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Original Paint: 1977 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne Short Bed

Time travel is not a reality at present, but owning this 1977 C10 Cheyenne Short Bed might be as close as we can come. It wears its original paint, and when you look at its overall condition, it is hard to believe that it is 44-years-old. This fantastic survivor is now looking for a new home, so the owner has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in West Linn, Oregon, and with the bidding sitting at $14,100, the reserve has been met.

When a classic pickup has more than four decades under its belt, it usually starts to look pretty tired and rough around the edges. Occasionally one will appear that is an exception to that rule, and that’s the case with the C10. The Cardinal Red and Polar White paint combination is not only attractive, but it is claimed to be original. It seems that this pickup has led a sheltered life. This is true both literally and figuratively because it has been garage-kept since new. The paint holds a beautiful shine, with no signs of any significant defects. The panels are straight, and there is no visible rust. The owner doesn’t supply any photos of the underside, but it seems that the floors and frame are in a similar shape. When you look at the bed, you begin to appreciate how the Chevy has been treated with respect throughout its life. This has been fitted with a rubber mat, and below that, there are a few marks in the paint, but these are so minor that I believe that some wet-sanding and polishing would remove most of them. There are no dings or dents, which suggests that no-one has been throwing things in the back with gay abandon. The trim and tinted glass are as impressive as the paint and panels, and while the Cheyenne doesn’t roll on its original wheels, these and the hubcaps are included in the sale.

This photo demonstrates what I was saying about the state of the bed. You would be hard-pressed to find an original and unrestored pickup of this vintage with one that looks that good. What the owner doesn’t supply are any photos of the engine bay. We know that the C10 is equipped with a 350ci V8, backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission. Throw in power steering and power brakes, and this promises to be an effortless ride. That V8 should be producing 170hp, but the torque figure gives this C10 the potential to be an effective tow vehicle or workhorse. The maximum torque of 270 ft/lbs kicks in at 2,400rpm, making the 350 a very flexible engine. This Cheyenne has 132,000 miles on the clock, which means that it should have a lot of life left in it. It isn’t unusual to see these with more than 300,000 miles showing on the odometer, suggesting that this one is barely broken in. The owner says that the pickup runs and drives perfectly and includes a significant collection of documentation in the sale. This consists of the original Sales Contract, Owner’s Manual, and other minor Instruction Cards.

The Cheyenne’s interior isn’t perfect, but I would class it as being a long way above average. There are a few glaring flaws that the buyer might want to address, but it is still serviceable as it currently stands. The most apparent problem is a tear in the driver’s side of the seat, and I think that this is beyond repair. Replacements in the correct color and material are available for $270, so fixing this is not an expensive proposition. The door trims are also showing some aging, which is a shame because this is one of the few original C10s of this era that I have seen where the door pockets haven’t begun to sag badly. It might be possible to treat and refinish the plastic successfully, and this is an option that I would investigate before I contemplated replacement. The rest of the trim and the dash are in good order, and the carpet is in fantastic condition for its age. There is a CB radio hanging under the dash, but I can’t spot any other additions. The only factory options are a sliding rear window, a full gauge set, and an AM radio.

1977 was quite a year. It was the year that took Elvis from us, but it was the year that gave us the Atari 2600, the first Apple II computer went on sale, Concord made its first commercial flight, Star Wars appeared in cinemas worldwide, and this Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne rolled off the showroom floor. This classic has survived better than many of those other items, and it is probably more desirable today than when it was new. It isn’t perfect, but given the ongoing growth in popularity and value of classic pickups, addressing its few issues should be worth the cost and effort. Is this a pickup that you might be tempted to pursue further?

Comments

  1. HoA Howard A Member

    Yee-haw! ( firing pistols in the air, if I had one, which I don’t) I’m not sure if the staff is rubbing my face in it, or helping me by posting these 5 figure squarebodies. Got to admit, this one is a sweetheart. I’d never expect it to have 132K, it could easily pass as 32K, I suppose engine and underside pics would confirm that better. And 54 bidders, I could see fudging a few bids, but 54 clearly tells me, there’s interest. A LOT of interest. There’s even someone in the classifieds looking for them. AS an owner of one, I just don’t see the 5 figure appeal here, but I’m feeling better about it ( can’t beat ’em, join ’em) and haven’t even tried to sell mine, but one can’t deny, people want them. One thing for sure, this truck never saw a speck of salt in it’s life, makes a big difference.

    Like 7
    • Avatar geomechs Member

      Well, the ol’ Squarebody is here to stay. Interesting though that if it’s a long wheelbase it doesn’t have nearly the appeal that a short wheelbase does. I worked on lots of these back in the day and was even tempted to buy one when the time came. But I couldn’t haul full sheets of plywood or a couple of dirt bikes and accessories like the beer cooler; or load the block, heads, crankshaft and rods from an 855 Cummins and a 619 John Deere to take to the machine shop. I’ve got the long version and I guess I always will…

      Like 3
  2. Avatar Jim

    Two beautiful pickup trucks in two days! Oh how I wish they still made trucks this size instead of what they’re putting out today.

    Like 16
    • Avatar David C Acord

      I have a 77c10 bananza it,s lowered frame off mint show truck pepole just love it because the new trucks don,t look as good

      Like 0
  3. Avatar Tim

    If it were a K10, I’d be looking to buy it.

    Like 2
  4. Avatar local_sheriff

    ’77 was a special year for the squarebodies in that it was the year for the ochre stripe in the trim too. Considering the fading and scratches of the door (but also kick) panels I’m thinking both the dash, seat and carpet have been replaced previously in this truck’s life – they just look too lustrous compared to the mentioned panels.

    That’s such a sweet and timeless color combo, in contrast to many typical gray-head squarebody survivors I’ve seen with less fortunate tans or grays. Extremely nice find indeed but I’ve got to agree with Howard that the $ for getting into squarebodies are getting out of control nowadays…and this auction isn’t over yet…

    Like 3
  5. Avatar Brian Weyeneth

    I had a 77 Corvette with the same motor and red interior, with quite a few more creature comforts than this. But square body truck values are eclipsing any C3 today and this looks like a winner. What a nice find!

    Like 0
  6. Avatar danny coleman

    Betcha it’s a 6 cylinder, exhaust pipe on wrong side for a 350

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve R

      Both the window sticker and ad say the engine is a 350.

      Steve R

      Like 2
  7. Avatar Joe Haska

    This is basic B/F 101, if you Like PU’s specifically short box, 2WD, V-8’s, auto, A/C, PW, PL, and all the bells and whistles, you would lower, put on custom wheels and would drive it and care for it like your first girlfriend, this truck is for you. If that isn’t your thing, you want a long box and 4WD, 4 ft. off the ground, with huge tires and move on this truck is not for you. I love this find and would love to have it, but I know allot of you don’t ,but why do keep telling us, how stupid it is.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Steve R

      It’s the people that wouldn’t even be interested in buying a particular car/truck that complain the loudest.

      Steve R

      Like 5
  8. Avatar Richard Isenberg

    Sweet. Absolutely love it . I am a big fan of yesterday’s GM products. I am not today. Lucky new owner of this gem

    Like 3
  9. Avatar Darrell Danyluk

    It’s been repainted, enlarge photo of interior passenger picture and you will see the striker is painted white and red and lots of overspray where the box and cab meet. Lipstick on a pig. New owner is in for a big surprise if they think this truck is original lmao

    Like 4
  10. Avatar Chris Slawski

    i would be concerned the pictures are at the boat ramp…maybe fresh water…but has it also been at the salt water ramp?

    Like 0
    • Avatar local_sheriff

      C’mon,don’t be that hysterical…the amount of salt that will ACTUALLY reach the surfaces of a tow vehicle when occasionally launching and landing powerboats – well I’m not really sure it’s even possible to measure it. Just as we do with boats that have been into seawater you just hose off any visible spray when you get home.

      I’d be way more concerned about a vehicle driven on winter roads maintained with liquid de-ice solutions for years

      Like 1
      • Avatar Steve R

        The OP has a point. I think it’s salt water and has been parked there long enough for the boat trailer to completely rust away. Either that or the ramp is being used as a staging device.

        Steve R

        Like 1
      • Avatar local_sheriff

        …yeah, and now our beloved C10 is about to become the next unaware victim of the feared Salty Sea Corrosive Monster…we can see it lurking in one of the pics, or is it the Kraken…?

        Like 0
      • Avatar BeCarSmart Member

        Hey, you did put it in park….right?

        Like 0
  11. Avatar John Oliveri

    Back in the wild days, when the Bronx was burning, summer 77, these shortys were a big thing in the world of Chasers, painted yellow with body shop names on the doors and fold down cranes in the rear, with 3 or 4 different scanners monitoring police calls, and waiting to hear 10:53, that meant vehicle accidents, and the ones on the streets were usually running 454s that were worked, and the competition to pull first to the accident scene was incredible, crazy days and nights, lucky to still be here lotsa close calls, Devils edge

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Donnie Bays

    Original paint, come on. These years of chevy trucks rusted out sitting in the driveway with no miles on them.

    Like 1

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