1965 Chevy C10 – Chris F.
Hello, I am sure you get these a lot but this one is special.
My son (Devin) and I spent almost 2 years building a top secret project for my Dad , Devins Grandfather aka: Pops! Devin did all of this starting at age 19 while attending college and eventually starting flight school to become a pilot. Devin spent countless hours working on the 65. My assistance was letting the kid lead the way and me holding the flashlight when needed or jumping in to scrape the fire wall or paint the frame. Once completed we took it to a large car show in September in Kannapolis, NC placing 2nd in our division. After that we delivered the truck as a gift to my Dad (Pops) in LeRoy Michigan. It was an honor and privilege to see my son build a truck for his grandfather and it was so cool to see my Dad drive it and enjoy it. Now you may see this truck cruising the roads of northern Michigan.
Like most of them we started with a rusty old running & driving 65 C-10 with plans to just polish it up and tune it up and then things spiraled from there.
After diving in we discovered way more rust, many more leaks and wiring consisting of lamp cords, house speakers and all kinds of critter nests. Under the carpet we found old license plates from 20 years ago covering the holes. From there we decided it was time to go all in.
My son (age 19) would teach himself to weld by watching YouTube and replacing the rockers, fixed holes in the floors, repairing cab corners, fixing the bed sides and re-skinned the lower part of both doors. He removed as many layers upon layers of firewall paint as possible and painted the entire frame. Once ready to go to the paint shop Devin would serve as 1st time apprentice and would log over 800hrs in one summer doing sandblasting, blocking, sanding and primer for the entire truck to get it ready for paint. Finally, Austin Moreau of Moreau Enterprises in Concord, NC would lay down an awesome two tone consisting of Corvette Torch Red with a ton of Orange Pearl and Arctic White with a bunch of Silver Pearl. Custom touches include painting the underside of the hood and inner fenders Torch Red. The result is fantastic.
Devin continued blending in his style to the build with a complete QA1 Tubular front end kit complete with adjustable coil overs, rack & pinion steering, 2.5in drop spindles and everything needed to get great handling with a cool stance. The 12 bolt rear would be treated to an Auburn diff with 3.73 gears, upgraded 5 lug axles, McGaughys 5″ lowering springs, new shocks and an adjustable track bar. Devin selected CPP disc brakes all around and a chrome brake booster and master cylinder with new brake lines front to rear. The stance is terrific and rolls on 18″ Vision American Muscle 55 Rally Wheels wrapped in Mickey Thompson Street Comps 295R and 245F.
Under the hood we sourced a 350 CI long block from A3 Automotive in Concord, NC that they upfitted with aluminum heads, a good cam, Holley carb and custom sheet metal valve covers for a hot rod look. Topped it all off with a CVF Billet aluminum set of pulleys and brackets for some bling. Devin would install the motor and complete the power plant with a set of polished Hedman headers, chrome 200amp alternator, chrome mini-starter and some other chrome accessories. Devin installed an oversized polished radiator and electric fan to keep everything cool. An upgraded 5speed transmission with a hurst shifter and a new clutch transfers power to the rear.
Devin installed a new Hickory Wood Bed from Bedwood using their polished strips and hardware. Custom touches here include 67+ rear wheel wells to give it an aggressive look and allow wider tires, 67+ under bed 17 gal fuel tank with polished access filler in the bed, relocated tailgate latches replace the chains and the inner bed sides were painted with bedliner tinted to match the Torch Red paint.
Inside the cab everything was painted to match. A correct bench seat was restored by Devin then recovered in brown leather with red stitching by Rick at Ricks Rods in Mooresville, NC with some custom touches including added bolsters. The seat sits on custom brackets to lower and move the seat back for larger folks like Pops! Devin rewired the entire truck from front to back with a new wiring kit modified to incorporate the digital gauges, Ididt steering wheel, custom stereo with subwoofer and a vintage air heat/defogger kit. All the gauges and lights were replaced and rewired with new parts right down to the dome light. New carpet hides the wires and sound deadening materials. Everything inside was restored, repainted or replaced including the vents, felts and glovebox. The Dakota digital gauges looks OEM but is digital and includes an info center as well as a GPS speedometer. The Factory1 digital radio also looks classic 65 but is bluetooth and subwoofer ready for modern tunes. The chrome idit steering column adds good looks and tilt convenience to make driving more comfortable.
Outside Devin installed new glass all around, weatherstripping for everything, new grille, bumpers, lights, bezels, trim, door handles, mirrors and lights.
So many hours, so many custom touches, so many late nights, long weekends and busted knuckles. So proud to see a young man take interest in a 1965 C10 and build it for his Grandfather. So proud to see both styles come together. Such an awesome build.
See attached pictures. LOL and you can see from my account that many of LMC parts are on this truck. Thanks so much for your help!!
