We realize that not everyone has a mattress full of Franklins to spend on creating a show-stopping classic pickup. However, there are ways of getting yourself behind the wheel of a cool truck without draining your bank account. Long-bed C-10s can still be found for reasonable prices; this running ’70, for instance, was scooped up for a measly $2,300, proving that there are still deals to be had. The only thing going against it were problems related to age.
The 1967-72 C-10s are one of the best platforms to wrench on or modify mainly due to their simplicity. The folks at GM in the ’60s really did their homework when creating these trucks. The front and rear suspensions are fairly easy to work on, and corrosion issues will most likely be their only real problem. If there is some rust on the underside, we suggest getting out a spray can of penetrating lubricant and soaking all of the hardware.
These trucks are very popular with customizers, and numerous companies have caught on and started developing products to serve them. We are very lucky these days because the market is flooded with parts to give these trucks a mild drop or even slam them to the pavement. The only question is how far you want to go and how big your budget is.
If you pick up one of these trucks, you’ll to want to get it down a few inches because they are sky high in stock form. Again, there is no need to break the bank in order to add style. All you need to purchase is a simple spring drop kit, and you can actually lower your C-10 for a reasonable price. To get this ’70 down, we placed an order with Western Chassis for a 3/4 drop kit, spring kit, shocks, shock relocator kit and deluxe pan hard bar and topped it off with sway bars for better handling ($889.49 total).
Since the build tally was low, there was still more in the budget for other goodies. To complement the truck and its new stature, we purchased a set of 18×8-inch Rev Classic Wheels 107s with police hubcaps for $747.60. These things are slick; they resemble classic rally wheels but larger (up to 20 inches).
Since the rolling attire was upsized, new rubber was required. General Tire offered a great option. The company’s Grabber UHP design comes in many sizes that correlate with larger-than-stock wheels. Grabber UHPs not only look great, they were also designed to offer excellent traction in dry and wet road conditions with even wear. We spent another $536.80 for the tires.
The whole drop and wheel/tire swap was completely handled in a driveway, which saved us even more cash. All of the parts were relatively easy to install once the stubborn, rusty bolts were dealt with. If you have some spare change and wrenching capabilities, you, too, can accomplish a simple transformation like this.