1965 Chevy C10-Ron C.

I’ve always wanted to find a 1965 Chevy C10 shortbed and restore it. Right around my 50th birthday, this one came across my radar on Craigslist. It was a few hours away, so my wife and I took a Sunday drive to go see it. I knew as soon as we drove up it was going to be mine. It had been a farm truck for most of its life, and most of it was still original and working. My intention was to just clean her up, maybe a new paint job, and drive her a few times a week to the golf course. I met a talented young man in a neighboring town who was making quite a reputation for himself in painting and restoration. Once we got together, plans changed a little bit. I went ahead with a full restoration. It was very important to me to try and keep this truck as true to its origins as we could. LMC’s catalogs became our bible, we replaced almost every item on the truck. The engine still purred like a kitten, so other than some new hoses and a paint job, she was almost the easiest part of the whole restoration. I did add air conditioning, it can get to hot here in California to go without. The only real upgrade was the stereo system, I went with a retro look but modern features. Another feature on this truck that I am proud of is the wood bed. I searched far and wide and found teak wood for the bed. Each plank was hand milled, trimmed to the correct size, and then I had to rout out all the grooves. I wouldn’t change anything on my truck. I love driving it, and have had complete strangers stop me to talk about it. It was the best birthday present ever.