By Scotty Lachenauer – Images by the Author
Talk about your bagged and body-dropped classic Chevy. Evan Greenberg of Oceanside, New York, is the owner of this bone-chilling, Bowtie-bred, bagged-and-slammed squarebody. He’s also proud to say that owning this particular model truck is a long-awaited dream that has finally come to fruition for him, being a lifelong truck enthusiast of the highest level. “I’ve always loved the Squarebody Chevys, especially with the Stepside bed. The design reminds me of a classic farm truck, made to do the hard work out in the fields or on the homestead,” Evan states.
So, when the time was right, or least good enough in his book, Evan searched out a Squarebody to call his own. “I purchased this truck in May 2015 before the C10 hype really got out of hand. I found out after learning the history of this 1986 C10 that it was used at a sawmill factory in Connecticut. That’s where one of the previous owners purchased it. I was told at one time the truck had been buried in the ground at the mill,” Evan states.
Once unearthed, the truck then bounced around to several owners. Then a local Long Island resident got ahold of it and did a backyard paintjob on it. He also undercoated the hell out of it to hide all the rust. That’s where Evan came into the picture. “The truck was basically rotted out when I bought it. It needed doors, floors, fenders, cab work, and some frame restoration as well. I grabbed it up anyway, knowing quite well it would be an uphill battle to restore it the way I wanted it.”
To get it ready for some road time, Evan made some quick changes. He added a set of rally wheels, installed a phantom grille, and took the seats out to be reupholstered. However, then the new owner started to rethink his plan about how to bring this needy truck up to his standards. However, the project started to stall and then the unthinkable happened. “Late 2016 I woke up and was paralyzed on the left side due to herniated disc in the neck. After that experience, I realized life was short, today is here, and tomorrow isn’t promised. That’s when I chose a path to build the truck into the C10 of my dreams.”
Heading South
So, in 2017, Evan made the decision to send the truck out to Backyard Kustoms in Greenville, North Carolina. That’s where the project really got underway. He worked with owner Chris Echel to help develop a game plan to bring his ideas to fruition. The truck was then stripped down and the build was attacked from the frame up. The tired 305ci powerplant the truck came with was removed, and in its place a beefy 5.7 LS1 was installed in the engine bay, backed by a 4L60E transmission. “The crew then installed a C-notch on the frame along with a four-link suspension with narrowed rear, a Ridetech air-ride kit, front GSI clip with a Tre5 Customs body drop, a FLO Airride modular billet tank and Airlift 3P system out back, and then a rack-and-pinion steering unit up front.”
They moved on by removing the heater core to get the front end on the ground, as the part was blocking suspension travel. “After some thought, we then ordered custom U.S. Mags Sniper 5 wheels in 20×9 for the front and 22×12 for the rear. They are shod in Delinte rubber in sizes 255/35-20 and 315/30-22, respectively. I hear I’m one of only five customers that have these wheels in the world. That’s pretty cool in my book.” Lastly, the crew took the upholstery that Evan had worked so hard on and totally revamped it, redoing the interior to match the quality work done on the rest of the truck. A matching U.S. Mags steering wheel was a welcome add-on to the cockpit of this ride.
Well, all that work was a good start as far as Evan was concerned. However, after its time at Backyard Kustoms, the owner decided to really ramp up the transformation, and take the whole “kit and caboodle” to the next level. So, Evan sent the C10 out to Smoky Mountain Rod and Customs (SMRC) in Knoxville, Tennessee, for more changes. “Owner Rob Perry wanted to put his own little touches on it and that’s where the name ‘Snowball’ came to be. It just kept rolling on, gathering parts and modifications, and taking on a life of its own. Rob and his team did all the metalwork, wiring, bodywork, and all the custom fabrication touches.”
The list of custom work is extensive. SMRC stripped the truck back down to the chassis and powdercoated the frame before they built it back up. The cab was sandblasted and bodywork commenced to get the truck in final paint. New panels were installed where needed, taillights frenched, and Hart Fab tubs were placed underhood, along with a set of custom SMRC tubs out back. A trick lift-up bed was installed as well, with a Mar-K wood bed and a pair of Tricky Air and Billet rear bed shocks with LS Fabrication scissor hinges to assist with the heavy lifting. When the skin was ready, the truck was basted in Sikkens paint in a shimmery white custom color, blended with an extra dose of metallics and pearls for good measure.
Icy HOT
The interior was once again gone through by SMRC. “They installed Dakota Digital gauges and totally rewired the vehicle, using a PSI Conversion wiring harness to work with the LS powerplant.” The truck’s new upholstery was kept intact as it worked with the new paint scheme. A retro radio was added for tunes and Kicker speakers let the neighbors know Evan’s personal audio preferences. Rad Machining of Macomb, Michigan, created all the classic “Snowball” emblems seen throughout this spotless truck. Vintage Air handles the HVAC duties, keeping the interior comfortable on those hot Long Island summer days.
Once completed, Evan could only marvel at the results and look back at the long trip to the finish line. “We finally brought her to life. There were countless sleepless nights getting her to the perfection she is today. I always loved cars growing up, always modifying them from when I first had my license, but this truck is much more special to me, helping me deal with the [death] of my grandfather and my injury. The amount of time, the number of weeks I was eating pb&j sandwiches or rice cakes just to save extra money to put toward the truck. The eight-year build was well worth it in the end. The collaboration between both Backyard Kustoms & Smoky Mountains Rod & Customs is what made this truck what it is today.”
Check out this story in our digital edition here.
