One Man’s Lifelong Trek To C-10 Bliss

Along comes a guy a nice C10—sometimes it’s his first classic Chevy truck that he bought because, well, it’s just the thing to do these days. Then a gent like Trevor Wilkinson comes motoring around the corner, who has been into old pickups since the late 60’s when he was 8 or 9 years old (the math gets a little fuzzy at times). Not taking anything away from the first guy OR calling Trevor the “old guy” on the block, but when you hear just how many great trucks he’s owned over the years, and learn just how invested he is in the current C10 scene, you’ll know exactly what we’re making a big deal about.

“My first introduction with trucks started back when I was just a kid. My dad bought a ’51 Ford F1 pickup for $75”, Trevor remembers fondly. “I thought that was the coolest vehicle I had ever ridden in. Dad sold that truck 3 years later for $75—can you image that? That was it, I was hooked on trucks from there.” After he was issued his driver license in ’75, Trevor learned to drive stick in dad’s ’72 GMC C10. The truck was equipped with 3 on the tree, a 307ci, an 8-track player and a CB radio—did it get much better back then?

From there, Trevor has put himself behind the wheel of both a ’78 GMC AND a ‘78 Chevy pickup, then slowly moved his way up the chain to more modern full-size GM trucks to stay on track with current offerings. Trevor’s attention gravitated toward street rods from the 90’s until recently when he felt the itch to get back to his roots. “Before I knew it, I was scouring Craigslist looking at C10s, hoping maybe one would speak to me.” Well, one did call out to his senses but it was practically on the opposite side of the continent. Trevor is a native Canadian living in the province of Ontario, and the ’64 Chevy truck he found himself drawn was located in sunny California. Without any major bodies of water standing in his way, (aside from a couple sizeable lakes that could be sidestep) a trip out west wasn’t totally out of the question.

“After some initial messaging with the owner of the ’64 to request additional photos of the truck, I worked my way up to a phone call, which then led to a deal being stuck while on the line”, Trevor says his latest purchase. “After talking to the owner about how I could send a deposit to hold it, all the guy told me was ‘if you want it, it’s yours. See you when you get here’. It was nice to deal with an honest, old school car guy who values your word as a solid agreement.” Luckily, Trevor’s wife didn’t need much convincing to pack some things to make a trip to Los Angeles. They borrowed a friend’s enclosed trailer, and off they went on a 2,500-mile round trip journey that took them only 3 days to make. Trevor couldn’t wait to get the truck back home, so virtually no time was wasted greeting back across the northern border.

The ’64 was in pretty good condition when Trevor found it. The interior had already been completed, the bodywork and paint were already done, and it had new bumpers and trim. While the truck had a lot going for it as-is, there was still a good amount that still had to be done to get it to Trevor’s liking. “The truck still had its original drivetrain, 230 ci engine, 3 on the tree, drum brakes all around, and single master cylinder—in other words, the truck really wouldn’t go or stop.”

A Dakota Digital speedometer adaptor has been added to the factory instrumentation to allow the utilization of the truck’s factory gauges.

Trevor had much more loftier goals for the truck to let it continue limping around on its half-century-old factory-issued parts. Street Machinery of Cleveland, Ohio was recruited to handle an engine swap, and then some. A brand new Chevy Performance LS3 and 4L70E transmission would allow the truck be pushed to the limits Trevor had in mind. Since the ’64 was sitting at the shop, a fresh braking system complete with CPP front disc brakes, rear drum brakes and a Wilwood master cylinder were swapped in to ensure the truck stopped just as good as it accelerated. To better harness this newfound power, the guys at Street Machinery orchestrated a full on suspension overhaul featuring CPP components at both ends. Now, Trevor was cooking with gas.

A pop of the hood reveals the 2016 Chevy Performance LS3 engine that not only looks great, but also gives the C10 a huge advantage over most other vehicles on the road.

Trevor didn’t have any intention of throwing all these premium add-ons at the truck in vain. He had a vision of putting the truck through the paces, and that’s exactly what he did on a rather larger scale than most. “I had my sights on taking the truck back on the road for the Hot Rod Power Tour, and it was completed and tested just in time to plan the trip.” Trevor and the Mrs. embarked on another ride out—a mere 700 miles to the opening event in Bowling Green, Kentucky with scheduled stops in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina to follow. “When the tour was all said and done, we clocked 3,000 miles in 9 days on the road—it was such an incredible experience with a great group of guys.”

And if you think Trevor is ready to take it easy this year, think again. He has already signed up to hit the road for the 2019 Power Tour, as well as the Goodguys Hall of Fame tour, and plenty more stops that will keep his motor running. “This is really the first time we have ever trailered one of our builds this much, but we really haven’t spent so much time showing one before”, Trevor adds. “The truck is definitely built to drive.”

Think your truck might have what it takes to keep up with Trevor’s latest C10 project? You’ll have to catch up with him this summer to find out for sure. If there was ever a diehard GM truck enthusiast to appreciate, Trevor is definitely worthy of the admiration. He has proven himself dedicated to the game, and isn’t scared to put his neck on the line to enjoy what he is truly passionate about—hunting, building and driving the very trucks he has obsessed over since childhood.

The C-10’s cab has been kept streamlined to jive with the truck’s overall simplistic vibe. Trevor wanted to keep the interior looking as stock as possible with minimal upgrades made.

Truck Specs

Owner
Trevor Wilkinson
1964 Chevrolet C10
Mount Hope, Ontario, Canada

Engine
• Shop: Engine swap by Street Machinery, Cleveland, OH
• 2016 Chevy Performance Connect & Cruise 6.2L 376ci LS3
• 495hp / 473 lb/ft torque
• 2016 Chevy Performance Connect & Cruise 4L70E transmission
• Performance Rod & Custom radiator
• All holes on firewall filled
• AC and heater lines run behind inner fender
• Hypereutectic aluminum pistons
• Cast iron block, nodular iron crank, Camaro oil pan
• Sanderson headers
• Flowmaster 40 Series Delta Flow mufflers
• Edelbrock water pump
• Billet Specialties black anodized TruTrac serpentine system
• Powermaster alternator
• ATI Super Damper
• CPP front disc and rear drum brakes
• Wilwood master cylinder

Chassis & Suspension
• Shop: Street Machinery
• CPP front 3-inch drop springs, 2-inch spindles, 1-inch spring spacers
• CPP rear 5-inch drop springs, 1-inch spacers, shocks all around
• Rear notch in factory frame
• New fuel tank mounted between frame rails

Wheels & Tires
• 15×7 and 15×8 Wheel Vintiques Series 62 wheels
• 225/70/15 and 235/70/15 Diamondback Radials 3-inch whitewall tires

Body & Paint
• Gunmetal Gray metallic paint
• Chrome grille
• Factory bumpers rechromed

Interior & Stereo
• Factory bench seat recovered
• 1964 Chevy Nova steering wheel
• Factory gauges with Dakota Digital speedo adaptor
• Early 60’s Chevy van tilt column
• Custom AutoSound head unit
• Vintage Air vents painted to match dash
• A/C controls have 1964 factory knobs

To keep up with old school appearances, Trevor decided on a Custom Autosound head unit to provide the tunes.

Steel wheels, fresh chrome caps and 3-inch whitewall tires are never a bad combo.

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