roject #backpay, a ’66 Chevy C10 that was once a humble circle track service vehicle, is the latest truck to go under construction from the guys at Auto Metal Direct (AMD). With a full rebuild in the works, this truck has a rich history and some questionable repairs that we will attempt to address, but more in future issues of CTP. The plan is to keep this a running/driving project as long as possible before any major transformation takes place. In the meantime, we need to address the steering on the truck. We want the truck to have a nice street truck feel to complement the new 20-inch Ambassadors from Detroit Steel Wheel. So, we turned to our friends at Classic Performance Products (CPP) to keep us between the lines without breaking the bank.

here are two things that can—and will—severely stonewall the progress of a truck project, regardless of the level of the build: body/paint and interior. (They don’t call it “paint/upholstery jail” for nothing!) Unfortunately, unless you’re the proprietor of a paint and body shop, which more often than not causes even more delay, there’s really no way around the lengthy time frame of that portion of the overall build process. The interior, on the other hand, is definitely something you can take full control over with one simple phone call or a few clicks of the mouse. (Note to upholsterers reading this: we know you’re not all like that!)

ne of the greatest aspects of the classic truck hobby is the act of completely un-utilizing the characteristics of the trucks we drive! Whether it’s massacring the suspension or, as a result of that, obliterating the bed floor beyond the point of usability, we’re professionals at ruining old trucks, aren’t we?!

All kidding aside (for the most part), the more we lower our trucks, the more we have to deal with collateral damage, as it were—be it removing/severely modifying the inner front wheelhouses or, in this case, adapting a Fleetside bed floor and inner bedside panels to a recently installed, airbagged rear frame section with a huge kick-up/notch. The latter scenario is something we recently encountered at Jimenez Bros., and as it would turn out, I was able to do more than just observe.