1976 Chevrolet Chevy C/K 20 K20 Barn Find Low Mileage Original Pickup Truck

This auction is for an original, unrestored 1976 Chevrolet K 20 (3/4-ton, Four-Wheel Drive) pick-up truck with less than 22,500 documented miles.

The truck was originally ordered in North Dakota for use on a farm. When not in use, it was stored indoors in a machine shop. It was primarily used was for hauling hay seed -- which is why it was ordered with the wood bed. If you look closely between the wood slats, you can still find a hay seed or two. Key options include 400 cubic inch (6.6L) "small-block 400" motor, three speed automatic, full time four-wheel drive, power steering, power brakes and vent windows.

I purchased this truck about 10 years ago. It's fairly uncommon to find one of these that's original and unmodified with mileage this low. Because it was purchased to do actual work on a farm, there are various scratches, scuffs and dents. In my opinion, the level of patina aligns well with the truck's character -- perfect for any enthusiast who fits into the "preservationist" (unrestored/original) category.

At the time I purchased it (2006), it'd been used exclusively on the farm. In order to make it more useable on public roads, I replaced all of the body mounts, radiator mounts, transmission mounts, engine mounts, suspension bushings - basically everything rubber that was under the car -- with a combination of NOS (where it made sense) and top-quality replacement parts. For example, most of the mounts are NOS and all of the suspension bushings are new parts. The shocks were replaced with Bilstein units, the carburetor was rebuilt and the tires were replaced with ones having the same "agricultural" specs as the original. The brakes were rebuilt and an NOS master cylinder installed. All fluids were flushed and replaced - along with the associated gaskets and seals. Details that were preserved included keeping the original "shiny" wiper arms (only the wiper inserts are new).

Everything on this truck works as it should: gauges, brakes, four-wheel drive system, floor-mounted high-beam foot switch, etc. Even the original AM radio with single speaker in the center of the top of the dash works perfectly. So does the heat, fan and defrost -- including the driver side adn passenger floor vents. Bottom line is that everything works, functions and drives as it should. If you've previously owned older vehicles, you can appreciate the level of effort that goes into making a 1970's vehicle drive and ride like it did when it was new -- and to get rid of every squeak, clunk and rattle that can come from dry-rotted rubber parts - while preserving its originality.

In terms of cosmetics, clear shield was applied to the leading edge of the hood. And "Carwell" has been applied to the undercarriage and into the body panels. One of Carwell's best features is that because it stays oily, you can "see through" it to the condition of whatever's underneath. Why bother doing this to a fair weather weekend toy? Because the Northeast is significantly more humid than the Dakotas where the truck came from.

One of this truck's nicest features is the excellent condition of its original velour upholstery -- which shows minimal wear and no sun-fade (testimony to it being stored indoors). Another is that the wood bed is intact including much of the original green paint that was applied to the wood at the factory. A few factory crayon markings under the hood and on the frame rails are relatively rare finds - as is the paper decal on the back of the driver sun-visor (describing operation of the four-wheel drive system) and the intact cardboard parcel shelf (behind the seat).

I've accumulated a very nice stock of NOS parts for this truck that will be offered to the purchaser at my cost. Any that aren't wanted will be listed in later auctions.

I've done my best to take a representative series of pictures. If there's something I've missed, just let me know.

If you're interested in a no-excuses truck that you can make an occasional trip to Home Depot in, this is it. This is truly the nicest example of a third generation C/K series that I've ever seen -- and the Scottsdale is a really nice trim package. If you're a tire-kicker just interested in talking about C/K series trucks, I don't mind sharing what I know. Either way, please feel free to e-mail, text or call 315-882-4610. The sale terms are "as is" given that I'm not a car dealer. $2,000 deposit is due within 24 hours of end of auction. Balance is due within 10 days. Robert

On Feb-01-18 at 12:23:04 PST, seller added the following information:

An Update:

Thank you for all of the interest and questions. I'll do my best to capture them here.

I originally built this auction with a buy-it-now price (26.2k) that was based on the NADA Classic website. It appears that once the first bid was placed, the buy-it-now option disappeared. I'm fairly sure what happened with the buy-it-now is this: I'd specified a "minimum bid," but not a "reserve." Had I included a reserve, the "buy it now" would probably still be there. That's something to keep in mind if you plan on listing a vehicle in the future. My intention going forward is to leave the auction as it is in order to be fair to everyone. There have been over 4.3k views with over 370 watchers as of Feb 1st -- so I believe the only way to be fair to everyone who's been watching and/or bidding in good faith is to leave the auction terms as they are.

The tires are "Power King" brand in the stock size (7.50-16). The original Goodyear tires (same size) were removed at approximately 13k miles, are in very nice shape (for being 42 years old) and will be made available to the buyer.

For those unfamiliar with "Clear Shield," it's a clear decal that's been applied to the front vertical surface of the hood and first 1-2 inches of the horizontal to mitigate any stone chips. 3M brand product was used and it was applied professionally by a body shop. It's designed to allow UV rays to go through so any future sun-fading that may occur will be uniform across the hood. It is removable with heat and water.

"Carwell" has a variety of uses. When applied to vehicles that are driven in bad weather, it's supposed to be re-applied annually or every other year. For vehicles that aren't driven in bad weather (such as this truck), it should last indefinitely. It can be removed with water using the low setting on a power washer. If you're familiar with the "old-school" use of Cosmoline for the long term storage of metal objects -- that's my intention for the Carwell.

Thanks again for looking,

Robert