This 1983 Jeep J10 Honcho is said to be quite the desirable piece of kit, according to the seller, who pegs it as being one of the rarest trucks in the world at the moment. There are a few reasons for this, starting with the fact that the Honcho was never made in extreme quantities to begin with, and because this truck combines a short bed with the stepside feature and the optional 360 V8, an uncommon find in a field full of trucks with inline-sixes. The seller doesn’t mention it, but it also comes with an optional roll bar. Overall, it’s a neat piece but it has rust issues, and even with the rarity factored in, I wouldn’t necessarily drag this home over a Ford Lightning or SRT Ram. If you would, then check it out there on craigslist in the San Francisco Bay Area with an $8,000 asking price. Thanks to Barn Finds reader T.J. for the find.
The J10 certainly looks tough with its flared fenders and ready-to-pounce stance, and it’s shocking to see the original decals still intact. The Honcho is one of a handful of special trims that Jeep offered the J10 in, with the others including the sought-after Golden Eagle package and the other a very rarely seen “10-4” edition that came with a standard CB radio. While I generally despite packages that offer nothing in the way of actual mechanical improvements and instead rely on visuals alone, I have to give Jeep credit: they did a nice job of making the trucks seem truly unique. The decal packages were quite detailed and with three distinct models to choose from, these kits made it a thrill to wander down to your local Jeep store.
The seller is correct that many Jeep trucks from this era came with the venerable inline-six, so it’s a treat to find a 360 under the hood. The Jeep still runs, but the seller doesn’t go so far as to say it’s driving. The engine bay presents well for a truck that hasn’t been restored, and the Honcho’s bad boy image is crying out for a couple of Flowmaster mufflers bolted on. The seller doesn’t talk much about the truck’s history but does disclose that the frame rust is bad enough that he’s including a replacement frame in the sale that’s already been powdercoated. Thankfully, the body is said to be free from any major rot, but there are signs of rust-through on the lower sills.
The interior isn’t bad for what it is, but it clearly needs total restoration. The carpets are gone, revealing what looks like very clean floors underneath; I don’t believe those seats are original equipment, but they could be factory buckets sporting a non-standard upholstery pattern. You could get the desirable Levi’s trim inside these trucks, which this one may very well have had it given it has the optional roll bar and because the Levi’s upholstery was the only other major factory upgrade. The frame rust is a bummer, but given how complete this rare J10 Honcho otherwise is, it deserves a shot at being restored – but do you agree with the seller’s assessment that it’s a $100,000 truck once restored?
The seats are upholstered in a stock Jeep pattern for this era, according to brochures.
I’ve had 2 J10 Honcho step sides. That is definitely the correct material and pattern for a J10. Those are the same seats as my 1982 Silver J10 Honcho.
Rarest truck in the world? A bit of puffery on the part of the seller BUT this is a rare truck for sure. AMC/Jeep was almost done with the J truck in 83 mostly because the sales numbers were just plain sad. Honchos in general are rare, but in a sportside configuration they’re 10x more rare The sportside fenders are made of unobtanium and there weren’t that many sportside trucks made at all let alone in a Honcho. Hmm, maybe the seller is right after all ;) 8K ask with a good spare frame is pretty cheap if it runs and isn’t too bashed up (imo)
These full size Jeep pickups are cool. I much prefer the j20 3/4 ton models personally.
So what part of the Bay was it pulled from??
So what part of the Bay was it pulled from??
That was the truck that they used to escape from Alcatraz the birdman drove that truck right off the rock itself that’s what part of bay I think it came from LOL
It may be a rare truck but not a hundred thousand dollars rare, LOL! It would be a neat beater for sure, looks rugged and all but that 360 has got to be half strangled by emissions equipment and very lean settings for those years. A brush/trail offroad kinda thing is what I see.
Agree Troy. It would be a welcome addition to any club 4×4 ride and a good vehicle for hunting , pile up some deer 🦌 in the bed.
I have a 78 D150 Utline Shorbed, and the Jeep bed looks a lot like mine. That style of bed was unchanged (literally!) from the late 40s to the mid 80s. I think Jeep was pulling from the corporate parts bin.
Nice truck… if it was closer, I’d buy it. I have a 360 and a 440 in my garage looking for a home. MOPAR trucks seem to have largely escaped the ridiculous selling prices of the car lines!
“One of the rarest trucks in the world at the moment.”
And if the rust monster continues eating it, it’ll be even rarer.
Not a Mopar truck and not a Mopar 360
Mitch – I wasn’t sure when the MOPAR takeover of Jeep happened, so I guess I was mistaken.
AMC 360,AMC truck.
Another person who thinks they have a diamond in the ruff, ruff! If these trucks are selling for $100K this one must be worth at least $20K.
RARE does not necessarily mean DESIRABLE!
I will take DESIRABLE over RARE any day of the week!
This is where the Honcho stepside tops all trucks ever made! Rare And desirable!
“Honcho” literally means, head, boss, group leader, but also took on the meaning of big shot, loud mouth, big wheel, muckety-muck, etc. Somebody in the board room thought that would be a perfect name for their pickups, and even better, the management went for it. Honcho, what a silly name, emblazoned on the side. I drive a “Honcho”, that ought to get the chicks, the salesman said, anyway, they were poor vehicles, a mere shred of the Kaiser. Hardly a Honcho,,
Troy, take your fingers and Google; Jeep Heritage, find the stepside Honcho and then come back here and give us all an update!
Are you referring to JeepHeritage dot Com? If so, those are some nice Jeeps! I am not a fan of fancy graphics, and have removed them from several vehicles. But the J-10 Honcho got it right. Fortunately we all have unique tastes. I would love to have a J-10 Honcho. The blue & gold color scheme is perfect. I would be tempted to swap in a later 5 speed manual, and run aftermarket EFI on a 390. Although I wouldn’t shy away from a well built 4.0 (4.2 stroker) with EFI. We must ignore those who read too much into everything and want to tell you what your opinion should be.
Rarest pickup in the world? Thank God seeing one is more than enough!
Well Karl just because you will never own one ( and we know you want one) doesn’t mean you should crush the hopes of Millions of people. Yes, I agree seeing one is a blessing in itself.