| Large pickup truck; Built in USA, Canada |
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| Good condition price range: $1,000 – $5,000* |
1995 Chevrolet C1500 Work Truck regular cab
1995 Chevrolet K1500 Sportside Z71 extended cab
1991 Chevrolet K3500 extended cab w/dual rear wheels
1995 Chevrolet K Series interior
1996 Chevrolet K1500 extended cab
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Chevrolet’s C/K models are an excellent choice in the full-size pickup field. Trucks equipped with the 5.7-liter V8 are still our top choice.
Overview
GM’s best-selling vehicle and the nearly identical GMC Sierra had been redesigned as early 1988 models. Both came in three series: 1500 (1/2-ton), 2500 (3/4-ton), and 3500 (1 ton). “C” pickups are 2-wheel drive, while “K” designates 4-wheel-drive models. Short-bed trucks (1500 series only) rode a 117.5-inch wheelbase and had a 6.5-foot cargo bed. Long beds, in all three series, had a 131.5-inch wheelbase and 8-foot bed. Extended-cab pickups rode a 155.5-inch span with 8-foot bed, or 141.5-inch with 6.5-foot bed. Antilock rear brakes were standard. Base engine was a V6, but a broad range of V8s were available, including a diesel. Sportside trucks (short bed only) had flared rear fenders; those with regular fenders were called Fleetside. A 454 SS muscle truck arrived in 1990, with a performance/handling package.
Yearly Updates
| 1991 C/K Pickup The 7.4-liter V8 engine was revised, and could be mated to a 4-speed automatic instead of the prior 3-speed. In the 454 SS, that engine now made 255 horsepower–25 more than in 1990. |
| 1992 C/K Pickup Sportside trucks with the flare-fendered cargo box could have an extended cab this year. All C/K trucks got freshened interiors, and the four-speed manual transmission was gone. A new turbodiesel V8 engine debuted for heavy-duty use. |
| 1993 C/K Pickup Automatic transmissions now had electronic controls to determine shift points. A flare-fendered sport option package went on sale. |
| 1994 C/K Pickup Two new 6.5-liter diesel V8s debuted. C/K trucks now had side door guard beams and center high-mounted stoplamps. |
| 1995 C/K Pickup A driver-side airbag and standard 4-wheel antilock braking came in 1995. |
| 1996 C/K Pickup All the Vortec gasoline engines were retuned, while the 6.5-liter diesel was replaced with a turbodiesel of the same size. The other big news was the availability of a passenger-side rear door on the C/K1500 extended-cab, short-bed truck, but only on the top-line Silverado models. |
| 1997 C/K Pickup A new standard passenger-side airbag comes with a dashboard deactivation switch that can be flipped when a rear-facing infant seat is used. The 5.0-liter V8 delivers 230 horsepower, ten more than 1996 models, while the 5.7-liter checks in with 255 horsepower, five more than before. For 1997, the optional third door could be ordered on any C/K 1500 model, not just the top-line Silverado. |
| 1998 C/K Pickup Chevrolet made few changes to the C/K as it readied a replacement for the 1999 model year. |
