Goldmember | 1966 Chevy C10 Custom Build

Jason Torchia isn’t afraid of a little attention. In fact, when he’s behind the wheel of his ’66 Chevy C10, all eyes are on him. And it’s not hard to see why — how often do you see a laid-out classic sporting copious amounts of big bass-boat gold flake? 

It took Jason about five years to get his truck to the point you see here, and by his own admission, it wasn’t easy. But Jason was no stranger to custom trucks, having built a bodied, show winning ’99 F-150 a few years ago, among many others. Lots of nights and weekends went into this latest build, and things didn’t always go as planned. Between waiting for parts to show up on his doorstep, which caused its own delays, to changing the game plan a few times, every step had a hurdle. Not one to give up easily, Jason powered through the lows and slowly but surely made some magic happen!

One of the first steps was to ditch most of the factory frame, which was cut off right at the firewall in order to weld in a custom rear section. This allowed the cab to sit lower, and also gave the rear axle plenty of room to tuck up into the raised bed floor. The frame then received some quality suspension bits from Porterbuilt Fab to finish off the bulk of the chassis fabrication. 

The powertrain was upgraded to a 2004 Chevy LS6 out of a C5 Z06, with a built Turbo 350 bolted on the backside. In stock form, the engine was good for 405 horsepower, but Jason couldn’t leave well enough alone. To get more of an old school flair and simplify things a bit, Jason bolted on an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake and a Summit Racing carb, and a GM Performance ASA cam. Three-inch Flowmaster single-chamber mufflers were then welded up behind a set of Hooker headers and between sections of fresh piping for just the right tone.

Of course, the thing about Jason’s truck that grabs everyone’s attention right away is that unique paint job. And sure, the Nason brand base color is smooth as silk, but it’s the Tropical Glitz gold mega flake that stops people dead in their tracks. In fact, people often don’t even notice the myriad of mods underneath the finish, which includes a molded bed, shaved doors, shaved drip rails and lots of other details that kind of get lost under the gloriousness of the flake, which Jason happened to spray himself! Topping off the “this truck just can’t get any better” vibe that the ’66 is puttin’ out is a set of 22-inch GM transport wheels with 275/35R22 Kumho tires.

But then you get to the interior, and somehow it does get even better. Using a brown TMI Interiors split bench as the foundation, Jason also dropped in a TMI center console, Intellitronix gauges and a mid-60s Impala steering wheel. As simple as this combination seems, it totally transformed the once mundane interior’s look. 

Looking back, Jason appreciates his C10, which he has named “Goldmember,” all the more because of the hiccups and struggles he encountered while putting it together. That being said, here’s hoping the next one isn’t nearly as complicated! 

Tech Specs
Jason Torchia
Cartersville, GA
1966 Chevy C10
Acrophobia Truck & Car Club

Chassis/Suspension
Work performed by owner
Custom 3/4-length frame from firewall back
Porterbuilt suspension arms
Custom fuel cell

Wheels/Tires
22×9 GM Transport wheels
275/35R22 Kumho tires

Engine/Drivetrain
2004 GM LS6 longblock
BRP Hotrods mount kit
LSSimple accessory relocation brackets
Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake manifold
Summit carburetor
GM Performance ASA camshaft
ARP rod bolts and head studs
Hooker headers
Custom Flowmaster exhaust with 3-inch piping

Body/Paint
Work performed by owner
Shaved bed
Shaved doors
Shaved drip rails
Shaved fuel filler neck
Shaved firewall
Custom wheel tubs
Custom wood bed floor
Nason basecoat
Tropical Glitz gold flake
Nason clearcoat

Interior
TMI Interiors custom split bench seat
Intellitronix digital gauges
Impala steering wheel