1962 CHEVROLET C10

1962 CHEVROLET C10.
The C/K was Chevrolet and GMC's full-size pickup truck line from October 1959 until 2000 in the United States and Canada, from 1964 to 2001 in Brazil, and from 1975 to 1982 in Chile. The first Chevrolet pickup truck was introduced in 1924, though in-house designs did not appear until 1930. "C" indicated two-wheel drive and "K" indicated four-wheel drive. The aging C/K light-duty pickup truck was replaced with the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra names in 1999 in the United States and Canada, and 2001 in Brazil; the Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD heavy-duty pickup trucks followed. Until this time, the names Silverado and Sierra were used to identify the trim level of the C/K trucks.

Aircraft-inspired “nacelles” graced the hood of the attractively restyled 1960 Chevrolet C10, which now relied on independent front suspension sprung by torsion bars instead of coils. Coil springs brought up the rear in place of the leafs installed prior to 1960. Conventional coils replaced the torsion bars up front in 1963, allowing the frame's reinforcing x-member, in place since 1960, to be deleted.

The 1960 model year was the first in which Chevy pickups featured a full-width pickup box as standard equipment. Styling is a hit or miss affair for the earlier years (1960-62), with wrap-around windshields and their unique hoods that are all but impossible to find as replacements. GM discontinued this difficult-to-stamp component for the 1963 model year, even for collision replacement parts, so it’s not unusual to find earlier trucks with the later 1963-66 hoods. Those later years saw styling that was more mainstream looking, and those are generally most sought-out by collectors. Externally, only the trim shuffle games prevalent in Detroit at the time differentiate 1964 through 1966s.
Styling updates included a switch back to dual headlights in 1962.

The basic body carried over through 1966 but was graced with restyled roof posts in 1964, giving the cab a more rakish appearance.

New model designations debuted for 1960, with the former 3100-series half-ton tag traded for a “C10” identification, the “C” being short for “conventional,” or two-wheel-drive. The “K” prefix continued to signify the presence of a four-wheel-drive pickup.

Power trains are similar to the previous “Task Force” era trucks, with choices of thrifty-yet-durable inline sixes or small-block V8s that still work in modern traffic. Especially prized are the final year 1966s with the optional and beloved 327 ci small-block V8 (even if it is detuned two-barrel best suited for low-end torque rather than a powerhouse Corvette 4-barrel). This era of trucks also saw a greater availability of creature comfort options, especially power steering, power brakes and air conditioning.

First generation 1960–1966
Launched in the fall of 1959, the 1960 model year introduced a new body style of light pick-up truck that featured many firsts. Most important of these were a drop-center ladder frame, allowing the cab to sit lower, and independent front suspension, giving an almost car-like ride in a truck. Also new for 1960 was a new designation system for trucks made by GM. Gone were the 3100, 3200, and 3600 designations for short 1/2, long 1/2 and 3/4-ton models. Instead, a new scheme assigned a 10, 20, or 30 for 1/2, 3/4, and 1-ton models. Since 1957, trucks were available from the factory as four-wheel drive, and the new class scheme would make this known. A C (conventional) in front of the series number designates 2-wheel rear drive while a K designates 4-wheel drive.
Actual badging on Chevrolet trucks carried the series name system from the previous generation for 1960 and 1961: the 10, 20, 30, and 40 series (C and K) were badged as "Apaches", 50 and 60 series trucks were badged as "Vikings", and the largest 70 and 80 series models were marked "Spartans". For 1960, C/K trucks were available in smooth "Fleetside" or fendered "Stepside" versions. GMC called these "Wide-Side" and "Fenderside." Half-ton models were the C10 and K10 long-bed and short-bed trucks, and The 3/4-ton C20 and K20, as well as the one-ton C30, were also available. GMC did not use the "C" nomenclature, though their 4x4 versions used the "K" nomenclature. GMC model numbers for 1/2, 3/4, 1, and 1.5 ton were 1000, 1500, 2500, and 3000. The 1.5 ton Chevrolet C40 and GMC 3000, which were using the light-duty cab (but only as chassis-cab and stake models), were discontinued for the 1963 model year.

The 1960, 1961, and 1962 models featured torsion bar front suspensions, with trailing arm suspension rears. Trim lines were base and "Custom." Engines included the base GMC 305 ci V6 for the GMC version, 135 hp (101 kW) 236 ci (3.9L) and 150 hp (112 kW) 261 ci (4.3L) straight-6s, and a 283 ci (4.6L) V8 with 185 hp (119 kW).

CC rating: 5,735cc 350 ci (5.7L) V8

NZ First Registration: 15-Apr-2017

[jasoncarpp]

Lovely looking truck. My grandfather had a truck like this. It wasn't as nice as this, but it wasn't meant for show. His was a work truck.

[jnbfrancisco]

Does this truck have a torsion bar front suspension like my dad's 1962 did?

[adriantomlin]

Fix the inside of the bed!! Get rid of that funky rear bumper?!