Grandma Wants It Gone: 1972 Chevrolet C10 Pickup Project
This Chevy C10’s story is a bit of a sad one, but perhaps the next owner can finish the ground-up restoration that Grandpa, a deceased, retired professional mechanic, started several years ago and give this story a happy ending. We’re not told how long this C10 has been gathering dust, but long enough that Grandma wants it gone from the garage. There isn’t much history or background or when certain things were done to the pickup shared, but I’m assuming the seller will be able to answer those specific questions. One big plus is that the 350 small block V8 has been rebuilt and has only had 100 miles put on it.
The seller says that as part of the restoration, the frame was blasted and painted and the truck was repainted green at some point. With its current coating of dust, it’s hard to tell the quality of the paint job or the exact shade of green, but it looks presentable and shiny on the less dusty areas shown (the tailgate and rear fenders). I’m not spotting any rust or dents or defects, and the trim and glass look good also. The truck’s grill is obviously not the original.
Inside, the C10’s interior shows an instrument panel with gauge panels removed and wires of many colors awaiting reconnection. A photo also shows the passenger side door panel is missing. The non-original black bench seat with the diamond-shaped pattern in the stitching looks cool to me as does the non-original steering wheel. Being a black interior, an AC would be welcomed – especially in Texas where this truck is located – and the chrome AC outlets really pop against the black dash.
The front fender trim has a 350 badge on it. I’m assuming this was the C10’s original 350-cubic inch V8 engine that was rebuilt by the former owner and driven only 100 miles. The seller states that Grandpa had driven the C10 around the neighborhood and to the gas station a few times before it went back up on jacks and restoration resumed. It’s paired with a three-speed on the column manual transmission. This 1972 Chevrolet C10 is located in Willis, Texas, and can be found here on eBay, where bidding has reached $7,500 so far, but is shy of the seller’s reserve. The seller also says that “all parts you can find in the garage go with it.” Here’s hoping the next owner can finish Grandpa’s restoration project, get this cool pickup back on the road, and most importantly – make Grandpa (as well as Grandma) happy campers.
Comments
Wonder if she’s going to change the name of the garage after it’s gone, haha.
Non-running, unknown build quality, dash torn apart, long bed, covered in dust, on jack stands hasn’t run in who knows how long, and the reserve hasn’t been met at $7,500. Grandma must not be in too big of a hurry to see it go.
Good luck to the next owner.
Steve R
Auction ended with a high bid of $8,000, did not meet reserve.
Steve R
Would be nicer if it was all together. Almost the same thing whether it’s half apart or half together.
It is a long box, even though they try to hide it!
I don’t get the hatred for long bed pickups. I had a ’72 C10 as my only vehicle for 12 years or so and was called on a lot to help move long things by people whose friends only had the “preferred” short bed.
Older truck, like this are rarely used for actual work, they are typically used for car shows and other car adjacent activities with occasional light hauling thrown into the mix. It’s not “hate” it’s more about aesthetics. Prices reflect that, short beds sell for significantly more money. Many ads, like the two pickup’s featured on this site yesterday never mention bed length and were photographed to obscure bed length. This trucks price doesn’t merit a high price based on its presentation in the ad, that has little or nothing to do with bed length.
How long ago were you using your 72 to haul things for your friends? If it were to happen today you’d likely be driving a more modern truck, which is what you see at todays work sites, not 40-50 year old pickups. I don’t recall seeing any negative reaction when later model long bed trucks, 3/4 ton or 4 x 4’s are featured, just 60’s and 70’s 1/2 tons. The buyers of each type has a different set of priorities.
Steve R
Playing Devil’s advocate here: LOVE me a long bed on many of these older rigs. I feel like it gives the truck a sense of purpose and presence, particularly if it is work-scarred.
That all said, too questions with this one. Most poignant, how many puzzles have you bought at the church rummage sale that were not missing pieces?
I used it from about 1995 until 2007. Got it from my grandfather. I’m not comparing it to new trucks. I know that’s a different animal. I was an outlier with a 20-plus-year-old daily driver then.
Steve, Exactly !
Some dude in a ‘62 Ford p-cup (long bed) went past me eastbound on the 202 in Central Phoenix this am…
With some painting gear in the back, still workin!
I was in my ‘16 Ram 3500 crew cab/long bed heading to another job…
Lol
Reason why the reserve is higher than the current $7,500 high bid is because some dealer is selling this for Grandma. This vehicle could possibly be returned to the road as a nice condition truck by the right person. But it will need a good deal of work to finish and in its current condition it is a bit of a “pig in a poke”. Oh and I am one of the minority who prefers the long bed profile on a pickup.