SURVIVOR K-10 4X4, 47K ORIGINAL MILES, 350 V8, REBUILT 700R4, COLD R134A A/C!!

Description

Original vehicles are special and with a growing segment of the hobby starting to appreciate machines that haven't been taken apart and restored to better-than-new condition, this 1980 Chevrolet K10 pickup might have a growing list of friends. It's nicely equipped, offers a great-running 350, upgraded transmission, and a no-nonsense look that is unique to unrestored survivors like this.Perhaps the very best thing about original vehicles like this K10 pickup is that there are no surprises. That's original paint, and while it's showing age and wear that's entirely appropriate, you know there's no rust or botched bodywork hiding underneath. The two-tone paint is faded, and you'd expect that after a lifetime in the hot southern sun, but you could probably give it a good buff and really wake it up, so we're not quite to the point of saying you should repaint it. It has obviously not been a work truck, because the sheetmetal is extremely straight and it fits together the way it did in 1980, which once again goes to show you that even a restored truck isn't perfect. All the original trim is intact and the grille is particularly nice, which is a relative rarity these days. You also get a bed that's still ready to work and a bumper-mounted winch for out back, just in case you need to do some real work off-road.The burgundy vinyl seat cover might be newer than 1980, but it's correct and works rather well with the rest of the truck. Burgundy door panels are unquestionably original, and while the driver's side is showing some wear around the armrest, we're inclined to leave it as-is. Options include ice cold A/C (with a $900 receipt for recent service), a floor shifter that now manages a 700R4 4-speed automatic transmission, and an AM/FM radio that still sounds decent today. In back, there's a run rack (of course there is) and a sliding rear window for those days when it's not quite hot enough to need A/C. The second lever on the floor manages the 2-speed transfer case and these trucks come with a fairly complete array of gauges, all of which appear to still be operational. There are plenty of worse places to hang out, and this truck proves that comfort and function don't have to be mutually exclusive.The original 350 cubic inch V8 engine still runs great, and with just 47,867 original miles on the clock, it's never been opened and may never need to be in our lifetimes. The engine bay is a little dirty, but you could easily fix that with a weekends' worth of elbow grease, and you can see that there are plenty of new parts, including the aforementioned A/C system. Turn the key and the original Rochester 4-barrel carburetor lights it off and it idles easily, hot or cold. It was originally equipped with a 4-speed transmission with an ultra-low towing gear, but it was just recently upgraded to a 700R4 4-speed automatic with overdrive at a cost of over $4000. Yeah, no kidding. The 4x4 system's operation is unaffected, and you still get heavy-duty axles at both end that'll pull you through just about anything. It's extremely clean underneath, albeit original, so don't expect shiny floors or anything like that. But you'll also get no surprises. Twin gas tanks and that overdrive transmission will make for bladder-bursting highway gas mileage and those big 31x10.50-15 off-road radials actually ride quite nicely.Cool truck, lots of patina but also lots of potential, and mechanically ready to roll. Hard to beat that at this price. Call today!