There’s a part of me that wants to justify the purchase of a small domestic pickup, such as a Chevy LUV or a Ford Courier. The only thing holding me back is the suspicion that they’re not much fun to drive. And when a vehicle isn’t fun to drive, it better deliver in spades in some other meaningful category. So that’s the question on my mind regarding this barn find 1977 Chevy Luv with the step side bed here on eBay, where bidding is active and there’s no reserve.
The reason I bring this up is for personal reasons: I have a 1981 Toyota HiAce, documented previously on these pages. The van is all sorts of cool (to me), primarily for its gray-market nature and excellent community of HiAce camper enthusiasts. The thing is, the van is not that much fun to drive. It’s slow, poor-handling and has zero creature comforts – but it’s likely one of the only ones in the U.S., which makes it quite special. This Chevy LUV’s stepside bed may not enhance the driving experience, it does make it a bit more exclusive.
The Chevy LUV is slightly obscure, even though you don’t have to wait too long before another one pops up for sale. It’s not particularly quick, and its fun to drive factor is going to depend on a number of criteria aside from outright speed and good handling. Could you love a LUV solely for its compact, pickup truck shape? Could you deal with an ongoing restoration knowing it can still be put to work hauling materials home from the hardware store? And will that flared-out bed make transporting bulky items any easier?
To me, that’s what you have to ask yourself: is there enough value in the experience of driving and owning this vehicle that I can deal with its well-known shortcomings. In addition to the lousy driving experience, my HiAce also has an enormously cumbersome parts network, so there’s two strikes against it – but I do love the experience of owning it, which will keep it around for quite some time. This Chevy LUV has a motor that still turns and decent paint under all that dust, but is it worth throwing a bid at?
The LUV and Courier weren’t “small domestic pickups.” They were captive imports—LUV was an Isuzu and Courier was a Mazda. And both were less fun to drive than the Datsun and Toyota pickups of the same era.
I have driven both Luv and Courier, even drove for many years a 1999 Ford Ranger, I think they were both nice and easy to drive. I owned a 76 Luv and drove it until the door feel off of it, and the Courier was a shop truck that Dad owned and I drove it for part pick ups and etc. I actually learned to drive a clutch on it, and loved the little thing. I bought a 99 Ranger new, and drove it until I traded it in on a 2009 Chevy Silverado. Over the years I have also driven a couple Datsun, POS, in my opinion, and the Toyota was also a POS.
Again this is only my opinion!!!
Is that actually the original bed. Paint seems to match but can say I’ve never seen a step side luv?
I couldn’t find any mention of a stepside bed option available in ’78. No info for ’77. My guess this was ordered as a “chassis cab” and fitted with an aftermarket bed.
https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/docs/gm-heritage-archive/vehicle-information-kits/Luv-Pickup/1978-Chevrolet-Luv-Pickup.pdf
That stepside bed is from a company called California Stepside back in the late 70’s, in based in the Bay Area if i remember correctly.
Just as with Toyotas and Datsuns of this era, the Chevy LUV and Ford Courier were exported from Japan to the US without ANY beds.
This made them “incomplete vehicles”, and therefore circumvented the “Chicken Tax” on imported trucks.
All of these trucks had beds installed at the Port of Entry, and were then shipped to dealers.
It’s quite possible that some of these trucks had alternative stepside beds installed at the PoE.
Buyer needs to make sure your shots are up to date.
I had a ’77 LUV and it was fun to drive and handled very well. Mine a had a flare side bed. The only problem I had was the fuses tended to blow at the most inopportune times.
They were sent body on chassis to escape the chicken tax…beds were added here….me….i love a luv
I sent this vehicle advert in for submission, dont know if this write up was because of me, or found independant. But I thought it was a cool little truck, I have a 73 thats customized and wrote about it several times in the comments here.
I had seen at least 3 in the 70s and 80s that were stepside and always thought they looked great. I went thru some old high school photos as one kid drove one every day to school but none show that truck. (we got in trouble lifting a teachers VW Rabbit onto a concrete berm and leaving it there for her).
The price was right on this little truck last I looked (Bookmarked in my watch list on eBay) at $1000. Being a Calif car should not have had too much salt, and most rust is surface so easily dealt with. These make fun little customs which is what I would do with it. I was tempted when I saw it, but I am selling off my vehicles, not adding to the project list, but I bet someone will pull the trigger on this. On my LUV it always got tons of attention (I had a V8 stuffed in mine) but recently some 20 somethings saw mine on my farm and gushed and fawned all over it. Dont over estimate nostalgia, even if a cheap little import,,, they are now old and cool to many.
Any stepside mini truck was aftermarket. Remember seeing them in Truckin magazine.
those into the mini-truck explosion would snap it up. The 1s w/4 WD even quicker (LUV did havem). This 1 w/410 rear is for haulin not racin.
“Fun to drive” isn’t really the point, Jeff. That wasn’t their purpose.
The entire experience is a scream.
Old station wagons, sedans and hardtops aren’t exactly “fun to drive”. Nor are old trucks. Nor would the current Suburban I suspect.
Enjoying a vehicle for what it is is where the fun derives.
someone got excited to have this little Luv,, (That stepside just looks so GOOD!) Bidding ended at $1950
So,, so much for all the naysayers. (Neener neener neener!)
Interesting. But I am holding out for a good Rotary Powered Mazda compact pickup!!!!
I had a 77 luv truck bought it brand new was a lot of fun especially when you drop a V-8 in it
i have a 1977 chevy luv stepside,mine is low mileage,5 speed,sunroof and excellent running. wonder what the value is.i heard between 8,500 andn 10,500. just wondering.no one around here ever see any. i get a lot of attention when i go to town.especially from younger guys