1979 Chevy LUV Sport Truck in Excellent Condition (Tasteful, high-quality mods)

1979 Chevrolet Other Pickups Sport Additional Info:

This is a rare opportunity to own a very well-sorted example of one of the finest trucks ever built. Low reserve!!! I have owned this 1979 Chevy LUV since 2012. I am the third owner of this well-maintained classic. The truck spent most of its life as a weekend fishing truck (no heavy hauling)and was kept under a carport. Since 2012, I have driven the truck on an almost daily basis commuting to and from work and have taken a few trips out of state in it as well. It is without a doubt one of the best vehicles I have ever owned. It is fast, reliable, practical, and simply put, does everything well. It handles great and gets phenomenal gas mileage too. I have put about 100k miles on it and have done all the work since 2012. I am a professionally-trained hobbyist mechanic with over 30 years experience. The frame is a stock, strait, unmolested ladder frame that was fully boxed from the factory. I'll try to do my best in describing what the truck has had done to it. When I got it in 2012, it was bone stock. I drove it for a couple thousand miles and the head gasket started to seep. I decided to transform the truck into something that would be worthy of its "Sport" decal package. The body and frame didn't need much at all. You can see from the pics that it is very straight and virtually rust free. What few spots of surface rust and/or missing paint that it had in 2012 were treated with POR15 and Harbor blue paint (close but not perfect color match). The repairs have not spread at all since. The only spot on the floor that had been patched can be seen in the picture with the interior removed. It is about a 4 by 4 inch patch panel on the drivers side floor, and again, the repair has not needed any attention since 2012. The floors are otherwise like new. The original paint still shines brightly and the decals were touched up using paint. A better alternative would have been to have vinyl decals made, but the body looks very good and gets compliments all the time. The body is not in showroom condition, but rather a true survivor and a genuine daily driver in excellent condition. The glass is all in good shape except for a hairline crack on the passenger side of the windshield. Windshields are readily available, but I've never felt the need to replace it because the crack is not in the driver's line of sight.The interior was cleaned and the stock bench seat was retained. I stitched all the tears and have continued to do so as needed. It looks good, but could easily be reupholstered if you so choose. The headliner, door panels, carpet and assorted plastic pieces are all like new and the dash has a cap. Everything works, including the dome light. The pedal box has been reinforced and the door seals were replaced. The body and interior are in great shape! All the steering components, including the bronze steering shaft bushing were replaced with moog and other high-quality pieces in 2012. The clutch was professionally installed about 100k ago and is in great condition. It's an absolute blast to drive.
Engine:Stock lower end in fantastic shapeRebuilt head with Delta stage one cam- work was done at Gunn Machine in DenverNew Cloyes timing componentsOffenhauser intake manifoldWeber 32/36 DGV with electric chokeElectronic distributorNGK wiresGMB water pumpPacesetter Header with new, fully-welded from collector 2.25 exhaust, high-quality glasspackFel-pro head gasket
The engine is wonderful! The stock engine had about 70hp. My guess is that it's now pushing 105hp. It's powerful, super reliable and gets great mileage. The truck has had 10w40 oil changes every 3k along with all the other required maintenance. I only use 91 octane. It will pass emissions with included air pump installed. It will pass the tailpipe test without it, but in order to pass the visual, one must install the air pump-it takes five min. to put on. I take it off to keep things clean and simple in the engine bay. The truck starts right up and can be driven anywhere.
Gearbox:5 speed from a 1991 Isuzu PupShifts awesome! The truck will cruise at 85mph all day long. With the stock engine and 4 speed, the truck struggled to keep up with modern traffic. Now it enjoys life in the fast lane and has no problems keeping up wit, and even passing modern cars. I'm not sure of its top speed, but a good guess would be 115 mph.Driveshaft has Dana/Spicer u joints and was professionally balancedClutch is goodRear end is stock and in good shape-I've tried to find the elusive Isuzu Impulse Turbo LSD, but haven't had any luck. Quaife would be another option if you want to install an LSD.
Steering and Suspension:Koni yellows up front and Koni reds in the rear-all four are adjustableAddco sway bars front and rearSway-a-Way torsion bars from Independent 4X4Moog steering and suspension components with grease zerksExtra bushings included with sparesTruck handles like it's on rails. It sits about 2 inches lower than stock (torsion bars and aluminum blocks)
Tires and wheels:Extremely rare heart wheels from 1976 LUV in excellent condition195/65R14 tires (you could probably go a little wider without scraping, but this size has always worked for me and there's a decent selection still available for 14 inch. I usually go with Falken Sinceras
Truck bed is in excellent condition and the brakes are good. Again, everything works and it drives incredibly well. The modifications have really made this LUV special. I'm including my spares (6 years worth of good parts) in the deal and have receipts/records going back to 1987. Clean title! Happy bidding!