An Explosion of Custom Truck Goodness

MOST OF US WANT TO LEAVE OUR KIDS (AND THEIR KIDS) SOME SORT OF LEGACY, SOMETHING THAT WILL TELL AT LEAST PART OF OUR STORY AND SERVE AS A REMINDER TO THEM OF WHO WE WERE AND WHAT WE ENJOYED. And hey, if it brings some enjoyment to them as well, all the better!

We think Kevin Diehl had the right idea when he bought a partially restored ’68 GMC C-10 that he would eventually hand over to his son. Kevin grew up being inspired by mini-trucks, reading all of the truck rags, and dreaming of the day he could build his own custom ride. The ’68 he found had all of the right restoration stuff already done to it, but there was still enough left to do to personalize it as time allowed. The thing was, Kevin has truck buddies, and we all know what happens when a group of us get together. To cut right to the end of the story, they all pitched in and finished the whole truck in 74 days. Yeah, two and a half months, and the majority of that time was spent working on it inside a home garage.

Of course, we left out a small piece of the puzzle, after all, who just up and builds a truck in 74 days instead of spreading things out over a couple of years (or longer)? After Kevin bought the truck, he spoke with the folks at Truck Covers USA, and as it turned out, they were in need of a display truck for SEMA. Enter the excitement/fear/panic stage known as the SEMA Crunch. Many consider it a disease, but it’s more like an addiction, the good kind.

With the ultimate automotive deadline to meet (as far as we’re concerned), Kevin and team got right to work, employing tons of help along the way to make it happen in a big way. SEMA rides aren’t usually your typical daily cruisers, so the truck had to be top-notch from top to bottom.

THE THING WAS, KEVIN HAS TRUCK BUDDIES, AND WE ALL KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A GROUP OF US GET TOGETHER. TO CUT RIGHT TO THE END OF THE STORY, THEY ALL PITCHED IN AND FINISHED THE WHOLE TRUCK IN 74 DAYS.”

The first sign of a quality build is quality parts, and there isn’t a single component on Kevin’s C-10 that elicits a raised eyebrow. Everything from the Choppin’-Block- based air suspension and AccuAir management to the Classic Performance Products big brakes and Crowbar wheels from Hot Rods by Boyd (HRBB) is the best of the best.

The challenge would be putting all of these parts together with some quality labor, and Kevin and his pals were committed to giving it their all, with some professional help from Elite Customs Body & Paint when needed.

The Choppin’ Block suspension setup Kevin picked also came with bolt- on body-drop mounts, which set the body down an additional inch over the 20-inch HRBB wheels. They run 8 inches wide up front and a foot wide out back, thanks to a narrowed Ford 9-inch that allows the C-10 some additional clearance.

Since the truck was now set up to run 315/35ZR20 Continental tires out back, Kevin wanted to make sure that the power plant could back up the aggressive attitude that the rear meats were putting out. A worked up LS2 out of a 2005 Pontiac GTO now puts out 742 hp, thanks to some internal work and a 250-hp shot of nitrous. To handle that much power, a built Turbo 400 was set into place behind the flex-plate.

The body may appear to be completely stock at first glance, but it received a few custom touches to smooth things out a bit. The antenna, mirrors, keyholes and filler neck were all nixed before Jimmy Johnson at Elite Customs Body & Paint sprayed the wet stuff all over the prepped body. When he was done, the ol’ GMC sported a deep candy cherry red finish that would make any ’60s Impala envious.

When it came time to revamp the interior, Kevin contacted local Reno favorite Wellman’s Upholstery to create another one of its masterpieces. Black and red leather hides were stitched up to cover the custom bench seat and door panels, and a custom carpet set was made up for the bed. To finalize the inner confines, a set of matching Classic Instruments gauges was installed, which contrasts the cab’s fine details, such as the Eddie Motorsports handles.

As is often the case with these types of builds, Kevin’s truck was completed just in time for its SEMA debut. Now that the pressure is finally off, however, Kevin can enjoy the C-10 with his son, who can’t wait to take the keys some day. Can you blame him?

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Kevin Diehl
Reno, NV
1968 GMC C-10

ENGINE

• 6.0L LS2 from 2005 Pontiac GTO
• Trickflow 228/230 camshaft, .585/.585 lift with 112 LSA
• Oversized valves with Trickflow dual springs
• Trickflow pushrods
• Polished Holley valve covers
• FAST intake manifold
• Hedman headers
• Diamond Eye exhaust
• Eddie Motorsports pulley system
• Mechman high-output alternator
• Painless Perf wiring harness
• Nitrous Outlet 250-shot nitrous system
• BeCool aluminum radiator and dual fans
• Turbo 400 transmission
• 2,500-rpm stall Hughes torque converter

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Choppin’ Block front cross member kit
• Choppin’ Block upper and lower control arms
• Choppin’ Block back-half frame and body-drop kit
• Slam Specialties airbags
• CPP drop spindles
• CPP front and rear big brake kits
• CPP hydro-assist brake master cylinder
• AccuAir e-Level air management

WHEELS & TIRES

• 20×8 and 20×12 Hot Rods by Boyd Crowbar wheels
• 245/40ZR20 and 315/35ZR20 Continental tires

BODY & PAINT

• Work performed by Elite Customs Body & Paint
• Shaved antenna, mirrors, keyholes and fuel filler
• Eddie Motorsports LED taillights
• Oracle halo headlights
• Truck Covers USA American Roll Cover tonneau
• MPX Candy Cherry Red paint

INTERIOR & STEREO:

• Work performed by Wellman’s Upholstery
• Custom bench seat
• Custom red/black leather on seats and door panels
• Black carpet
• Matching bed carpeting
• Classic Instruments gauges
• Eddie Motorsports steering wheel and door handles
• Dynamat sound deadener
• JVC head unit
• JL Audio component speakers
• JL Audio 10-inch subwoofers
• JL Audio 1,200-watt amplifier
• Dual Optima batteries

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “Joe Kwapich, Dan McElfresh, Dane Fraizer and Travis Ybarra, Elite Customs Body and Paint, Truck Covers USA, Wellman’s Upholstery, Classic Performance Products, Classic Industries, Choppin’ Block, Slam Specialties, Classic Instruments, Painless Performance, Hot Rods by Boyd, Continental Tires, Dynamat, AccuAir, R&E Fasteners, Eddie Motorsports, Diamond Eye Exhaust and Optima Batteries.”

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