1981 Chevy K10 – Richard S.

I purchased this 81 Chevy online for myself and my 6yr old son Reese and my 10yr old son Riley in 2007 to use on our deer lease. It was originally green and had been painted BRIGHT yellow and some paint was peeling, electric windows and locks didn’t work, missing door panels, no AC but we drove it 100 miles home laughing because the wires for the windows on the passenger side were hanging out and would short when we hit a bump and scare Riley! We drove it back and forth to the deer lease for 5 years. When Riley got his driving permit at 15 I would ride and let him drive and he started talking about what all he would do to the old truck if it was his. I was so excited to think what he would look like pulling into school beside all those newer trucks his friends were getting. After discussing it with my wife (we all know that’s the first step right!) the project began to have the truck ready for his 16th birthday. We first enlisted the help of my brother who is an awesome mechanic to do a door swap to Manuel doors to get rid of the notorious electrical nightmares that come with those old regulators and all on the older Chevys. Found a set for $50 and used our windows. Now it’s green, yellow and white! The truck already had a great running gear with 14 bolt Corporate 456 geared rears and Dana 40 front with a custom driveline powered by a strong 350 with alluminum intake, headers and 600 Edlelbrock with a Turbo 350 transmission. Our local bodyshop Automaster Collision began the paint and body just 3 weeks before Riley’s birthday. We had it painted in Cortez Silver with black Chevelle SS striping. Bed lined the inner fender wells and then from front to back around the body edge and of course the bed. The fender wells had already been tubbed and with the skyjacker 6″ lift we were able to buy a set of 17″ wheels and wrap them with 40″ Nitto Trail Grapplers from our local Modica Bros. Wanted to have all the work done by local friends who had businesses in our small town. The finished results were just better than I could imagine and on his 16th birthday we covered it with sheets invited family and friends over and unveiled it to him. Riley just graduated as Salutatorian and is headed to Texas A&M in the fall. He now has my newer truck and I have the 81 back and drive it as my daily driver. Have had it for sale but when I think about it and see the now 14yr old growing up I’m not sure that I might could stand one more Teenager for a few years!