My love of Chevy trucks started at a very early age. In fact, my first vehicle was a 1967 Chevy C10 pickup, just like the one I have now. My wife, Lisa, and I dated in that pickup during high school. Both of us really loved that truck, so many years later when I had a chance to purchase another 1967 Chevy C10 pickup, we jumped at the chance to buy it.

The truck I bought was somebody’s project truck that they had started, which was painted white at the time. However, like most Hot Rodders, once it was mine I wanted to change it to suit my style. Therefore, I went thru it and upgraded things little by little, starting with the interior, then the suspension, and next the wheels and tires. Then came the opportunity to upgrade the low horsepower 350 cubic inch motor (that was in the truck when I bought it) to a 383 cubic inch stroker that a friend, John Glover, was selling because he was going to do an LS swap in his truck.

At this point things kind of snowballed, as I decided to take the truck down to the frame and redo the whole thing, and in the process change the color from white to black. Some of the many new upgrades at this time included an FiTech fuel injection system atop the new stroker motor, installing a new 700R4 overdrive transmission, Lokar 23-inch tall floor shifter, and 3.73:1 gears in the rear end. It didn’t end there, as I also put in a completely new wiring harness, an air conditioning system from Vintage Air, dual electric fans, a Front Runner serpentine belt system from Vintage Air, new two-toned wood bed, and an upgraded sound system. The paint and body work was the most difficult for me, because I had never done that before. My friend, Gary Meeks, told me that I could paint the truck at his shop, and in the process taught me how to do the bodywork and spray the actual paint myself.

I worked on the truck every day after work and most weekends. Little by little it was starting to come together, making my dream become a reality. I had painted all the parts of the truck separately, then came the difficult task of reassembling the shiny parts (without scratching them) back together began. My friend, Ted Lamontagne, helped me to reassemble the front end and the bed parts.

A little over a year of effort, and the work was done and ready to drive. Thanks to my wife and friends for helping me create a beautiful truck, that we will enjoy for years...taking it out to eat, on cruises and to car shows. It’s kind of like Lisa and I can take a trip back in time while riding around in it, remembering our days in high school when we first met and fell in love. CN