Power and Performance in the Pacific Northwest

FOR ANYONE who isn’t from the Pacific Northwest, what comes to mind when you hear Portland, Oregon, mentioned? Are classic trucks anywhere in that mix? Probably not, because you’d think that the frequent rain the area is known for would rust most of them out, right? As it turns out, that’s not totally the case, as Chris Church’s ’64 C-10 proves. It was another surviving bit of old metal, though, that convinced him that he needed to get into the custom world himself.

“Once that was done, some of the trim was painted black to accent the green. It’s not what you’ll see every day, and it gives the truck a bit of a military feel, without being overstated. Plus, it just looks cool.”

Back when he was young, Chris’s uncle showed a ’68 Mustang all around the area. One of his uncle’s friends owned a 1960-66 C-10 and would take Chris out for rides every now and then. Chris soon developed an affinity for the body style, and he coveted one for years. His day finally came in 2011 when he found his truck in nearby Medford, Oregon. Its springs were cut and the paint job was done using house paint (no kidding!), but he saw its potential. His next move was to get some serious work done, which is when Lonnie Thompson entered the picture.

Lonnie is the owner of Carolina Kustoms in Portland, and he’s been building some amazing rides for quite a long time now. When Chris met Lonnie, the two sat down and made a plan for the restoration. It seemed like they both had a similar vision for the truck, so they decided to push forward and get things done immediately. As an added bonus, the shop crew even let Chris help out whenever he had spare time.

The truck itself is built around the engine: a GM LS that was bored to 6.2L and pushes out 546 hp and 489 ft-lbs of torque. Chris wanted something powerful, sure, but he also wanted the added reliability that came with owning one of the relatively bulletproof LS series of engines. A lot of work done has been done to this thing, and not only does it zip down the streets at a respectable pace, it’s also a cruiser that Chris isn’t afraid to take on the road.

A killer engine is great, but that doesn’t make a truck custom, so let’s turn back to the body. As is the case with lots of trucks from this era, there were a lot of errant seams and lines that needed to be filled to make it look more contemporary, all of which Lonnie and his crew handled nicely. Combine those tricks with a shaved firewall and filled stake pockets, and the truck was ready for paint. The finishing touch was the PPG Green laid over the metal that’s free of any pearls or metal flakes. Once that was done, some of the trim was painted black to accent the green. It’s not what you’ll see every day, and it gives the truck a bit of a military feel, without being overstated. Plus, it just looks cool.

The truck is clean, reliable and functions well, and he takes it to every show he can with his club, Relaxed Atmosphere. Ultimately, it’s a truck that wins awards and could be a daily driver.”

Inside the truck is just as nice, with BMW Black Napa leather on the 1992 GM bench seat and some old school loop carpet on the floor. Chris’ air ride controls are hidden up in the visor, while Dakota Digital gauges light up the dashboard. There’s also a sweet Budnik billet steering wheel (with a black finish, naturally), which pairs well with the other aluminum trim on the interior. Before Chris became a fiber-optic systems tech (he works on the connections that bring the Internet to and from Portland), he worked in the car audio industry, so of course, the truck has a clean system. An Alpine head unit is matched with a Rockford Fosgate amp and Morel speakers that are located in the kick panels and behind the seat. After all, a good stereo always comes in handy when you want to listen to tunes while your almost 600-hp engine roars under the hood.

It took a few years to build, but in the end, Chris is quite happy with the results. The truck is clean, reliable and functions well, and he takes it to every show he can with his club, Relaxed Atmosphere. Ultimately, it’s a truck that wins awards and could be a daily driver. What more could you ask for?

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BUILD SPECS

OWNER

CHRIS CHURCH
1964 C-10
Oregon City, OR

ENGINE

• Nutter Racing Engines, Vancouver, WA
• 1999 GM LS V-8 bored to 6.2L
• 546 dyno’d hp 489 ft-lbs torque
• Deburred and machined block
• GM Performance crankshaft, rods, pistons, oil pump and timing chain
• Powermaster alternator
• Holley oil pan
• Edelbrock water pump
• Performance Rod & Custom radiator and cooling fan
• CPP motor mounts
• Aluminum heads
• Ported and polished heads
• Holley mid-rise 300-135 manifold
• MSD wires
• Machined and powder-coated Holley valve covers
• 2010 Camaro Blackbird K&N intake
• Drive Junky serpentine kit
• Doug Thorley headers
• 2.5-inch exhaust, coated black
• Magnaflow 4.5/9 mufflers
• Custom crossover pipe
• Painless Performance wiring
• Katech coil relocation brackets
• 4L65E automatic transmission built to handle 600 hp by Phil Amborne of Portland, OR
• B&M Converter with 2,500-rpm stall speed
• Lokar shifter
• Eaton positrac rearend with 3:73 gears, 32 splines and limited slip

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Shop: Carolina Kustoms, Portland, OR
• Tubular front control arms
• Rear C-notch
• Ride Tech rear suspension with panhard bar
• Hotchkis sway bar
• Ride Tech front and rear shocks
• Ride Tech ’bags
• Performance Online front and rear disc brakes
• Wilwood master cylinder and brake booster
• Stainless steel brake lines
• Two 3-gallon Ride Tech air tanks
• Ride Tech valves
• AMK compressors
• ¼-inch air lines
• Ride Tech Ride Pro mounted in the visor

WHEELS & TIRES

• 18×8 and 18×9 Wheel Vintiques wheels
• 235/40R18 and 255/35R18 BFGoodrich tires

BODY & PAINT

• Shop: Carolina Kustoms, Portland, OR
• Ford Cobra gas filler in the bed
• Smoothed and seamed body, bed and firewall
• Shaved stake pockets
• LED taillights
• H4 headlights
• PPG solid green paint without pearl or metal
• PPG black accent paint

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Shop: Jim’s Upholstery, Portland, OR
• BMW Black Napa leather
• Loop black carpeting
• 1992 GM bench seat
• ididit steering column
• Dakota Digital gauges
• Powder-coated aluminum dash inserts
• Budnik Velocity steering wheel
• Alpine head unit
• Rockford Fosgate 100X4 amplifier
• Rockford Fosgate crossover
• Morel speakers in kick panels and behind the seat
• Lokar interior handles
• Two Optima Yellow Top batteries mounted under the bed
• Crow Racing seat belts

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