Keeping It in the Family

Some people have family heirlooms like grandma’s wedding ring or grandpa’s old pocket watch, but not many are as lucky as David Hendrex who gets to pass on a piece of automotive history from one generation to the next.

David’s father bought this ’62 Chevy C-10 brand new in 1961 for a mere $1,500. When his dad died, he passed the truck on to David so he could make memories with his kids just like the two of them had. So David drove the truck from New Mexico back to Houston. With two kids and work, life was hectic, but David wanted to honor his father’s wish, so he waxed up the old Chevy and parked it in the garage in the hope of getting around to restoring it soon.

KEEPING THIS TRUCK IN THE FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS TO COME WAS DAVID’S ULTIMATE GOAL, BUT FOR NOW HE CAN ENJOY IT WITH HIS FAMILY AS HIS FATHER DID. ”

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As we all know, life tends to take us in many directions, and unfortunately, David’s truck was put on the back burner for eight years. Once David got it into his head to make the truck restoration a top priority, he got help and support from his wife and two daughters. His good friend Aaron Tosseng helped David map out a game plan, and he began to save and order all of the right components to bring his father’s truck back to life with a bit of a modern twist.

David wanted to mix some modern convenience with the class and elegance of yesteryear, so he knew that a lower ride height and the perfect set of staggered billets was what he was after. Working with the crew at Chaotic Rods & Customs, the C-10 was soon brought down to a more acceptable ride height via adjustable air suspension at all four corners. Next up, a set of 20- and 22-inch Billet Specialties wheels was bolted up and wrapped with Nitto NT 555 rubber for a bit of a sporty hot rod mix. A set of Baer brakes takes care of the stopping duties, and then they moved on to the body, engine and interior.

For the body, David opted to shave a few things and clean up the overall look, while still keeping things original. He went the same direction with the engine, dropping in a dressed-up 350 with Edelbrock and Billet Specialties goodies to add a bit of reliability and ease of use to the restoration. The body resto included keeping the original trim intact with a complete re- chrome, he smoothed a few things out and added a Sir Michael’s roll pan out back. Bright Caddy Yellow was the color of choice for the respray, which was also handled by Chaotic Rods & Customs. Of course the Chaotic paint job is completed with the addition of Pat Maxwell ghost flames.

With the exterior finished, the last piece of the puzzle was wrapping up the interior. Although this seems like it’s the “easy” part in some builds, rest assured it isn’t, and with builds like this—bringing a five-decade-old truck into modern times—nothing is ever easy. With everything already gutted, the Chaotic crew used a newer Chevy bench seat and built a JL Audio stereo system to suit. Dakota Digital gauges and a Pioneer deck help bring the C-10 up to date, while the Billet Specialties steering wheel and billet accessories round out the upgrades. With the C-10 finished, a maiden voyage was in order.

Between planning and budgeting, the restoration took about seven years to complete, but David will never forget the smile on his mom’s face the first time he took her for a cruise in “dad’s ol’ pickup.”

David would like to thank his wife DeNaye for putting up with the financial and time commitment that it took to build this truck, and his daughters McKinley and Kylie for vowing to keep this truck around for the next generation. Keeping this truck in the family for generations to come was David’s ultimate goal, but for now he can enjoy it with his family as his father did. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNERS

David Hendrex
1962 Chevy C-10 long bed Tomball, TX
Relaxed Atmosphere

ENGINE

• Chevy 350 bored 30 over
• K&N intake
• Edelbrock intake manifold
• Edelbrock 650-cfm carb
• Hedman Hedders shortys with Flowmaster mufflers
• Billet Specialties TruTrac front runner
• Optima Yellow Top
• Ididit wiring harness
• 12-bolt rearend with 3.08:1 gears and posi
• Aluminum fuel cell

SUSPENSION

• Custom air suspension setup with pan hard
• Built by Chaotic Rods & Customs
• C-notch
• Nitro drop shocks
• Everything powdercoated or painted
• Baer brakes with SSBC master cylinder

ROLLING ATTIRE

• Billet Specialties Fuelie 20- and 22-inch wheels
• Nitto NT 555s 240/40/20 and 265/40/22

BODY & PAINT

• Sir Michael’s roll pan
• Restored all-original chrome trim
• Shaved door handles
• Billet Specialties mirrors
• Billet Specialties taillights and gas filler in bed
• Caddy Yellow base painted by Chaotic with gold ghost flames by Maxwell AutoDesigns

INTERIOR/STEREO

• Shop: Chaotic Rods & Customs and Louetta Upholstery
• Painted door panels with matching ghost flames
• 1988 Chevy bench wrapped in tan vinyl
• Louetta Upholstery
• Tan one-piece floor mat
• Shaved dash with Dakota Digital gauge cluster
• Vintage Air setup
• Ididit chrome tilt steering column
• Billet Specialties steering wheel and pull handles
• Pioneer in-dash touch screen
• JL Audio amps
• JL Audio 13.5-inch shallow- mount sub
• JL Audio 6.5-inch components

Special Thanks From Owner: I would like to thank my wife DeNaye for putting up with the financial and time commitment that it took to build this truck and my daughters McKinley and Kylie for vowing to keep this truck in the family after I am gone. Also a big thanks to everyone who helped make this build a reality, especially Chaotic Rods & Customs and Aaron Tosseng.

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