By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, Craigslist

Arnie “The Farmer” Beswick is one of the few living legends of drag racing’s golden era. One of the sport’s true innovators, and a fierce competitor with roughly seven decades in the scene, Arnie’s name became synonymous with Pontiac’s drag racing efforts, and his humble nature endeared him with fans everywhere. While it’s not quite as significant as his legendary race cars like the Judge, the Tameless Tiger or his radical altered-wheelbase funny cars, this 1983 GMC C30 tow rig is a cool, usable piece of drag racing history at a reasonable price.

The truck is a 1983 GMC C30 Sierra Classic, configured as a crew-cab, long-box dually. It’s powered by a 454 ci V8 with a four-speed manual transmission sending power to the rear-wheel-drive dually rear end. Fittingly, the truck is equipped with front and rear bench seats, a gooseneck hitch, door-mounted towing mirrors, a visor with accessory lights and full-length running boards. As far as tow rigs go in the pre-diesel era, this is just about as good as it gets, and that’s without even considering the Beswick connection.

According to the seller, The Farmer himself used this rig to haul his race car and crew for years before he retired it in the early 2000s. The truck was subsequently refreshed while in Beswick’s ownership, including a full overhaul of the 454, four-speed and rear end, which took place around 6,000 miles ago. The odometer now shows 138,000 miles, and the seller reports that it’s in very good presentable condition, only needing a little TLC to be perfect. From the photos, the lettering on the truck appears to be in excellent condition, still proudly displaying the Farmer’s nickname on the doors and his Morrison, Illinois, Poncholand U.S.A. facility.

The value of Square body Chevy and GMC trucks is on the rise these days, with $20,000 to $40,000 being the mark for good two-wheel-drive versions. This truck is currently priced at $19,500 here on Indianapolis, Craigslist, which I think is probably close to the mark.