If you like your restomod trucks to look stock, but have huge amounts of power on tap, look no further than this 1971 Chevrolet C10 Custom Sport with a built 502-cubic-inch V-8 under the hood. It’s on eBay in Austin, Texas with a $69,900 or best offer asking price and lots of time left. Thanks, Rocco B for the tip.
The car is said to be in the hands of its original owner, and only has 30,000 total miles on it. It’s believable that this Texas truck was always garaged. Now that the new motor is bedded in, it “fires right up and drives wonderfully.”
The Chevrolet Performance 502 big block has 3,000 miles on the road. This powerhouse of an engine makes 508 horsepower and is power-enhanced all the way—bored and stroked, with a forged crankshaft, forged connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons, hydraulic roller cam, and 9.6:1 compression.
It goes on, with a Speed Demon 750 four-barrel carburetor (don’t buy the truck if you care about fuel economy), high-rise intake manifold, K&N air cleaner, headers, dual exhaust, chromed alternator, upgraded oil cooler, and even an aftermarket transmission temperature gauge.
The visually unassuming truck shifts through a 700R4 4-speed transmission with overdrive (TH400). There’s a 12-bolt rear and 3.42 gears. The front power brakes are disc, the rear drums. Helping the Chevy go around corners—not always a selling point of American vehicles of this era—are a front sway bar and rear traction bar. It has 15-inch wheels shod with BF Goodrich rubber.
That’s the factory tuxedo black paint, still in very good condition, as is all the original chrome, including the bumpers. These upmarket trucks had an exterior fake wood band, and that’s in good nick also. The factory tinted glass is unblemished, and all the weatherstripping has been replaced.
The interior has a western hand-tooled saddle look, and it’s original, with black buckets and a center console. The 6X9 door speakers and GM-branded AM/FM radio with cassette don’t appear to be original. My source says, “1971 was the first year for AM/FM radios factory installed,” but with cassette players? I don’t think you could get one of those until 1980.
The buyer must have ticked every box, or some of this was added later: Power steering and brakes, air conditioning (that blows cold) and a tilt wheel. This is a “turn-key C10 ready to enjoy,” and it’s a “well-cared-for example with tasteful performance upgrades.” It’s hard to argue with that.
I like it.
This is one nice looking truck, both inside and outside..great looks and the power to go with it. I’ve always liked this series. One thing I would question is if the transmission has been beefed up to handle all that power, also I’d add power brakes, regardless…I’d like to have this truck in my garage, all I have to do is win the lottery!
If money were no object, sigh.
Love it, sharp truck for sure, but not letting on there’s 500hp lurking. 😎
IDK why the seller lists the transmission as a TH700R4 (TH400). Those are two completely different transmissions. They share Dexron fluid, but that’s it. The other odd thing is he mentions a rear “traction bar”. It’s a coil spring truck arm suspension, with a “track bar”, a necessary component for truck arm suspension. It’s not some kind of upgrade. Really great truck with A/C though!
This truck has me sold, except on two things (well, 3 things if you’re looking at the asking price; it’s above my paygrade): I’m not a big fan of headers; they raise engine bay temperatures to nuclear meltdown levels. You can get good exhaust flow with Super Sport manifolds.
I’m also not a big fan of the 700 R4 transmission. I know, they’ve made some good improvements over the ’82/’83 version but I seriously doubt 500 hp worth. However, a straight TH 400 is good.
Overall these were a good truck. Lots of them out west. God knows we ran lots of them through our shop for various things.
We got a bulletin from GM talking about automatic transmission failure due to electrolysis. Well, the very next morning, a Chevy C-10 with a 402/TH400 came in on a hook. The driveshaft slip yoke was plated with brass, so we knew what we were looking for: a heavily damaged transmission. Saw that on Fords and Chryslers over the years as well.
Quite a lot of damage can occur when your lights have to ground through the frame, rear axle, driveshaft and transmission. Just like the bulletin said; the auxiliary ground at the negative battery cable was broken…
What I don’t understand, and see a lot from Texas restomods, is an enormous overpowered engine….with no seatbelts/should harness or head rest restraints. This truck is a death trap….as much as I love this 67-72 body style for Chevy/GMC pickups.
Problem is, there aren’t any regulations requiring more than the original factory safety equipment. Some of these street rockets need full restraints, plus boots, gloves, Darth Vader helmets, and firesuits. Maybe a little parachute in the rear…
Geomechs, I’m pretty sure that seat belts and head rests became standard in 67. When I worked in a Chevy dealership in the summer of 67 I think I recall seat belts in all of the new cars, and the 68s came in August which had them too. This is a 71 and I think they were standard by 71. My new 72 Corolla had both belts and head rests. So, I don’t think it’s the lack of regs, but more something else….boneheaded obstinance and a Darwin award in the offing.
This truck has seatbelts they are visible in a couple of pictures, as for head rests they were not mandated on light trucks until 1991.
Steve R
Yes you get a lot of under hood heat with a set of headers. But those big cubic inches deserve a set to make good power. There are many coatings nowadays that can be applied to headers, to drastically lower the under hood temperatures.
Is this love that I’m feeling? Ours was a ’72 Cheyenne 20 with a 402. Could really set the pace. This should walk away from it when you get it to hook up. I like the Custom Deluxe interior but have to ask, did someone make a smaller diameter steering wheel? This one doesn’t look as big as stock.
With 500hp in an old school pickup truck without traction control? You’ll be doing a whole lot of “sit and spin!”
No doubt you would be hard pressed to find one better or nicer and the price reflects that. A new truck would be more, which do you want?
I have one of these but it’s a 1970 with a mild 350, pb, pw, A/C. Painted black w/ gold flake. Great running and driving truck.
I would have loved an underside look especially if there is a sway bar in the in the rear.
Don’t think I would be asking $69,900
Nice truck for sure!!
If it’s a CST where are the door badges?
The interior is Custom Deluxe. CST was until 1970.
Looks like the black short box from the movie Dazed and Confused.
This body style really looks good with a nice Black paint job.