Chevy K30 Specifications
by Vern Hee
The Chevy one-ton, four-wheel drive pickup has a designation of K-30. In 1960 Chevy came out with a new line of trucks, and with that a new letter designation system. The letter "K" was used for their four-wheel drive trucks. A standard two-wheel rear drive received a "C" designation. Other designations established that year included the "P," for forward control, "L" for low cab forward, "S" for a school bus and finally an "M" for a tandem vehicle. The "C" and "K" labelling survived and stayed with Chevy until 1997.
The 1960 K-30
In 1960 the K-30 one-ton trucks saw some needed changes. The truck was built bigger, with a new wheel base of 133 inches. A larger rear window was also added in 1960 to increase viewing, and the interiors were roomier for comfort. The standard windshield was a dog leg type. The 1960 K-30 had leaf springs in the rear with front torsion bars in the front. The standard engine was a 235 3.9 liter V-6 with 136 horsepower. The 261 cubic inch 4.3 liter 150 horsepower V-6 engine and the 283 4.6 liter cubic inch V-8 with 185 horsepower were optional.
1986 Chevy K-30
In 1986 Chevy K-30 had an new look. It had a longer body, with more leg room inside the cab. The body had a sloped nose style. During that year, beds came in long and short. Chevy still used fleetside to designate a regular bed and stepside for a flareside or curved bed. The K-30 could be purchased as a dual four-wheel drive and in a crew cab or extended bonus cab with more room for cargo in the cab. In 1986 two power plants were available, the 350 cubic inch V-8 with 160 horsepower with 260 foot-pounds of torque and a four barrel carburetor, and the powerful 454 cubic inch V-8 had 230 horsepower with 360 foot-pounds of torque. This system had for induction a four barrel carburetor. 1986 was the last year of the carburetors.
1996 K-30
The 1996 K-30 pickup featured a V-8 350 cubic inch Vortec overhead valve 5.7 liter engine with 250 horsepower at 4,600 rpm and a torque of 335 foot-pounds at 2,800 rpm. The truck had a wheelbase 142 inches wide. It had front wheel power disc brakes with drum brakes in the rear. The truck also featured on-demand switching, meaning the driver did not have to stop to switch to four-wheel drive. For induction, the engine was equipped with sequential fuel injection. This truck received 12 miles per gallon in the city with 16 miles per gallon on the highway.
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Writer Bio
Vern Hee started writing professionally in 2009. He works as a reporter for the "Pahrump Valley Times." Hee taught elementary school for eight years and worked in the landscape construction field for 20 years. Hee holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of California Berkeley and is a veteran of the United States Navy.
