Chevrolet C/K
The long-running Square Body pickup, a restomod favorite today.
Made to order: your copy is researched, fact-checked, and typeset to our standard, then delivered within about two weeks. We'll email you the moment it's ready.
About the Chevrolet C/K (1973-1987)
GM called this truck the "Rounded Line" series. Everyone else calls it the square body, and it ran fourteen model years without a redesign. The letters are the drivetrain: C is two-wheel drive, K is four-wheel drive; the number (10, 20, 30) is the load class. A 1981 facelift brought new front sheet metal, a sloped hood, and about 300 pounds less weight.
The appeal is simplicity. Body panels, trim, suspension parts, and whole small-block V8s are still in production, so nothing here is a dead end. Clean original trucks have climbed sharply in value, and a straight short-bed is now a collectible.
Specifications at a glance
| Years | 1973 to 1987 (badged C/K through 1986, R/V for 1987) |
| Layout | front engine; C is rear-wheel drive, K is four-wheel drive |
| Engines | 250 and 292 cu in inline-sixes; 305, 350 and 400 small-block V8s; 454 big-block V8; 6.2 L diesel from 1982 |
| Output | 170 hp (1973 350 four-barrel) to 210 hp and 300 lb-ft (407 Nm) from the 1987 fuel-injected 350 |
| Transmissions | 3-speed and 4-speed manuals, THM350 and THM400 automatics, 700R4 overdrive automatic from 1982 |
| Wheelbases | 117.5 in (2,985 mm) and 131.5 in (3,340 mm) pickups |
Known issues to check before you buy
- Cab corners, rockers, and floors. The lower rear cab corners and the rockers behind the doors rot from the inside out, worst on 1973 to 1980 trucks, and a leaking cowl seal rots the floor pans. Bring a magnet: filler over a rotten corner is the usual cover-up.
- Side-mounted fuel tanks. The tanks sit outside the frame rails. In October 1994 the US Transportation Secretary issued an initial determination of a safety defect over fire risk in side impacts; no recall followed. Check straps, shields, and hoses.
- Frame cracks at the steering box. The frame cracks where the steering box bolts on, and the front crossmember rivets work loose. Both read as wandering steering, so look there before blaming the box.
- 700R4 throttle-valve cable (1982 on). The cable sets internal line pressure, not just kickdown, so a wrong or misadjusted one cooks the transmission within a few thousand miles. Confirm the correct cable and crisp shifts.
- 6.2 L diesel (1982 on). Blocks crack around the main bearing webs and head gaskets let go. Look for coolant loss with no external leak, and pressure in the cooling system.
Owning one
Mechanically these are as friendly as an old vehicle gets: accessible, no special tools, cheap parts. The money goes into sheet metal, so buy the driest body you can find. This volume documents the Chevrolet C/K square body (1973-1987): verified specifications, the documented weak points and how to inspect each, service data, and the parts and owner community.
Inside this volume
Known issues & a survey guide
The documented weak points for this exact model, how to inspect each, and what a proper fix costs.
Full specifications
Every published figure, engine option, and running change, with the conflicts flagged, not guessed.
Systems & maintenance
Electrical, fuel, cooling, and drivetrain, plus service schedules and torque and fluid data.
Parts & community
Where the parts are, what cross-references, and the clubs and forums that keep the model alive.
Make it your car.
We fold in your year, your engine and options, your refits and modifications, your VIN, and your own car's photo on the cover. The book stops describing the car that left the factory and starts describing the one in your garage.