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InTheGarageMedia.com
Hot Rod Heritage typography
Rick Van Unen’s 1972 Chevy C10 and 1966 Suburban
BY ROB FORTIERImages by Wes Allison
A

s a magazine editor, you get to see lots of cool, behind-the-scenes stuff—like, a lot! And over the last 30-plus years, I’ve been fortunate enough to not only see but be part of so much hot rod history. But can you imagine being a teenager in the early 1960s and having the opportunity to work for THE hot rod shop in Southern California, Bell Auto Parts? That’s exactly what Rick Van Unen found himself doing in 1963—that, and a whole lot more.

1972 Chevy C10 square body classic pickup front grille amber marker lights chrome trim sunset
1972 Chevy C10 shortbed side view billet wheels two-tone red white classic chrome trim
Working the parts counter alongside Bell Auto’s founder, Roy Richter, and manager, Kenny Parks (brother of NHRA founder Wally Parks), Rick must’ve surely felt like a kid in a candy store—a high-performance goodies candy store! “Because Bell Auto was the originator of Bell Helmets as well as Cragar Industries, it offered an atmosphere that a kid could learn a lot from, especially from the designer of the Cragar S/S wheel, Jot Horne,” Rick recalls.

After serving a tour of duty in Vietnam, Rick returned home to continue his career in the aftermarket parts industry, eventually finding himself in the 1980s becoming the president of 4×4 and off-road vehicle parts giant Dick Cepek Tires, credited as one of the first ORV enterprises of its kind (established the same year Rick went to work for Bell!). Of course, over the years, he’s owned quite a few hot rod–inspired vehicles as well—from 1970s Camaros and Chevelles to a few fullsize Pontiacs, including a ’66 Catalina 2+2 built by Goolsby Customs.

In 2016, Rick, now a NorCal resident, got the bug to “build a very nice and fast Pro Touring–style C10 for cross-country classic tours,” so he sought out and eventually acquired a very nice restoration from a private collection in Nebraska. Rick enlisted the help of Rob Wersch, Jim Guerero, and Dan Crisp, and two years later, his LSA-powered, Scott’s Hotrods–suspended/Wilwood-braked/Budnik-wheeled, hot rod red–upholstered (by none other than our old friend, Wanda’s Custom Interiors in SoCal!) Restomod was munching the interstate miles.

1972 Chevy C10 custom center console red leather navigation screen retro AC digital climate control
1972 Chevy C10 interior red bench seat billet steering wheel classic gauges woodgrain trim
1972 Chevy C10 red bench seat interior wood trim billet steering wheel touchscreen stereo
1972 Chevy C10 close-up gauge cluster chrome bezel analog dials black dash red interior
1972 Chevy C10 rear view billet wheels custom exhaust classic tailgate chrome bumper shortbed
1972 Chevy C10 LSA supercharged engine swap custom headers Wilwood master cylinder performance build
1972 Chevy C10 bed liner red color-match hydraulic lift tonneau cover show truck setup
1972 Chevy C10 close-up Forgeline wheels Wilwood brakes Continental tires Cheyenne Super 10 badge
In 2017, Rick purchased a running/driving 1966 Suburban out of Arizona and again enlisted Jim Guerero along with East Bay Muscle Cars to retransform the Chevy to his cross-country driving needs in 2019. That resulted in a fresh Lokar LS Classic Series retro’d LS3 (reminiscent of a carbureted SBC), scratch-built stainless exhaust, a new Ridetech torque arm rear suspension to complement the existing Wilwood brakes and TCI front suspension now sporting 18-inch Delrays (color-matched to the Toyota Bronze Metallic that further complements the tan 2017 Tahoe interior updated with Dakota Digital’s RTX series and Vintage Air, just like the C10) with OE caps.
1966 Chevy Suburban patina copper white roof chrome grille steel wheels classic SUV stance
1966 Chevy Suburban shows dual barn doors and custom orange steel wheels with Chevy caps
1966 Chevy Suburban interior upgraded with leather bucket seats, console, and custom dash layout
1966 Chevy Suburban rear cargo area lined with carpet, stainless rails, and hidden storage cabinetry
1966 Chevy Suburban features an Alpine touchscreen system, retro gauges, and billet aluminum vents
At the time our now-retired ace lensman Wes Allison shot these, Rick had racked up thousands of miles on both odometers—and we’re confident those numbers will continue to climb!
1966 Chevy Suburban custom build lowered stance white roof chrome trim vintage suburban restomod
1966 Chevy Suburban rides on painted steel wheels with Continental tires and red Chevy hubcaps
1966 Chevy Suburban features a small block Chevy engine with finned valve covers and serpentine belt system
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