The last time we featured a delivery truck owned by a soft drink company it was a former Coca-Cola vehicle, also in North Carolina like the formerly Pepsi-owned example. Guess they drink a lot of soda pop in the Tar Heel State! Regardless, this 1970 Chevy C20 is in much better condition than the one we featured last September, and you’ll find it here on eBay with bidding at $320 and the reserve unmet.
The parallels between the two trucks don’t end there: this one was also used and then purchased by an employee upon their retirement, and became a farm vehicle once it’s bottle hauling duties were done. It was eventually parked and languished on the farm for years before its recent rescue. It doesn’t run at the moment, but the seller says it tries like hell to turn over. The body is far from perfect and the iconic Pepsi graphics are barely hanging on.
But there’s enough red, white and blue branding still left that there’s little doubt which soda company this Chevy represented. The seller believes that despite the tattered cosmetics, restoration will not be a huge burden: “My personal opinion is that with a new fuel tank, fuel line, distributor cap, and weekend of work this truck could be running perfectly.” I’d like to believe him, but I’d be more inclined to do so if I could confirm just how low the reserve is.
Mechanically, this Chevy has some desirable options: “305 crate engine under the hood paired to a 3-speed column shift transmission. In the back is the highly sought after 10-bolt rear end matched with 8-lug steel wheels for maximum payload. ” I dig the old-school Pepsi company license plate in front – at least that’s what I’m assuming “P6” stands for. Does the truck’s Pepsi past make this C20 more intriguing as a candidate for restoration?
“My personal opinion is that with a new fuel tank, fuel line, distributor cap, and weekend of work this truck could be running perfectly.” So why not do it yourself? Bums me out to see those ads. Thats why 23 bids at $510 and reserve not met. Thank you for your personal opinion. And I could care less about those iconic Pepsi graphics. Iconic is slowly taking the place of the term patina.
And the good lord knows I’m getting sick to death of that word patina. Here a patina there a patina everywhere a patina patina. That word is as tired and worn out as it’s very meaning
A-fricking-MEN! It ought to cost $1000 to even type the “I” word. And how does it fit anyway? With just those colors, who would know it was even a Pepsi truck? The “I” word has gone from meaning “something that even people who don’t know about a subject recognize as being related to it” to being the written version of “uhhh” or “ummm”. “Patina” used to mean “it’s unrestored.” Now it just means “it’s faded & rusty.”
Ok, rant over.
Solid truck,but didn’t these come with an
inline six? That 305 would have to go and
fast! These engines have a nasty habit of
snapping crankshafts in half. Add to that
the weak vslve guide seals, and you have
a completely worthless engine…Nice
doggy!
What???Man, we don’t see eye to eye on that one,,,worthless? SBC is the best V8 out there, always was.
I just don’t get it. We all piss and moan ( me included) these vintage pickups cost too much today, and a perfectly good example comes along, and it’s struggling to crack $700 dollars. Why? Because selling stuff is one of the hardest things to do. I hate it. People want the best for nothing, it’s very frustrating. Here’s a southern truck, ok, not the prettiest, or the fanciest( truth be known, there were a bunch more like this than the fancy ones) but you could get it there, needs a bit of work, like leiniedude sez, maybe a weekend, and there it is. I’m afraid our hobby has fallen to the point, people don’t even want to do that today. For shame.
It is a long bed. It is not in fashion like the short beds are.
The price will stay low, I bet.
Three on the tree a desirable option? Not if you’ve ever been stuck in a busy intersection, and had to get under the hood, or underneath it, to free up the linkages! Ask me how I know, and how many times I had to do that, lol!
This scenerio is an easy fix; replace the column’s shift lever plastic bushings which wear out over time creating the “wander shifter.”
I have a couple of cars with the three on the tree.
They are in the back yard.
One is scheduled for an automatic transplant with a floor shifter.
The automatic is in the front of the house for the daily driving duties.
Does the current owner know the owner of this former listing:
https://barnfinds.com/coke-delivery-1970-chevy-c-10-short-bed/
Just an observation: (1) all 4 cab mounts, (2) both cab corners, (3) inner & outer rocker panels – both sides, (4) leading hood bottom edge, (5) inner kick panel(s) – see 10th photo – which is caused by the outer drip edge inwhich the body seam sealant has dried & cracked, allowing rain/water to enter into the main cab shell, then drain & puddle at the bottom where kick panel meets floor panel. Just these five observations, all of which I can vouch for from my own personal experience with having owned a 69 C10 since 1980, are enough for me to say “Really?”
Pepsi and Coke both have bottling plants in Charlotte and with the lack of salt etc. old vehicles wear out rather than rust out.
I like it simply because i’m a Pepsi as opposed to a Coke guy. Hope someone else feels that way. Keep the colours (yes I’m Canadian) and restore the graphics.
I read through all your comments, then went to eBay to see the pics. Umm, the bidding is so low because this truck is an F’in mess. I wouldn’t take it for free and I have a ’69 C-10.
I may not think it’s a creampuff but if it was sold at a grand I really don’t think it would be a bad deal at all.