For sale: This is the second of two low mile survivor trucks I have decided to sell from my personal collection. 1970 Chevrolet K-20 4×4 from the high desert of central Montana, never seen salt. Truck was special ordered here at our local Chevy dealer with camper options like dual batteries, wiring harness and step bumper. A fussy older gentleman and WWII veteran owned it for over 40 years, I have known this truck and the family for decades, and bought it from his estate last year. Truck has 36k original miles – I know it’s hard to believe, but this truck had an 8′ Alaskan camper on it since day one and was literally only used for camping trips. We couldn’t find the service records that support the mileage in the estate paperwork(and we know he kept them) – but I’m quite certain that it hasn’t rolled over, and here’s why:
1. Pedal wear is commensurate with the mileage.
2. Original windshield is mint with no pitting.
3. Original T-3 headlights with no damage.
4. Original seat is firm and original upholstery intact, with factory build sheet still under seat.
5. Factory parts ID paper sticker still stuck to brake drum.
6. No paint wear on driver door where arm would rest out the window.
7. The original 350-4V engine (suffix code TAY) runs strong with great oil pressure and no noises.
8. The body is so tight you can literally close the doors with one finger.
9. Original radio block off plate is undisturbed.
10 Firestone 7.50-16 deep lug spare looks new and doesn’t appear to have ever been on the ground.
11 Original Spicer hubs are not scratched.
12 Wheel wells inside box are not dented or damaged.
13 Original floor mat in good condition without the usual wear.
Truck has some rust, but none of the sitting-at-the-bottom-of-a-lake rot so often seen on these. I’m a retired engineer and a collector of vintage trucks and 4x4s. I recently found an astonishing survivor 11k mile GMC 4×4, and since I’m not Jay Leno, need to sell a couple of rigs to accommodate that unicorn find. This 70 K20 is very hard to let go of, and I know I won’t find another nice survivor like this. Very original and unmolested truck with the “big hub” Spicer Dana front end. Still has the original radio block-off plate, owner card and factory built sheet, original jack, handle and lug wrench and spare tire carrier underneath. Great truck to use as is for trips to the Home Depot or to Cars N Coffee or take to the next level and restore. I’ll do my best to describe it below, please read the entire ad and see linked Photobucket album with 100 pics and YouTube video.
Exterior: Straight old truck faded to a nice patina with a great look. Truck was repainted once about 25 years ago in the original color. No major body damage, but there were some hail dings in hood and roof that were repaired. Some hail dings in original grille surround. Truck has some minor rust, but really very dry compared to most 67-72s. There are a few small blisters on passenger rear cab corner, a couple very small pencil tip size blisters on outer rockers. Some rust under sill plates to inner rocker area, see pics in Photobucket album. Floors and cab mounts look good, truck was never undercoated and you can still see unpainted areas. We don’t get frame rot here in the arid west and you can still read frame part numbers. There was heavy surface rust on inner ribs inside box where the camper sat, no structural damage – bed is very sound. To stabilize that I sanded off surface rust, treated with commercial rust converter and then painted. There were three small holes I filled with POR-15 Patch, which is a seam sealer that dries rock hard. Can still see pitting on box ribs, a spray in bedliner would cover that nicely – even better, a wood bed kit. See detail pics of all stages in linked Photobucket album below. Glass is good including original windshield. Overall good looking survivor that will draw compliments at the gas station or coffee shop.
Interior: All original in good survivor condition. Truck spent most of it’s life outside, so it’s not mint. Original seat upholstery intact with a couple of small tears, one from a screwdriver in a back pocket. Original floor mat in good condition. Original steering wheel was sun baked at the top, I replaced with a used wheel from my stash. Door panels in good shape, dashpad has a crack. I replaced the sill panels as the originals were pitted. Some surface rust around jack area where he had rags stuffed that held moisture. All gauges work, heater, wipers, etc working.
Mechanical: Starts, runs and drives out well. Original 350 4bbl runs smooth and quiet with no noises, leaks, or smoke(other than a puff at startup occasionally from valve seals that got hard). Feels like a low mile truck in every way, tight and nice. Truck sat for a few years, and I had to drain gas and replace all tune up items – plugs, wires, cap, rotor, points etc. I replaced valve cover gaskets, and there was no sludge buildup on engine. I repainted valve covers and front of engine, but that’s it, everything else underhood original. It will need belts and hoses and coolant replaced. Old bias ply “pie crust” tires are flat spotted and follow ruts, I tried some modern radials off another truck and it drove great. It will need tires right away. I am including an extra set of 1976-up one piece rims in case buyer doesn’t like original lock ring wheels. There are two additional saddle fuel tanks that were added, they have been drained and disconnected and it’s running off the main in-cab tank. No major leaks, very unusual for an old 4×4. 4WD works well, I tested it in high and low range and ran with the hubs turned in this winter. Stops fine, but I can see one front wheel cylinder is seeping and that will need attention. Super solid truck to sort a few things and drive as is or take to the next level.
Pricing/Misc: 1970 Montana license plates not included, but I have other old plates I can include. I looked around for comps, but there are very few K20s out there for sale. Total production for this model in 1970 was only a shade over 6,000 units and there are few original left today. Didn’t see anything like this grandpa truck to compare to. If you’re looking for a restored show truck, this isn’t your ride. If you want an honest original survivor to putt around in and enjoy, this could be the one. Title is clear and in my name, buyer will need to get insurance upon purchase as I will cancel mine. Truck can stay here for 30 days, after that $100/month storage will be due. Truck runs and drives well, but flying in and driving it home isn’t advisable, Montana is a huge state with many areas with no cell service or roadside assistance. Reasonable transport is available, and I will help load the truck on a transport.
LINK TO ADDITIONAL PICS INCLUDING UNDERSIDE (copy and paste) – just ask if you need more. Photobucket is clunky, just be patient close the popups and if you have trouble viewing pics try the Firefox browser. I’m currently looking for a better photo hosting site.
Price: Auction
More info: Listing has ended. Click to search on eBay for similar 1970 Chevrolet C 10 (Affiliate link)
Location: Wolf Creek, Montana, United States
