Sixties Chevrolet C20 Body Hides a Complete C5 Corvette Underneath
Ratty, unfinished, and possibly dangerous, this wild Chevrolet C20 is pretty much just a C5 Corvette pickup.
These days, stuffing a modern sports car chassis and drivetrain underneath classic pickups is all the rage. It’s also perhaps the quickest and easiest way to totally upgrade a vintage truck. And that’s exactly what’s happening with this awesome, unfinished 1966 Chevrolet C20 that’s currently up for sale at California Cars. While it may look like a slammed, heavily patina’d pickup, it’s pretty much all C5 Corvette underneath that vintage sheet metal.
That process began by shortening the pickup to fit the Corvette chassis, which is still packing its original LS1 that was originally rated to produce 350 horsepower and 360 pound-feet of torque. It’s backed up by a bulletproof Tremec T56 transmission, which sends power back to a 3.42-geared rear end. With disc brakes sporting cross-drilled and slotted rotors at all four corners and a complete C5 suspension setup, it undoubtedly stops and handles pretty well, too.
The aforementioned wheels are the only exterior visual clue as to what’s going on underneath this Chevrolet C20 pickup, but like the sports car it took its goods from, the hood tilts forward. However, step inside the cab, and you’ll immediately notice the entire Corvette dash, complete with gauges and steering wheel. The center console, seats, and pretty much everything else was lifted from the C5 as well, and it all actually fits pretty well.
That’s not to say that this pickup doesn’t need a bit of work, of course. The interior and exterior are unfinished, though it is said to run and drive quite nicely. The cool thing about this Chevrolet C20 is that the new owner could do just about anything they desire with it. Finish the build and give it a nice paint job, leave it as is and rag on it, take it to the autocross – you name it. The possibilities are endless.
To us, the truck’s raggedy state is actually kind of appealing. The way it sits, the old C20 is sure to draw attention everywhere it goes, so why not leave it as is? Plus, when you’re beating on it around the track, you won’t have to worry about smashing into the wall, either. And if something mechanical breaks, well, replacing it is sure to be a cheap and easy endeavor, too.
Photos: California Cars
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