it has a 3 speed on the floor moved from the column.I cant imagine how slow this beast is. It would be fine with a 350 and a three speed.Maybe. Still you’d have the only one………..
In its own way its pretty cool and I don’t particularly like the square bodies as much as the ’67-’72 ‘s
I think this uh s really neat! Back in the 1990’s I had a clapped out 1975 K10 with the same box. A previous owner put a lift kit on it with 33 inch tires and painted it rattle can flat black. It was ugly as sin but because of that bed, really unique. Anyone who knows me knows I like unique lol.
I like this one more than my beater I had back in the day. I am a fan of inline 6 engines. The only thing that would make it better (in my opinion) would be a three on the tree…and removal of the horrible rear bumper.
I think this really neat! Back in the 1990’s I had a clapped out 1975 K10 with the same box. A previous owner put a lift kit on it with 33 inch tires and painted it rattle can flat black. It was ugly as sin but because of that bed, really unique. Anyone who knows me knows I like unique lol.
I like this one more than my beater I had back in the day. I am a fan of inline 6 engines. The only thing that would make it better (in my opinion) would be a three on the tree…and removal of the horrible rear bumper.
I went to edit a “fat finger” issue and suddenly had 2 replies. Sorry about that folks lol. Technology moron here lol!
ist available for sale ? or are thier along bed stepside truck ? GMC or Chevy
I realize this post is over a year old ,but I imagine most of yall .like me get the new comments no matter how long it has been .
Here is why I was wandering around to run on to this
Last time I had the new truck bug was about 1975 and I went down to the Chevrolet agency looking for the same as I was driving ,then a 54 3600 .So I wanted a 3/4 ton step side with a 292 and 4 spd very long story shortened they of course wanted to sell me what they had on the yard ..price was going to be pretty close to the price on this one as I remember about 3700 .I decided to just refreash my 54 with a overhaul and such …Then about 79 I bought a 2and hand 74 3/4 ton with a wide box and 454 that thing like to have eaten me out of house and home and I left it idle most of teh time a feller come around one day looking for a 454 and I told him THIS IS YOUR LUCKY DAY ! I have one you can test drive before you pull it out .He was happy and I was happier ,well that has been a while now since teh early 80s and Im getting kinda soft and been thinking about installing a 292 and o/d automatic shift in that truck as the 54 needs another refreashing and it would be nice to have automatic and air condition Here is the question for the smart fellers .I have a long step side box on whats left on a 68 chevy that came with a house I once bought site unseen and had a slew of autos ( quite a story goes with that ha ) in the yard Is it the same 8 ft length as I will need I know the fenders are different and I have a pair of the later model fenders for a step side I have been of a mind it would all go together nicely Then I was reading an article just this day saying they changed the wheel base in 73 and I became concerned that was made up in the bed but now it comes to me that the cab could have been made longer instead of the bed
Thanks for any ideas ….A buddy of mine keeps mentioning how many roundtuits do I think I have left Probably not enough …..But I can still dream cant I ? I reckon I come from a very optimistic herd 1 buddy of mine bought a half green pair of mules and a wagon the morning of teh day he went to hospital to die and another told his doc he wanted to go home to die and the doc said Im not letting you go back to that house its too much a shamble ….So he gets on the phone and orders his self a new pre fab house delivered right to the middle of the road up to his house …went home that night and died Got it over on his greedy kids one last time …ha it was sure nuff in the way for what they had in mind
Oh by the by I thought then and still think the half tons with the 15 inch wheels and small tires look sort of goofy and ya couldnt put the 16s from an older chevy on to them with changing the number of lugs But my 54 for some odd reason came with 15 inch 8 hole split rim wheels soon as I wore them tires out I went to a 17 ” so it would match my other trucks