This 1987 Chevrolet R10 Custom Deluxe is a long-bed Fleetside half-ton from the final model year of Chevrolet's square-body pickup line. For 1987, its last year before the all-new GMT400 trucks arrived, Chevrolet renamed the two-wheel-drive C-series trucks to the R-series, which is why this half-ton wears the R10 badge rather than the more familiar C10. It is said to be a South Carolina truck originally, and the current owner purchased it from a friend in Erie, Pennsylvania in 2007. Per the owner, it has always been stored inside and has never been driven in rain or snow.
Power comes from the 5.7-liter EFI V8, the throttle-body-injected 350 that replaced the earlier carbureted setup on these trucks, paired with a 4-speed automatic overdrive and a 3.08 rear axle. The owner reports the prior owner was a race car driver who used the truck to tow his race car, and had the engine rebuilt by his race mechanics with the pistons taken 0.030-inch over. The build also includes a performance camshaft and a Holley throttle body, and records indicate new rings, bearings, and heads. It is a sensible combination for a truck that spent time hauling weight, adding breathing and fueling capability on top of the factory overdrive gearing.
Braking is handled by front discs and rear drums, with power steering and power brakes. The truck is finished in bronze from a newer paint job that covered the exterior, the interior, and the hubs, and the bed carries a sprayed-in liner. Inside, it is well-equipped for a base-trim truck, with factory air conditioning, tinted glass, and a gauge package adding a voltmeter and oil pressure reading, all over a beige vinyl interior.
As the last of the square-body Chevrolet pickups, the 1987 R-series holds a specific place for enthusiasts. It marks the send-off for a body style that ran from 1973 through 1987 and became one of the most recognizable American trucks of its era. With a rebuilt and lightly built 350, an overdrive automatic, and an indoor-stored history behind it, this long bed is set up for someone who wants square-body presence with a drivetrain that has already been gone through.
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