A C-10 With a Colorful Past and a Promising Future 

History, It shapes where we’ve been and where we’re headed. In the world of custom trucks and hot rods, the history behind a particular vehicle and why an owner chose a certain body style is often the best part of the story. While we would never underestimate a perfect stance, big brakes and bold billets, it’s often the humble beginnings of these stunning haulers that make us truly appreciate the finished product. Often, if a truck is old enough, it’s accompanied by a family history of first dates, trips home from the hospital, drivers’ tests and title transfers that carry through the decades.

For Preston Folkestad of Des Moines, Iowa, the ’73 Chevy C-10 spread across these pages has been a lifelong family member. The Chevy was purchased new by Preston’s great-grandfather, Maurice “Buck” Heckart, in 1973 and used on the Heckart farm in rural Iowa. Starting life as a mustard orange long-bed, Buck’s Chevy was destined for a hard life; that is until Preston got a hold of it.

The custom journey began around driving age for Preston when he and his dad shortened the frame, installed a short-bed, dropped in a fresh small-block Chevy, lowered the suspension and painted the truck flat black. Making a statement in the high school parking lot and on the streets of Des Moines, the old workhorse served as Preston’s daily driver until June 2017 when the truck was blown apart for its current incarnation. Now working for GC Cooling and with SEMA 2017 on the horizon, Preston and the team at GC were in need of a square-body pickup to develop a 1973-87 radiator and fan combination. GC wanted to develop and show off its new product for one of the hottest GM body styles, but it also wanted to display the new cooling system under the hood of a dressed-to-the-nines show truck at the largest automotive aftermarket show in the country. With five months on the clock it was go time.

The chassis was first on the list. It was re-slammed up front with No Limit spindles, and a No-Limit K-member with Ridetech coil-overs all brought to a halt with Wilwood six-piston brakes with 14-inch rotors. Ridetech mono-leafs out back with 2-inch Billet All Star lowering blocks and Ridetech shocks slam the Chevy’s backside, while Wilwood rear brakes team up with the front binders for deceleration duties. A Quick Performance rearend with 4.10 gears takes commands from a built 700R4 transmission fit with a 3,200-stall speed converter and custom shift kit delivering power through a custom-shortened Fast Shafts driveshaft. This pavement-stomping truck assaults the asphalt through 20-inch US Mag Rambler wheels mounted on Nitto NT05S P255/35ZR20 front and P315/35ZR20 rear tires.

Under the cowl-induction hood lies a 500-hp 355-ci small-block Chevy machined by Automotive Machine Shop Services and assembled by Mike Six Sr. Fit with a forged crank, COMP Cams bump stick, forged rods, JE pistons, ported and polished AMS heads with stainless CV Products valves, pushrods and springs, COMP lifters and Scorpion shaft roller rockers, this mighty mill quickly ignites the rear Nittos. An Edelbrock Victor intake manifold topped by a FITech Mean Street EFI setup funnels the octane cocktails down the small-block’s throat, while custom Stainless Works headers and mandrel-bent stainless exhaust by 515 Fabrication delivers horsepower harmonies to Magnaflow 3-inch mufflers. All American Billet Accessory Drive components ensure smooth and stylish engine rotation, while a Fluidyne radiator and GC Cooling dual electric fans keep operating temps in check.

With the chassis, suspension and drivetrain covered, Preston and his friend Chris Cope went to work on the body and paint. Having spent its whole life on harsh Iowa winter roads, the truck’s lower region was in need of extensive rust repair and panel replacement. From cab corners to rockers and floor pans, the truck was completely rebuilt below the belt. Extensive care was taken to perfect the gaps to precision in an effort to make everything flow seamlessly. Following this tedious effort, the truck was skim coated with filler, and Preston block-sanded it six times to get it perfectly flat and straight. Adding to the smooth envelope is a cowl-induction hood, shaved bumper bolts, a molded steel roll pan, shaved stake pockets, key holes, drip rails, emblems, marker lights and cab seams.

Once the bodywork was done, Chris headed for the paint booth and mixed up House of Kolor Kandy Tangerine for the truck’s top half. HoK Orion Silver was used for the bottom half and a carbon-fiber stripe in Kandy Black breaks the two colors perfectly. A Kandy Black front bumper, grille and headlight bezels give the leading edge a sinister look. One Piece Products side windows and Delmo’s door handles clean up the cab lines, while United Pacific headlights and LED taillights provide stylish illumination for late night backroad cruises.

For the cruising chamber, Preston went for a plush, yet performance-inspired, cockpit. The original seat where Preston once rode alongside his great-grandpa was modernized by Deluxe Custom Upholstery and Upholstery Unlimited with leather and suede. The dash was wrapped in leather with a custom carbon-fiber suede insert. A billet specialties steering wheel takes direction, while a Flaming River shifter signals the 700R4. Sparco seatbelts hold driver and passenger firmly and safely in place during throttle-stomping runs. Dakota Digital HDX gauges keep tabs on the small-block’s health, while a Vintage Air climate control system makes for comfortable cruising during humid Iowa summers. For cruising tunes, a combination of Alpine products, Stinger wiring and Dynamat sound deadener provide crisp, hard-hitting tones. The interior stylings are a combination of the efforts of Steve Pearson, Joel Fleming, Preston and Deluxe Custom Upholstery and Upholstery Unlimited.

With help from many talented craftsman and friends, Preston has created a stunning custom C-10. May he enjoy it for many years to come as his Great-Grandpa Buck rides shotgun in spirit. Not many have the opportunity to relive old memories and create new ones inside the same cab they grew up riding in. Every time Preston hits the key we hope the memories of riding on that springy old bench seat with great-grandpa behind the wheel come flooding back as the old Chevy motors through the next 45 years.

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BUILD SPECS

OWNER

Preston Folkestad
1973 Chevy C-10
Des Moines, IA

Engine

• 355-ci small-block Chevrolet
• Machined by Automotive Machine Shop Services
• Assembled by Mike Six Sr.
• 500 hp
• 450 ft-lbs
• Forged crank and rods
• JE pistons
• Ported and polished aluminum cylinder heads
• Stainless CV Products valves, springs and pushrods
• COMP Cams camshaft
• COMP Cams lifters
• ARP assembly hardware
• Scorpion shaft roller rockers
• Tuff Stuff water pump
• Fluidyne radiator
• Energy Suspension motor mounts
• Edelbrock Victor intake manifold
• Custom stainless works headers by 515 Fabrication
• Custom stainless mandrel-bent exhaust by 515 Fabrication
• Tuff Stuff alternator
• GC Cooling electric cooling fans
• FITech Mean Street EFI system
• Magnaflow 3-inch mufflers
• Custom valve covers, All American Billet pulleys
• 700R4 transmission, B&M 3,200-stall Ed Slivka/Fast Shafts

Chassis & Suspension

• Notched and shortened rear frame
• Quick Performance 4.10-geared rear differential
• No Limit front K-member with rack-and-pinion
• No Limit drop spindles
• Ridetech front coil-overs
• Wilwood six-piston front calipers, 14-inch front rotors
• Ridetech mono-leaf springs, 2-inch All-Star Billet lowering blocks
• Ridetech rear coil-overs
• Wilwood rear brakes
• Wilwood master cylinder

Wheels & Tires

• 20-inch US Mag Rambler
• Textured gray with diamond-cut lip
• Nitto NT05S P255/35ZR20 front and NT05S P315/35ZR20 rear

Body & Paint 

• Shaved bumper bolts, stake pocket holes, key holes, drip rails, cab seams, emblems, marker lights, semi-smoothed firewall
• House of Kolor Kandy Tangerine, Orion Silver and Kandy Black
• Paint by Chris Cope
• Bodywork by Chris Cope and Preston Folkestad
• Cowl-induction hood
• Custom-airbrushed carbon-fiber stripe
• United Pacific headlights and taillights
• Delmo’s door handles

Interior & Stereo

• Leather and suede pattern designed by owner
• Custom leather-wrapped dash with carbon-fiber insert
• Billet Specialties steering wheel
• Sparco seat belts
• Dakota Digital HDX gauges
• Custom door panels and arm rests
• Vintage Air climate control
• Black cut-pile carpeting
• Interior by Steve Pearson, Preston Folkestad, Deluxe Custom Upholstery and Upholstery Unlimited
• Alpine CDE-HD 164BT head unit
• Alpine Type R SPR-50C speakers
• Alpine MRV M1200/MRV F300 amplifiers
• Alpine Type R SWR-T10 subwoofers
• Stinger wiring
• Dynamat sound deadener

Special Thanks From the Owner: “Fluidyne, GC Cooling, Dakota Digital, Delmo’s, Chris Cope for painting and putting in serious hard work, Dale’s Tire for great service and advice on the wheel and tire combination, Bitter End Old School Choppers for helping build the matching motorcycle and Great-Grandpa Maurice “Buck” Heckart, the truck’s original owner.”

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