Every other year or so, a couple of Texans pool their resources and talents to turn out a custom project. With personal satisfaction and financial gain high at the top of their motivation lists, the Lone Star duo have done quite well up to this point. But they're not business partners, and they don't devote a regular 9-to-5 schedule building the projects. No, actually, Steve Green and John Jones are related through marriage (Steve's married to John's daughter, in case you were thinking otherwise). So, as you may have surmised, these bi-annual endeavors are dealt with after-hours--evenings and weekends--time the "better halves" often call theirs!
This particular project required over two years of the pair's time, but in the end, the result was worth every minute. Their '70 Chevy C-10 was taken off a friend's hands, as it had been sitting in limbo for the previous two years and was itching for some attention. Albeit in good condition running- and appearance-wise when acquired, the shortbed's OE days were numbered, as Steve and John weren't in cohorts for restoration purposes. Neither was friend Jeff Garrett, who was right there during many of the off-hours.
The first order of business was addressing the chassis. As you can see, there was an obvious issue with the truck's stance, leading to the adaptation of a complete Air Ride Technologies "height assist" system that included ShockWaves up front and a stainless four-link out back. Of course, you can't drastically drop a truck and not expect to "run" into issues--namely tire-to-body clearance--so a heavy C-notch was performed out back and the front fenderwells were severely modified. To solve the problems inherent with the low-hanging C-10 crossmember, a complete IFS from Jim Meyer Racing was obtained and put to use (which also afforded rack-and-pinion steering), while a 12-bolt rear was equipped with Classic Performance Products disc brakes to complement the forward components in both appearance and performance. Between the new A-arms, a Street & Performance-injected 350 was dropped in place and backed up with a 700-R4 from Phoenix Transmission. All complete, the fully powdercoated chassis with polished stainless componentry was ready to be reunited with the sheetmetal, all of which had been previously shipped to Walter Jones at Collision Pro in Houston for body and paint.
In the hands of Walter Jones, the 35-year-old metal was given new life. On top of that, new-old metal in the form of a '67-68 cowl-induction hood (that was used with a '67 C-10 grille) from Goodmark was utilized. After shaving this and filling that, all pieces were coated with PPG's Karisma Blue, then cut and rubbed to a mirror finish. As for the modified inner bed area, it was custom-lined with a blue Speedliner coating at nearby Custom Vans of Houston. From here, it was a simply a matter of reassembling everything and coordinating a custom interior--which by no means is "simple."
With the exterior together and the truck looking more appropriate resting over a set of Coddington 20-inch Extremes, Steve, Jeff, and John all set their sights on the interior themselves (with the exception of the bench seat, which was redone by Joe Kennedy at Advanced Auto Trim). Before laying out any material, the dash was retrofit with a No Limit panel housing an array of Auto Meter gauges, while an ididit tilt column was hung below and topped with a billet wheel from Naiser Racing. Steve was responsible for handling the entire sound system installation, which included Sony head unit and amp, Clif Design drivers, and an MA Audio 10-inch sub--but the group as a whole gets credit for the black simulated ostrich upholstery.
With home stretch in their sights--a Lone Star Nationals debut at Texas Motor Speedway--the Texan trio wrapped up all the loose ends on the '70 and then headed due north up I-45 to Fort Worth. Upon arrival, the truck was met with rave reviews. The premier weekend was topped off with Top Ten selection from the very same magazine that got to showcase the truck first!