Survivor vehicles seem to be all the rage these days. They’re only original once, as they always say, and this 1976 Chevrolet C-10 Silverado short bed pickup is all-original and unmodified. It’s listed on eBay with a few different bidders going to battle on it and the bid is at $8,500 with two full days left on the auction! It’s located in Sylmar, California.
This truck isn’t perfect as you can see but original is original and $8,500 is nothing to sneeze at, bid-wise. On a side note, if any of you take us to task for “tagging” vehicles in too many ways (survivor, driver, etc.), here is what the seller of this one has on the eBay auction: “Tags- C10 C20 C30 Short Bed Long Bed Silverado Cheyenne Ford F150 F250 F350 Chevy Truck Sqarebody Square Body 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1981 1982 1983 Crew Cab”. Talk about hitting every base and everything in-between.
I think the short bed is giving a little oomph to the auction, they really are cool looking trucks, and that cover is fantastic. The next best thing to a topper, or maybe even better because it doesn’t ruin the lines of the truck like a topper (or, “cap”, depending on where you’re from) does. It looks like the inside of the bed (or, “box”, depending on where you’re from…).. may have been touched up over the decades, or maybe it’s also all original? Who knows, they sure make it sound like nothing has been done to this pickup other than regular maintenance. Is the paint on the hood original? It must be – again, who knows.
The interior looks like it’s had its share of sun beating on it and regular wear, lots of wear. There is a lot of work to do inside this cab, or not, maybe it just continues to be driven in this original condition. As a one-owner truck I can see how things can sometimes get out of hand when regular life gets in the way, but I don’t see how the seat can be so torn and worn. This truck is almost loaded, though, with “power steering, power disc brakes, electric clock, A/C, cruise control, AM/FM radio, original tow package, sliding rear window, dual mirrors, factory tinted glass, removable tonneau cover, white wall radial tires, original hub caps, original Chevy Truck wheels.”
As you guessed, the 350 V8 is original and it “runs and drives great.” The Silverado was the top model in 1976 and Hagerty is pretty bullish on these trucks with a #3 good condition short bed C-10 being valued at $9,700. We’ve seen much nicer third-generation Chevy trucks here over the last few months, some of them in incredible condition. But, an almost-loaded short bed in original condition has to be a valuable pickup. All things considered, would you rather have a regular/long bed or a short bed pickup? I’m a form before function guy so it’s a short bed truck all day long for me.
One of my older brothers bought a new 76 Chevy short box with a 454 and not much else. Had cab header lights (which would be nice if you could get them today) and maybe an AM radio. No A/C. Base trim. Auto and he loved to drive The heck out of it. Always claimed he regularly beat Corvettes .
Not a 76 hood. That style front came out in 79, IIRC.
What are the differences between the front ends of a 76 and 79?
Steve R
The extra sculpuring on the vertical part of the front. Probably means nothing. I had a very nice 77 4×4 in the mid 80s that had a nasty crease in the passenger side of the hood due to the PO not lubing the hinges. Even then, the only replacement hoods I could find were the style on this white truck. Never fixed it and sold the truck in 1993.
Attached pic from the internet shows the 73 to 78 hood.
Hoods were the same from 73-80. The grilles were changed every 2-3 years, but it does look correct for that year model.
No, the 73-78 hoods are different from the 79 and later. Interchangeable, yes. But the same? No.
I stand corrected! I’ve owned numerous C10’s over the years, & I swear I have never noticed the difference in the hoods, until it was pointed out. Learn something new everyday on BF.
I have a hood off a 80 model that I replaced with a cowl hood. It does not have the additional body line. I have not inspected it close enough to see if it’s an earlier hood or an aftermarket part. These hoods were notorious for bending at the front of the hinge, so I guess I’m. It surprised it could have been swapped out at some point in the 30 years before I got it.
Good eye, Rodent! I learned something today.
It is identical to the hood on my 76 GMC 454 3/4 ton. I like these trucks, because they are true workhorses. I also have to admit that I liked the Ford trucks of this time period.
The body is 1000% better than mine. It has the classic rust at the lower fenders on both sides.
Bob
The hood looks like the one on my ‘77 High Sierra K 10. Nicer truck than mine except for the interior but having AC would be nice. For sub 9k, this is a really good example.
Have to agree with Rodent, the extra crease on the front of the hood, and it’s the wrong grill for ’76. My Dad bought a brand new ’76 from Kahan Chevrolet in late ’75. I took my drivers test in that truck 40 years ago, painted it 35 years ago. It’s still sitting in his driveway. Wrong hood, wrong grill on this truck for a survivor.
I think the grill is right, it is a silverado so it got extra chrome in places other trim models didnt… 75 and 76 had the same grill and it is the same as my 75 except I don’t have the chrome because mine is a Scottsdale.
That is crazy money for a paint peeling worn out interior truck.
Don’t they know you can get better trucks for less money elsewhere?
Original in good condition = Good
Original is worn out condition = Not Good
Wrong tailgate
That is the correct tailgate
Scotty, as well as topper and cap I can add one more to your list. In Australia they’re commonly referred to as a canopy.
I always called them a shell.
I’ve got one fitted to the back of my Falcon utility Miguel. Nice and secure….and also serves as a spare bedroom when I’m in trouble with my wife!
I thought 76 pu,s had gas cap doors, mine did. Had a 76 4×4.
Gas cap went from external, to behind a door, during the 78 model run. All 79 and later has the doors
Bought my 76 4×4 in 83, never hit. Had twin tanks, with doors.
No gas cap doors in 76 on Silverado
I have a 1973 Cheyenne super 10 with 19.000 original miles on it my uncle bought it brand-new when he passed away I got it. it still has the original price tag out of the window has ever tag that was ever bought ever brochure piece of paper right down to the original keychain I even have the original title the Jack has never been taken out the spare tire has never been on the ground it still has the original tires from the dealership yes they are cracked and weathered but they are still on the truck the truck is absolutely Priceless to me I do not know what the value of it would be but it has every option available and it is a thing of beauty
Please send in some photos Billy. We would love to feature it on the site!
Much better deal on this one since it’s got the 454ci
https://albany.craigslist.org/cto/d/1978-gmc-c25-c10-high-sierra/6534196914.html
It’s not a direct comparison. The market is chasing 1/2 ton, fleetside, short beds, not 3/4 ton long beds, even if it comes equipped with a 454. These two trucks will attract different types of buyers, with different budgets and expectations.
Steve R
Of course, that’s why the long bed has a $3,500 (and climbing) discount compared to the short bed featured here. Personally, I’d rather have a long bed as I find them more functional, but that’s me.
My dad had a 76 3/4 ton 8′ bed he ran it on propane. It had a 454 cid with th 400 trans. It was a real work horse these were fantastic trucks in there day. I still see the odd one around, but up in Calgary where we get winter the ones I usually see are total rust buckets but still going. I had a 1970 1/2 ton 8′ bed. It had a 250 cid with a three on the tree. Mine started life a an ESSO service centre truck and was pretty beat up when I got. I was 16 at the time and my dad helped me fix it up. I put 200k on the truck over the 18 years that I drove it, it was pretty rusted out when I finally scrapped it. It too was a fantastic truck one of the best vehicles I’ve ever owned.
Not to challenge Scotty’s usually right on assessments, I think this post ’73 iteration of the C-10 is downright ugly. In fact you couldn’t give one. But those ’67-’72’s…be still my beating heart. :)
My brothers and I grew up with a 76 c10 custom 10 lwb. It was an orangish red color with a white top. No options other than ps pb and ac. Someone before us swapped in an ls5 454 out of a 70 monte carlo. It also had a cast iron high rise intake with a square bore flange and a 750 holley dp. It had a th400 and a 3.08 rear. It would go as fast as you could hold it on the road! We later swapped the 454 into my dad’s 80 GMC c30 welding truck because he needed more power to lug around a welding machine steel bed tools and cutting rig. We rebuilt the 350 out of the c30 to a 355 with a comp cams 268h, flat top pistons headers edelbrock performer and a 650 holley and put it in the 76. Ran good but nothing like that 454! When the floor rusted through we bough a clean plain jane 82 c10 custom 10 lwb (it did have ac!) with a tired 305 and swapped the 350 into it. The driver doors drug on all of them, even
New bushing only lasted a while. The 76 and 80 had the characteristic hood kink until we installed the aftermarket braces (JC Whitney?) One day around 1986/87 my dad and I stopped to look at a sharp all black 84 GMC Sierra swb fleetside. We were disappointed to see that it had a 250 six and non overdrive automatic. It had ps ob a. And power windows and locks. The test drive confirmed our doubts regarding power. We passed but a few weeks later drive by the lot and the truck was sitting out back, wrecked light in the front. No frame damage and still ran. Salesman said it got wrecked on a test drive and they were debating claiming it on their insurance or having it fixed themselves I forget what they originally were asking for it but my dad offered them half their asking price and they agreed. Our olan was for yet another engine swap, taking the 355 out of the 82 and swapping it for the 250. Back then, the truck was fairly new and all the trucks we found in the salvage yard were wrecked in front so we bought chinese aftermarket hood and one fender. Big mistake as the fit was terrible. Should have bough oem. This turned me off on aftermarket sheetmetal for years, but eventually i relented when i couldnt find good oem metal for a 71 GMC i was building. I bought goodmark fenders and they fit like oem. Unfortunately the 84 GMC got totalled when inwas driving too fast on a gravel road one night. I didnt realize it was an “open range” and a calf darted out in front of me. I swerved and hit a berm where the road had recently been graded. I ended up on the lid. Me and my buddy got out ok, seatbelts saved us but the battery shorted out and the truck caught fire. Total loss. I had the change from the ashtray for a long time but misplaced it. It was all melted together in a big chunk. We also had a 74 or 75 c10. I forget if it was a silverado or cheyenne super but it was loaded. Lwb