For those seeking a way to go fast without breaking the bank, this 1969 Chevrolet C10 seems like a good bet, plus you also get the convenience of a pickup. This one is more go than show, but it appears fairly solid overall, plus you won’t have to worry about any additional wear and tear appearing on the panels. Other than those Hoosier tires out back and a hole in the hood, this Chevy is pretty much a sleeper outside, but mechanically, it’s all business. This one’s located in Saint Paul, Nebraska, and can be found here on eBay, where the current bid has only risen to $620, with the reserve not yet reached. It’s safe to say that amount will likely continue increasing, but this truck is also available for purchase right now at $10,500, if you just can’t wait to become the next owner.
The heartbeat here is a blueprinted 355 engine, which the seller says is making 400 horsepower. Although there’s no breakdown of the specific parts inside that make this one tick, a pair of Hooker headers is always promising to find, and that hole above the carburetor was once home to a blower sticking up through the hood. Adding another is always a possibility, or just enjoying the power that’s already being produced sounds OK as well. There’s also a strong Turbo 400 transmission of the TCI StreetFighter variety, a 2,200 RPM stall converter, and a 12-bolt rear end with 4.11 gears inside, so the motor has plenty of good company surrounding it.
Even with all this high-performance equipment, this one’s still a practical choice, as it can be driven on the street in addition to the race track. Mid-12 to 13-second runs have consistently been achieved in competition, but this Chevy looks like it would be equally fun to go cruising in or even drive to an occasional show. The exterior has some patina and a handful of areas showing light rust, so making a few body repairs and applying fresh paint would certainly take the appearance up a notch. However, I probably wouldn’t do a thing here, except maybe swap the hood if I decided against reinstalling a supercharger.
A few mods have been made inside, including the addition of several aftermarket gauges, and I’m particularly fond of that rugged B&M shifter. It’s also fun to find a tilt steering column. There’s a lot of difference between the present high bid of $620 and the buy-it-now price of $10,500, so it’ll be interesting to watch and see how much this one sells for. Is there anything you’d change about this 1969 Chevrolet C10, or is it more than adequate as-is?
Looks like some sturdy gear on-board this Chev. Mid 12s down the quarter is a quick ride for sure. 👍 🏁
Um,,,I don’t think so. Mid 12s are incredibly tough to attain, and this truck doesn’t have “it” to do so. It’s too heavy, it’s still a truck. Don’t get me wrong, I bet it sets you back, but I’d say more like mid 13s, and no shame in that. Now if it did have a puffer, maybe, but with the ghastly riches these apparently sell for, not sure many in the (near) future want a dragster pickup.
It’s not hard to get a truck like this to run 12’s. It’s about power to weight and getting traction. These aren’t that heavy, especially when you compare it to cars like the modern Charger, Challenger, Mustang GT and Camaro. There are full size trucks that run this quick or quicker at my local track nearly every time they open the gates, in fact there is a 68-72 short bed fleetside, like this that been bracket racing for 20+ years that runs mid-10’s. It’s not necessarily the preferred platform for most racers, but the sight of a quick full sized truck going down the track is common.
Steve R
My vote’s with Steve he speaks with authority here.
Right. The hood hole is a big give away…355 cu in with 400hp in a 4000 lb truck does not equal mid 12’s I don’t think.
Unless the blower was terribly underdriven, the static compression ratio is going to be about 7:1 on this 350. Very inefficient and dubiously capable of taking a 4k lb brick into the 12s in 1320′.
Yeah, I’d want to see the engine specs on this one. Was this engine built for the huffer and then it was removed or was that an entirely different engine?
A perfectly great truck turned into a race truck…what a waste
Sorry fellas, but what am I missing here? This is truly one for the “have to touch, feel, squeeze” slots in life. Have fun ya’ll!
It’s at $2,550 right now, with auction running until tomorrow. I’d have to see a 12 second timing slip before I’d believe it’s that fast. Looks like his dial in time on the window is 13.7, and I think THAT’s optimistic. Regardless, swap in a 3.55 rear end and fix the hood and you’d have a pretty stout and fun driver.
Very mild cam in it. I’d be surprised if it ran 13.7 as the dial in on the window shows. Still a solid truck!
I’d kick that engine to the curbside and sell it if any takers on it. The truck looks to have solid bones, I’d bring it back to life for what it was intended, work and everyday driver.
No pics of timeslips?
The interior needs a lot of work and the body has some rusted through spots. Bidding ended at $2,550 ~ $8,000 under what he wanted.