Ty Morris’ 1972 Chevrolet C-10

Where There’s Tires, There’s Smoke

In the town of Ashland City, Tennessee, lives Ty Morris – a young enthusiast with a knack for turning forgotten relics into a good time. One of his latest obsessions over the past couple of years has been this 1972 C-10 longbed, and it has quickly become one of the favorites in his stable of rowdy machines.

When he first got the C-10, which his father kindly passed on to him, he saw an opportunity – a chance to infuse life into its tired, weathered soul and create something that resonated with his love for hooning and generally having a good time. With a sense of determination to get’er done, Ty got to work and tore the truck apart to prepare it for its new life of tomfoolery. The old 350 engine made way for a 5.3L Chevy LS bolted to a late ‘70s Turbo 400, ready to boogie at the slightest touch of the gas pedal thanks to the Brian Tooley Racing Stage 4 truck camshaft and Black Widow mufflers. This combination gives Ty’s C-10 an intimidating, lumpy idle, and screams bloody murder at wide open throttle.

Ty, always one for a good time and a busted knuckle or two, also rigged up a custom air ride suspension using parts he fabbed up himself, allowing him to sit the frame on the floor in an instant. Modified factory control arms, a pancaked/raised front crossmember, a step notch, and a Watts link all work together to slam the truck over the aftermarket 15×6 steelies and whitewalls.

The truck wears its history proudly, but that wasn’t always the case. Much of the truck had been covered in red primer at some point, so Ty used plenty of elbow grease to strip most of it away, revealing the original patina paint beneath. The worn-out look serves as a testament to the journeys it had seen, a rugged charm that fit perfectly with Ty’s carefree DGAF attitude.

But Ty wasn’t content with just aesthetics. He decided to add a bit of thrill to the mix after doing the LS swap – the differential got a bit of the weldy-weldy treatment, turning the C-10 into a tire-smoking phenomenon. Why? Well, for the sheer fun of it, according to Ty. Every burnout, every wild spin of the wheels, is just another dose of adrenaline – which is what life is all about, right?

Sure, the truck has its quirks – this is obviously no show queen. It’s broken a few axles here and there from abusing the tall pedal a bit too much, but Ty takes it all in stride and has accepted that it’s just part of the cost of having a blast. To him, those moments are just part of the wild ride, memories to chuckle about on those occasions when friends roast him almost as much as Ty roasts his latest set of rear tires.

Ashland City isn’t exactly a huge place, so Ty and his C-10 are a common enough sight around town as he cruises it as much as he can. Those dark black strips of rubber off Highway 12? Those may or may not be Ty’s doing.

For now, Ty and his C-10 will continue their adventures, painting the town with tire marks and the giddy laughter that goes along with it. When asked why he built the truck, Ty simply shrugged and said, “Just to have fun with my friends!”

We usually look for something deeper than that, but when you think about it there’s really no better reason!

TECH SPECS

OWNER

• Ty Morris
• Ashland City, TN
• 1972 Chevy Cheyenne

SUSPENSION & CHASSIS:

• Work by owner and Nicholas Duncan
• Pancaked/raised front suspension crossmember
• Modified lower control arms for air ride
• Step notch over rear axle housing
• Two-inch rear lowering blocks
• Watts link
• Custom engine mounts

WHEELS & TIRES:

• Aftermarket 15×6 steelie wheels
• Vercelli Classic 787 225/70R15 whitewall tires

ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN: 

• 2004 GM LM7 5.3L LS engine
•  Brian Tooley Racing Stage 4 truck camshaft
• Brian Tooley Racing .580 valve springs
• UltraGauge OBDII monitor
• Black Widow mufflers
• Factory in-cab fuel tank with in-tank electric fuel pump
• 1978 GM Turbo 400 transmission
• 3,200RPM stall converter
• Welded differential

BODY & PAINT:

• Original paint and red primer
• Clear taillight lenses

INTERIOR & STEREO:

• Mexican blankets over factory seat and dash
• Mooneyes steering wheel
• Hurst tall shifter with glass door knob as shift knob
• Sony head unit
• Kicker speakers