Classic Truck Performance. October/November 2020, Vol 1, No 3 is published bi-monthly by In The Garage Media. 1350 E. Chapman Ave. #6650, Fullerton, CA 92834-6550.

That said, the 10/12-bolts and Dana 44/60s of the world are by no means inferior—it’s just that the semi-floating 9-inch seems to have suited most hot rodders as a whole over the last few decades, even though Ford Motor Company stopped producing them in 1986. But unlike those aforementioned companies dedicated solely to the 9-inch, Strange Engineering has catered to all walks of differential life for the past 50 years. However, what brings us here today just happens to be Strange’s C10 rear axle bolt-in 9-inch assembly for 1967-1972 Chevy/GMC 1/2-ton pickups (also available for the first-gen 1960-1966 and Squarebody 1973-1987 models as well).

teve Metcalf had wanted a 1955-1957 Chevy pickup ever since he was a teenager in Australia. Finding one became a lot easier when, in 2014, his engineering job for General Motors moved him from Down Under, where he’d worked for Holden, to the Motor City and GM’s proving ground outside of Detroit.

If you’re like most of us who are into classic trucks, about the only time you think about the alternator in your ride is if the lights go out and the engine quits in the middle of nowhere. Batteries are often ignored as well. As long as the engine fires when you’re ready to hit the road there’s nothing to think or worry about. But, when you hit the starter and there’s nothing more than a click from underhood, that plastic box that’s supposed to be full of volts but isn’t will suddenly become a concern.

Some may say that the instrument cluster of the 1967-1972 GM C10 pickup was nearly perfect in terms of ergonomics and function. A large, easy-to-view speedometer and fuel gauge across a flat plane along with supporting gauges across the bottom (when included). The rare tach option right in the middle of the dash is icing on the cake and was great placement for tow rigs and work trucks.

Building a custom, classic truck begins with the proper chassis. The foundation of your build needs to properly represent the intent of said build. For example, if you’re building a ’60s Ford truck and your vision calls for a truck that lays rocker, you’re going to be hard-pressed to make that happen with the stock twin-I beam suspension design. More than likely, that stock Ford chassis is going to need to be heavily modified. Labor is time, and time is money. On the other hand, if your build simply calls for an upgrade in brakes, suspension, and steering with perhaps an engine swap upgrade, rolling out the old in exchange for the new in one fell swoop might make the same amount of sense. With 40-plus years of use and abuse under these trucks, there’s no doubt you’re likely to find some kind of damage, modifications, or other “previous-owner-made repairs” that will need to be fixed before the modifications can even begin. So, whether your build calls for some serious modifications to the frame, a handful of stock upgrades, or you’d rather just have the peace of mind that comes with a brand-new chassis, swapping out that old twisted frame for new might just make the most sense. And it’s probably cheaper than you think!

f there’s one thing I love when it comes to mid-century and earlier domestic trucks, it’s the Art Deco era and the beautiful design aspects integrated into both light-duty passenger models and the heavy-duty commercial haulers. Whether it’s a COE or CC-Series, General Motors got it right with their full line of trucks in the ’30s clear on through the ’40s—especially the GMCs, which can’t always be said in some years to follow (sorry Jimmy folk!).