This 1977 Chevrolet C-10 pickup is a gently modded survivor, with mileage believed to be on the low end at just 26,089. The seller has done well to continue preserving this truck, with some milds mods that are the kind most future owners will appreciate. The truck is the preferred short-box design, and looks like perfect on Rally wheels with fresh rubber. Check it out here on eBay with a Buy-It-Now of $17,500 and the reserve remains unmet.
The seller mentions that the previous owner – the first and only – claimed the mileage was genuine and that the odometer hadn’t rolled over. It’s really impossible to say without a paper trail, but the body does look quite nice and the chrome bumpers still shine nicely. No dings or dents are evident, and the seller notes the A/C is still ice cold.
The interior also looks like new, with very little evidence of sun fading and a bench seat that looks showroom fresh. The woodgrain trim around the gauge cluster also looks minty, as does the factory steering wheel. The seller says the Chevy has been in Hamilton, Texas, for most of its life, and fortunately that ruthless Texas sun hasn’t done any damage to the cabin.
As mentioned, some mild tweaks have been made under the hood – and honestly, the cosmetics here are the biggest let down of the entire truck, considering how clean the rest of it is. The seller has installed an RV cam with headers and dual exhaust, so this otherwise stock C10 likely sounds pretty tough at the moment. Is the Buy-It-Now a pipe dream or a possible sale price?
Another very nice unit, something that will give the new owner very good service. I would like to have a look at the VIN tag on this truck. It looks like something that left the factory with the light-duty suspension package. We always ordered pickups with the F-44 package which included heavy suspension, exhaust valve rotators, and 4-bolt mains; it not only made it a little heavier but it also exempted the catalytic converter (until 01/01/79) unless you were in CA. I’m somewhat skeptical of the posted mileage as the wear on the brake pedal tells me that it’s on the second time around. JMHO so I don’t want to start WWIII. Rough running with an RV cam? I’ve installed dozens of them and never experienced a rough idle. But I guess it would depend on the cam. I never saw much use for headers unless you were out on the race track so if the stock manifolds are still there, and I bought this truck, they would be going right back on. Of course, the manifolds for this era always tended to warp from normal heating and cooling so when you took the bolts out, the outer ends would spring inwards. You could either replace them or just bore the bolt holes out one size and use heavy machine washers. Normally I’m not usually this critical but I felt like I should say something…
Sounds legit! And I agree with the exhaust manifold assessment.
There was another solution on this style of exhaust manifold when they warped like this. You could simply spread them back out. I used a number of different methods to do this but they ended up making a specific little jack screw type tool to do it that worked well. I alway thought they’d end up cracking when spreading them back out but I never had one crack.
You are always interesting and informative geomechs, just a dumb question, but why would they build an engine without valve rotators? Just a question that has bugged me for awhile.
And another question geomechs. What are valve rotartors? Never heard of them, kind of makes me think muffler bearing.
Hi guys. First of all, exhaust valve rotators are a method of opening the valves by either allowing a slight clearance between the end of the valve and the keeper to allow the valve to be free when it’s open. This is accomplished either by a cap that fits over the valve that presses against the spring seat. There are some positive rotators that utilize a series of ramps and steel balls within the spring seat to positively turn the valve a specified number of degrees each time it opens. For some manufacturers it saves money not using valve rotators. Of course, when the load gets heavier it becomes necessary to rotate them to maintain the seat and ward off deposits. I hope that answers both your questions. I can tell you some interesting stories about engines that should’ve had them but didn’t…
Well DO tell those stories geomechs! I’m all ears for anything you might say.
I’d like to see the original carpet under that aftermarket floor mat, too.
leiniedude, Valve rotators are used on exhaust valves to enable the valves to rotate as they open and close. This helps to reduce hot spots that can cause them to burn through. Great to have in heavy duty and towing applications.
There is a tool specifically for this issue:
https://www.jbtools.com/lisle-13000-exhaust-manifold-spreader-for-chevys/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5rbsBRCFARIsAGEYRwcKlIQa7fHmlbtPS_gd6pBYZdIN2L61-iR9IbEAWOMUnkBEfsW5nT8aAtd4EALw_wcB
I worked for a GM dealer for a number of years and I was never aware of a special tool for that. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention when I should have been…
I agree with you on the rough running with an “RV” cam, I’ve also installed many of them with no issues. I’ve also taken warped exhaust manifolds to a good machine shop and had them milled flat again. As far as the worn brake pedal pad, the only thing I can say is if the mileage is true, the truck was mostly used for in town driving. That’ll wear out pedal pads very quickly.
Cool truck! I think for that money the seller needs more/better photos.
Cool rig….the engine bay sure doesn’t look like a 26k mile original texas truck. Still very cool none the less!
It truly irritates me when sellers don’t include a pic of the spid label, a truck in this condition will definately still have it and it will reveal what we’re looking at.
For being this nice I’m surprised it isn’t in one of the typical 70s intestine colors – judging by my 77 Chevy exterior color booklet I guess it is #71 Red Metallic. It is indeed a nice survivor, but I have no beliefs in the 26k miles claim. This C10 has obviously been used as a car rather than a truck, keeping it tidy with such easy usage should be no problem for a caring owner.
I really hope the squarebody market has not become so hot that someone will hit BIN – however being a short box I can see it sell in the 12-13K range
I had one same year and short wheelbase, 305 with a two barrel carb and non over drive transmission. It got 12 mpg and short box only had a 12 gallon gas tank. So at one quarter tank you had better find a gas station or you would be walking. You could watch it rust around all four finders and the rockers. I had a minor finder bender and I bet 100 pounds of rust fell out, left a red stain on the road for a month. The short wheel base is not preferred by people who use and work out of a truck, I’ll take the long wheelbase every time.
Just a guess, but I think in ten years we all may be kicking ourselves for not snapping these short box 2wd’s, even at these inflated prices. Why no pic’s of the bed floor? That usually reveal’s what kind of life it led.
This truck is for sale in Hutto, Tx, around 30 miles from me. Unfortunately it is listed for about twice what I feel it is worth.