Scruffy Old Trucks: 1977 Chevy C10 vs 1986 Dodge Ram

Sbsd 10 23 2023
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Good morning, Autopians! Today we’ve got a couple of old workhorses that have been put out to pasture, but they’ve still got a little life left in them. And they’re both going up in value, so we’d better check them out while we can afford them. But first, let’s find out which of Friday’s finalists is our new video star:

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Close one, but the Oldsmobile wins it. That’s really the perfect Hollywood choice anyway; in showbiz, you can be kind of crap, as long as you’re pretty.

Neither of today’s vehicles is pretty; the best they can manage is “ruggedly handsome.” But they both run and drive just fine, and either one can still be useful. Or just cruise around and have a little fun. After all, all work and no play makes… well, you know. They’re both the same price, and while it may seem high, old trucks like these are having a moment, and that moment shows no signs of ending. They’ll probably be even more expensive next year, so if you want one, grab it now. Let’s check them out.

1977 Chevrolet C10 Bonanza – $3,999

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Engine/drivetrain: 350 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: Portland, OR

Odometer reading: 211,000 miles

Runs/drives? Yep!

This generation of Chevy truck is known as the “Squarebody,” because of its rectilinear shape. But the funny part is, if you really study the design, there’s barely a sharp corner on it, if you don’t count the bed. The end of every line is rounded-off, which may be why General Motors calls this era of truck the “Rounded Line.” Believe it or not, this truck was designed using a wind tunnel, even though it looks like it has the aerodynamics of a cinder block.

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Whatever you want to call it, it’s a damn good looking piece of machinery. I’m especially fond of this early style, before the facelift of 1981 that squared off the front end even more. And it wears two-tone paint well, even when it’s as faded and weatherbeaten as this one is.

But before we talk more about this truck, I need to point out that I think this photo has been altered. It doesn’t look like western Oregon at all. It’s far too lush and verdant; nobody here actually has a multitude of hundred-foot-tall pine trees in their backyards. And we never get glorious sunsets like this after a perfect golden hour of late-afternoon sun. It’s nowhere near this pretty, so stop thinking about moving here.

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Now, about this truck: it’s a C10, in the “Bonanza” trim level. It’s powered by the ubiquitous 350 cubic inch small-block V8, backed by a Turbo-Hydramatic 350 transmission. This drivetrain is legendary for a reason – it’s just about indestructible, easy to service, and dirt-cheap to repair if something does go wrong. This one purrs like a kitten, from the sounds of it, and the transmission was recently rebuilt. The 350 in these trucks is equipped with a Quadrajet four-barrel carburetor, capable of sucking down fuel at an astonishing rate. Luckily, it has two fuel tanks to feed that thirsty monster, one on each side – pull up to whichever side of the pumps you want.

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The outside of this truck may have a near-perfect level of patina, but the inside needs some help. The bench seat is worn through, but in true work truck fashion, only on the driver’s side; the seldom-used passenger’s side is pristine. The carpet is missing, probably removed because the floors are rusted through. The seller says replacement floor pans are included – but you’ll have to weld them in yourself.

1986 Dodge Ram 150 – $4,000

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Engine/drivetrain: 318 cubic inch overhead valve V8, three-speed automatic, RWD

Location: McFarland, CA

Odometer reading: 115,000 miles

Runs/drives? Sure does!

Perpetual third-place Chrysler Corporation trailed GM and Ford in the truck market even worse than in passenger cars, until the radical 1994 Dodge Ram trucks were introduced. Since then, the gap has narrowed considerably, but Ram (they dropped the “Dodge” badge years ago) is still number three. Slow-selling though it was at the time, the D-series trucks like this are finally getting their due.

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This Ram 150 is a 2WD short-bed model, powered by a 318 cubic inch V8 and a Torqueflite automatic. Short-bed trucks are often seen as playthings, but even without that extra foot and a half of bed length, it’s still a half-ton truck, still capable of doing truck things. It just can’t haul full sheets of plywood with the tailgate up. The 318/Torqueflite combination is every bit as stout and reliable as Chevy’s 350/TH350, and this one runs and drives fine. I believe, from the photos, that it’s being sold by a towing company, which would make it difficult to uncover its history, so we’ll have to assess it at face value.

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This is a high trim level truck, with power windows and locks, cruise control, and a tilt steering wheel in addition to air conditioning. It’s not clear from the ad how much of that stuff works, and its presence is another indication that this truck was meant for play rather than work, but if you like that stuff in a truck, it’s all there. It’s a pity it has that hideous mid-1980s Dodge steering wheel, though. I hated these things in Daytonas and Lancers, and I hate it here too.

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Outside, it looks pretty good, with only a few bumps and bruises. The mismatched tires are a bummer, and the scruffy black wagon wheels aren’t doing it any favors. A nice set of slot mags would look good on here, I think, if you could find them. Otherwise, it just looks dirty. I think some elbow grease would do it a world of good.

I fully expect some grousing about the prices of these two. We got used to old trucks like these being sub-$1000 beaters, and they made enough of them (even the Dodge) that for a long time they bounced along the bottom of the market. But this is what they cost now. And really, for a classic (or near-classic) that can earn its keep, it’s not too bad. Which one of these strikes your fancy?

(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

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50 thoughts on “Scruffy Old Trucks: 1977 Chevy C10 vs 1986 Dodge Ram

  1. When I returned to the US after 18 years in Germany, I was in need of a “temporary” vehicle until the car I had shipped arrived. Made the rounds of all the dealerships and a couple of cash/carry car lots. It was at the latter that I found a 1974 Chevy C-10 with 350 and 4 spd. Most of the truck was in fairly decent shape except for the bed which had suffered a bad case of rust worms. He wanted $1500. I asked for a test drive to which he agreed to. When I got back I offered him $1000. After a bit of back and forth we finally agreed on $1250. I then asked him what kind of warranty he would offer on the truck. He sorta snorted and growled that he would warrant that it would drive off the lot. I considered this generous offer and agreed that it was fair.

    Fast forward 15 years and I still own the truck. It has a bit over 325k miles on the odometer. When I bought the truck it had an honest 113k miles. The bed has been replaced by a 10′ flat bed, which was great for hauling motorcycles but added a lot of weight way out back. I had replaced the clutch once and the U-joints twice. Still running the original V-8, 4 spd, and “pumpkin”. Believe it or not the front disc’s never required replacement. The rear drums and shoes were serviced twice! Guess that was the penalty for the 10′ bed which was a backyard special made of angle iron and 2″x6″‘s.

    Okay so I obviously like old Chevy trucks, so why did I vote for the Dodge? Lower mileage, much nicer interior, and not quite as scruffy on the outside. And finally a chance to try something “different”.

  2. Longbody all the way. I watch so much Vice Grip Garage that my first thought was: well, I’ll be dipped… that sure looks like a goin’ to town rig!

  3. “Believe it or not, this truck was designed using a wind tunnel…”

    Not to make it sleeker, but to confirm it was as much of a brick as they hoped. Because brickiness = manliness.

  4. I’ll take the Chevy for all the reasons you said. Also, I believe the Bonanza was somewhat of a rare package. Having seen Scottsdales, Cheyennes, Silverados, and more Custom Deluxes than I can count…. I’ve only seen one Bonanza in person. A coworker has a beautiful one.

    All I can say about the Dodge is I actually love that steering wheel. But in Daytonas, Lancers, etc. It doesn’t look so great in the truck.

  5. I went bow tie, although rusted floors mean this may not be a native PNW truck. I can attest lack of gas mileage, a job had an 84 C20 with 350 and a four speed and you could watch the fuel gauge drop.
    Square body Chevies can fetch serious money in good shape so a little work would pay off.
    That said a GMT400 from the 90s is less of a penalty box while still cheap and rugged

  6. Chevrolet for the win. Used to drive a 77 with a factory 454 in 77-80.
    Lifted huge tires and 4×4.
    Always gave close to 20mpg on Houston’s Interstates at 70mph.
    In town was closer to 8-10 in traffic.
    Good truck.

  7. “All work and no play?”

    “Not gonna hurt ya Wendy just gonna bash your head in with this bat.”

    One of the best lines, ever.
    Sorry I have an extremely personal relationship with both Jack and the hotel.
    It comes out far too often.

  8. If I’m ever in the position of needing a beater pickup, it’s going to be because I really really need to do something that requires a pickup. In that scenario I’m going for the one that will be the most useful. Gimme the Chevy and all its hauling capacity.

  9. I had the long box 4×4 version of that Dodge, 4 speed with low 123 couldn’t get over 120km/hr and shook like a demon, I got it so stuck it took two 4×4 tractors to pull out, horrible on the road but a great farm truck

  10. Dodge for tradition’s sake: My first “car” was a ’72 W100 Power Wagon, locking Warne hubs, 225 slant, auto. I bought it in 1974 with proceeds from my summer construction job.

    My second Dodge truck was a ’98 SS/T black over grey leather with stripe delete, 360 CID, SWB 2WD. A good customer of mine offered it to me for 10K in 2002 because the dealer’s trade-in offer was insulting.

    I brought the cash to his house that night, and he was sitting in the dining room of his waterfront home with his older brother. We had a drink, I offered him the envelope, and he said, “Nah, let’s have some fun.”

    He was a big gambler, and had his wife bring out a fresh deck of cards: “Let’s cut the deck, double or nothing.” I refused. His 70-year old brother (both drunk) whispered “Wussy.”

    I just looked at both of them. This went back & forth. I was a “Wussy” about three times over. Then my guy says “OK OK, we can play Go Fish, best 3 out of 5.” And then he threw in the kicker, “If you lose you can work off the 10K on house repair.” Here was my chance:

    I was a little drunk too, looked him in the eye and said, “One hand. Five-card draw: I win, I take the envelope and truck. You win, I take the truck, leave the envelope, and owe you 10K in construction work on your house.” We all agreed.

    His brother counted the cards in the new deck, removed the jokers, and wished us both luck.

    I drew two cards after the deal, and was left with a pair of nines. My customer drew two, said “Who dealt this crap? Looked at me, and asked whadya got?”

    I lay down my pair, he looked at me, lay his cards face down, “Beats my crap.”

    He shook my hand, and wished me luck with the new truck.

    Gentlemen.

    P.S. These guys were both multi-millionaires and my customer was a frequent gambler in Atlantic City for real high stakes. This game, for them, was just something to do after dinner. I never saw his cards, and it’s not something you really ask about. It was a good truck, and the 10K really helped me out.

      1. Well, some people who know the parties involved say that my customer gave the truck away. And he was capable of this, and actually inclined to do such a thing.

        He’s also wise enough to know how complex a thing “giving” can be. So, if he wanted me to have the truck gratis, this may have been the best way to do it. Of course, I could have just been lucky with that crappy pair of nines. I’ll never know.

        I did say to him a couple of years later, “You know, someday I’d like to ask you a question, it’s something that’s been on my mind.” He did not take the bait.

        In any event, I’ve told this story about twenty times over the years and everyone bends an ear. A good story will always have value.

        And thank you for the compliment on the narrative. It means a lot.

        1. There is little that feels better than to be allowed to give to another, or to share our blessings with others.
          After receiving several free cars as a kid, made it a practice to basically give away several used rides over the years. Except it wasn’t a gift, the gift came to us.
          Thanks, good story.

    1. Great story! I once had a boss who was like a weird brother but 15 years older.

      He once gave me a Mach1 after I was convinced to do some “work” for his wife. I needed some wheels and she wanted a new Corolla.
      Decency precludes my saying more about that, but I still half expected to disappear without a trace, being Texas and all. It was a time of free love so what could I say? Should probably add that some strong mind altering subs were also part of the equation.

      In the end though everybody was apparently satisfied. The 1970s were just nuts. And it sucks to be old now.
      Free cars are the best usually. YMMV.

  11. For a real-deal work truck, the Chevy is ready to go but still a bit pricey. The Dodge is more my speed, not a bad price, and should polish up well. It’s not exactly a show truck, but it’s better for light work and should polish up well.

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