1968 GMC From the Salvage Yard to the Show Grounds

It’s been said that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Located in a salvage yard right outside of Lone Grove, Oklahoma, ready to be scrapped, was the show truck Kyle Rhyne plucked from the pits of destruction. As a child, Kyle was extremely close to his grandfather Gary, who had a hobby of building and restoring rare and unique vehicles.

“…If someone didn’t purchase the truck for $1,000, it would be crushed and used for scrap metal. ”

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“I always looked up to my grandfather,” Kyle says. “My favorites were his ’48 Chevy fastback and a ’53 Chevy sedan.”

Trying to earn enough money for his first vehicle, Kyle got his first job cleaning an office building. He eventually found an older Celica for sale but couldn’t afford the full asking price. His grandfather stepped in to help him purchase it by paying the remainder of the sale price. As he got older, Kyle upgraded the Celica to a Chevy Blazer and then to a mini-truck, each time moving the custom bar just a little further.

SCRAP METAL TO SHOW TRUCK

One day while in a salvage yard looking for a Chevy door for his father’s truck, he came across the beat-up body of a 1968 GMC C1500 with grass growing up through the body. When Kyle inquired about the truck, the owner informed him that if someone didn’t purchase the truck for $1,000, it would be crushed and used for scrap metal. Over the course of a week, Kyle realized this was too good an offer to pass up. Luckily, the truck was still there, and he was able to install a new ignition to get it out of the yard. It took getting onto the road for Kyle to realize the truck had no brakes at all, and although it was a scary trip, he made it home.

“It took getting onto the road for Kyle to realize the truck had no brakes at all, and although it was a scary trip, he made it home.”

The body appeared to be straight with minimal rust, but as soon as Charles Degand at CD Designs in Edmond, Oklahoma, got his hands on the GMC, he saw that there was more rust than he’d originally thought. Charles handled all the bodywork, straightening the metal and bringing life back to the GMC. The next step was making it completely road-ready and reliable so Kyle could enjoy his new treasure. Maxwell Customs was enlisted to rebuild the engine. Kyle ordered a 5/7 DJM drop kit and picked up the wheels. With guidance and help from his father, Kyle lowered the truck but realized quickly that air ride was the only way to go. He contacted Jason at VanNatta Fabrication in Sedalia, Missouri, where he dropped off the GMC, and the shop’s air-ride experts took it from there.

COLOR, CABIN, AND BED

The next step was making the exterior stand out by choosing the perfect paint color.

“When I dropped the truck off with Charles, I wasn’t sure what color I wanted to go,” Kyle remembers. “I went through every color combination but finally found what I wanted.”

House of Kolor Cocoa Pearl was what he decided on, and the combination of white pearl on the roof made for a perfect balance.

It was finally time to give the entire cabin a brand-new feel. Kyle replaced the original seats with 2010 Chevy seats and brought them along with the door panels to Curtis Enochs of Curt’s Creations to add the final touches. Kyle wanted his bed to be done in wood but wanted it to be unique and unlike most other ’67-’72 beds. Kyle and his mother, Cara, went to Lowe’s and found shiplap and grabbed some rustic mahogany stain. Kyle began cutting pieces to fit, and his mother helped stain all the wood. His friend Drae Blanton assisted in attaching and mounting the new bed.

PIPING HOT COCOA

From junkyard to show grounds, Hot Cocoa had a much better outcome once Kyle visualized its potential. He wants to thank his grandfather Gary Turner, and his parents, Michael and Cara, for all their help and guidance. A special thanks to Charles Degand, Curtis Enochs, Josh Richards, Gary Richards, Drae Blanton, Stephan Maxwell, Marc Newell, Chris Frasher, and Jason VanNatta for all their hard work and expertise throughout the build.

Build Specs

 OWNER

Kyle Rhyne
LONE GROVE, OKLAHOMA
1968 GMC C1500
BLUE RIVER CAR CLUB

Chassis/Suspension

• CPP drop spindles
• RE7 Slam Specialties airbags
• 1.5-inch Z in the frame
• DJM lower a-arms
• VanNatta Fabrication triangulated 4-link
• RE7 Slam Specialties ’bags
• Dual Viair 444s compressors
• 5-gallon tank
• 7-switch AVS box

Wheels/Tires

• 20×8.5 & 22×9.5 Dip D04 X wheels
• 255/35R20 & 265/30R22 Kumho XT tires

Engine/Drivetrain

• 350 Lunati bootlegger hydraulic cam
• Double roller timing chain
• Dual plane aluminum intake
• Edelbrock 1406.600 C.F. carburetor
• Hedman hugger headers
• K&N air filter
• True dual 2.5-inch exhaust
• Black Widow Venom 250s installed by Newell’s Automotive in Ardmore
• GM TH400 transmission
• Stock 3.73 rearend

Body/Paint

• House of Kolor Cocoa Pearl and White Pearl done by Charles Degand at CD Designs in Edmond, Oklahoma
•  Shaved bed rails
• Shaved firewall
• Raised bed floor by VanNatta Fabrication
• Wood bed floor
• Shaved chrome trim
• Shaved hood emblem
• ’67 front grille
• Full filler panels from VanNatta Fabrication in engine bay
• Porterbuilt hood hinges

Interior

• 2010 Chevy crew cab front seats and fold-up console
• Seats and door panels reupholstered by Curtis Enochs of Curt’s Creations in Midwest City, Oklahoma
• CPP steering column
• Grant steering wheel
• Factory replacement black carpet and dash pad
• Dakota Digital VFD3 gauges, work done by owner
• Pioneer AVH-X2800BS double-din head unit, two Memphis PR 6×9’s, all added by Chris Frasher of C.F. Designs and painted by owner