Martin Sergovia’s #RedFoxComingAtYou

There’s just something about a long-bed C-10 that a lot of guys hate. They’ll go as far as passing up a good deal on a truck in decent condition solely because of its stretched out backside. Then there are those who brutally hack up a perfectly good bed (and frame) in order to feed their sick short-bed fetish. Truth is, that’s the norm. The lineup of dudes who prefer a long-bed over its more compact counterpart is, well, short. The guys who are down for a little extra meat on the bone, however, are typically the type who celebrate being members of the minority.

What difference does 20 inches make anyway? That’s how much extra a long bed has over a short-bed model. Aesthetically, the difference is meaningful enough to have a very noticeable gravitational pull on the vintage truck economy, as the larger dollars tend to move towards trucks with the shorter behinds. Practically speaking, a longer bed should equate to increased payloads, correct? Isn’t bigger always better? Not in every case, clearly, but the huge upswing in short-bed popularity only makes the deals to be had on the long dogs that much sweeter.

Martin Sergovia can vouch for the pros that go along with owning a long-bed C-10. While the rest of the world clambers for short-bed superiority, he’s been lying back in his laid-out long-bed gathering a great deal of attention that might sway a few bed-biased C-10 enthusiasts. Back when Martin was in the beginning stages of getting his hands on the truck, he wasn’t too particular about the exact bed specs. The truck was listed for sale, and he must’ve driven past it a handful of times during the month it was parked on the street. “I found the truck in Valencia, California,” Martin says. “Every time I drove by it, I told myself that I was going to stop the next day to take a real close look at it and talk to the owner. I let a week go by without driving by it, and when I did go back, it was gone. I couldn’t believe that I missed out on a good thing.”

Despair and regret sank in, but Martin was forced to move on and forget he had ever seen the truck at all. Weeks went by, and he couldn’t help looking at the spot where the truck had been parked whenever he drove by. “I had already dealt with the fact that the truck was long gone and sitting in someone else’s driveway, until the day I saw it again, in the same place it was for sale before. Needless to say, I stopped that day and talked to the owner about it. I drove it home a few days later.”

During the whole month he was daydreaming about buying the truck, he was already building it in his head. He put in a lot of hours reading through online forums to get a better sense of what the hell he would do with it given the off chance he’d be able to buy it. “I kept reading how long-beds were the ugly ducklings of the C-10 community and that it would probably be a bad investment. I didn’t really care about all of that, though, I just knew that I wanted this truck, and that I wanted to customize it to the tune of what I was seeing guys online do to their trucks.” The more Martin saw what was being done to the trucks he was falling in love with, the more he knew that the modifications were above his level of expertise. He had a whole list of things he wanted to see done, and he wanted those things done correctly by someone who knew these trucks inside and out. Enter Del Uschenko.

“I had stayed away from making any sudden modifications to the truck and kept it in the exact condition I found it in until after I spoke to the guy whose name I was seeing pop up everywhere,” Martin admits. “I wanted to meet up with Del and bounce some ideas off of him, since he seemed to have a commanding knowledge of these trucks. Right off the bat, I got a good vibe from him, and although he was busy for a few months, I decided to put my Red Fox on the waiting list to get into his shop.” Luckily for Martin, there was an opening in the schedule, and work began almost immediately. The truck was torn apart quickly, and things changed fast thanks to Martin’s meticulous planning. “I figured since there weren’t many long-beds out there, I was going to slam this one and make it go fast.”

The old, often misleading “ran when parked” chestnut actually held true with this truck after Martin bought it, but the tired old 327 wasn’t exactly the engine he planned on using. He’d been stashing money away for some time now and had invested in an LS3 that would better suit what he’d envisioned for the C-10. To get the truck to the level of low he had in mind, Martin incorporated front and rear Porterbuilt components to get the job done, and watching the progress at Delmo’s was an experience that he was excited to be a part of. “I knew at the end of all this that I was going to be left with an awesome truck, but the people that I’ve had the privilege of meeting and working with in the C-10 community have really been the best part of it all, even though I’m now ‘stuck’ with a long-bed.”

These kinds of projects are never really finished. There will always be a new idea I might want to try out at some point, but that’s for me to know and the rest to find out about.” —Martin Segovia

Del got the truck sitting down low and looking dirty, and even incorporated a slick set of 22-inch Delmo Specials into the mix for good measure. They round out the truck and help create the signature look he’s cultivated with his creations. When it came to the outward appearance of the truck, though, Martin chose to leave the OG paint intact and untouched. There’s a lot to learn from a natural patina finish, and Martin didn’t want to disturb too much of his truck’s original character. He did have Fat Lucky’s Interior reupholster the bench seat, fix up some plush door panels and apply some finishing touches to make the cab much more appealing to the senses, except sound. Martin opted out of a stereo setup. He’s content to listen to the orchestral music that only a fine-tuned machine can make.

Does Martin have any grand plans for the truck? Not really. He plans on enjoying it as it sits for a while longer, but he was keen to note that things might change at any time. “These kinds of projects are never really finished. There will always be a new idea I might want to try out at some point, but that’s for me to know and the rest to find out about. OK, I will go on record and say that there will be a Red Fox 2.3 some time in the future. #RedFoxComingAtYou is the best way to stay in the know. Also, I have no idea how, but that hashtag has turned into a thing on Instagram.” Whatever Martin has cooking, chances are it’s going to be good. He’s done well for himself so far, as he’s pushing one of the hottest C-10s on the streets (for a long-bed).

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BUILD SPECS

OWNER

Martin Segovia
1966 Chevrolet C-10
North Hills, CA

Engine & Transmission

• Shop: Delmo’s Speed & Kustom
• 2010 Chevrolet LS3
• 430 hp
• Delmo’s script valve covers
• 2010 Chevrolet 4L70E transmission
• Custom two-piece driveshaft
• Be Cool radiator
• Spal cooling fans
• Drive Junky drive accessory
• Stock intake manifold
• K&N air cleaner
• Magnaflow muffler and exhaust system

Chassis & Suspension

• Shop: Delmo’s Speed & Kustom
• Porterbuilt Dropmembers front and rear
• Porterbuilt 1-inch narrow control arms
• CPP modular spindles
• KYB front shocks, Porterbuilt rear shocks
• CPP front and rear brakes, booster and master cylinder
• 12-bolt rearend
• 3.70 gear ratio
• CPP fuel tank

Wheels & Tires

• 22×8.5 and 22×10 Delmo Specials wheels
• 255/30R22 and 265/35R22 Toyo tires

Body & Paint

• Shop: Delmo’s Speed & Kustom
• Original factory paint, natural patina
• Stock chrome grille and front bumper with guards
• Gas filler flush in bed
• Custom oak raised floor
• Big back window conversion by Freeman Fabrication

Interior & Stereo

• Shop: Fat Lucky
• Vinyl upholstered bench seat and door panels
• Dakota Digital gauges
• Stock steering wheel
• Vintage Air AC system

Special Thanks From the Owner: “Thank you to Delmo’s, Freeman Fabrication for the big back window conversion, Precision Parts for the seals, Johny G, and my family for putting up with my craziness and spending my kids’ college savings on the truck.”

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