1966 Chevy C10-Michael N.

I suspect this old gal has had many lives which includes everything from hauling hay to hauling mined ore. She probably even had a truck camper or two on her over the years. My wife and I purchased the “Golden Girl” in 2005 from a neighbor in the small desert community of Pahrump, Nevada. At the time she was spending much of her days parked next to a 1964 and 1965 C105; however, the Golden Girl was a camper special and is truly special. She is ready for the long trips and even the rough terrain indicative of the desert with her three fuel tanks. One of the fuel tanks is behind the seat and the other two are saddle tanks. This girl is in it for the long haul.

The previous owner and I chatted for some time and he had quite a story to tell about the ol’ girl. He used the truck relentlessly during his mining days hauling ore for processing and all that hard work literally wore out the original motor. He was very upset when that happened because this 3/4 ton truck had special brackets for heavy lifting that attached to the frame and leaf springs. And, the truck was perfect for the type of work he did. It wasn’t until an acquaintance of an old friend wrecked her car that the Golden Girl was given a new life.

That new life for the Golden Girl was found in the 350ci Chevy HP motor that was in the “Hot Rod” Camaro that his friend’s lady friend had wrecked when she was inebriated. Believe it or not, he traded a gold nugget about the size of one-half of this thumb for that motor. He then slapped on the front end suspension from a 1968 GMC truck and she was on the road again.

When we purchased her I spent about a month working on her to get her in everyday driving condition. She is the perfect transportation for these rough desert backroads near our home. She may sit for a long while when we are traveling and all I have to do is prime that old quadrajet and she fires right up!