4×4 Survivor: 1979 Chevrolet LUV
To combat the rising demand for compact pickups like the Mazda-built Ford Courier (as well as Datsun and Toyota imports), Chevy partnered with Isuzu in 1972. The result was the Chevy LUV, which stood for Light Utility Vehicle. The little trucks were available through 1981 when the GM division began building their own little pickup (the S-10). This 1979 edition of the LUV, with both a long-wheelbase and 4WD, is a nice survivor that looks ready for more action. Located in Waverly, Kansas, this imported Chevy is available here on craigslist for $10,000. Thanks for the tip, Barn Finder T.J.!
The earlier LUVs were rebadged versions of the Isuzu Faster (as it was sold in Japan). First-generation models were built from 1972 to 80 with customary annual tweaks in styling. There was only one engine available, a 1.8-liter inline-4 which was upgraded to 80 hp by the time the seller’s truck was produced. To avoid a healthy 25% U.S. Customs tariff on completed vehicles, they were imported without the cab at just 4% and the cabs were added later, usually by the dealer or importer. Four-wheel-drive didn’t become available until 1979, the model year of the seller’s truck. The LUVs would be popular over their run, selling as many as 100,000 copies in a single year.
I remember when these little trucks came out. It was about the same time as a major new pizza delivery chain started up. In those days, the delivery drivers used company trucks instead of their own vehicles, and in my area, those were all Chevy LUVs. Those trucks regularly got beat up trying to deliver pizza in under 30 minutes (or it was free!). Drivers were always getting speeding tickets. The reason for this little diversion is that they were tough little machines for their era and it took a lot to beat them into the ground.
This ’79 edition has an extended bed and is a 4X4. It’s in good condition for 70,000 miles, with its original blue paint and stripes still in place. No rust is reported or seen. The interior looks more used than the rest of the pickup and an aftermarket cover is on the bench seat, suggesting worn material can be found below. These are pickups that you don’t see every day, but is it worth $10,000?
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Comments
Find an 82 model with the rare 2.2L Isuzu diesel and you had a mechanical bullet proof tank of a little truck.
Always liked the angled rear cab lines.
These were NOISY tinny trucks built as service vehicles, not leather bound luxury wannabe’s.
$10K might be a bit high but it’s not a crazy ask. Whenever you see one of these, it’s usually a rust bucket. I’d go check it out if it were closer.
$10,000??? Hahahahaha!!! Clunk! (Me laughing my butt off…)
$10g’s? Sure, why not $20,,no $30, no A HUNDRED FREAKIN’ THOUSAND DOLLARS for this tin can,,, you know, what started out as a frustration for me, has turned into a circus of entertainment, each better than the last. To put such a value on worthless endeavors, surely indicates a panic of sorts has set in. It bothers more than just me, but really? It almost has come down to a contest, who can get the most money for the most UNlikely vehicle. Play on,,,
Oh, about the truck proper, I suppose, it was a novel idea. US truck makers thought, before possibly losing our axx on retooling, let’s just see where this “fad” goes and import something from one of our many “foreign” holdings, that most Americans never even knew of. GM of Japan? Preposterous, we thought. Isuzu made great trucks, perhaps some of the best Asian offerings. I had a neighbor with a truck like this, had front wheel bearing problems, good mechanicals, but like all the other ones, instant rusters, poor ride, cramped inside with poor seats, and lousy heaters, but did ONE thing well, haul something small cheaply. I’m not sure the S-10 was any better, but at least it was ours.
People are buying memories, not the actual vehicle. A lot of us see the country falling into disrepair and we see these old everyday vehicles as a return to a time when things were simpler, more calm, and more normal. Of course these were crude, cramped, and rode poorly. That was actually part of the charm. I’m not saying it’s worth 10K as it probably isn’t based on actual condition, but it is unique anymore and not something seen very often.
Its funny as good and advanced as today’s new cars are, they don’t have the charm, emotion, and character as some of these old, very average, vehicles were.
While LUV’s are interesting, and I love the occasional sighting in the wild, 10k, to me, is awfully optimistic!
Mine lasted till about 92 until frame rusted in half.
Nothing rusted faster than these and Ford Courier’s, this is waaaaay overpriced, but it’s still nice, just not 10k nice.
I had a 1974 with a utility body assigned to me as a service truck. The heavy body and my tools softened the ride. On occasion I would be towing a 4500 pound trailer and Bobcat loader combo. The abuse would pop the torsion springs in the clutch disk. I had a quick fix for this. One load was 1000 pounds of sandblasting sand in the body and the towable air compressor on the hitch. The truck was bulletproof. The LUV was my first good paint job as I painted it the company colors and added the Bobcat Loader decal set. When my road job ended I returned to the shop and the truck was sold. I had a friend with a 79 4WD that he brutalized on his farm.
I had a 1980 LUV. It was so much fun great gas mileage. While this is a nice little truck $10,000 is probably $3,000 more than I would pay.
I have one I bought in 1975 from long time Chev dealer Vince Weise . Cost $2550. Used at Ranch to haul greenhouse tomatoes to market. Ran great until blew a head gasket. A Redneck mechanic friend replaced it with a Toyota engine from a Corolla along with the auto trans.
Still have it. Now is a LUVOTA.
Awesome looking truck! Although I was too young during the time the Chevy LUV was on the US market, I’ve known people who drove these trucks. If only more pictures were posted.
Or a Luv Toy,see what comes up if you Google.
Yes very clean, and nice, but $10k is too much, and a 4cyl.
Put it on BaT and somebody’ll drop 20 grand on it.
Had two of these, was always amazed how tough they were. The last one I had I gave $50 for it replaced the radiator $25 and sold it for $500 and the frame was rusted so bad that the cab and top of box were touching
I bought one these Luv 4×4’s black with the stripe package with the Mikado interior, new. Cost was $7500. The first thing I did was pull the carpet and the speedometer cable. Then I proceeded to drive the h*ll out of it. The 4WD was a joke as these would get stuck in mud puddle. I put the carpet back in and speedo cable on about a year later and traded it for a 304 cu CJ5 stick shift.
You seem proud about being a criminal.
Pretty nice but no Izuzu is worth $10K….
It’s unlikely this is original paint. Why would someone go to all the trouble to keep the body perfect and let the interior get so bad? It is a neat little truck though, and someone may pay $10,000 for it, but not me.
I had two….a 1974 2wd and a 1980 (Mikado) 4wd. They were little utility p/u’s that got me around base and beyond when I was a young Air Force troop. Now….as far as rust on this one….is it just me or what is that brown patch on passenger side, floorboard area, near the inspection panel? Either someone stepped in some doggie droppings and smeared it on the panel, or….someone stepped on a Hershey bar and smeared it on the panel or….it’s possibly rust. Just saying….had two and seen some things! I’d want a closer look but $10k is out of my league for a little P/U whose interior looks like it’s been rode way hard and put away too wet, too often. Now….if it was $2500, I might have to take a look-see. I could use another Light Utility Vehicle to haul stuff with so my brown-eyed girl (regards to Van Morrison) gets off my case! She disagrees with me using her beloved 1999, 324.8k miles, Toyota Avalon (named Rosie)to haul supplies from the home improvement store!
Once again,why is it that you won’t accept a lot of
submissions? I found this Ford Courier in Fortuna,CA,
but you wouldn’t feature it.Why not? Did I do something
to tick off someone here?
humboldt.craigslist.org/cto/d/fotuna-1976-ford-courier/7458415961.html
This looks to be the short wheelbase version. Plenty of photos are online to show the longer wheelbase version to compare. Additionally, they were shipped with the cab in place but without the box. Toyota and datsun also shipped many of these pickups to California where the boxes were installed to complete the vehicle.
Brad460, I was thinking the same thing when I read in the article that they were shipped without cabs. Installing a complete cab would be a very big job for a dealer! Being shipped without the bed makes more sense. Great informative article though, Russ!
I forgot to comment on this LUV, I never gave these a second look when they seemed to be everywhere (unless it had a sb Chevy shoe-horned under the hood) but it’s nice to see one in such great shape and a 4×4! If I saw this at a gas station, grocery store parking lot or possibly a car show, I would definitely chat with the owner and check it out.
My dad bought one used in 1983. It was a 4×4 long box in light blue, 1980 vintage. On day 30 of the 30 day warranty, the motor threw a rod. Little used car dealership put in a junkyard replacement and we ran it till 125k miles. Dad put in helper springs so we could load it up for our business. Pull a single axle trailer with it a bunch. Used to have to put it in 4 low to make it up our steep driveway when loaded down with beekeeping supplies. It rusted bad and dad had it repainted in about ’86. He even went so far as to put a small slide in pop up camper in the bed and we took off for Florida from Pennsylvania. Never made it. Fuel pump went out about an hour from home so we got a ride home and headed south in our Chevy Citation. What an adventure. I learned to drive in that LUV truck. Great memories. Guy in town had one, lifted, with a 327 Chev stuffed in it. I begged dad to let me do the same, but the rot was too much. Traded for an early s-10.