Welcome back! For today’s installment, in honor of my epic cross-country adventure in my Forest Service Green pickup (which you should be able to read about soon), we’re looking at two trucks that are almost, but not quite, painted in that same magical color.
But first, let’s see how yesterday’s two-door V8 battle went. I thought this one might be closer; I expected the idea of a cheap Mercedes to scare off more of you. But apparently, a scruffy and slightly overpriced Mustang is even more frightening, and the red drop-top Benz took a decisive win.
I think I agree. Fire-engine-red is one of my least favorite car colors, but I do like the style of the R129, and for that price, it’s worth a gamble on the condition. At worst, you’re out some money and have a story to tell.
Now then: It is a fact, not an opinion but a scientifically-proven fact, that the best possible paint color for a truck is U.S. Forest Service Green. Other colors are acceptable, of course, but they are, to varying degrees, inferior to the One True Hue. But old Forest Service trucks don’t just fall from trees (unless a park ranger did something very foolish indeed), and not everyone can be as lucky as I was to stumble onto one for cheap. What can you do, then, if Federal Standard 595, Color Chip 14260 is out of reach? Well, I suppose you look for the closest possible substitute.
Owners of old Forest Service trucks do acknowledge each other, by the way. Sometimes it’s a wave, sometimes just a smile or a nod; we don’t have pop-up lights to wink like Miata owners do, nor do we have time for any foolishness involving rubber duckies like Jeep owners. Just a quick recognition of our shared appreciation for the Best Green Ever.
All right. Let’s look at today’s contestants.
1968 Chevrolet C20 flatbed – $2,000
Engine/drivetrain: 250 cubic inch overhead valve inline 6, four-speed manual, RWD
Location: Boulder Creek, CA
Odometer reading: 84,000 miles
Operational status: “Runs and drives good”
The seller of this old flatbed Chevy describes it as a “ranch truck,” apparently to explain away the rust and dents. The fact that this is necessary shows how the perception of old pickups has changed in recent years, from tools of various trades to fashion statements for various social media photo shoots. Even my own truck has been used as a backdrop for a shoot; when it was street-parked in Portland, I looked out the window one day to see a young ingenue leaning casually against the bed, while a wannabe Mapplethorpe snapped away. I just laughed and shook my head.
The reality of these old trucks is always less romantic than the Instagram ideal: They’re coarse, noisy, rough-riding, and usually dirty. But they’re also fantastic companions if you approach them on their own terms. This sounds like a good one; it runs and drives well, and it has current registration.
It’s powered by a good honest inline six, the smallest engine available in ’68, but it’s enough to move hay bales around. It’s backed by a four-speed manual, probably either an SM420 or SM465, with a “granny” first gear either way. The seller says the transmission is “a little noisy,” but in my experience, that’s typical of these. If it goes into all the gears all right, and stays in them, it’s probably fine.
Stake-side flatbeds are less practical for some things than a regular pickup bed, but if you want, and you can find one, it’s easy enough to lose the flatbed and put a regular bed back on it. On a truck this old, you don’t even need to worry about the fuel filler neck; the fuel tank is inside the cab, behind the seat – not ideal for safety, I suppose, but if you want safety, you don’t buy a fifty-six-year-old truck.
1980 Volkswagen (Rabbit) Pickup – $3,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.6-liter overhead cam diesel inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Portland, OR
Odometer reading: 175,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives, but needs some work
This little truck has a lot of names. I believe it was officially just called the Volkswagen Pickup here in America, but was usually referred to as the Rabbit Pickup, since the front half is the same as the little hatchback. In other parts of the world, it was called the Volkswagen Caddy – but this is an American creation. It started here and then spread to other markets. US-market Rabbit Pickups were built in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, neatly circumventing the 25% tariff on imported trucks known as the “Chicken Tax” (which, ironically, was kind of Volkswagen’s fault to begin with).
Because it’s based on a front-wheel-drive hatchback, this truck is unibody, rather than having a separate frame with a cab and bed bolted on. That doesn’t stop it from being a true half-ton truck, with a load capacity of 1,100 pounds. Don’t expect to move that weight all that quickly; this truck has a 1.6-liter diesel, boasting all of 52 horsepower. Its fuel economy is great, though.
A lot of these old early water-cooled Volkswagens have an air of the Ship of Theseus about them, and this one sounds like no exception. It looks like the transmission at least has been swapped out from a 4-speed to a 5, and incompletely; the shift linkage is incorrect (it sounds like fifth gear is inaccessible) and the speedometer is wildly off (which means the final drive ratio and the speedometer drive gear don’t match).
It does run and drive, and has had some recent work. Everything needed to make it roadworthy is functional; it sounds like it just needs an owner willing to put in a little work. The interior is scruffy, and the exterior has its share of surface rust, but it looks pretty clean and solid underneath.
Old trucks aren’t for everyone. There’s a lot you have to give up: comfort, performance, and safety, to begin with. But you can fix them with a pair of Vise-Grips and a roll of electrical tape, and not worry about trivial matters like washing it or getting collision insurance. It’s liberating. It’s probably best if you have something else for date nights, though. If you do have the old beat-up truck disposition, will it be the Chevy flatbed, or the little diesel VW?
(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)
I’d love a VW truck, but in this contest, the Chevy wins. It’s beat-up, but honest enough. The VW isn’t nice enough for that price. Chicken tax? Now it’s the Hipster Tax.
Shabby shebby plz & thx. .
VW, cuz I think they’re cool + built in my home state of PA. Not for anywhere near $3,500 tho.. maybe $350.
20-odd years ago when I was searching for diesel VWs, a ratty runner was $1500ish if a Caddy. Maybe it’s the location, but I think this one might be on the cheap end for good reasons. I don’t get the lack of 5th—unless they just bought the transmission without access to the linkages. And that doesn’t bode well for quality of work done, ya know?
I love the idea of the VW pickup, but at almost twice the price of the traditional American iron, I’ve got to say no joy to the unibody and yes to the body-on-frame work horse that can be kept running forever with readily available parts (including relatively simple full drivetrain swaps, if necessary) sourced from just about any junkyard in North America.
I’ll take the flat bed Chebby all day, every day.
Picked up a 72 GMC 3/4 ton pickup last year, similar color – it even had a noisy transmission. I would get that remedied, mine had a bad bearing and was fixin’ to come apart. But these transmissions were very common, I found one for about $200.
The chevy is a much better value, surprised the price is so low. Polish it up, take care of the transmission, and it could easily sell for $3500. Can’t say the same for the VW, though it has a nice patina.
That generation is the best gen for GM trucks, and it is a cool color, and it seems to be in better condition than the VW. So I voted for the blue truck.
Just too bad the VW wasn’t in better shape. While VW sucks, and the jealous chicken tax was aimed at them, it’s funny to see their small truck give Detroit the middle finger, but this example isn’t in good condition.
The first vehicle I ever drove was a 71 k20, in that same seafoam green. Though ours was a custom deluxe (medium fancy) so we had white bumpers and a white roof. I have a deep appreciation for those trucks, especially in that color. Shame they have gone through the roof for anything resembling a decent one.
Also those westmoreland assembled rabbit pickups are pretty terribly screwed together. My buddy had one, and just at an idle, every single interior panel rattled.
Fun detail. Please feel free to fact check me. My father’s best friend was a Volkswagen mechanic in Allentown PA. When he was alive he always bragged about how the garage needed a good parts vehicle but wanted it to be a Volkswagen. Their body shop went to town with converting a Rabbit into a small pickup. The news got to corporate and before they knew it the vehicle was on the lots.
Keith was somewhat of a know it all, but he wasn’t one to fabricate (get it? fabricate..LOL) stories like this. I believe the dealership was Lehigh Valley Volkswagen.
Diesel, stick shift Caddy? That’s been my dream for over a decade. While I adore the colour on the Chevy, the Caddy is a far more practical vehicle for daily use and they’re cool as shit.
That Chevy is the lazy old ranch hand leaning against the post, doing nothing at all long after you’ve assigned him a task for the day, yet somehow, when the sun goes down, everything has been completed exactly as you intended.
That’s the kind of truck I need. Not someone else’s project.
Volkswagen if I could get the price down. A lot. Already have an 87 R20 in rough but serviceable condition. 30 years ago (don’t do this at home kids) I bought a 78 dasher diesel wagon 5 speed manual,out in the country for $50. Swapped the front plate off the car I was driving and took the lead with gf driving my car in the rear. Didn’t know anything about cars back then. Broken down pipe filled the car with exhaust, alternator was shot, had to jump it every time I drove it. God, if I had that car today…..
79 not 78
The Caddy is realistically the nicer truck but I just can’t resist the charm of the ratty old ranch truck Chevy.
I’ll go with the little People’s Car pickup, today. Right size and I need a project.
Step 1: Buy the C20
Step 2: LS and cheap eBay turbo swap
Step 3: Hilarity and/or death
Step 1: Buy the caddy
Step 2: LS and cheap eBay turbo swap
Step 3: Brief hilarity, followed by immediate death.
Immediately regret attempting to fit LS into Caddy, and have fun with all the extra work for RWD conversion.
You could LS swap the C10 for a couple grand (that includes the engine price) and a day or two. The Caddy would be weeks or months worth of work…
That Chevy would be right at home where I live. As far as the stake racks go, if you don’t like the height you don’t have to replace the bed…the posts are wooden – cut ’em and go with a half rack.
Rabbit diesel for me. It will be a much better vehicle for on-road use most likely even if it will be bog slow. And chances are, it won’t be that much slower than that old Chevy truck which seems to be in much worse shape and likely will need way more work to make road worthy.
Now having said that, both of these heaps of shit are waaay overpriced. Both aren’t worth more than half of their asking prices.
Ummm no. That Chevy is exactly the right color. Slightly more blue than MiG (cockpit) Green. https://www.flickr.com/photos/148205812@N03/47734021081
/I detest Pooty-poot, but these colors are great, especially in the age of grayscale cars.
The first vehicle I ever wrecked was my Dad’s diesel Caddy. Less than 6 weeks after getting my license, I blasted out of an alley without looking and clipped the driver’s rear quarter on a passing Nissan pickup and spun them 180 degrees. Not a lot of damage, but I scared everyone badly.
And it was an older couple out for their anniversary.
A the box of dishes in the bed that was an anniversary gift did not survive.
Even after that experience, I wanted to vote for the Caddy, but didn’t. The no 5th gear thing makes me think it’s kinda hacked together.
I voted Chevy.
You “blasted out” of an alley in a VW diesel pickup? I didn’t think that was even possible.
I had the full length of the alley to build up speed. That city block length EASILY gave me enough distance to hit probably 25mph!
Tough choice since I love old trucks. I think I’ll go with Chevy. It is rough, but I suspect it is in far better mechanical condition than the Volkswagen. It seems worth $2,000.
I would probably vote for the VW if it didn’t have the transmission issue, though. This strikes me as a car has a lot of improvised repairs. Those can be very hard and/or expensive to undo. Otherwise, it is a cool truck. I love the color, and I like old diesel VWs.
I fear the VW may need a lot of sorting out do undo the half-arsed modifications over the years. I’ll take the Chevy — it’s a simple, honest worker with plenty of old-truck charm.
Look if you just need a pickup truck for looking cool in your driveway and hauling stuff from the garden center / nursery to your house a couple times a year, but not as a daily driver, either one of these is gonna suit you pretty well. Which is all these old boys should ever be used for, anyway. Nobody should be daily driving them. Just let ’em have a happy retirement and give ’em a wash a couple times a year.
I clicked the article assuming I’d vote for the VW, and I probably would if it was any other example. But fixing someone else’s project doesn’t sound fun.
Both pickups are probably the same amount of “grungy” on the inside, but why is it less appealing on the Rabbit than on the Chevy?
In any event, we’ll take the Action Line, and start looking for a beat-up long bed.
I think it is the amount of plastic. The cracked dash and heavily oxidized/powdery plastic just look worn out and nasty. The worn, faded painted metal has patina from age and use. Just put a Mexican blanket on the seat and you’re good to go.
The GM dash pads are easy to replace and relatively cheap; did one last year.
Chevy is by far the more practical choice here but the Rabbit is easily the coolest. This is just internet money we’re throwing around so I vote Rabbit!
Depends on where you live. I’d argue for the payload needs and fuel economy, the Rabbit suits more people than the Chev does. I know it’s easier to store if you’re tight on space.
The Chevy is the most cost-effective choice from a parts cost/availability standpoint. But there’s a metric ass-load of junkyard VWs that can donate parts to the Rabbit if you’re not afraid of used parts and getting dirty.
This Rabbit is so slow it would win the race with the Tortoise.
I’ll take it.