Looking like it’s been through a sandblaster, this formerly Turquoise 1966 Chevrolet C20 3/4-ton Fleetside has a unique look for sure. The seller has it posted here on eBay in the hometown of not just former football great Frank Gifford, but also country music legends Merle Haggard and Buck Owens: Bakersfield, California. They have a buy-it-now price of $8,000 listed if you just can’t wait, otherwise, the current bid price is $3,050, but the reserve hasn’t been met.
Even this pooch likes the look (or at least the smell) of this C20. This side of it looks great to me, and I’m a big, big fan of the single-headlight Chevy pickups from the first generation of the C/K-Series. The weird thing about all of that “patina” (surface rust) is that this truck looks rock solid. I don’t see any rust holes or issues at all, so if a person wanted to paint it, it shouldn’t be a big chore. It sure looks solid. The seller has done a great job with photos, even including several underside shots. This truck was built in Fremont, California, according to the VIN.
Derek Bieri of the former Vice Grip Garage (which still has a YouTube channel) sells “Shine Juice,” and this truck looks like it’s wearing a gallon of it. I’d want to bring it back to its former beautiful turquoise glory, but that’s just me. I know this look is big right now. The wheels and tires are 100% perfect, in my opinion, but who cares about my opinion? It’s no more valid than someone who wants to “tub” this truck and put giant wheels and tires on it, and leave it rusty. I mean, patina’y. Here’s what the bed looks like, by the way. It appears to be plywood under that diamond plate floor, I’d want to redo that to a factory-correct floor.
The classic beige (fawn?) interior goes well with the turquoise exterior, or when it was turquoise, in the pre-sun-burnt era. I’d have to redo the seat in a nice period-correct fabric and lose the 1950s-looking vinyl with turquoise piping seat cover that’s on there now. Even a blanket seat cover would be better, but that’s just me. The Custom trim level had a nice fabric seat, and I’d go that route. The big thing here is the four-speed manual and floor shifter, though, at least for those of us who like to do our own shifting.
The engine is Chevy’s 250-cu.in. OHV inline-six with 155 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque when new. It appears to have been rattle-can-restored a bit, in blue rather than orange? They say it runs good and the four-speed manual sends power to the rear wheels. Would you redo this C20 or just keep it maintained and use it as is?
Well, I think this C20 would look best if it was Turquoise again. It looks like a solid old truck. Just needs this and that and…. fresh paint. GMC tailgate?
I went down a rabbit hole concerning Shine Juice (by the way, what a terrific name). I looked up its technical specs. It is made up of stoddard solvent. I hadn’t heard that term in decades. I’m sure “stoddard” was used in the oil fields of my youth. AI says it is used as a general cleaner, degreaser, and paint thinner.
Good find and write-up Scotty.
You know…. Bob…. They get 50 percent credit with the GMC tailgate because the paint actually matches!!!
-Dave
This is one of my favorite generations of Chevy/GMC. I’m a little surprised at a 3/4 ton not having a 292 straight six instead under “The Power Barn” as Derek likes to say. This shade of turquoise is my absolute favorite color on these, and if I ever get a chance to own one, thats the color it needs to be. The body looks very solid. The hub caps are from the early to mid 70’s but I’d keep them, at least until being able to source a set of original ones. I’m like Scotty, I like originality, and I’d go that route with this one. I like it a lot. Great write up Scotty, thank you very much!!!
Oh shoot, you could be right, Dave! I was looking at the Wiki chart, and stopped at the 250-six when I saw it was for 1966. Then two spaces down is the 292, also for 1966, son of a ___ (gun). Sorry about that!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_C/K_(first_generation)
Although just being a total lame goofball, looking at the air cleaner, it looks like a 250 according to the six pics on page 7 of this brochure:
https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/1966-Chevrolet-Truck-Chassis-Cabs.pdf
Hopefully Geo will chime in; he’s worked on well over a million of these (give or take).
Hey Scotty I wasn’t disagreeing with you about the 250 I think you are right. I think its actually surprising you could get the 250 up to the 1 tons. I was just saying I was surprised it wasn’t a 292. That looks like a 250 air cleaner according to the brochure ( glad you posted that btw). Thank you again for all the time and resesrch you put into your write ups ( actually all the Barnfinds staff while I’m at it).
You are way too generous, Dave. I should have caught that, and every time you or anyone else mentions things like that, we (well, I) learn to spend the extra time to try to get it right. I hate missing dumb things like that, thanks for mentioning that!