I would think most of us have, at some point or another, had a Chevrolet truck owning neighbor. Nothing extraordinary, nor unusual about that. But what I would think most of us haven’t had, is a four Chevy truck owning neighbor. And here’s one in the town of El Cerrito, showing such devotion in full display by his home’s curbside and driveway.
So if you have a fondness for these second generation C/K trucks, this sight should speak to you.
I won’t deny I’m a fan of the looks of these ’67-’72 models. So, while four in the same household may seem excessive, I wholly approve of this set up. After all, these second gen C/Ks had a truly modern look; purposeful, yet stylish in their clean and uncluttered lines. It was quite a design triumph, and it’s no wonder their styling genes found their way into Chevy trucks for ages to come.
Now, it ain’t easy to capture three C/Ks in a row (good thing the fourth is on the driveway). For one, they occupy a lot of space. Then, the high contrast late afternoon California light didn’t help matters either (and moving that Civic out of the way would have helped too).
Here’s the best shot I got, courtesy of my cell phone’s wide angle lens. And as can be seen, there’s quite a variety of camper tops on these; some more utilitarian than the others. As for the trucks themselves, they all seem to be ’71-’72 vintage if I recall the grilles correctly.
One more shot of the first pair, still wide angle but slightly less distorted.
Have you got enough of a second generation C/K helping by now? I hope so… after all, how much to take before overdose hits?
Still, I may look up this street once more when I visit California again. Maybe by then, that fourth C/K on the driveway will be back on the streets. I’ve no idea how I’ll capture four C/Ks in a row if that one joins the trio on the street, but that’s a problem I shall worry about then.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Classic: 1970 Chevy C10 – Fifty-One Years Of Service? No Sweat
Curbside Classic: 1972 Chevy C-10 – The Justified And Ancient Highwayman
Curbside Classic: 1971 Chevrolet K5 Blazer – It Redefined The SUV Genre
What I find amazing that these trucks , fully restored , fetch big dollars at auctions now.
Nice find. And in El Cerrito too, in the heart of great CC territory with Berkeley, Albany, Oakland etc nearby. Oddly, as common as these trucks are, I’ve never had a Chevy truck in my immediate block anywhere I’ve lived as an adult. By my current home, there are several Tacoma’s including mine, two Fords, a Tundra and a Rivian. I have to go two blocks to find any GM product 😀
Yes, great CC territory there on the East Bay. I’m pretty sure I saw a ’60 and a ’61 Polara around the Ashby station as I rode on BART. Hopefully they’ll still be there to be caught on a future visit.
Yes! Love that style. My first pickup was a ’71 C10 short bed, avocado green. It was the most basic, 250ci six, three speed (all synchro), non-power front disc brakes (first year), no rear bumper or spare wheel and radio block-off plate. Best looking dashboard design of any truck, before or since for its simplicity and feeling of open space in the cab.
One in my neighborhood is still a daily driver. That generation was more solid than the previous and next generations.
El Cerrito? Doesn’t surprise me as one can see lots of older vehicles between Oakland and Richmond. Several years ago I had jury duty at the Richmond County Court house. On my way there I passed by a house that had five, yes five, VW Kombi Vans in front. The Court is in a rough part of Richmond and no way I was stopping in the middle of the street to take a picture and be seen.
Wow this is in El Cerrito! When I saw this picture, I first thought it was the same group as I had shot earlier in Berkeley. This was probably peak Chevy/GMC truck, at least until recently, the later 1970’s and 1980’s ones seemed to have trouble either mechanically or with poor-quality interior bits.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake/curbside-congregation-a-bevy-of-chevys-and-a-jimmy-too-two-1969-chevy-c10s-and-a-1971-gmc-2500/
There is a similar cache here in town but of Ford trucks. The guy (I am assuming) had 6-7 street parked ones from the 60s to the 80s. He seems to have trimmed down to 3-4 lately but I bet his neighbors loved him at the peak!
Judging by the hubs on the first 2 I’d guess these are C20 3/4 ton models. Can’t tell on the third one.
Here’s my dad’s 72 C10 1/2 ton 2wd long bed. 350 automatic with a Winnebago camper shell on the back. We took this all over the country with my sister and I riding in the back. Sure miss that truck.
I liked that generation of GM trucks. Cleaner looking lines than the generation before and after. My Dad had a ‘72 GMC Jimmy 2WD and our neighbours had a ‘69 Chev 3/4 ton 2WD.
I had a bunch of 67’s thru 72’s.
My Dad had one of these trucks back when I was a kid. ’67 Chevy C10, shortbed stepside, buttermilk yellow with a white top. It had a 250 cube straight six with 3 on the tree, and aftermarket AC that was mounted under the middle of the dashboard. I rode in the middle and the AC unit would spit condensation on me! Dad had hopped up the motor a bit, with a hot cam, a split exhaust manifold and duals, and an aluminum intake manifold with 3 1-barrel carbs. It was a good runner!
After he got his new ’75 GMC Sierra Classic, he didn’t need the other truck, so he sold it to my aunt and uncle in Austin, who needed a second vehicle. We vacationed in the old Chevy and their neighbors’ small travel trailer, on the Texas Gulf Coast the next summer. That truck towed the trailer (a small “canned ham” style) just fine on the flat coastal plains.
All three of the Chevys on the street in these pictures are ’71 or ’72 models, and the 8 lug wheels and full floating axle hubs on the rear, make them C20 or C30 models, 3/4 or 1 ton trucks. Built for work, and looks like they are still getting the work done. We forget how Spartan trucks used to be until looking at the older ones….