1973 Chevy C10 Truck Specs
by Marlin QuintanaThe C10 was the basic, two-wheel-drive version of Chevy's C-Series line of trucks. It was a half-ton truck available with either a 6.5-foot pickup box and 117.5-inch wheelbase or an 8-foot box and 131.5-inch wheelbase. With either wheelbase, customers could order the truck as a Step-Side, Fleetside or chassis and cab only. The 1973 model year brought a major restyling to the C-Series, featuring cleaner, squarer lines that would continue with minor changes through the 1987 model year.
Trim Levels and Standard Features
Four trim levels were available in 1973, beginning with the base Custom level, which had painted bumpers and hubcaps. Next up the chain of prestige was the Custom Deluxe, which featured vinyl upholstery, padded arm rests, chrome trim and a special Custom Deluxe emblem. The Cheyenne package added extra sound insulation, custom vinyl or nylon-and-vinyl upholstery, cargo lamp and custom interior trim. The Cheyenne Super, the top of the line, had everything the Cheyenne edition had plus upgraded interior trim and extra chrome body moldings.
Engines
The standard engine in the 1973 C10 was a 250-cubic-inch, inline six-cylinder engine that could produce 100 horsepower at 3,600 rpm and 175 pound-feet of torque at 2,200 rpm. A one-barrel carburetor was used with a compression ratio of 8.25:1. A 292-cubic-inch, inline six-cylinder engine with a compression ratio of 8:1 that produced 120 horsepower and 225 pound-feet of torque also was available. The third option was a 307-cubic-inch, V8 engine with a compression ratio of 8.5:1 and a two-barrel carburetor that produced 115 horsepower at 3,600 rpm and 205 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm.
Dimensions and Other Specs
The C10's height was 69.8 inches. The C10 with a wheelbase of 117.5 inches had overall length of 191.2 inches, and the C10 with a 131.5-inch wheelbase was 212 inches long. Curb weights ranged from 3,234 pounds for the short-wheelbase chassis and cab to 3,836 pounds for the long-wheelbase Step-Side.
For 1973, the C10 had a Salisbury rear-end and rear leaf spring suspension. Coil springs were used in front. A three-speed synchromesh manual was the standard transmission, while a four-speed manual and a three-speed automatic were options. Other options included power steering, air conditioning, cargo lamp, tilt steering wheel, AM or AM/FM radio and sliding rear window.
References
- "Standard Catalog of Chevrolet Trucks: Pickups & Other Light-Duty Trucks, 1918-1995"; John Gunnell; 1995
Writer Bio
Marlin Quintana began writing professionally in 2010. A programmer and web developer, he has worked for Motorola, IBM, FameCast and his own small company, which from 1999-2002 built custom, highly interactive websites. Marlin has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in studio art and a Bachelor of Science in computer sciences, both from the University of Texas at Austin.
