Table of contents for Spring 2017 in C10 Builder's Guide

WHEN you see a truck like this, you imagine that the owner picked up an old vehicle and simply customized it. That’s what makes the most sense in our minds. Start with a vehicle that runs, add some custom touches, and presto, you have a custom pickup. Sure, there are situations like that, but it’s not usually the case. People who build fullcustom vehicles from the ground up usually disassemble the whole thing to start with a good foundation, which is usually the frame. In the case of Kyle Williams’ ’68 C-10, his foundation was the cab. He’s loved C-10s for a very long time, even before they became all the rage. He often discussed his build plans and dreams with family members and friends to get their reactions and…

CARLOS EACOTO IS A TRUE product of his environment. Having grown up in Southern California, but more specifically in the city of Burbank, where renowned television and movie studios also call home, he has always been well aware of what lurks behind the gates and walls surrounding nondescript lots and buildings. This is the Promised Land for those looking to make their big break in the Hollywood scene, but there’s so much more to see here that remains in the shadows, hidden behind the glitz and glamor of the entertainment industry. A good deal of the flash photography here is all just a façade, smoke and mirrors that act as a lure to distract those chasing dreams of instant fame. Carlos has been here long enough to spot the difference…

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, 1975: a crowd of about 300,000 fans stand at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, heads and hearts pointed toward the giant American flag in the distance. Purdue University’s band performs the national anthem, and Jim Nabors sings “(Back Home Again in) Indiana” for the fourth consecutive year. With the crowd riled and engines fired up, it’s time to commence the 59th running of the Indy 500. James Garner, no doubt taking a break from filming “The Rockford Files,” drives the Buick Century Custom V-8 pace car, leading the cars through their first lap. A.J. Foyt, Gordon Johncock and Bobby Unser are behind Garner. At the green flag, Foyt carried pole position and the early lead, with Johncock and Unser rounding out the first three to pass the bricks. Throughout…

THE QUEST FOR A 200-mph record might not be on the top of most peoples’ bucket list, but for Rob Phillips and his ’69 C-10, known as the ZR10, this dream is starting to take shape. Want to go 200 mph and make it count? The Southern California Timing Association hosts two events that currently recognize those who go 200 mph, El Mirage and Bonneville. While some racers choose to compete officially in only one of these events, most racers try to participate in both. Many of the vehicles also run multiple classes within each event. As of 2016, there is no current record at El Mirage for the Blown Modified Pickup Engine B class (BMP/B). For Modified Pickup Engine B class (MP/B), the current record is 168.671 mph. This…

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN laying out C-10s for decades now, but once large diameter wheels came into play, a problem surfaced: hood hinges. The stock hood hinges on a 1967-72 Chevrolet truck are huge. They mount to the fenders, the springs are big and—here’s the rub—they get in the way of those big rollers. So how do you fix the issue? The fine folks at Switch Suspension in Phoenix have a solution. They came up with a set of hood hinges that mount inside the cowl that not only give the hood a place to pivot, but also include shocks to keep the hood up. Although the kit does involve some welding and cutting, it’s still super easy to install, and the job can be accomplished in just a few hours.…

SOURCES AccuAir 877.247.3696 Accuair.com The Roadster Shop 847.949.7637 Roadstershop.com VIAIR 949.585.0011 Viaircorp.com IT’S A FACT that old trucks don’t drive like their modern counterparts, and changing that takes some work. If you simply want to go low, there are budget options on the market that will get your truck down; however, it will take more effort to make it drive and handle like a contemporary truck. Before aftermarket companies started making products to ’bag classic rides, it took extensive modifications to get them super low. If you want to bring one of these trucks down, or even lay one on the ground with airbags, you’ll get the best results if you start from scratch. Fortunately, there are companies like The Roadster Shop (RS) that make the job easier. As many…

EVERY C-10 NUT needs a diesel, right? Well, this nut does. I have had the privilege of owning many 1960-66 C-10 trucks in my life. Some of you guys might remember my ’63 C-10 that won Best Custom Truck at SEMA 2007 and went on to be made into a real Hot Wheels toy. I decided that I wanted something a little different, so my friends and I started searching the web. We came across a running three-door ’69 2WD Suburban located about an hour away. A couple of friends and I headed over to check out the truck, and I ended up buying it on the spot for $3,000. I even drove it home without any issues. I’ve never owned a 1967-72 C-10 before, and when my wife and…

BY NOW, I’M SURE MOST OF YOU HAVE SEEN OUR ’79 C-10 square-body project. We have highlighted the complete build in Street Trucks Magazine, starting all the way back with getting the engine running and shining like new. We continued by walking you through suspension, steering, brakes, exterior additions, new glass and weather seals, new gauges, and even revamping the stock interior. Just when we thought we were done with the truck and ready to start cruising, we started thinking about adding a more custom interior. Sure, the refreshed stock interior is great and most people would have been completely happy with it; however, we like to do things a little more custom around here. We’ve admired the TMI Products seats that were released for the truck market a few…

C10s IN THE PARK, PRESENTED BY BROTHERS TRUCK PARTS, IS A NEW EVENT THAT HAS quickly taken flight. Just two short years ago, Terry Hill started the show with only 65 trucks, and he watched it swell the very next year to a surprising 400 C-10 entries. Though this was only the third year for C10s in the Park, it was its biggest year yet. More than 700 entries showed up, and everything was well organized. The park venue never felt overly crowded, yet there’s room to grow. The food was delicious, and worth the wait, but it would be great to see a few more vendors at next year’s show. C10s in the Park is held at Getzendaner Memorial Park in Waxahachie, Texas, and hosted by the C/10 Club…

CHALLENGE YOU TO GRAB A friend or two and take a road trip. Recently, I was lucky enough to grab two buds and take a 1,400-mile adventure. I bought a pretty rad truck in Montana—yes, Montana—and without hesitation, my friends, Kyle Oxberger and Kevin Stickel, were in for the journey to pick it up and drive it home. We set a date, bought our tickets and found ourselves in Great Falls, Montana, on a Sunday night. We headed straight to meet the owner and pick up the truck. As the evening grew darker, in a matter of minutes, Kyle did a 24-point inspection and gave the truck his approval. The owner invited us in for some old truck stories and barley pop. Come to find out, he was a salt-of-the-earth…

THERE USED TO BE certain unwritten rules when it came to what constituted a cool truck. For example, you couldn’t have anything less than a V-8 in a fullsize, it had to have shiny paint, and long-beds were just a big no-no (unless, of course, the truck was also an extended or crew cab). “Since Travis is also a gifted artist, however, he came up with a couple of renderings, which gave him and Don a much clearer picture of where they should focus their efforts.” One thing that we just never thought of, though, was custom trucks with utility beds. And we didn’t think about them because they simply didn’t exist. Aside from custom lettering meant for advertising a business, they weren’t modified, and you pretty much just drove…

IF YOU’VE SPENT any time in the truck scene at all, you’re probably familiar with Jeremy Rice, the man behind Tre 5 Customs in Peoria, Arizona. In addition to building some of the raddest rides around, he does a ton of tech work for print media. “Now that Jeremy had the truck, and some history, he decided to give it a second life, which is when the truck started to give back.” Our story begins with Jeremy’s friend, Cody, who was storing a ’79 C-10 square-body on his property for another friend. Jeremy got antsy seeing the truck languish in storage every time he stopped by for a visit. It wasn’t long before Jeremy started bugging Cody about getting his hands on the truck. It took more than five years,…

CC-10S HAVE A CRAZY affect on truck enthusiasts. They remind us of the past, when times were, ostensibly, simpler. As truck body styles change, those who appreciate vintage styles like to imagine themselves driving something different from everyone else. Driving an old truck in today’s world makes a statement: You like to stand out from the crowd and respect vehicles from the past. Trucks were put into service, used and abused. However, because they were built tough, they’re often still drivable, even with all original equipment. Some are even still in use, and their owners have no plans to retire them any time soon. The concept of buying a new vehicle every few years was foreign to most people 40 or 50 years ago. They kept their vehicles running long…

“THE MONEY IS EASY TO MAKE AND IT’S definitely nice to spend,” Jeremy Carroll of Blountville, Tennessee, recently said. The southern native explained, “You just have to have the drive and determination to work really hard for it!” It was this philosophy that led Jeremy to name his beloved K5 Easy Money. The name serves as a bit of a tongue-in-cheek retort to those who find the need to question Jeremy’s success, because it really doesn’t come easy despite his boasts to the contrary. His ’71 K5 Blazer is certainly an elaborate build, one on which no expense was spared, but every penny was worth the final result. Jeremy’s obsession with custom trucks dates back to when he was young, helping out his grandfather in a parts shop. In 1999,…