Chevrolet/GMC produced the C/K series of trucks from 1960 to 2002. The third generation of the “Square Body” trucks was offered from 1973 to 1991, including the C30, a 2-wheel-drive full-ton pickup (“K” designations were for 4-wheel drive). The seller’s 1977 edition of the C30 hasn’t run in eight years and has some sheet metal issues, though we’re told the frame is good. Located in Wantagh, New York (Long Island), this project pickup is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,200. Thanks for the tip, “Zen”.
By the 1970s, pickup trucks were being used for more than just commercial purposes. They gained in popularity as personal vehicles and increased in size and creature comforts. You could get air conditioning, and options like power windows and door locks were added to the list. The C30 was for buyers needing larger payload capacities, rated at a full ton, while the C10 was a half ton and the C20 was a three-quarter ton pickup.
The seller’s truck is camera-shy, as the photos are either few or fuzzy. And none include the engine bay, passenger compartment, or truck bed. The mileage is listed at 89,000, which is a number reached before 2017, as that’s when the vehicle was last in running condition. It has a 350 cubic inch V8 paired with an automatic transmission (TH-350?).
Strictly a project truck, this 1977 C10 needs a steering column (is it missing or broken?). The body is rusty, and the pickup appears to have been living outside given the amount of patina on the front clip. The frame is good, but the sheet metal is sketchy, which seems to be a common problem with this generation of workhorses. If you’re looking for a project, does this Chevy scratch an itch you may have?
Now that’s a truck. Imagine the ride in that baby. Like a beam of cement with solid axles attached. Needs about 5 bags of cement in the back just to keep it from bouncing.
She looks pretty darned good for a ’77 Chevy.
Looks like he used to follow salt trucks.
First of all I have my doubt if this is a C-30??? With the wheel cover on the rear tire there can not be a full floating drive axle, which is standard on ALL one ton trucks. Also those wheels look to be 5 or 6 lug not the 8 lug. Second, Long Island is Salt City.. By the looks of the body I would take that “frame is good” statement with a large grain of salt.. It might make someone a beater weekend workhorse???
My ’75 GMC 2500 (3/4 ton) had a full-floating axle, and similar hubcaps to what this truck has. First photo is a little fuzzy but I see 8 lugs.
Not the same capacity though. 3/4 was around 6000lbs, 1 ton was 7500.
Finally a realistic price for an old tired truck
Lack of dual rear wheels leads me to believe it’s a C/20
One ton trucks are not always duallys
10 series can be 5,800 to 6,100 GVWR
20 series can be 6,800 to 8,600 GVWR
30 series can be 7,200 to 9,200 GVWR
Several things to remember.
#1 GVWR specs change year to year (usually depending on what the competition does)
#2 C30 can be single or dual rear wheels (specs quoted are for single rear wheel)
I counted 8 lug on the first picture also. I sold GMC commercial trucks for 20 years. And you never knew what the new trucks would bring GVWR wise until almost the first one landed and they printed/released the order specs.
3/4 ton and 1 ton always load range “E” (10 ply rating) and 8 lug wheels. In the days of “square body” trucks. 1/2 ton 2 wheel drive “light duty” 5 lug (5 on 5 bolt pattern) 4 wheel drive and heavy 2wd. have 6 lug (6 o 5.5″ bolt pattern)
Clarification on payload capacity on these: half tons could be spec’d to carry anything from 750 lbs. up to 2200 lbs. 3/4 tons could be spec’d from 2000 lbs to 4400 lbs. C 30’s from about 4000 lbs to 5800 lbs with the dual rear wheels. Most likely this unit is about a 4800lb capacity.
I had a single wheel camper special c-35 and I carried 5600lbs of crushed stone regularly.
A one ton should have a th400. Mine did. 1976 c-35 camper special.
The Camper Special or Trailer-Towing-Package would definitely have a TH400. To get it in a run-of-the-mill pickup you would need the big engine.
Not bad, all you need is a whole front clip, cab from the windows down and a bed. You can bet that whole thing is bondo, last guy that painted it painted over everything including the emblems.
surprised it has not sold for that price.
Well, at least it’s sending me the updates…
I had a C10 of this vintage and they called it a heavy half ton, meaning I guess, it would haul a little more the. A half ton. Three speed on the column, six cylinder, and no power steering. Heavy indeed.
I had one of those as well. A 1975 C-10, 250 six, 3 on the tree, manual brakes, and steering. It has 8 leaves on each side in the rear. For a half ton, it could carry pretty well.
Some of the dually trucks of this vintage had such a large rear leaf spring stack (can you say lots of friction between leaves?) that they don’t use rear shocks!
$2,200 😲
Has everyone agreed to disagree which model truck this is? (lol)
Since the pics are so blurry, I have to assume that it’s been properly labeled as a C-30. We sold lots of C-3500 GMCs back in the day and this looks similar to those. I might add that we also sold lots of C-2500 trucks and if you park them side by side they look the same…
Rusty like most chevys of those years but not bad for the money
This is an actual C-30. The underside photo shows the shocks mounted inside the frame rails. One tons have the dually rear axle, even the single rear wheel version. Brakes are so wide (13×3 1/2 inches) that it leaves no room to mount the shocks outside the frame rails. I have a ’78 GMC C-35 single rear wheel pickup. It carries a 9,000 GVW rating and rear spring pack is nine leaves plus one auxiliary leaf up top. The one ton has a very heavy chassis. Mine weighs in at 5,340 pounds ( with 454/TH475, dual tanks, dual exhaust, A/C, HD cooling, tilt steering column, Sierra Classic trim level, etc), with 3,660 pound payload rating.
Nice heavy duty square body. With a little elbow grease and a junkyard steering column you could have a solid work horse at your disposal. Might have to put some money into brakes and such but a cheap buy-in in my book.
It won’t win any trophies at the local car show but it will haul just about anything you need to that will fit in the bed. I love the color.
Chassis looks good in the one pic. Too bad there aren’t any under hood shots.