1967 Chevy C10 – Craig P.

I first purchased my 1967 C10, fondly named Blue, in September 1975 and it became my daily driver for the next 15 years. It hauled firewood, motorcycles, children and was part of many other tasks. In the early 1990s it fell into disrepair due to lack of use and minor mechanical problems. Raising a family left little time and money to deal with it, so there it sat for close to 20 years.
As I was preparing for retirement, I found myself in need of a garage/shop so I sold the truck to fund the project. I regretted the decision every single day after, but I knew it was receiving more attention with the new owner than I could give it.
Nearly 15 years later I found myself living back in my hometown after my Fathers passing and taking care of my elderly Mother. One day as I was working in the yard, I looked down at the county road that passed along the property and here came my old pickup Blue, on a car trailer being towed by the person I had sold it too. I thought to myself “that’s my blue chevy”. The truck & trailer slowed and pulled into my driveway. About that time, I turned around to see my wife standing there and she exclaimed “I bought you something!”. All I can say is that I collapsed to the ground. Unbeknownst to me, my wife had been saving her overtime pay for years with the intent of buying my truck back. She approached the person I had sold the truck too and asked if he would consider selling it back. Thankfully he agreed, and Blue was home. Not only was he home but my wife also had the extra funds for tires, rims, tint and upholstery. I never dreamed this would ever happen because in my mind he was gone forever. The timing was perfect, I had time and funds to invest in restoring him to how I’d always wanted.
Luckily, we had an outstanding vehicle maintenance shop that we frequented with our other vehicles. One young man working there had many years of experience with small block chevy engines and vintage pickups. As the LMC orders started arriving, he began the process of bumper to bumper checking, repairing and changing anything needed. For the next several months this young man toiled away bringing Blue back to a state where I was able to finish up the restoration. After coming back from the shop I set to work replacing the bed which had been in poor shape since I originally bought it in 1975. A quick repair using a sheet of plywood had withstood but it was time to be replaced with some beautiful red oak and the polished stainless steel bed strip kit. My son and I milled, sanded, planed and finished the wood strips needed to replace the bed.
Under the hood sits a 1965 V8-283 SBC fitted with an L79 intake and a Carter AFB 4bbl carburetor. The engine was rebuilt by a drag racing friend in the late 70s and has been rock solid ever since. The air cleaner and valve covers are part of the L79 package that was available in mid 60s for SBC engines. The engine is backed up by a Muncie M22 (Rock Crusher) transmission topped off with a Hurst Competition Plus shifter followed by the 411 Positrac that came new in the truck.
I decided to stay old school instead of making the LS swap because I always enjoyed the simplicity of the SBC engines and the 283 is an iconic model from the beginning of the era. It still has manual steering, manual brakes, and no air conditioning. The ignition has been upgraded to electronic and the stereo replaced with touch screen model and sub. In the 70s I fitted it with Hedman headers and recently a pair of Flowmaster mufflers to give it voice. I also replaced the stock hood with the LMC cowl induction hood to help it breathe. The wheels are Rev chrome 5 spoke and the tires are Nitto, 23550ZR18 on the front and 26550ZR18 on the rear. I upgraded the ride with 4 new OEM coil springs and left the suspension height stock because nothing rides like the C10 Chevy pickup with OEM coil springs. It glides down the road like a luxury sedan. I kept it as much original as practical to preserve the era.
Many special thanks to everyone involved in helping me achieve my dream. Ian, Doug, LMC Trucks…and especially my loving wife Sheri, I couldn’t have done it without you.
Promise I made to Blue when he came home… enter him in a car show, parade and LMC story. Final chapter, promise kept!