By Scotty Lachenauer – Images by the Author
Talk about a turnaround. When a distressed and deconstructed 1966 Chevy C10 showed up at Bobby Garone’s personal shop in East Moriches, New York, last year, he knew he had a major project on his hands. Luckily for Bobby, his shop is overseen by local master builder Anthony Luca, a veteran Long Island fabricator and restoration specialist who’s no stranger to the owner’s collection of high-end street cruisers. You see, Anthony has pretty much built every ride taking up residence in Bobby’s spacious garages and is always on hand to use his copious skills whenever the auto enthusiast needs a new radical ride in his life.
When the C10 and its pertinent parts were all accounted for, it was easy to see this truck would be a ground-up build, and a ride needing extensive metalwork to bring the fuselage back to shape. That bit of information didn’t deter Anthony in the least, as he’s dealt with plenty of cars from Long Island’s “Corrosion Corridor” throughout his career. The salty air, in combination with the humidity and maritime environment, make the setting nearly intolerable on any ride that has spent time on the streets of this area.
Once Anthony assessed the situation, he devised a plan to bring this needy C10 back to a running, driving vehicle, and completed to the level of perfection that the builder is known for. No corner would be cut, no proverbial stone would be unturned, while the fabricator pursued the undertaking of making this C10 another showpiece in Bobby’s armada of automotive artistry.
Tenfold
The C10 basically showed up as a stripped cab in primer, joined to a C-notched chassis that had some air-ride parts attached. The goal here for the Chevy was to get the truck to sit way down low while building the proper suspension to achieve the ride that the owner desired. So, to start off the build, Anthony stripped the chassis back down to its rails and commenced the project with a fresh skeletal palette. The frame was then cleaned up and powdercoated black before any parts were added.
The Switch Suspension air-ride kit the truck came with was in good shape when pulled, so it was reinstalled on the chassis. This particular setup included the shocks, ’bags, and tubular control arms that would set the tone for the rebuild. Ridetech supplied the steering linkage kit that was then hooked to a Borgeson quick-ratio steering box up front. From there Anthony moved to the back side of the C10 where he installed a Ridetech four-link kit along with the rest of the Switch components used to finish off the suspension.
As for the body, there was plenty of work ahead for Anthony to get this ride ready for paint. At one time, the truck’s original skin had been stripped down to the metal and the body epoxy primed. However, the metalwork never happened and extensive reconstructive work still needed to be done. The cab required all the basics: floor work, rockers, and cab corners, as well as some straightening to get it ready for its new skin. The bed was also in need of some massaging, along with the fenders and hood. These parts were included with the purchase, and they all cleaned up rather well after some of Anthony’s hammer and dolly persuasion. Once the truck flanks were repaired and bodywork completed, the C10 was sprayed in a ’60s Chevy Artisan Turquoise and topped off in Ford Wimbledon White. Once the colors were set, Anthony sprayed the truck with several coats of PPG clear.
Tenacity
After the body and chassis were completed, the two were mated together, thus preparing the C10 for the motorvation for this here ride. The choice of powerplant was a pretty simple decision to make, as the truck came with a nice LS1 that was almost ready to be installed. However, Anthony smartly tore it down first to make sure it was all kosher inside and out. He then added a fresh Comp Cam camshaft to the mix for a little more thump. A Holley multiport, fuel injection, intake manifold, Holley milled valve covers, and a valley cover were installed up top before the engine was finished off in a few coats of gloss black.
Next, a pair of Holley fuel rails and their 1,000-cfm 4150 flange throttle body were installed to take care of fuel delivery. A CVF billet serpentine belt kit and A/C compressor round off the front side of the engine build. A set of Speed Engineering stainless LS swap headers, built with V-band clamps, feed a 3-inch exhaust with an X-pipe along the way. The exhaust then flows into a pair of Flowmaster 40 mufflers that dump before the rear out back.
For shifting through the gears, a GM LS T56 built with a McLeod clutch handles the duties. An East Coast Drive Line custom driveshaft sends the power out to an original Chevy 12-bolt that has been narrowed and is now sporting big bearing Ford housing ends. Yukon 31-spline axles and a Yukon Duragrip traction unit help send the power out to the corners. The rear is stuffed with 4.11 gears, and is all held in style by a custom milled billet differential cover. For stopping power, six-piston calipers pinch 14-inch rotors up front and 13-inch in the rear.
The interior played out on the same theme as the build. Bobby wanted a cockpit that complemented the sleekness of the exterior, and Anthony knew how to deliver the goods. TMI supplied the distressed gray leather seat upholstery along with the plaid insert and matching door panels. A custom German square-weave rug and floormats, supplied by John Prentice of Miller Place Auto Upholstery, add a touch of class to this sporty LS ride. To keep track of the vitals a Dakota Digital retrofit dash looks right at home in this classic. A custom-painted American Retro steering wheel mounted on a Flaming River tilt column keeps this truck pointed in the right direction. For the shifter, Anthony set up a blower billet rod topped with a Hurst shifter handle to get this ride through the gears. A JBL six-speaker sound system with a contained 10-inch sub behind the seat handle the tunes for Bobby. For wiring, Anthony’s son, Kenny, and his good friend Rob Kowalski, were called in for their skills and used a Painless Performance Products kit to tie the truck’s electricals all together.
To add a little bling at the corners, Anthony and Bobby decided on Spirit of Boyd wheels painted argent silver, 18×7 up front and 18×12 out back. They are shod in Nitro NT555g2 in 245/45-18 and Mickey Thompson ET Street Drag Radial in 345/35-18, respectively. To keep this truck cool on the hottest Long Island summer days, a DeWitts C10 LS swap radiator and electric fan get the job done.
Once completed, Anthony was proud of what he put together from a mess of parts delivered to his home shop. Bobby wanted a dependable driver truck that looked great, built with a modern flair, and a ride not as radical as his other hot rods and Pro Touring road warriors. With Anthony’s help, he got exactly what he wanted—and more.
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
