LS-Powered 1962 Chevy C10 Roasts Tires On Command: Track Time Tuesday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T
LS-powered 1962 Chevy C10 was built on a shoestring budget, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell.
If it seems like there’s been an abundance of classic Bow Tie pickups packing LS power recently, well, it isn’t just your imagination. More and more enthusiasts are finding the benefits of stuffing their vintage trucks with modern mills to be too appealing to ignore, and those are all on full display with this wicked 1962 Chevy C10, which was recently highlighted in a video from YouTuber AutotopiaLA.
The subject of this week’s Track Time Tuesday presented by Nitto is certainly one of the coolest 1962 Chevy C10 builds we’ve ever laid eyes on, and what makes it even better is the fact that it’s a family build completed by a father and son duo named Joe and Troy. Joe also built the truck by himself in his own garage on a shoestring budget – right around $15,000 – which is undoubtedly impressive given the end result.
On the outside, the pickup’s patina was left mostly alone, though Joe added a bit of turquoise to give it some contrast. The truck’s battle scars are still intact, however, including a few dents and dings, but that just adds character in our humble opinion.
Under the ratty hood lies a 6.0-liter LQ4 V8, which has been treated to a Brian Tooley Stage 3 truck camshaft and cranks out somewhere between 350 and 400 horsepower. It’s backed up by a 4L80e transmission that’s been fitted with a 3,000 rpm stall converter and shift kit, while the frame rails were boxed for strength to help handle the extra power. Joe even fabricated his own custom exhaust out of 2.5-inch electrical conduit, since he’s an electrician by trade.
Underneath, Joe gave his vintage C10 the rear end and front cross member from a 1974 model, which added disc brakes, power steering, and five lugs all around. He then played mix and match to pick up all the components he needed to get the truck on the ground with an air suspension, once again done in an effort to spend as little money as possible. He did spend a few bucks on the 20-inch Riddler wheels, however, which was a smart move.
Add it all up, and Joe has one killer vintage C10 that looks awesome in spite of its ratty body. And perhaps more importantly, it roasts tires with the best of them, sounds great, and is one heck of a head-turner considering the small outlay of cash it took to piece together.
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