C10 Builder's Guide Winter 2019

THE CULT OF personalities that harbor in this large but tightknit community of Chevy C10 diehards include some of the most passionate and determined gearheads I’ve met in a long time. “An excessive admiration for a particular person or thing” is the actual definition of cult, and we don’t think any other adjectives would be more fitting. Analysts, debaters, diplomats and advocators are just some of the multiple personalities at any classic Chevy or GMC event. Including myself, we have the same unexplainable draw to these timeless works of art that were overlooked by the masses at their peak of manufacturing. Swap out a few parts and show one a little love and you’ll be addicted for life. It’s a relationship that can be personal enough to remember but valuable…

Quick Ratio C10 Power Steering Box BORGESON UNIVERSAL COMPANY NOW OFFERS THE ONLY quick ratio power steering box to replace the Saginaw/Delphi 800 series in the 1968-1986 Chevrolet C10 trucks. This all new power steering box has a quick 12:7:1 ratio with firm modern steering feel. It will bolt directly to the stock location and fit to the original power steering pitman arms. Trucks switching from manual steering will require a power steering pitman arm. Steering box includes adapters to be able to use either O-ring or flare style hose connections. This new Borgeson steering box uses a ¾-inch 30 spline input shaft, and all pre-1977 trucks will require a new rag joint connector #990012. Part #800132 MSRP $495 Borgeson Universal Company www.borgeson.com 860-482-8283 Tunnel Tricks NEW TRANSMISSION TUNNEL KITS…

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO enjoy trucks, even people who collect trucks, but if you ever have the chance to meet Todd Carpenter, you will realize he is in a category of his own. Todd lives in a Nebraska town called Grand Island. Without getting into the irony of a town in a landlocked state having “island” in its name, let’s focus on the facts. Grand Island has a population of 51,390 people as of 2018. Though we do not have the official numbers, we would bet money that Todd and the Big Fish Garage crew own more K5s, C10s and like-era trucks on their own than the rest of the population there combined. Owning everything from perfect stock rare editions to modified lifted and lowered ones, Todd and his sea…

IF IT DOESN’T exist—build it. That’s how this whole custom thing is supposed to work, right? With all the ready-made products designed to make an LS swap easier, for example, the wide availability of parts and support from the aftermarket tends to push builders into naturally selecting an LS motor for their project vehicle. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially if an LS is exactly what you want planted in your truck (and you’d be a little loony not to want that). But for builders who want to stray from trending modifications, they are forced to walk away from these preassembled, troubleshot kits that offer the ultimate level of convenience in a single package. Taking on larger jobs like these usually pays off…in the end. Until that point is…

GENUINELY, THIS IS A show like no other. Right on the coast of Mobile, Alabama, the Battle in Bama not only has the Gulf Coast with the USS Alabama battleship in the background, but it also has tanks, a museum and war planes all included throughout the show grounds. This family friendly event has so much to offer showgoers and vehicle owners alike. Hosted at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, this year’s Battle in Bama had one of the most quality line ups in cars we have ever run across in one place. With areas such as the C10 Million Dollar row, VIP row and the ’90s Reunion zone, it’s safe to say this show had it all. If our word isn’t enough for you, just to ask a…

SOMETIMES WE GO LOOKING FOR a project, while other times the project finds us. Chris Barnhill of Rocky Point, North Carolina, had always admired his great uncle’s ’85 GMC Suburban, imagining its potential as a pavement scraping behemoth. In a bittersweet turn of events a few years ago, Chris’ great uncle passed away and left the truck to him, knowing that he’d be the perfect caretaker for it. In fact, Chris would not only take care of it, but he would transform it into an amazingly unique ride that would surely make its original owner proud. It took four years of hard work to get the Suburban to where it is now, but working on the GMC himself and taking things slow allowed Chris to operate within a small budget…