Evolution

Feature

InTheGarageMedia.com

Pat Floyd’s 1969 Chevy C10

BY CHUCK VRANAS

Images by THE AUTHOR

C

lassic truck owners have a world of choices at their fingertips, especially when it comes to the most important decision of all regarding ownership being build versus buy. On the one hand, taking on a complete build involves a well-thought plan and plenty of patience as you strive to create your vision from the ground up whereas buying immediately puts you in the driver seat ready to have fun while putting down the miles. By purchasing a freshly completed or well-seasoned ride you also have plenty of options should you choose to change it to add your own personal signature, regardless of whether it’s updating the paint, stance, driveline, or interior.

The alluring 1969 Chevy C10 laid out across our pages owned by Pat Floyd of Chester, New Hampshire, is one such truck, discovered and purchased at a large national automotive auction, which continues to evolve. Conceived and built by Brook Allmaras of Gresham, Oregon, the truck is absolutely resplendent from every angle. It’s got a great story to tell, from its initial build through the numerous updates recently completed by Jay Dorefler of ABS Classic Muscle Car Restoration in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Under-bed view of a hidden fuel system with wood accents in a custom 1968 Chevrolet C10

Custom wood bed with mint green accents in a 1968 Chevrolet C10 pickup

Interior of a 1968 Chevrolet C10 featuring a mint green and brown dashboard

Close-up of polished Raceline wheels and red Corvette brakes on a custom 1968 Chevrolet C10

Everyone has a starting point and for Pat, his automotive passion kicked off with the $15 purchase of 1967 Nova at age 15. Soon after, he quickly moved up the ranks to a 1967 Camaro RS with a huffed small-block, easily becoming well known on the street. As the years passed, he spent plenty of time on the Circle Track circuit, competing successfully at a number of local tracks, while earning six Street Stock championships in both early and late-model cars. A diehard Chevy owner, it was only a matter of time till he stepped into the truck world. Let’s take a look at what it took to make this hauler so darn bitchin.

Rear view of a 1968 Chevrolet C10 with a custom tailgate and FARMTK license plate

To lay the groundwork, Allmaras started with a 1969 Chevy C10 longbed purchased from a local towing yard for $600. Once torn down, the original frame proved to be in solid condition, so it was blasted clean and prepped for a number of revisions, which included converting it to a shortbed with plenty of attitude. Out back, the frame was treated to a Porterbuilt Fabrication (PB Fab) Dropmember Level 3 Extreme back-half suspension featuring their exclusive modular assembly with custom crossmembers, massive C-notch, and incorporated mounting brackets. A Chevy 12-bolt (narrowed 4 inches) rear spins 3.32 gears linked to 31-spline Dutchman axles, suspended in place by PB Fab trailing arms combined with Firestone ’bags managed by AccuAir, KYB gas shocks, and a Panhard bar. To nail the stance up front, a PB Fab Dropmember Level 3 bolt-in crossmember, steering, and suspension system were incorporated showcasing their tubular upper and lower control arms matched to 1987 Chevy C10 spindles, Slam Specialties SS7 ’bags managed by AccuAir, KYB gas shocks, and a PB Fab sway bar. When it’s time to kill speed, a Wilwood dual master along with a Hydratech hydraulic brake assist unit moves fluid through custom stainless lines and fittings by ABS to C6 Corvette Z06 14-inch cross-drilled rotors and matching six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers anchored at each corner. Linking it to the street you find a set of Raceline Static-series wheels sized 8.5×20 front and 10×22 rear shod with Continental ExtremeContact rubber, sized P255/35R20 and P295/30R20, respectively.

With regard to the driveline, Pat wanted to up the ante with even more dynamite between the ’rails so he placed a call to Don Hardy Race Cars (DHRC) for one of their scorching 427ci LS7 V-8s packing 480 hp to the rear wheels. Deep inside a massaged LS7 aluminum block with six-bolt cross-bolted main caps, you’ll find a Lunati 4340 forged steel crank linked to matching 4340 H-beam rods capped with 11:1 Diamond forged aluminum pistons getting bumped by a DHRC stick. A set of DHRC CNC-ported aluminum LS3-style heads make endless power especially when matched to a Holley intake and LS7 high-flow billet fuel rails with Sniper 36-pound injectors breathing deep through a Nick Williams Performance 92mm billet throttle body. DHRC engines are an absolute work of art and Pat’s LS is no exception, arriving completely coated in satin green sporting their exclusive small-block–styled valve covers, smooth valley cover, and oil fill tube. ABS then freshened up everything under the hood, which included massaging panels, applying a coating of fresh gloss, fabricating the custom external crankcase vent, and re-wiring the engine management system. Other cool details include a Vintage Air Frontrunner system and 1970 Camaro LT1-style air cleaner. A GM ignition lights the fire with heat flowing through Hooker headers to a 1-3/4-inch exhaust with MagnaFlow mufflers. To move the goods, a warmed-over GM 4L75-E four-speed automatic meets a custom driveshaft from Mark Williams.

Full view of the mint green and brown interior of a 1968 Chevrolet C10 truck

Overhead view of a 1968 Chevrolet C10 custom truck in a pale green and white two-tone paint scheme

Engine bay of a 1968 Chevrolet C10 with custom mint green components and chrome accessories

When it came time to address the cab and bed, Allmaras had his work cut out for him, seeing the truck had seen decades of hard use. Once stripped clean, he commenced with any needed rust repair by replacing the inner and outer rockers and kick panels with parts from Auto Metal Direct (AMD) as well as fabricating new cab corners. From there, he continued by adding 1968 front sheetmetal while also smoothing the firewall, adding a set of inner fenders from Slosh Tubz, fabricating a radiator core support cover, and shaving the front bumper. In taking on the bed, the first order of business was adjusting it to shortbed specs by removing 12 inches fore and 8 inches aft of the rear wheels. He followed by raising the bed floor with a tilt opening feature while also crafting the custom wheeltubs and shaving the stake bed pockets, bumper, and gas fill door. With all the fabrication complete he then metalworked everything to perfection, set the gaps, and laid down a lustrous coating of Spies Hecker Fiat Sage Green with white accents to bring it all to life. Fresh trim and brightwork from Orange County Truck Shop helped perfect the look accented by mahogany bed wood with a mile-deep finish.

Looking inside, the factory dash was restored, topped with leather and packed with Dakota Digital RTX-Series dials to monitor the vitals while a factory tilt column and refreshed original wheel carves a course with gears moving through the stock column shift. Vintage Air provides a cool breeze with AM tunes flowing through the original radio, AccuAir controls handling the suspension duties, and custom wiring from Skip Readio of Ayer, Massachusetts, tying it all together. For comfort, the original bench seat was restyled with traditional pleats with matching door panels, all in tobacco brown leather accented by complementing carpeting. This is one C10 laying down plenty of miles with a wicked LS punch, and to us that’s just about as cool as it gets!

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