A Powerful and Clean Supercharged C-10

If you are reading this, chances are you too are a lifelong gearhead who never leaves any vehicle stock and still gets butterflies when you see a clean paint job, a high-horsepower motor or a trick Washington, has been the same way since he was 13 years old when he picked up his first custom truck magazine. He built a few custom late-model trucks but always wanted to try his hand at a classic build. His first few builds allowed him to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to tackle the classic C-10 himself, starting with only a cab and a frame. He had a vision for a clean hot rod truck and set about creating it.

First, the chassis was Z’d up front to raise the front cross member 1.5 inches for better ground clearance and a lower stance. Out back, a Porterbuilt rear trailing arm Dropmember was installed into the notched frame. A 12-bolt rearend was narrowed, outfitted with Dutchman axles and is held in place by a pair of QA1 coil-overs and a panhard bar from Competition Engineering. Rear disc rotors for a 1996 Impala were used to help bring things to a stop. Up front, CPP modular drop spindles and 3-inch CPP lowering springs with QA1 shocks bring the nose closer to the asphalt. A set of 3/16-inch custom-bent brake lines connects the CPP Corvette manual master cylinder to a Kugel Komponents pedal assembly. Jon opted for a set of clean Budnik Fontana billets, measuring 20 x 8.5 inches up front and a wide 20 x 12 inches in the rear, wrapped in 245/35 Toyo and 335/30 Michelin tires respectively.

In order to fit the rear notched frame, coil-over suspension, Optima battery and 17-gallon fuel cell under the bed floor it would have to be raised. Luckily, since Jon was starting from scratch, he pieced together a bed that uses a shortened 1985 long-bed C-10 for the raised floor. Searching for a smooth-looking wheel tub, C/K tubs were widened 6 inches to accommodate the wide rear rubber, and then welded up before the inside of the bed was hit with bedliner. The rear bumper was raised up and tucked closer to the body before being smoothed out and rechromed by Queen City Plating. Up front, a 1968 hood and grille shell were used but with an upper insert in the lower location to remove the turn signal lights. A Key Parts smoothie front bumper was used and everything was polished and rechromed by Queen City Plating as well. Then the body was sanded smooth before Manuel Padilla sprayed the truck Dodge Bright Metallic Silver using Matrix Systems paints.

Under the hood, the firewall was shaved and slicked smooth, custom inner fenders were crafted and everything was painted and polished to match. A crown jewel of a motor was built in contrasting red. A 1976 350 was machined and bored .030 over by Mark Huson at Shark Racing Engines. A stock crankshaft was installed, but the rods and mains were machined .010 under. Hyperutectic pistons were used and a Comp camshaft and double roller timing chain were added. The cylinder heads were outfitted with Summit Racing pushrods, Comp CAMS hydraulic lifters and Summit Racing aluminum roller rockers. Providing the air intake and helping push the motor over 450 hp is a Holley 144 supercharger with a Holley 4150 700-cfm carburetor on top. Summit Racing pulleys with a Be Cool high flow water pump and Summit Racing cooling fans keep things running smoothly. For the exhaust, a set of ceramic-coated Hedman headers runs to a 2.5-inch stainless steel exhaust with Flowmaster muffler with side exit. The engine was dressed up with Cal Custom finned valve covers and Billet Specialties reservoirs before everything was coated in Victory Red. The power plant is backed by a 700R4 transmission with a Trans Go shift kit installed by Transmission Outlet, all controlled via a Lokar shifter.

Jon opted for hot rod red on the interior and brought the truck over to Frank Castilleja at Frank’s Custom Upholstery, where he took a 1994 C/K bench seat and reshaped it before covering it with Nu Red material from Ultra Leather. Trick door panels were created and covered as well. Chevrolet script from a valve cover was molded into the glovebox, the defrost vents and dash pad were shaved, and the entire dash was painted Victory Red before Dave Austin applied his pinstriping skills. A Ron Francis Express fuse block was mounted behind the seat and supplied all of the wiring needs and power to the Classic Audio sound system and Auto Meter Ultra Lite gauges that sit above the Ididit steering column and Budnik steering wheel. Finally, a Vintage Air setup was installed to help on those cold Washington mornings and “warm” summer days.

Jon Shaffer has created a stunning, clean hot rod C-10, completing most of the work himself throughout the last three years. But nothing can be done without the support and help of family and friends. Jon would like to thank his brother Emmett, father Gregg, Brandon Dowe, Troy Crookshank, Rick Ammons, Josh Rowell, Manuel Padilla, Mark Huson and Frank Castilleja. ST

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JON SHAFFER
1969 CHEVROLET C-10
MOUNT VERNON, WA

TRUCK SPECS

ENGINE

• 1976 355 SBC
• HOLLEY 144 SUPERCHARGER
• HEDMAN HEADERS
• FLOWMASTER EXHAUST

SUSPENSION

• Z’D FRONT CROSS MEMBER
• PORTERBUILT TRAILING ARMS
• QA1 COIL-OVERS
• CPP MODULAR DROP SPINDLES
• 3-INCH LOWERING SPRINGS

BODY

• CUSTOM FRONT GRILLE
• RAISED BED FLOOR
• C/K WHEEL TUBS
• MATRIX SYSTEMS BRIGHT METALLIC SILVER PAINT

WHEELS

• 20X8.5- & 20X12- INCH BUDNIK

FONTANA WHEELS

• 245/35 TOYO & 335/30 MICHELIN TIRES

INTERIOR

• ULTRA LEATHER NU RED
• CLASSIC AUDIO HEAD UNIT
• AUTO METER ULTRA LITE GAUGES
• BUDNIK STEERING WHEEL
• RON FRANCIS WIRING

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