I’ve mentioned before that over the last few years I’ve evolved from not particularly liking this generation of Chevy Trucks to finding them one of the most attractive trucks ever made and a serious contender for an in-town truck for myself should I find myself in need thereof as well as a decent one being available at the same time. Sadly they are thinning out in general and I was excited to find one in quite complete condition while in Southern California as I took an afternoon to walk through a local-ish junkyard while the family was doing something I had no interest in.
I’ve always considered this generation as being pretty much a default 350/3speed automatic bearer so was surprised to note that it wasn’t endowed with either. In fact as it sits it’s kind of a newer version of the official CC truck. But we’ll get to all that, in the end what’s most surprising is that it ended up here, after all, this is a very basic truck and the less “features” that something possesses usually means that there are less potential failure causes.
GM built millions of these in many different formats both as Chevrolet as well as GMC over the years of 1973-1987 with a mid-cycle refresh in 1981. As a 1983 this is obviously towards the end of the run, relatively speaking and has the square headlights with grille mounted turn signals. GM was definitely considering fuel economy with these trucks as they spent a fair amount of time in the windtunnel and a large focus of the refresh was that aspect with various surfaces being smoothed and fettled.
If one didn’t know any different, one would assume that “Custom Deluxe” sounds pretty fancy and is likely slathered with all kind of options and luxury touches. Well, no, not at GM. In fact this is the base truck, Scottsdale and Silverado are the two upper trim levels.
This truck does have the desirable long bed option which makes all the sense in the world for a truck, especially a regular cab such as this one for maximum utility. I don’t think they had plastic bedliners back then so this was likely added later. The sliding rear window adds useful ventilation as well as an easy pass through to toss the empties into the bed for later disposal.
The hood is slightly kinked (more noticeable in the first picture), this is usually due to the springs getting out of adjustment, and as a result when someone pulls the hood down it gets hung up and bends about a foot back from the leading edge. This truck has the Exterior Decor Package which equips the truck with one of three different two-tone paint schemes (and in this case the colors appear to be Light Bronze Metallic over Almond), with tape stripes over the paint borders as well as the hood ornament. The light damage to the lower side of the bed was almost surely done by the yard forklift, at least judging how the driver was moving vehicles around while I was there.
This truck is equipped with the base engine, the 4.1l I-6 producing 115hp@3600rpm and 200lb-ft of torque at 2000rpm. It’s a bit shocking how much space there is in the engine bay as a result.
This view really shows how much extra room there is, you could almost keep a crate of spare parts in there as well or use it as a partial frunk…
Taking a gander inside one is immediately drawn to the third pedal on the floor, this is a manual. But where’s the stick? Ah, obviously a three-on-the-tree, the standard feature on this truck with this engine. Check out the bench seat, only one small tear in the typical wear spot at the side edge, not bad at all for a 37-year-old truck. The dash mat speaks to the typical 1980’s cracked dash which it also has although reproductions are easily available (as with most parts on this line of trucks).
The interior trim color looks like the Medium Almond to me, and surely brightens things up quite a bit. I do like that the exterior paint color carries over to the dash and doors, with the black trim pieces this is a lot friendlier looking than it could be and has significantly more personality than almost any modern truck interior. No carpet and with vinyl, hose that out as desired!
No air conditioning which is somewhat rare for a California vehicle, although this was quite close to the ocean so likely perfectly livable. The gauge panel, while sparse, at least has no blanks with the extra gauge pods being used for large individual warning lights.
We’ll never know how many times the odometer has swung around but this truck would be so easily and eminently repairable it wouldn’t even matter; the basic goods are so stout and long-lasting in this climate that it could last pretty much forever. The last time it passed an emission check was in 2016, but there was no bi-annual entry for 2018, leading me to believe it was taken off the road before then, there is no failure noted at the end of the test timeline.
I even like the clean simplicity of these hubcaps and this truck still had all four of them. The tires were Kirkland Signature brand, as a longtime Costco shopper I didn’t realize they offered their own brand of tires, but when I zoomed in and found the tire date code (4300) it looked like the tires were produced back in the 43rd week of the year 2000 along with plenty of fine sidewall cracking.
I wasn’t in the truck market back then so have no way of knowing if this type of truck (2WD long bed, very basic spec but in an interesting color combo) would have been a standard lot item for a lot of dealers or more likely to be a custom order. Someone or many of you will have an opinion. This particular one was built in Janesville, WI, just one plant among fourteen that produced this generation at one time or another over its span.
One thing I’m sure nobody misses are the insanely heavy tailgates from back then. I opened it with one hand while holding my phone with the other and it pretty much slammed down without much braking from me. Lifting it back up was a serious chore with my weaker hand, very unlike almost anything today that seem to lift with very little effort and some even being powered (as with GM’s heavy duty trucks for one, which seems ridiculous and a problem just waiting to occur).
But I will miss these trucks when they are all gone, especially the non-white ones that have personality such as this one. I understand why and how the Big Three got to where they are with this line of product and seeing bits of the history makes clear that a huge amount of refinement, thought, and focus has gotten today’s products to where they are. A very basic and extremely functionally useful truck such as this one though is nowadays sadly in the minority, often replaced by pure overkill for most situations and consumers.
Me and my 76, back in the day. Outfitted similarly to the featured ride. but not even the tutone option. A basic, handy, and dependable truck. Took care of chores for rehabbing an old Edwardian home in St. Louis I had at the time and duties on an Ozark farm I and friends used as a weekend and holiday retreat.
My Grandfather had a 76 Scottsdale with this exact drive train. Three on the tree with a six cylinder. My dad would borrow this about once a month to go get firewood. It wasn’t fast; but cops used to strictly enforce the speed limits and nothing else on the road was really fast during this time.
In the late 70’s my parents took my sister and me camping in Wildwood, NJ, about a three hours away from NE PA. Towing a trailer with my sister and me playing in the covered truck bed in the back. Along the Schuylkill in Philadelphia. If my parents would do something like this today, they’d be put in jail…
Who else doesn’t recall black paint on a six?
Thats roughly the condition and spec they were sold in NZ in 6 cylinder manual about 31K new from memory already RHD converted, not sure if that was done here or they landed that way but there are quite a few survivors, most have V8 transplants by now though even if the paint and rust are original.
I had an ’85 long bed 2wd with the first-year 4.3 Vortec V6 and that unique 4-speed overdrive on the floor.
Always liked the low-end torque of the 4.3 and in ’85 there was still no computer, so it got an Edelbrock Performer 600 carb, Accel coil and wires and Split-Fire plugs.
It could get 19 MPG on the highway that way, sans tonneau cover.
I’m still more partial to the ’67-’72 generation although my son’s 2000 C2500 W/T is a nice example of a base-model GMT400. He doesn’t have the room at his place to keep it so it’s a spare ride for me.
This ’83 is prime resto material in the East. Hopefully someone will snap it up before it faces the crusher’s jaws.
This one’s pretty fancy compared to my COAL ’79. It has 2-tone paint and power brakes, for Pete’s sake! (Who the heck was this Pete, anyhow?) It might even have power steering! Such luxury!
While “Custom Deluxe ” is ironic, it implies that at one point this was the top trim and Chevy had even more basic trucks available. I’ve driven an 84 C-20 with the ubiquitous 350/4 speed combo and while gas mileage was atrocious it definitely hauled OK.
These square body trucks have a definite following and are still common in salt free Oregon, in one of three flavors; restored and either lowered or lifted, beater work truck and bone stock survivors. The astonishing thing about this generation C-10 is how low they site compared to modern trucks.
While I’d consider a small block C/K I’d prefer a square body Ford. I prefer the ergonomics and the “opera windows” in the extended cab would make agood base for a brugham truck
This truck represents the end of an era – 1983 was the last year in pickups for the old style turn signal stalk that only controls the turn signals, with the wipers on the dash and the high beams on the floor. In ’84 the “modern” multifunction stalk came along, in ’85 the venerable straight six was retired for the 4.3 V6, and ’87 was the last year for the 3 on the tree manual (along with regular cab “square bodies” as a whole).
I question the statement that the long bed was the desirable option – for work yes, but collectors and restorers strongly prefer the short bed. I have a rustbucket ’82 short bed with the same powertrain, power steering and brakes (it looks like this one has both of those as well), same color interior (including fabric pad for the cracked dash), and the gauge cluster, which included oil, temp and volts gauges but no tach.
These are definitely getting hard to come by in decent shape, something I never thought would happen back in the 80s when they were everywhere!
“’87 was the last year for the 3 on the tree manual”
Not only was ’87 the last year for the 3-on-the-tree on GM trucks, if I remember correctly that was the last 3-on-the-tree offered on any vehicle in the US.
No kidding. I used to work at a Chevy dealership in ’88 basically doing Paul Neidemier’s job. Torturing cars. I was 21. They had a ’79 half ton with the 6/3-speed on the tree combo I liked driving for general purposes. Chevy did carry a handfull of lower line, non fleet trucks at all times. I’m sure it’s partially due to Mt.Vernon being a farm town. A full selection of trucks was important.
The crimped hood is a common problem partially due to hardly anyone lubed the hinges on the old sprung hoods. I learned this from working in my Dad’s body shop. I remember JC Whitney even offered hood braces to help with the problem, even though that was basically fixing the symptom, not the cure.
…This truck kind of saddens me a bit. It’s so complete and rust free. These were bad rustbuckets. I had replaced a lot of sheetmetal on these in the shop before I was 20. What stopped this truck? Clutch? Rod knock? Boredom? I’m kinda a Ford guy, but if this was in my area and I had a few bucks, I’d try to bring it home and revive it.
A BIL has an 81 short bed Stepside version, with the inline six and an automatic. He got it when his brother got a new 90. The truck has survived Indiana weather about as well as could be expected, it got a big dose of body and paint work in the mid or late 90s and finally reached the point where it needed it again. Which is why it is in pieces in his garage as better panels (both interior and exterior) are sourced. As expected, the engine has just hummed along.
I never liked these as well as the Fords, but this one has grown on me over the years.
Nice find. I have an ’86 C10 Custom Deluxe long bed which I sometimes use as a daily driver (110 miles). It has the 262 CID (4.3L) V-6 with an electric QJ and a four speed manual with no OD. The truck has been in the family since new and has just turned over 200,000 miles. Great truck except I need to replace the QJ, and a few other things, with a non smog carb .
This era of Chevy truck is still seen quite often in my area (Central Texas).
Why is this in a junkyard?!? I would love to daily drive this. Squarebody (73-87) Chevrolets have a wide enthusiast base and prices for not-so-rusty examples are starting to climb.
The two-tone certainly helps camouflage the basicness of this old pickup.
Having driven a modest number of these over time, all either powered by a 305 or 350, these drive better than the contemporary Fords. However, the Ford didn’t rust nearly as quickly as these seemed to.
Jim, I’m in the 8′ bed camp with you. Shortbed, regular cab pickups always seem truncated and out of proportion plus every one I’ve been in rode like hell.
It would be interesting to know if the 250 was substantially better on fuel than the base V8. It makes me think of my time in my father’s 1984 F-150 with that slobbering, gas pig of a 300 straight six. But I’m trying to be positive, so I won’t say more about that pickup.
This is a great find. It’s been a while since I’ve seen one of these in such reasonable condition.
If you could find a good donor truck had a spare 20-30 grand. Take it to a hot rod shop and you would still be ahead of what it would cost to buy a new truck. Maybe I’m underestimating what a good shop would charge, but I bet I’m not far off.
What a great find indeed and I wonder how many miles this truck piled on between when it got new tires in 2000 and 2016 when it was taken off the road. Honestly, I am more interested in the Dodge and Ford trucks of the same era due to their styling and the availability of an extended cab. I agree these trucks are kind of common in Oregon and I love seeing them.
I was sort of hoping for a write up on that huge Dodge Ram Van next to the truck. They interest me and are getting rarer.
I think two Dodge Ram Free Candy Vans in less than three months would be a little much…:-) But thanks for the encouragement, you did leave the first comment on the last one!
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/junkyard/junkyard-classic-1997-dodge-ram2500-maxi-art-van-from-the-urban-jungle-to-the-caged-yard/
Aaawww shucks Jim, ya got me there. Sure is some impressively roached paint on the one in your photos. I’ll leave you with another Dodge Ram Van I recently found.
I had a ’85 short Fleetside with the 4.3L and 700R4 overdrive automatic as a company truck for many years. It ran very well once it warmed and had plenty of power. The featured truck is interesting, very late for the 3 speed column shift transmission. Some of the ’79 and newer 4.1L (250) sixes had 2 bbl. ‘Vari-Jet’ carburetors on them. Basically half a Quadrajet they gave the old 6 a little more horsepower. They also had an integral intake manifold cast as part of the cylinder head with a very nice split exhaust manifold.
I get happy just seeing one of these awesome trucks.
My neighbors used to have one years ago to pull a large trailer.
It was this exact (ugly) color scheme.
I don’t need a truck, and don’t do many truck-y things, but I would love a short-bed, 350/Auto/4bbl/4WD, perhaps Stepside, one.
Brush guard, light bar, dual exhaust. One of those steering wheel covers that you have to tie the cord around. So much cord to wrap! And pick at it with my fingernail so I eventually have to wrap it again…
(Is it getting hot in here?)
“Sun” tach bolted on the column. Probably not working because I did it, but looks cool. (Not like I need to know the RPMs on an automatic, or manual for that matter.) I would move the external red needle thingy to 8,000 RPM and pretend it redlines that high. “Vrooom!”
Rubber floor! Vinyl seats! Fake hex-head bolts all over the plastic interior! (Well, it’s an 80s GM, may as well embrace them.)
—white lettered Goodyear Wranglers! Always cleaned because I’m me and can’t help myself.
Polished aluminum mag wheels (wiping drool now), pipe-style side-steps (what are they called?), tonneau cover (do they still call them that?) with big chrome snaps!
Manually locking hubs!! (I have saved the double exclamation point for this occasion.)
—and I’m not really a “truck guy”. Just need the right truck I guess.
Dad had the ’84 with 305 and three-speed automatic, Scottsdale, red with plaid cloth seats (that mom re-stitched to fix where they wore). Good basic truck, mostly hauled Dad to and from the golf course until we sold it for him to an excited young couple who keep it waxed up. Another “should-have-kept.”
One note on those sliding windows: make sure you close them before the guy running the front-end loader at the county landfill dumps that load of free mulch into the back of your pick-up. Otherwise you will get mulch all over your Wendyburger and fries, and you will be cleaning mulch out of the cab for weeks.
Gee, now how would you know about that mulch thing?
I’m hard-pressed to think of any car in my lifetime with a “Custom” or “Deluxe” trim level that wasn’t a base model.
The hoods often bend on this body…if you get a chance, look at the ridge that runs along the edge of the underside. It has a break in it. Safety regs, so the hood doesn’t go thru the windshield in a front end collision. Also creates a weak spot and when the hinges get old, rusty and stiff….
I get happy just seeing one of these awesome trucks.
My neighbors used to have one years ago to pull a large trailer.
It was this exact (ugly) color scheme.
I don’t need a truck, and don’t do many truck-y things, but I would love a short-bed, 350/Auto/4bbl/4WD, perhaps Stepside, one.
Brush guard, light bar, dual exhaust. One of those steering wheel covers that you have to tie the cord around. So much cord to wrap! And pick at it with my fingernail so I eventually have to wrap it again…
(Is it getting hot in here?)
“Sun” tach bolted on the column. Probably not working because I did it, but looks cool. (Not like I need to know the RPMs on an automatic, or manual for that matter.) I would move the external red needle thingy to 8,000 RPM and pretend it redlines that high. “Vrooom!”
Rubber floor! Vinyl seats! Fake hex-head bolts all over the plastic interior! (Well, it’s an 80s GM, may as well embrace them.)
—white lettered Goodyear Wranglers! Always cleaned because I’m me and can’t help myself.
Polished aluminum mag wheels (wiping drool now), pipe-style side-steps (what are they called?), tonneau cover (do they still call them that?) with big chrome snaps!
Manually locking hubs!! (I have saved the double exclamation point for this occasion.)
—and I’m not really a “truck guy”. Just need the right truck I guess.
So, the truck from the movie Driver would be not far from perfect? I like the way you think.
Yeah, I miss those steering wheel leather wrap kits you could buy at the auto parts store. Seems that was part of the look for about a decade.
I’ll take one of those of your description in the two tone light/dark blue they had then.
was this found in the LKQ Pick a Part yard in Oceanside? The hills around it (and you found the Ford Fairmont Durango north of Oceanside) make me think that it is. I’ve pulled a few parts for my Bullitt Mustang and Magnum SRT8 from that yard.
Yes that’s the place. It was pretty fresh, maybe a couple of days when I came across it and now about two weeks old. It’ll be there for at least another three months judging by how long the rest of the truck/SUV/van section looks to take to turn over.
I came across the Ford Durango on the way back up the coast.
I may run over and check it out.
Do a follow up… 🙂 It’s close-ish to the entrance, just turn right and maybe 5 or 6 rows in, almost level with where the domestic sedans start.
I’m definitely a square body fan myself, although when I owned them and even now I prefer the ’67-’72 body style (which is why I have what I have now). I’ve owned 4 square bodies over the course of my 22 years of driving. I’ll try to post up a picture of each with a brief description (except the ’77, I don’t think I have any pics of it actually). Don’t ask what happened to most of them as I was young when I owned them and none save possibly the ’86 had good endings (and of it I’m not sure but have my doubts). I also have always favored the 8′ fleetsides on both of these body styles (and in general) as I have always believed a truck to be a usable work vehicle meaning I can carry 8′ sheets of drywall or plywood or one of my bikes with the tailgate up. I also appreciate the bed height of my current ’68 and these square bodies as I didn’t feel like I needed a damn step ladder to get into the beds, even on the 2WD models! (I’m 6’4″ tall BTW, so make all the short jokes you want, ha!)
First up is my ’80 Chevy Custom Deluxe. This was actually my very first vehicle ever, purchased when I was 15 for the grand total of $400 (running and driving) from the city where I grew up. Would have been in ’96 or ’97….. not going to work that hard at the math. HA! The truck was a 250 CUI I6 with power steering and power brakes. 3 speed automatic. As base as the truck in the article except mine actually had gauges and not warning lights. The floor board looked like a Flintstones Mobile (IE, rusted and gone) as well as the rockers and cab corners. Bed floor was much the same in places. My dad and I spent a summer welding in new panels all over the cab and by the time I was legally driving it, the cab was completely solid. Was a good old work truck. Always smelled of the burning oil coming from the engine, lord knows how many miles and how abused the truck was being an unloved city utility vehicle.
My second was a much nicer ’81 GMC Sierra Grande. Though it was a slightly more upscale model than the base Sierra (or Custom Deluxe of it’s Chevy brother), it was still the same basic truck as my ’80 with a two tone paint job and some trim. Still had the 250 I6, 3 speed auto, power brakes and power steering. Gauges but no A/C. I got this truck right after losing the ’80, so I was probably 16 still… HA! This truck was in much nicer condition than my ’80, hardly any rust at all when I got it. I think I gave something like $1700 for it…. can’t remember exactly. I had this truck awhile and did some work to it. Had a new paint job put on it (shown here) keeping the original colors. Replaced some of the trim as well (belt line and wheel wells). Put the chrome steelies on. Also replaced the grill with a sharp aftermarket one (not shown here).
As mentioned originally, I don’t have any pictures of my 3rd Square Body that I know of…..
I got it not too long after losing the ’81. It was a ’77 Chevy Scottsdale 8′ bed and 4WD. This truck had 7″ of lift when I got it (4″ suspension and 3″ body) with 33″ tires under it. Actually the only 4WD truck I’ve ever owned. This was originally a little nicer truck than either one of my other two but it’s body was in pretty rusty condition by the time I got it (though it still had solid floor boards). This truck had a 350 V8 in it as well (power steering and brakes of course), gauges, and actually had A/C! Never worked while I owned the truck though. HA!
I had some good times with that truck, did a fair amount of off roading in it (I grew up in the country/forestry so I didn’t have to go far). I ended up trading it toward the end of high school for a friend’s ’88 F150 Lariat (with working A/C!) that had the 5.0 fuel injected V8 in it. Was 2WD. Truck needed a couple of things to get back on the road (alternator, battery, I think maybe a wheel bearing?) for which he didn’t have the money for so I offered my ready to go Chevy and he gladly obliged.
The last square body I owned I bought from my dad when I was in college. It was an ’86 GMC High Sierra that he had used as a shop truck for a few years and that we had built a hot 350 for after he had had it for a bit. The truck was originally all white but he had it painted red and kept a white top as you see here. It had a set of aluminum mags on it when he had it but I put the chrome steelies from my ’81 on it when it became mine. I used to know all of the stats of the engine we built for it in my head but it’s been too long now. It was a pretty quick truck but he/I never did anything with the 3 speed auto (350 turbo) or the stock rear end (can’t remember the ratio) so it wasn’t near as quick as it should have been. I think my dad always kind of hated it for that after he built it. It had the usual setup; power brakes and steering. No A/C. Gauge package. Nothing too terribly fancy. Drove the truck through 2 or 3 years of college. Tore the back end out of it once and finally chucked a rod in that engine we had built due to me abusing the truck “hot rodding” it like the dumb kid I was. Ended up dropping a junkyard 305 or 350 (can’t remember which) into it afterward that I freshened up a bit….. Came home from college one weekend and lost a large bunch of power. Still had oil pressure and no knocking but the engine did sound weird. Come to find out, that old engine ended up rounding off a couple of it’s cam’s lobes! Dropped a cam kit in it that weekend in my parents’ driveway while it was snowing…. good times….
Gas prices got high while I was in school and I ended up selling that truck to a farmer down home. Went with a little 90 Honda Accord. Great, great car but that another subject. Saw the poor old truck 5 or so years later going down the road squatting with a full farm water tank in the bed…. wasn’t looking so hot anymore. Last I know of that truck….
And lastly…. it’s not a square body but I now have the previous body style to the square body that I had always coveted even in high school. I’ve had my current truck going on close to 10 years now.
It’s a ’68 GMC. It has power steering and power brakes (4 wheel drum). No A/C. Originally had a 327 V8 in it (from the VIN) but now has an early 70’s 400 small block. 350 turbo. Stock rear end (can’t remember the ratio, measured it when I first got it and remember that it was one of two stock ratios). Has full gauge package and original (working) tach. I’ve redone the interior while I’ve owned it and redone the (horrible, hacked) wiring. It has a tough spray in bed liner so I actually do use this as a truck…. it’s carried plenty of chopped wood, stone/gravel, mulch, etc. I don’t ever get it out in the winter once they put the first layer of salt/sand down though. It generally doesn’t come out after that until the spring rains have washed that away. Always wanted this truck and won’t be letting it go anytime soon. I have no need for a modern luxury truck (I have a Lexus for commuting duty) and think their bed heights are ridiculous for working purposes.
Looks like the picture didn’t upload…. trying one more time.
The picture is likely too large, you need to reduce most camera phone pix these days to post them in the comments.
My dad recently passed and left his 83 Custom Deluxe undriven for the last 5 years, for fear of wrecking it. It pains me to just let it sit, so I would appreciate any referrals to give it back to the road with someone who will appreciate it’s classic, practical usefulness.
How much do you have pictures of it?
I recently got my hands on an 83, and its almost identical to this one. However, mine has not run in over 20 years. However, I believe it is a Silverado. It is extremely rusty, and I’m not sure how much it will take to get running again, as it is not in good shape. Not long after, I bought an 84, with the same color scheme and significantly less rust, but it was missing several components, like a carburetor and a key. (I have an old key to a previous truck that fits perfectly, so I didn’t have to replace that.) I would appreciate any advice you can give about how to turn either truck into a daily driver. I’m not looking to upgrade them, just turn them into a budget-friendly truck that can be driven for long periods of time. The rust is quite major, and the 83 is almost falling apart before my eyes. Any advice?
Have almost the same truck here in WA state, except it’s an Silverado ’83 with the four headlights. Bought it a decade ago for $1100 hoping it would last a summer while I was remodeling a rental, but the thing just keeps going and going and I drive it weekly – often hauling topsoil etc. Original 305 engine and transmission too!
I’ve grown to appreciate the simplicity and perfect design of these fantastic trucks and I especially like the ideal bed height for loading. Sometimes I drive it just because I like driving a 41 year old pickup when everyone else is in their financed “bubble car” as I call bubble-shaped SUVs. Going to keep this truck as long as I can and am about to sink some money into it for the first time doing a very mild restoration – seat cover, carpet, new chrome belt line trim etc. If you see one of these in WA state with a “Reagan ’84” bumper sticker, that’s me haha.