Modern Meets Vintage in This Handsome 1961 Chevrolet Apache

Classic pickup trucks remain among the hottest collectibles in the vintage car world. Looking to join the fun? The 1961 Chevrolet C-10 Apache recently listed on eBay is a great entry point. The hard work of making it daily-driver-ready is already done! All it needs is a new owner to take it on scenic Sunday drives.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The Dawn of the Chevy C/K

You’ve probably heard Chevy pickups referred to as C/K-series trucks. This is where it began. Chevrolet redesigned its pickups in 1960, adopting the C and K designations for two- and four-wheel drive models, respectively. This step-side long-bed half-ton was likely a working truck in a former life, but you’d never know it from its current gorgeous condition.

This iconic Chevrolet Apache is a real head-turner in turquoise and white. Accessories like polished stainless-steel outside mirrors, side window shades, and the bedside-mounted spare tire enhance the classic look. The pickup bed has been refinished to the same standard as the bodywork, with stained wood planks and stainless steel hardware. The truck wears original dealership emblems from Bill Moore Chevrolet in Ponca City, Okla. The dealer’s name is even stamped into the rear bumper, a nifty original feature that you rarely see on restored trucks. Painted steel wheels with chrome hubcaps and whitewall tires mirror the truck’s two-tone color scheme, as does the pleated upholstery inside the cab.

Hidden Upgrades in a Vintage Wrapper

Chevrolet’s 1961 sales brochure claims the Apache’s wide bench seat offers “plenty of head, hip, hat and leg room for three big men.” Those guys, or whoever is lucky enough to ride in this truck, will enjoy an original look AM/FM radio hiding a modern auxiliary input for tunes from your phone. Aftermarket air conditioning from Vintage Air blows “ice cold,” according to the seller, and uses a contemporary R134a compressor.

The seller calls this handsome Chevrolet Apache a “blast to drive.” In the early 1960s, Chevrolet’s light-duty pickups used a torsion-bar independent front suspension coupled with coil springs and control arms on the rear solid axle. The seller says many suspension parts have been updated, which surely contributes to the good driving characteristics. The truck features a modernized power disc braking system with a master cylinder and proportioning valve from Classic Performance.

Six in a Row Makes It Go

The inline-six engine under the hood adds to this truck’s retro appeal. Instead of the 235-cubic-inch Stovebolt that would have come from the factory in the Chevrolet Apache, this six-banger is the 261-cubic-inch version installed in Chevy’s heavy-duty trucks. The engine is lightly modernized with an electronic ignition system, a new stainless fan, and new hoses and lines. A new fuel tank feeds the torquey mill.

The “strong rebuilt” engine, as the seller describes it, is mated to a smooth-shifting manual transmission with overdrive. While these trucks were originally equipped with a “three on the tree” column shifter to help make room for those three big men, this Chevrolet Apache has a floor-mounted shifter topped with a white Hurst knob.

The handsome hauler is located in Orlando, Fla. The seller is willing to help the buyer arrange shipping “for a reasonable price.”