The C/K Series of pickup trucks was built by General Motors from 1960 to 2002 and was marketed by both Chevrolet and GMC. The third generation of the “Rounded Line” had the longest tenure between 1973 and 1991. The seller has a decent Chevy workhorse in the form of a C20 (2-wheel-drive and 3/4-ton payload) with the longer wheelbase and bed, as well as Cheyenne trim. All with a more recently rebuilt big-block that’s ready to go to work. Located in Bakersfield, California, this cargo mover is available here on craigslist for $14,000 (thanks for the tip, Jack M).
As was typical before the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, the 1973 C/Ks were bigger than before (both inside and out). They had more creature comforts than before, too, as trucks were starting to compete with automobiles, as witnessed by the addition of crew cabs that could carry six persons. Changes were few from year to year, so the 1975 models (like the seller’s Cheyenne) were much like the 1973 editions.
This C20 is in okay shape overall. With at least 90,000 miles (the odometer is broken), the original engine is gone, having been replaced with a similar 454 cubic inch V8, the largest then available, and it was rebuilt in 2023. It was upgraded to deliver gasoline via fuel injection rather than carburetion. Paperwork for all of this work has been retained for the buyer.
The body looks good, as many of these trucks were known to rust away from the inside out. The bed has plenty of surface rust, which is typical of work trucks without bedliners (they wouldn’t become commonplace for several more years). This Chevy may have been owned by the seller’s father, as we’re told he sourced a parts catalog for the vehicle. If you are looking for a vintage truck for work and play, perhaps this C20 will be the one (but remember, these 454s are pretty thirsty).
Lots of these sold out west. The 454 was very popular and owners weren’t all that concerned that some of them got worse mileage than the farm 3-ton.
We sold a ’74 GMC 1500 and a 6500 to a customer. The customer came in one day and said that the 3-ton was more economical to the tune of 2 mpg. He added that the pickup didn’t have a gas tank; you just poured the gas on the ground.
I made somewhat of a liar out of him when I tweaked the carburetor and advance curve enough to get the truck up to the low teens.
1975 was a good year for GM trucks. The fuel economy was significantly better and most of the bugs were ironed out of the square bodies. But then,
within a couple of years the API changed the formula on engine oil and we started to have a lot of camshaft failures.
You would have to try hard to wear one of these out. Some of the best light trucks that GM made were produced right about this time. Only drawback is they would rust out above the rear wheel openings. It didn’t seem to matter who built the truck, they all did the same thing. However, that isn’t all that hard to fix.
My dad used to say that the front suspensions on these were so solid that they were made out of iron
Ha, ha, nice try, but I’m so over it, although, I still miss the truck, it’s why I bought it in the 1st place. I’ll tell me you straight up, you’d be a fool to spend this kind of money on one, I don’t care if the window sticker is intact. Look, they are great trucks, best ever, in fact, but 5 figures its not. The 454 is a great addition, but you’ll need both gas tanks. Gas shouldn’t be an issue, and it really was a well optioned truck. No remorse seeing the $14gs, I happen to know it’s all fluff, and I was happy with $2200. Sorry, I don’t know about you, but if I had the coin, in this case $14 grand, I’d have to think there are nicer classics to be had than a rough riding, gas a hoggin’, rattly door, pulls to the right, mid 70s pickumup, no?
Plenty of these Chev/GMC c/k’s in this shape around here in Colorado for half the price or less. Pricing might be a California thing.
I used to work at a Denver area Chevy dealer (Luby) and our used car manager would buy low mileage 454’s out of Texas and I used to “test drive” them on weekends. Stupid fast if you could get the tires to hook up. Looking back, those were really fun days!
The two tone treatment on the ’73 thru ’80 models are my absolute favorite, they way they accented the lines on the front fenders. My father had a ’73 with a 350 and indeed had a camshaft failure like Geomechs mentioned. His ’77 was a 350 with a 4 speed and was this primary color “Buckskin” . His was just the base model Custom Deluxe trim. This one having all its sheetmetal intact is astonishing. Both the ’73 ( worst) and the ’77( marginally better) had a lot of rust issues in the fenders and beds and they were both only 4 years old at the time he traded them in. It was very common for him to put about 100000 miles on them in those 4 years and other than the already mentioned camshaft issue on the ’77 they held up well. Both were 1 tons, both carried the family slide in camper AND towed his 20 foot cuddy cabin Reinell boat on family vacations ( it was a sight to be sure) but both trucks never complained. Lots of memories with this one.
Sorry, camshaft issue was the ’73 not the ’77.
Thanks for the memories… I had a friend in northern Maine whose family had a 454-powered 2wd in black with red interior and Keystone Klassic wheels. I seem to recall it was a C10 (half-ton), but either way, it was a prodigious consumer of fuel.
And one more thing… if you love Square Bodies, the Shin Pond Square Body Rally is the place for you: https://www.facebook.com/SPsquarebodyrally/
And those saddle tanks??
It’s only 2WD