By Fuelish Media
OK, so check this out. Let’s say that you are planning to build a 1976 Chevy K10 from scratch. That’s not too wild of an idea, but let’s take it one step further by putting one significant twist on the project. Now, let’s imagine building the same 50-year-old truck using nothing but brand-new aftermarket components. That thought is a little bit of a head-scratcher the more you think about it, but it’s totally doable—especially if you know where to source the parts needed to piece a whole truck together.
Where there’s a will, there’s usually a way with classic trucks these days. Luckily for Rockford Smith of Clermont, Georgia, his plan to build a ’76 K10 by using mostly brand-new, off-the-rack products had a highly predicted success rate based on truck parts currently available. Actually, Eddy Cebreco and Jason Chandler from Auto Metal Direct initially sparked the idea. “These two guys approached me about building the first fully aftermarket K10,” Rockford admits. “To be fully transparent, however, I did purchase a donor truck to use the factory frame, but other than that our goal was to build a 2025-edition 1976 pickup that was comprised of mostly brand-new parts.”
The chassis that Rockford purchased for the project was a longbed frame, which was not ideal for the truck he had in mind. To fix this, Rockford and his wife, Jordan, cut the ’76 frame up and used custom plates designed by Thomas Dickerson to convert it over to a shortbed configuration. “After that first phase, it was time for us to build the cab using a custom jig system to pick up all the factory points that I could spot weld all the parts together,” Rockford states. “Since we did build the cab from scratch, I was able to modify such things as putting in proper heat/sound control, corrosion protection in places you can’t reach in a factory cab, deleting seams, building a custom firewall, and adding a fully removable dash.”
After the front end was built and the bed was assembled utilizing AMD body and bed panels, Rockford then moved onto the bodywork and fitting the AMD trim and lights. Once in the paint booth at Rockford Custom Paint in Mount Airy, Georgia, Rockford then hand laid all the patriotic-themed graphics with FBS tape and applied the Sikkens basecoat and clear layers. “After baking in the sun for a few days, it was time to rally the troops and call in as many favors as I could to get through the long process of cutting and buffing,” Rockford admits. “Thanks to Chris, Max, Thomas, Daryl, and Jordan, as well as Griot’s Garage products, which all helped get the job knocked out in just a few days.”
Through the midst of the bodywork and paint phase, the frame was sent out for powdercoating and built up with BDS Suspension lift components, Quick Performance axles, a custom stainless exhaust system from Black Widow, Detroit Steel John R 18-inch wheels, and BFGoodrich KO3 tires for a tough-as-hell foundation for Rockford’s K10 to grow on. Next, the K10 was outfitted with a 6.0L LS (LQ4) with FiTech EFI, CVF Serpentine kit, and Speed Engineering headers. A 4L80E four-speed auto from Phoenix Transmission and an NP241C transfer case were added to give it the might and muscle needed to traverse off-road terrain with ease. “Wes over at Motor Vitals joined the project to handle all the wiring and tuning required to get the truck rolling,” Rockford adds. “It was a long but fun week of thrashing, but we got it fired up right on schedule to jump into the interior work as planned.”
Cato’s Custom Upholstery, in North Salt Lake City, Utah, took delivery of the K10 with the intention to fully transform its cab space for the better. “I left a lot of the interior design up to Cato and his team,” Rockford says. “All I requested was to preserve much of the cab’s original soul as we did with the exterior work.” To make that happen, an AMD dashboard received a full paint and upholstery regimen and was fitted with Dakota Digital gauges and Vintage Air climate controls. Next, a Sparc Industries steering wheel was installed, a Kicker sound system was installed, and a custom bench seat and center console were constructed and upholstered with Moore and Giles leather and Dixxon Flannel material.
“After two weeks with Cato, the interior was wrapped up and I was ready to help with the last punch items prior to my K10’s debut on the Battle of the Builders stage at SEMA,” Rockford says. “The truck got a top 10 in the Young Guns category and I could not be prouder. After SEMA, we took the truck to Dino’s Git-Down and then to Gas Monkey Garage to take on the burnout pit. That’s when my K10 finally came back home to Georgia for the first time as a completed build. It was a fun 11-month run, and I can’t wait to build the next one. This truck provided a great platform to showcase what can be built with new products, as well as to celebrate the USA’s 250th anniversary. God bless America!”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
