Looking back: 1983 Chevrolet C/K Pickup trucks. Comparison to F150 included.

[hiluxxulih]

My dream barn find is a 1987 Chevy K3500 regular cab single rear tires with a 5.7 liter and a 4 speed stick I had an 86 K2500 a few years ago but the cowl area was so rusted I sold it

[hiluxxulih]

Can you see about getting any testing footage of the GM CUCV trucks ?

[osbornk]

What kind of real-world fuel mileage did you get in the Celebrity and do you know when they discontinued the 4.3L diesel ?

Thinking this might make an interesting pet project....

It got in the high 20s overall and in the low 30s on the interstate when the 2.8 V6 versions of the same car were getting in in the low to mid 20s. The best part of it was at the time, the lock up torque converter shifted constantly with the gas engines and it locked in and stayed there with the diesel. I think they only made the 4.3 in 82-85.

[GMJoe]

Chevy had a real nice interior, especially on higher end models. A lot better color choices than Black , Grey or Tan. Also a good deal of bright metal trim on dash and door panels.

A very good looking truck for its day.

[C/K Man]

Great video, thanks for posting! I remember those days well, and my opinion then was the Dodge Ram was more competitive against the Chevy than Ford was. Of course Dodge was at a disadvantage because the Cummins diesel was a long ways off and the biggest gas engine they had at the time was the old 4bbl. 360.

[ZvetteGuy]

Though not a '83 module, my '87 has been in the family since it was brand new and has been a pleasure for me to own since I was in high school... she's still running strong and turns heads, generates thumbs up, and maintains the mantra of Chevrolet (GMC) trucks... "the most dependable, longest lasting trucks on the road"... yes, that is what I get to drive and enjoy.

Thanks for posting! Loved it!

[Smaart Aas Saabr]

Except Ford never *really* did... Back in 1987 my mother bought a GMC Suburban. It had Chevy bowtie and "Silverado" badges on the passenger side but a GMC badge on the hood ornament and said Sierra Classic inside on the dash and on the passenger side and the tailgate. So, was it Really a GMC or a Chevy? The dealership fixed the mixed badging, but we laughed about it and had fun with it for the month while the dealership waited for the replacement badges to come in. GMC and Chevrolet rolled off the same assembly line in that particular case and the distinction between the two models was merely what badges got slapped on the finished product.

However, if you look at sales numbers GMC and Chevy are reported differently - including in 1987 when we got this truck. Let's get real here, if both trucks are on the same frame with the same drivetrain and the same parts and the badges (and today the sheet metal) is the only difference, is Ford *really* outselling GM, or are they just outselling individual GM products when you don't consider the dealership they come out of?

I remember fondly my first truck, a 1983 K5 Blazer that I got with about a bajillion miles on it and nursed along for a couple of years. That truck was a tank for all it's rough-around-the-edges lack of refinement. It was a great truck, period.

Ford outsells Chevy and GMC combined more often than not, but sometimes Chevy and GMC combined outsells Ford...

[swagled]

The stump-pulling axle ratios they offered back then is also interesting. Now we get a choice of maybe 1 different set, no no more manual transmissions. I guess nowadays people have to go aftermarket to get truly short gearing.

[91 s-10baja]

Can you see about getting any testing footage of the GM CUCV trucks ?

I'm not sure I know what CUCV means?

[91 s-10baja]

i just added the 83 El Camino promo to this thread!

In 1983, the 4.4-liter V8 was gone, leaving the 5.0-liter version as the only optional gas V8. The standard engine was again Chevy’s 3.8-liter V6 with 110 horsepower, though California cars, once again, got a Buick V6 with similar specifications. Continuing on the options list was the 5.7-liter V8 Diesel with 105 hp. The sister Malibu sedan and wagon were discontinued after the 1983 model year...
1983 Chevrolet El Camino Promo

[Lowboy]

I'm not sure I know what CUCV means?

Military versions of civilian trucks.
Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle, CUCV.

[Lowboy]

My dream barn find is a 1987 Chevy K3500 regular cab single rear tires with a 5.7 liter and a 4 speed stick

Why not a 454?
I had a 1988 V30 crewcab and a 1991 V2500 suburban.
The 1991 was the only year you could get a 4L80E as well, '89+ received the better NP241C transfercase.

[91 s-10baja]

Military versions of civilian trucks.
Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle, CUCV.

actually yes! There are a few laserdiscs i have that have military footage! Stay tuned! Visit my page on Facebooks for updated daily content!


added the burb' and blaze'r promo!

The 1983 Blazer and Suburban featured the same new engine as 82, the first new engine introduction the model had seen since 1976. A 6.2-liter (379-ci) Diesel V8.
1983 Chevrolet Blazer & Suburban Promo

[hiluxxulih]

Why not a 454?
I had a 1988 V30 crewcab and a 1991 V2500 suburban.
The 1991 was the only year you could get a 4L80E as well, '89+ received the better NP241C transfercase.

I would take any engine a 350 just seams practical

[hiluxxulih]

I'm not sure I know what CUCV means?

They are the military versions of the 1983 to 1987 GM trucks .