Advice on buying 69 C10 Pickup

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This is what happens when you randomly look at Craigslist for vehicles older than 1980 :)

Doing just so, I found a 1969 Chevrolet C10 pickup. Looks very clean and original in the pictures, although I wish he/she had more pictures of the engine bay and interior. Has the 292 cu in inline 6, 4 speed manual transmission, 2 wheel drive, long bed. Compared to other trucks that are in the same price range, seems like a lot of them have parts installed from later year model trucks, such as steering columns, steering wheels, radios, seats, instrument clusters, etc. all of which in my eye de-value the truck.

Looking to only drive it in nice weather when no salt are on the roads.

Any tips I should know about these trucks before I go look? I know (I think anyway) the basics to look at any truck, but any particular problems with these trucks? Seems pretty simple.

Although no longer listed on Craigslist, he had it for sale on there for $18,500 so I wouldn't offer any more than that. Seems to be a reasonable price based on what KBB, sold for prices on Ebay, etc. What are your thoughts?

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For Sale: 1969 Chevrolet C10 in Cadillac, Michigan

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Seems high for a long bed, at least to me.

But if you like it, go for it. They are good trucks.
 
From whats shown in the photos the truck looks very clean .
As you mentioned photos of the engine bay and under carriage would be nice.
If the truck shows that well in person $18500 is not unreasonable for an unmolested vehicle .
 
drtyler said:
Seems high for a long bed, at least to me.

But if you like it, go for it. They are good trucks.
Click to expand...

I agree, but these trucks are crazy right now. I posted a fake options nut and bolt "restoration" 4x4 short bed that was on Bring A Trailer, and I think that went for $70-80K.

I think this truck has surely been repainted, and the seat material is not original, but at this price point that doesn't matter.

My former boss had a '72 that was in much worse shape and much less original than this truck, and it was insured for I think $12K or so. It had been resto-modded in the early 1990s with a ZZ4 crate motor, new red & white paint, and the typical stuff like rally wheels. It was daily driven through the 1990s, then sat after 2003 and began to deteriorate again. We revived it somewhat back around 2016-17 and it's a driver now, but with some issues. Probably worth roughly its insurance value. It has some rust around the edges of the roof, and it always needs something fixed, but it's a nearly 50 year old truck that's never gone through a truly comprehensive restoration, just major refreshes.

I don't think the price is a steal, but people have always loved this generation of GM truck and they will be popular for years to come.
 
The 292 will like fuel. It’s basically a farm truck engine/trans combo but for just tooling around it will do. I assume first gear is a “granny gear” for pulling. So basically it’s three forward gears for normal driving. Buy it right and invest in a 350 crate coupled to a 350 THM trans and it’s a sweet ride. Check on rear end ratio also. Some of those built that way (for pulling) came with 4.10 ratio. That’s not what you want just for puttering around 292 or otherwise.
 
When someone says this truck has absolutley no rust, I just don't buy it. The metal was so bad on these trucks right out of the factory. Between my own trucks of this vintage and all that I parted out when I owned my wrecking yard, I just find it hard to believe. While it appears to be a very clean truck, you will have options in that price range unless you really want a 2wd, 6cyl, longbed.
 
Considering where it is from, I would be highly sceptical of the claim "This truck has a perfect straight body with zero rust".
 
Thats way overpriced for what it is. Doesn’t even have the stainless steel window trim. I didn’t see a clear picture of the interior but it looks like this truck didn’t even have A/C. If this truck is truly rust free then it’s worth about $11k. A restored fully loaded 67-72 will fetch $25k-$30k mind you.
 
wag123 said:
Considering where it is from, I would be highly sceptical of the claim "This truck has a perfect straight body with zero rust".
Click to expand...
I bought one from Wyoming years ago with no rust. In fact I saw several from Wyoming/Montana that had no rust.
 
stower17 said:
I bought one from Wyoming years ago with no rust. In fact I saw several from Wyoming/Montana that had no rust.
Click to expand...
Chevy trucks from that era were well known for having rust problems, even in Texas. A close friend of mine had a 72 short bed which was located in Odessa Texas (West Texas) all of it's life that he inherited from his dad, the cab was rusty on it.
 
wag123 said:
Chevy trucks from that era were well known for having rust problems, even in Texas. A close friend of mine had a 72 short bed which was located in Odessa Texas (West Texas) all of it's life that he inherited from his dad, the cab was rusty on it.
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Surely you don’t think I’m that naive... Of course I know the Texas trucks rust out, I’ve lived here my whole life so I know that.

The problem with “Texas trucks” is they get caked full of dirt in the rockers and elsewhere on the truck, and the inevitable rain in Texas creates the perfect environment for rust.

The trucks that I looked at in Montana/Wyoming had no rust. They were caked full of dirt but I’m assuming they didn’t drive in rain often. Not sure about the climate in those states but I’m guessing there isn’t much rain or humidity.
 
Thanks for the feedback from everyone. I agree, it definitely isn't worth the $22.5k he is asking, not sure about the $18.5k he was asking on Craigslist. He had on Craigslist a few times, but never for the full period, was always deleted by the author then reposted. I'm guessing too many people either trying to scam him, lowball him without looking at the truck, tire kickers, etc. I sold a vehicle years ago on Craigslist, for a classic truck I'd rather have it on a car website and avoid the hassle of dealing with flaky people.

I looked at auction results from Mecum, and yes the restored C10 shortbed can bring $25-30k (or more) and the somewhat nice looking and original trucks were in the mid-teens. Hagerty Insurance car value shows $19,600 for a fleetside 250 ci engine in excellent condition, $11,800 for a truck in good condition. With the long bed I'm sure that is a discount.

I also agree its not an original truck in terms of paint job and it could have been repaired for rust in the past, but if done right, like what the truck appears to be including interior, I think that is great actually. Haven't ever repainted a car, but I hear a good paint job runs in the $3k to $5k range, so that is worth something. I just like the fact it isn't modified with newer parts because they were cheaper. Plan to bring a magnet to check for Bondo.

Looks wise, yes there are far better looking trucks, but I grew up on a farm, plan to have a farm in the future, and I like things that are a little different, so the truck suits me okay. Plus it's clean. I'm just looking to purchase an older vehicle that isn't too expensive, is mostly original, and something I can learn on as everything I have messed with is modern.

Also this truck is local, only about 20 miles away from me. So if it doesn't look like it does in the pictures, then I'm out 2 hours of my time and $10 in gas, so that is worth something.

Anything else I would need to be aware of? Definitely needs to have a clean title.
 
Given that its local, carefully check it out to form your own opinion of the shape the car is in as well as its value. We are all just guessing here.

Test drive it to ensure that either it is suitable for your expected useage either highway or local roads. I also expect that first gear is a granny gear on that truck. If it isn't suitable for your driving useage, figure out how much more you will need to invest (and how long it will take) to get it suitable with a different drive train, brakes, suspension or steering.
 
I'm impressed it still has the side marker lights. Those had just come out and were ugly so everyone (it seems) ripped them out and filled the holes. Gives it a nice originality vibe. You might want to see if it has front drum brakes-- those are a... different driving experience.

I would not use KBB to value a 50+ year old classic. They shouldn't even be in that business, IMO. Too much variability.

Like everyone else said, if you want it, get it. If the rust and interior aren't a problem nearly everything else just bolts in. The Carquest three miles from me still has mechanical parts for my 66 Biscayne and you shouldn't have any issues either.

PS I suspect the truck is now for sale through a dealer/ broker working on commission. Private seller must have gotten tired of the lookie-loos. You'd be paying an extra four grand for nothing.
 
Last edited:
Love these years of trucks! Besides inspecting the heck out of it-it’s worth a shot! It’s a good looking truck...though those wheels gotta go.....
 
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