Mike Self August 28, 2023 C10 Builders Guide
When you’ve got it, you’ve got it. And when the world around you doesn’t know you’ve got it, you show them you’ve got it. That’s a quick summary of Howard “Howie” Kendrick’s life, and to say that the man has had some pretty interesting adventures would be an understatement. Howie is a known classic watch collector, as well as an established photographer, but what many don’t know is that he’s also an avid car enthusiast and has worked on many of his own projects over the years. Oh yeah, he also played a bit of baseball and helped get the Washington Nationals to a World Series championship in 2019.
Raised by his grandmother Ruth, Howie has always made it clear that he owes his life and career to her, and with that career-topping World Series win under his belt, he certainly has a lot to be thankful for considering she’s the one who signed him up for T-ball at age 5. Growing up in the South around lots of trucks, Howie has a big soft spot for anything built to haul, whether it’s a bed-full of hay or, as the case may be, a bed-full of friends on a high school cruise around town. And so, Howie has always had some sort of truck in his garage throughout the years.
Recently, Howie had the itch for another truck to add to his collection. He had wanted to build another for a while, and the ’64-’66 C10s were right up his alley, so he had his eyes peeled for the right deal. Luckily, the perfect candidate was located nearby.
“I found the truck for sale from a local seller and quickly bought it,” Howie says. “It was supposedly a frame-off restoration, and the truck appeared to be a great running and driving truck with a nice blue and white, two-tone paintjob.”
Sounds like a score so far, right? Well, as is often the case with nice paint jobs, there was a different story to be told underneath.
“When we started diving into the truck it was anything but nice,” he says. “Once we found rust underneath the paint, we decided to have the truck stripped to see what else the paintjob was hiding. After having to replace the fenders and some rust in the rocker panels, I decided to ditch the patina paint idea I had for something much nicer.”
We think everyone would agree that Howie made the right choice in going with the fresh paint look, but the project ended up snowballing from the original plan of a new paintjob and GSI air-ride chassis swap into what you see here.
From the chassis, interior, and exterior color choices, along with the powerplant, I’d say we knocked it out of the park!
After hitting up Fat Fender Garage to tackle the work, the plan evolved and was slowly refined to make this one of the baddest C10s on the planet. Before long, a Chevy LSA engine was ordered up alongside a 6L90E transmission, setting the tone for a top-tier build that FFG owner Jason Noel admits was one of the most involved projects he has ever taken on. If you know Jason, you know that’s saying a lot!
The truck underwent a complete transformation, with some very unique features such as zebrawood throughout the bed and interior, along with soft trim from Hydes Leather, and even Cerakote on parts that would traditionally be chrome-plated. And by now, you’ve probably stared at those carbon-lipped 22-inch AG Luxury AGL60 forged wheels.
So what does Howie think of the truck now that it’s done and he’s had a chance to enjoy it for a while?
“From the chassis, interior, and exterior color choices, along with the powerplant, I’d say we knocked it out of the park [We see what you did there, Howie – Ed.]! One of the main reasons I ended up at Fat Fender was their attention to detail and craftsmanship,” he says.
“Ruth has turned out to be everything I could want out of a classic truck and more. Just like my grandmother, she manages to put a smile on my face every chance I see her. I couldn’t have thought of a better way to celebrate the memory of my grandmother than with my passion for trucks,” Howie says. “Fat Fender Garage has accomplished everything we set out to do with this truck and more. Ruth is still putting smiles on my face, and hopefully inspiring other people’s dreams and builds.”
Owner
Howard “Howie” Kendrick
Paradise Valley, AZ
1966 Chevy C10
Chassis & Suspension
GSI custom air-ride chassis w/ Watt’s link
Ridetech shocks
Air Lift Performance 3H air management system
Boyd Welding fuel tank
14-inch Wilwood brakes front and rear
Wheels & Tires
22-inch AG Luxury AGL60 forged wheels with carbon fiber rims
Pirelli tires
Engine & Drivetrain
6.2L GM LSA supercharged engine, 650HP/450TQ
Texas Speed camshaft
Wizard Cooling aluminum radiator
Magnaflow mufflers with custom piping
6L90E transmission
Body & Paint
BASF custom paint
United Pacific LED lighting
Cerakote coating on trim
Prismatic Powders powdercoating
Custom zebrawood bed
FFG cantilever bed floor lift kit
Interior & Stereo
Custom leather upholstery using Hydes Leather
Custom zebrawood trim
Dakota Digital gauges
Sparc Industries steering wheel w/custom leather wrap by Steering Wheel Art
Restomod A/C system
Kenwood head unit
Focal speakers and amplifier
Optima batteries
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