Second-generation Chevrolet trucks have always been a favorite of truck lovers and collectors.  Their magnificent styling combined with a modern chassis made these trucks one of the most restored and customized vehicles in American history.  Sadly, many of them suffer from rust issues that make restoration difficult for anyone who doesn’t have the resources necessary for a proper repair.  Finding an example without the dreaded tin worm’s handiwork evident in the cab corner and rockers is usually expensive.  Thankfully, a reader has decided to trust our site to find a new home for a truck advertised as rust-free.  This 1967 Chevrolet C20 is for sale on Barn Finds and is located in Kansas City, Missouri.  A former South Carolina truck with a verified 52,000 miles, this interesting former municipal truck is being offered at a reasonable $7,500.  Is this the starting point for the truck of your dreams, or would you drive this one as-is?

Let’s talk about rust repair on a pickup truck.  Trucks live hard lives and don’t get to stay locked away in a warm garage at home when the weather is rough.  While the trend has changed over the years from trucks being workhorses to today’s luxurious “cowboy Cadillacs, ” the basic rule is that the earlier the truck, the more real work it was expected to do.  Rough treatment and exposure to the elements sent many a truck to the junkyard.  The good news is that the sheer, mind-boggling number of trucks produced has left us with many survivors.  The bad news is that many of those survivors need a whole cornucopia of work.

Mechanical items can be replaced or repaired.  You can order almost any part for any postwar truck by sitting at your computer and abusing your credit card yet again.  If your damage is rust, and the panel is one where you can simply unbolt it and slap on a reproduction panel, well that is pretty easy as well.  What hangs up most restorers is when the rust is in the cab of the truck.  Small areas can be cut out and a patch welded in by someone who has a little experience and a lot of patience.  The problem is that there usually aren’t any small patch repairs.  Cutting out a small rusty area on an old pickup usually reveals much deeper problems.  Many times, those problems lie under an icing of Bondo applied by a previous owner.  Like a talented baker on a beautiful wedding cake, unscrupulous body men can make a damaged panel look new with an application of Bondo icing and some glossy paint.  At least for a while.

So, what do you do if you have a major rust issue in the cab of your collectible truck?  While anything is possible given the proper motivation, most serious restorers will remove the cab when completing any major rust repair.  That is where we come to a fork in the road.  If you have a roomy shop, time, and the necessary tools to remove a cab, then it is merely an exercise in patience and funding.  Early trucks are fairly simple in their construction, and removing a cab is not as daunting as it sounds.  What if you don’t have room, time, and the necessary tools?  Then it becomes an exercise in paying someone to do the job for you.  What will that cost in the end?

Many folks have come to that fork in the road with second-generation C/K Chevrolet and GMC trucks.  While good, restored trucks of this type bring excellent money when sold, finding one that doesn’t need rust repair is the way to go if you are starting a project.  That has historically been quite a problem.  Finding a rust-free example is like winning the lottery two weeks in a row.  It is statistically possible, but a bit unlikely.  Collectors want to start with a perfect short wheelbase Cheyenne.  It is just that good, unrestored examples of these, or even short-wheelbase trucks, are hard to find at reasonable prices.

Luckily, there are alternatives if you want a good, honest truck to work on and enjoy.  The truck you see here is a perfect example of how you can find a good second-generation C/K at a reasonable price.  By the seller’s description, it appears that this truck was in municipal service and was sold by the city of South Jackson, South Carolina in 2017 after sitting for an extended period.  With the replacement of a simple fuel pump, the truck was returned to the road.  While loaded with patina, the selling points are simple and sweet.  This truck has only surface rust and has a verified 52,400 miles.  Even the wood in the bed is still there and in acceptable condition.

The beauty of these trucks is that they can be made into whatever you want them to be.  Aftermarket support is strong, and used parts are available everywhere.  You can even upgrade parts such as the front brakes with third-generation parts.  As long as restoring the truck to its from-the-factory configuration is not a goal, there is a lot you can do with a base truck like this.  With the asking price being just $7,500, you have room in your budget to make this truck your own.  You won’t even have to pull the cab.

If this truck were yours, what would you do with it?  Restore it, modify it, or drive it as-is?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.