The Story of a Second Chance: Our 1964 Chevy C10 Revival

Back in 2023, while exploring a small Wisconsin town near Door County, we came across a tired old 1964 Chevrolet C10 with a small block 305 in it with a 3 on the tree a good running truck. It had clearly seen a hard-working life—faded paint, rust peeking through, and signs of wear all around—but it still had soul. We saw beyond the flaws and knew this truck deserved another shot.

After picking it up, we started gathering a few essentials—new glass, rubber seals, and trim parts. Then we brought it to Apex Auto Restoration to get the ball rolling. I dropped it off and had a quick chat with Brandon, the owner, about doing some light work on it. But not five minutes after leaving, I talked it over with my wife and realized we couldn’t just patch it up—we had to go all in.

I turned around, went back into the shop, and asked Brandon if he’d be interested in doing a full restoration. I wanted to bring this truck back to life and have it stand proudly beside my ’55 Chevy. Brandon didn’t miss a beat—he was all in.

From there, things took off. The truck was torn down completely. The body was sandblasted to remove every trace of old paint and rust, then sealed in epoxy primer. With a clean slate, the metal work began: the rusted roof panels were replaced, along with a new tailgate, front bed panel, hood, core support, and inner fenders.

Once the metalwork stage was complete, we moved into the bodywork phase. This was all about precision—blocking and sanding the panels, applying body filler and primer, dialing in panel gaps, and making sure everything looked flawless. It was slow and methodical work but it paid off.

When we finally had the body looking just right, it was time for paint. We picked a classic two-tone combo from the 1964 Chevrolet palette: a soft, light blue paired with a crisp, glossy white. The Apex team went to work, laying down the color, clearing it, and giving the truck its signature shine. After that, the entire body was wet sanded and polished to perfection. To bring it all together, a subtle silver hand-laid pinstripe was added, tying in perfectly with the truck’s silver and black interior theme.

Assembly took some time, and I’ll admit—I was getting antsy. I stopped by the shop a few times a week just to see the progress. Every visit brought something new glass installed, the oak bed fitted with hidden hardware, a fresh wiring harness run front to back, all-new lighting, trim and the finishing touches going on.

Finally, as spring rolled in, it was time. The 1964 C10 was done and it was everything we’d hoped for and more. With all the new parts installed, everything dialed in and that unmistakable two-tone shine gleaming in the sun, we brought it home.

Now, we couldn’t be more excited for the upcoming car show season. This truck has gone from forgotten farm life to a showstopper—and it’s just the beginning.