Box Body: 1981 Chevrolet C-10

The classic formula for the "hot rod" was to start with a plebeian car offering and dump some big engine and maybe a suspension modification or two.  However, today's cars are so fast and compitent from the factory that there isn't much to make hotter, so you gotta start with something that was terrible to drive in the first place, like a third generation Chevy C10 pickup.  Like this 1981 Chevrolet C10 here on eBay bidding for $11,411 reserve-not-met with 4 days to go, located in Bettendorf, IA.

Space Rat: 1960 Chevrolet C10 Hot Rod

This must be the most American thing ever featured on these pages.  First, just look at it.  Chevy 350 small block, two turbochargers, automatic, covered in the stars/stripes -- and critically, it is unfinished, like our wars in Iraq, Afghanistan...Vietnam, you name it.  Despite how unfinished it might be, it leaves a path of destruction as wide as a football field and as sweet as apple pie. Find this 1960 Chevrolet C10 Hot Rod thing offered for $8,500 in Brunswick, OH via craigslist.

Seller Submission: 1972 Chevrolet C10 pickup LSX

The second generation Chevrolet C/K Pickup (1967-1972) added a number of comfort and convenience items to the basic pickup truck that it replaced.  Time has been good to the C/K series as they were built by the boatload from serious metal -- some have been picked up and restored by collectors, but the vast majority are cheap and rough workhorses.  Find this 1972 Chevrolet C10 pickup with LSX swap offered for $5,000 in Suwanee, GA via craigslist.  Seller submission from Matt C.

5.3 LS Powered: 1972 Chevrolet C-10

Act quickly if you want to get a really good deal on a classic C-10 Pickup with a an LSX fuel injected V8 from a modern car.  Find this 1972 Chevrolet C-10 5.3 LS here on eBay bidding for $6,500 with 45 minutes to go, located in Evans, GA.

6k: Sandal's on the Other Foot: 1964 Chevy C10 with Toyota V8

This next one is for those who like a little bacon in their tofu burger. For the guy who just watched The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (the one where they put a Skyline engine in a 1967 Mustang fastback) while drunk on Sake and Bud Light. Quasi-racist quips aside, this truck stands to pay recompense for the assortment of 'Merican-powered Japanese compacts littering craigslist. Road-ready with a two-tone paint job that complements its metal muffin top, and looking quite handsome with its "Fleetside" (non-stepside) bed, it's priced for duty. Find this 1964 Chevrolet C10 with 4.7-liter Toyota truck V8 for sale in Little Rock, AR for $6,000 via craigslist. 

5k: Big And Tall: 1978 Chevrolet C10 Bonanza with 5.3 Vortec V8

Need a big, manly work truck with modern fuel injected power?  Don't spend all your hard earned cash on some late model soulless appliance, pick up a sweet looking classic from the '70s that has already had the hard work of an engine swap done by someone else.  Save that money for mustache wax and buy this 1978 Chevrolet C10 Bonanza with 5.3 Vortec V8 for sale in Guyton, GA for $6,000 via craigslist.

5k: Honest Hauler: 1969 Chevy C10 Stakeside Pickup

Occasionally, you might need a vehicle to help you do some hedge clipping instead of apex clipping. That being said, there is simply no reason to spend a lot of money on a newer pickup.  First, the value of pickups drops drastically and second, the modern pickups offer nothing new in hauling capabilities compared to an old pickup. So why not get an occasional work truck that you could take to a car show and not hide in the corner?  Find this 1969 Chevy C10 Stakeside Pickup for sale in Chula Vista, CA for $3550 via craigslist.