Armando Jaramillo’s 1984 Red Dirt C-10

HAVING GROWN UP IN THE ’80s, ARMANDO JARAMILLO HAS NEVER LOST HIS TASTE FOR THE CARS OF HIS YOUTH. When he decided that he wanted to build an ’80s-era truck, his main goal was to create something cruise to have drinks at bars together.” That’s how project Red Dirt got started (named after his long time home, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma).

After years of planning, 2014 was the year he made his dream build a reality. Armando got an ’84 Chevrolet C-10 pickup and wasted no time pursuing his vision. It was fully stock and it had plenty of rust and flaws, which is pretty typical of most trucks that have lived in the Midwest for decades. Armando cut no corners, and every damaged part was replaced with original parts; no replica pieces were included at all. It was important to Armando that he keep this truck as classic and original as possible. It’s a pure bred of sorts.

AFTER YEARS OF PLANNING, 2014 WAS THE YEAR HE MADE HIS DREAM BUILD A REALITY. ARMANDO GOT AN ’84 CHEVROLET C-10 PICKUP AND WASTED NO TIME PURSUING HIS VISION.”

With all of the rust problems sorted, and a freshly installed, cammed-out 483-hp LS3 V-8 (built by Tomas Garcia Velazquez, Goddard, Kansas), the truck headed to Jake McKiddie at Phat Phabz. Also a proud, long time Oklahoma resident, Jake is well known, not only throughout the Midwest, but nationwide for his fabrication and chassis- and frame-building skills. Knowing Armando wanted his C-10 to lay frame, Jake built a stellar setup. Using parts from Porterbuilt, AirLift and VIAIR in addition to his own Phat-Phabz-created items, Red Dirt was literally laying in the dirt. As if that wasn’t enough, they managed to fit 24×9-inch Billet Intros in the front under a pair of perfectly fit Slosh Tubz with a massive pair of the same Billet Intros (24×15-inch) in the rear.

When it came down to paint and interior, one thing was certain: Armando wanted to keep the same elements of the timeless C-10 body and throw in some simple new- school flair. Starting with the body, painter Ike Ray made sure to keep it classic with a two-tone of custom-mixed red and tan. Going the extra mile, Ike actually airbrushed all of the truck’s trim directly onto the body to create a cleaner, more streamlined appearance. Carrying the tan from the exterior to the interior, Eli Espinoza of Easy Trim began to create a C-10 interior like none other. Using the original bench seat with a new foam kit, Eli wrapped all of the custom door panels, dashboard and speaker box in matching tan leather. With the perks of a modern stereo, some beautiful Dakota Digital gauges and a billet steering wheel, Red Dirt was far from being the abused farm truck of its past.

Though he is very happy with the truck as it sits, Armando hopes to have his C-10 body-dropped before its next show, and he has a few other surprise plans for the truck’s future. ST

GOING THE EXTRA MILE, IKE ACTUALLY AIRBRUSHED ALL OF THE TRUCK’S TRIM DIRECTLY ONTO THE BODY TO CREATE A CLEANER, MORE STREAMLINED APPEARANCE.”

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Armando Jaramillo
1984 Chevrolet C-10
Oklahoma City, OK

ENGINE

• Shop: Tomas Garcia Velazquez, Goddard, KS
• 48-hp cammed V-8 GM LS3 motor
• Entropy cooling fans
• K&N intake
• 2.5-inch full exhaust
• SLP Performance mufflers
• 2014 GM 4L60 automatic transmission
• Shortened rearend

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Shop: Phat Phabz
• Porterbuilt front cross member and control arms
• Classic Performance Products drop spindles
• Air Lift 2600 front airbags
• Wishbone 3-link in rear
• Firestone F9000 rear airbags
• 5-gallon air tank
• Dual 480 VIAIR compressors
• AirLift 3H air management system
• Wilwood 16-inch six-piston front brakes
• Wilwood 14-inch four-piston rear brakes

WHEELS & TIRES

• 24×9 and 24×15 Intro billet wheels in brushed finish
• 255/30R24 & 405/25R24 Pirelli tires

BODY & PAINT

• Shop: Jake McKiddie, Phat Phabz
• Slosh Tubz front wheel tubs
• Chevy grille
• One-piece windows
• Shaved gas door
• Raised bed floor
• Red bedliner
• Billet gas cap in truck bed
• Red and tan custom- mixed paint
• Custom airbrushed trim
• Paintwork by Ike Ray

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Shop: Eli Espinoza, Easy Trim and Felipe Rodriguez, Intense Audio and Wheel, North
• Original bench seat with new foam kit
• Leather-wrapped dashboard
• Power windows
• Billet steering wheel
• Tan carpet kit
• Suede headliner
• Dakota Digital gauges
• Trique door handles
• Vintage Air AC
• Custom door panels with speaker pods
• Pioneer head unit
• Focal ES 165k speakers
• 2 8-inch DD subwoofers
• Phoenix gold amplifier
• Leather-wrapped rear sub and speaker enclosure

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “Big thanks to Jake McKiddie, Tomas Garcia Velazquez for his amazing motor work on the LS3 engine, Ike Ray for paint, Felipe Rodriguez from Intense Audio and Wheels for the work on the sound system, and to Eli Espinoza for the amazing interior he created for the C-10. Also, a special thank you goes out to friends and family who helped along the way.”

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