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

T HE C-10 SCENE is absolutely intense right now, and I’m extremely excited about it. Every time I go to a C-10-based event these days I’m reminded of my first truck show. I had an unmodified truck and was very interested in the options available to me. I did some digging on the Internet, but it was a different time, well before the current social media platforms that exist now. The magazine sections of convenience stores were my portal to the truck world. I was captivated by what I saw in photos and the glimpses I grabbed on the road when custom trucks would pass by. Obviously, I couldn’t get too close to these trucks, so my only shot at checking them out was at an event. When I went to…

A LTHOUGH C-10s are pretty damn cool-looking trucks, they don’t have all of the modern features we’re accustomed to, like top-notch audio systems. These classic GM haulers came with the basics, and that’s where the options ended. A radio and a single dash speaker were the standard audio equipment. It was a very minimal setup, but it was better than not having anything at all. Fortunately, we’re now in the 21st century, which means we can implement a lot of the conveniences that we enjoy in modern vehicles, including multi-channel speaker systems and Bluetooth connectivity. We can also stream tunes from modern digital files and play SiriusXM Radio. It’s also possible to hook up your phone and receive calls directly through your stereo system, just like in a modern car. Our…

S HOP TRUCKS have been around since, like, forever. There was a time when their main purpose was to chase or deliver parts and maybe pick up lunch for the crew. At some point someone slapped a leftover set of billet wheels on their beater shop truck and a whole new appreciation for these workhorses began. Now we see them everywhere, from those still enlisted in daily shop duty to those dropped on the ground surrounded by a crowd of cameras at SEMA. While admittedly cool, most of these shop trucks seem to pop from all too similar molds, wearing either Mother Nature's handiwork or a good paint guy’s fabricated patina and the ultra-common super-low airbagged stance. With Goodguys and similar events encouraging true performance, word on the street is becoming,…

D ARE TO BE DIFFERENT. In this day and age, breaking into the custom truck scene with something different is no small feat, and to do it with a touch of class and a little shock value is another thing all together. For Brent DeWitt of Mesa, Arizona, his custom truck goal was to build something unique. It all started with a 1967-72 Suburban, a C-10 cab and a desire to build the truck GM never did back in the day but probably should have. In fact, for Brent it was his second effort at building this body style in a crew cab. The first version was a 4x4 built several years ago with a big lift. Brent missed that truck and vowed to recreate it, albeit this time around those…

I RECENTLY HELPED my old friend, Raymond, buy a 1969-72 C-10. He was given his granddad’s ’72 C-20 his senior year in high school, and he’s always wanted another. I actually remember riding in it a few times more than 20 years ago. He knew I was into C-10s, so he recently hit me up and asked if I could help him find one. He wanted his family to experience the fun he had in a C-10 back in the day. After a year or so of searching eBay, Craigslist and plenty of other social media sites, we finally found the right truck. It was out of state, so Raymond bought it sight unseen, working from pictures and phone conversations exclusively. Fortunately, I knew the seller personally so I was…

W HEN YOU GO low, expect to lose useable cargo space in the bed along with those inches in height. The kind of low we’re talking about is trucks that can limbo down to the ground and squeeze massive meats in the rear. If that description sounds familiar, then you are well aware of the struggle that an extreme suspension drop presents. Real estate in the bed disappears rather quickly, especially if you’re used to hauling stuff around. The shrinking space is a fair tradeoff, though, especially if you’re good at making the most of situations like this. This particular 1961-63 body-style C-10 called for a complete bed-floor reconstruction, raising it in order to accommodate the adjustable suspension system below it—specifically 11.5 inches higher than stock. To clear enough suspension travel,…

S O YOU WANT TO RACE, but have no clue what to expect at your first autocross or track day. Maybe you’ve watched a couple of YouTube videos or asked some friends how to prepare for your first event. Maybe you found some answers on an online forum, or took the extra step and attended a track day as a spectator. If you’ve done any of these things, then you’re probably feeling a little more confident as track day approaches, but most of us will have several unanswered questions before the big day. Here are some quick tips and terms to provide you with an extra measure of security as you venture into the world of racing. What to Pack Required safety gear should be first on your list when preparing…

Y OU KNOW that cool uncle you had as a kid? Imagine if all of the cool uncles got together in one place. Oh yeah, and they all drove rad Chevy trucks, too. That scenario best describes the Git Down. What started out as a small gettogether for truck friends at Dino Battilana’s house on Friday night before the Goodguys Southwest Nationals car show has turned into a full-blown weekend-long party. Dino opens up his appliance shop and nearby parking lot in Phoenix to all “Chevy Only” trucks, with a few cars sprinkled in as well. What used to start around 4 p.m. on Friday now begins at noon. Truck enthusiasts jockey for the best possible spots to show off their pride and joy. The streets are blocked off, the trucks…

I T’S BEEN SAID that success is the product of preparedness combined with opportunity. Richard Horrill’s ’81 Gen III C-10 is a picturesque example of success that is firmly rooted in his career building all manner of custom trucks and vehicles in the great white north. Richard owns and operates Krazy Kustoms Auto Centre in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. His shop deals with a broad spectrum of modifications and customization throughout many different genres. Equally broad is Richard’s appreciation for custom trucks, and he’s proud to house both lifted and slammed varieties in his personal garage. “... and since Richard was familiar with the truck, he’d already developed a full transformation in his mind’s eye, one that, of course, involved a laid-out stance.” After months of patiently waiting for his next victim…

S OME THINGS are best left alone, like dark alleys, angry bees and anything in a pickle jar that is not immediately identifiable as a pickle. Some may argue that classic trucks should also be left alone, but of course, as a general rule we’d disagree. JD Arthurs, on the other hand, seems to have found the perfect balance of leaving well enough alone and creating an awesome custom truck. “To JD’s surprise, when he got the truck back home he discovered that it was rust-free, despite other clear signs of age. It was as perfect, and imperfect, as JD could hope.” JD has always been a muscle car kind of guy, specifically Camaros and Novas, but he wanted to build a truck that reminded him of his grandfather’s old C-10.…

F OR ANYONE who isn’t from the Pacific Northwest, what comes to mind when you hear Portland, Oregon, mentioned? Are classic trucks anywhere in that mix? Probably not, because you’d think that the frequent rain the area is known for would rust most of them out, right? As it turns out, that’s not totally the case, as Chris Church’s ’64 C-10 proves. It was another surviving bit of old metal, though, that convinced him that he needed to get into the custom world himself. Back when he was young, Chris’s uncle showed a ’68 Mustang all around the area. One of his uncle’s friends owned a 1960-66 C-10 and would take Chris out for rides every now and then. Chris soon developed an affinity for the body style, and he coveted…

W WE’VE ALL READ THE STORY: guy buys truck, guy says he’s going to just do a simple lowering kit, and the next thing you know, he’s dived into a full-blown build. Those trucks are great, because we get to see a builder’s potential, but this isn’t that story, nor is it that truck. No, this is about what happens afterward, once a customizer has gone off the rails and made something so trick that he wants to step back and do something a bit more straightforward. That’s where Jeff Starkweather from Scottsdale, Arizona, comes into the story. To say that Jeff is a roofer is a bit of a half-truth. Although he does fix roofs, he also owns his own company, Starkweather Roofing, and manages a team that works throughout…