Patina Pickup: 1972 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne
If you’re the sort of enthusiast who is attracted to a classic with loads of exterior character, but with a spotless interior and plenty of power under the right foot, you may find this 1972 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne irresistible. Don’t be fooled by the weathered paint, because below the surface beats a heart of gold, while its interior should make life pleasant on long journeys. To describe the interest as intense is an understatement, so why not take a look to see what all the fuss is about?
Chevrolet marketed its Second Generation C/K range between 1967 and 1972, with our feature C10 Cheyenne Stepside rolling off the line during the final production year. It is a dry climate classic, which explains the combination of baked Dark Olive paint and rust-free status. The seller has been its custodian for twenty-four years, and although they elected to preserve its exterior, it is a different story below the surface. The panels are surprisingly straight for a workhorse, suggesting it has been treated respectfully since Day One. That characteristic and the lack of rust make it a prime candidate for a cosmetic refresh. However, the vehicle might lose some of its impact if the exterior shone as it did when the first owner took delivery. The trim and glass are excellent, and the American Racing Torq Thrust wheels suggest there might be more to this Pickup than meets the eye.
The first owner ordered this C10 with a 350ci V8 and a three-speed Turbo Hydramatic transmission. The small-block delivered 250hp and 350 ft/lbs of torque, making the Pickup an effective tow vehicle or load carrier. The engine bay might still house a 350, but it is a different animal to the one that originally called this engine bay home. The seller used a 4-bolt engine block as the foundation for the build, adding an upgraded camshaft, an HEI ignition system, and Tri-Y headers that feed the spent gases to a dual Magnaflow exhaust. They rebuilt the carburetor and bolted a TH350 transmission with a 2000-stall converter to the back of the small-block. The steering and brakes didn’t escape their attention, with a new booster, master cylinder, front disc conversion, and a power steering upgrade. That is a tasty but very sensible combination that should offer improved performance but make long-term maintenance a breeze. Potential buyers can consider the C10 a turnkey proposition that needs nothing.
The seller chose my favorite approach to this project, retaining the vehicle’s weathered exterior but refurbishing the interior to a spotless state. Finding anything to criticize is almost impossible, although there might be some slight marks on the carpet below the driver’s feet. The Green cloth and vinyl upholstered surfaces are spotless, the dash and pad are excellent, and the gauges feature clear lenses and crisp markings. It might not feature the creature comforts we typically expect in modern Pickups, but the Corvette wheel and retro-style Bluetooth stereo should make life on the road very pleasant.
The seller listed this 1972 Chevrolet C10 Cheyenne here on eBay in Plymouth, California. Some classics rate barely a blip on the automotive radar when they hit the market, but this Pickup is the polar opposite. It has already received an incredible fifty-six bids, and while the action has pushed the price to $15,050, that figure is below the reserve. How high will it go? That’s a good question, and judging by the interest so far, quite a bit higher would seem the logical answer. Would you consider joining that battle, or will you sit back as a fascinated spectator to see how this auction plays out?
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Comments
Add air and that would be a heck of a truck. Those are not Torque Thrust wheels, they are American 200S’s.
And overdrive
You don’t need overdrive with a 3.07 rear end gear ratio and 28” tall tire.
This is a cool truck, it presents as a car/truck with a long time owner. When I was growing up, the Chevy C10 stepside was the go to truck. That was what people modified, now they are rarely seen and the shortbed fleetside has surpassed them in popularity. There are a lot of people that still remember when these were the truck car guys owned, this is a great example. Even though it’s not inexpensive at $16,090, the bidding likely has a significant way to go before the auction ends or it meets reserve.
Steve R
Steve R, an overdrive trans has a lower first gear ratio. That helps acceleration with those highway gears. At 65mph the TH350 will be at 2500 RPM. A TH700R4 will result in 1750 RPM at 65. That’s huge. That’s my main complaint with these trucks. It’s just as easy to build them with an overdrive as a 3 speed.
Dave, the swap only makes sense if it sees a lot of highway miles once the TH350 fails. It’s hard to justify the expense if it’s just driven occasionally or locally, even if it sees a fair amount of highway miles how many miles do you have to cover to justify the cost? Figure $2,500 minimum for a performance rebuilt transmission then add the converter, shorten drive shaft and other incidentals and your going to be above $3,000, probably significantly above. It makes sense to explore that option, when and if the transmission fails, but that wasn’t suggested in your initial comment.
Steve R
My fave’s…..those 200S’s…..
What’s up with that brake pedal? Interior is really nice, the outside is another story.
Really really nice one here. I’d probably change the wheels to a GM flavor (and the brake pedal) but everything else is just right for my current taste.
It looks good enough that I’d rather drive it than invest in a new paint job, body work, etc, but I imagine it’ll sell for $20k or more and I don’t have that kind of money laying around for what I consider a nice knockaround truck.
Be still my heart. This is beyond cool. You never see a shorty step side in Cheyenne trim. The wheel and tire combo lend it a great stance. The low bed rail height means you can load from all three sides. Love the interior with the three spoke SS wheel. I’m not sure if I like the Chrysler brake pedal. Would rather have room for my left foot.
Perhaps the best example of a single cab stepside ever made. I like it a lot also.
I would of went with a big block instead of that 350. The 350 dont have the pulling power unless it is a high output 350. Then repaint it in the original paint after fixing the rust and get a Chevy brake pedal.
I am coming here because I used to get barnfinds in my email. The last several days I haven’t gotten it and wondered why ? So hopefully I can get an answer. When I sign up it says use a different email. When I try that it says sending and email to prove I have the address and nothing show up. I wrote barn finds to get an answer why and nothing . Do I need to be a member
What one of my early boss’s had with a built 350 and 4 speed and he hunted races. He had put in a steel plate in the bed for traction……he was the cool shift boss….his brother was the 1st shift boss and that’s who I got my 1964 SS409 from as a roller.
This is a nice truck and might bring that kind of money out West but without an A/C – I’ll pass .
My friend back in the 80s put a 327 – 375hp Vette motor in one, definitely was a sleeper
72’s came w/factory front discs, love the daisy spokes, buy it and DRIVE it!~!
RNM at $20,200. Wonder what the reserve was. Seems like about the right price.