Slide 1

Armed with a stockpile of NOS GM body components, Brad poured six years of painstaking labor into a hand-me-down truck, turning it into a rolling metal masterpiece. The C10’s breathtaking orange hue was inspired by another hot rod in Brad’s collection. “I had a diecast Willys model and I liked the color. I took it to the paint store, and they photographed it and matched the color for me. My dad and I painted the truck in two days…then it took us three weeks to buff it out,” says Brad with a laugh.

Slide 2

Way better than new! The truck’s arrow-straight sheetmetal and millimeter-perfect shut lines are a testament to Brad’s zero-compromise build philosophy. “It’s tough to know when to stop,” says Brad. The pickup’s lower altitude comes courtesy of a Classic Performance Products suspension system. “There’s a 4.5" drop in front, and a 7" drop in the back.”

Slide 3

The C10 rides on a beautiful set of Billet Specialties Turbine wheels wrapped with Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Brad enlarged the pickup’s wheelwells by 3" to accommodate the larger-than-stock rollers. Classic Performance 13" disc brakes counteract the truck’s big block go-power, and take up a good deal of space behind the polished aluminum wheels. “That’s the second set of brakes I put on the truck,” says Brad. “The first rotors were too small and just didn’t look right.”

Slide 4

Speaking of go-power, the C10 gets plenty from the .030"-over Chevy 454 nestled neatly in the super-smooth engine bay. Even the Cadillac-style air cleaner received Brad’s custom touch. “I didn’t like the seam that ran around the outside of the air cleaner, so I removed it and smoothed it out,” says Brad. The custom Caddy air cleaner feeds a 650 cfm Holley Street Avenger carburetor, while Hedman ceramic-coated headers scavenge the spent exhaust gasses.

Slide 5

With the majority of the wiring and plumbing tucked out of sight, Brad’s craftsmanship really shines through. The truck’s hand-bent and polished A/C lines add a striking visual element that’s complemented by a set of Eddie Motorsports billet aluminum hood hinges.

Slide 6

When it rolled off of the assembly line, it was a good bet the Chevy truck was destined for some hard work, and it had a utilitarian interior to match. Now it sports a plush interior upholstered with Relicate Rich Clay leather, plus modern creature comforts like a Vintage Air A/C system and a RetroSound radio. Brad’s custom center console houses switches for the lights, ignition, and windshield wipers, keeping the dashboard clean and uncluttered.

Slide 7

Brad’s hand-fabricated gauge panel holds a complete set of gauges from the AutoMeter Custom Shop. “The dash opening and glovebox opening are the same size on a C10, so I used a glovebox door to build the gauge panel,’’ explains Brad. The bespoke instruments were a Christmas present from his mother, and feature orange lighting that ties in perfectly with the C10’s citrus color scheme.

Slide 8

In the pursuit of perfection, the classic pickup lost its window vents, along with some other factory details. “My dad and I shaved the drip rails, smoothed the roof seam, and removed the stake pockets and fuel spout,” says Brad. So where’s the gas go now? See the next slide to find out.

Slide 9

Finished like a piece of fine furniture, the C10’s handmade bed floor is truly breathtaking. “We bought rough-cut black walnut boards from the sawmill and planed them down to build the floor,” says Brad. A stealthy pop up fuel filler located in the fourth board from the left feeds a repurposed Chevy Blazer fuel tank.

Slide 10

With a truck this nice, you can be sure Brad is going places. In fact, he’s already got a ton of awards to his credit, with a few that stand out. “I won Best Truck when the C10 debuted at the 2018 Pittsburgh World of Wheels show. I didn’t anticipate that. The Builder’s Choice award from the 2018 Goodguys show in Rhinebeck New York was special, too.”