Perfecting The Modern Classic 

To most of us, our first “old” vehicle is more meaningful than our first-ever car or truck, unless that one just happened to be old, too. Bringing a vintage vehicle home means having something to tinker with and maintain so that it remains roadworthy. With so many people clambering to own the latest models with all of the technological upgrades (that come at a premium), it can be refreshing to appreciate the simpler, more streamlined approach that defined vehicle designs of the past. 

Let me be clear: This isn’t a propaganda piece praising everything vintage while tearing down trucks currently rolling out of automotive factories. Some of the package offerings, however, have some of the most unnecessary bells and whistles imaginable. Onboard Wi-Fi? Self-parking and lane-keeping assist? Sorry, I won’t be able to resist the occasional jab, but for the most part, I’ll focus on the restoration and resurrection of one of the trucks from our granddads’ generation.

Isaias Vega was only 25 when he bought this ’69 Chevy C-10, and even then, he had a solid appreciation of how cool the beat-up old hunk of junk was. The truck wasn’t just in poor operating condition, hell, it wasn’t even in decent non-operating condition. Isaias brought the C-10 home in pieces. There was no hope of a simple tune-up to help get the truck to move under its own power. The truck was dead. This was a classic case of taking what you can get, when you can get it. According to Isaias, “I had the cab, the bed and some other parts that weren’t attached—oh, and I had the frame. That’s it.” Having some parts is always better than having no parts at all.

“When I started on the truck, I began working on the chassis. I took it all apart, planning to get it ready for an air ride system in the future. I just wanted it to be low, but after shopping around, I knew that I had to invest in quality components. I wanted to focus on the parts and pieces that would actually make the truck as low as possible, not just on the height by itself.” It’s thinking like this that separates a truck build from a hack job. “I made the decision to go with a Porterbuilt front Dropmember and control arms, and as far as the rear, I was up to the challenge of building a 4-link from scratch.” Isaias wasn’t afraid of hard work to get his truck back together again and looking better than it ever had in its 48 years of existence.

“I’ve always dreamed of owning a 1967-72 C-10 since I was a kid,” Isaias continues. “There is just something about these trucks that … [is] timeless. Even though at first I only had a pile of parts, with the frame coming together, I was able to look forward to moving on to the rest of the truck.” Being a body and paint man by trade, Isaias was in a great position to bank on his valuable knowledge of straightening metal panels and spraying professional grade layers of color and clear. Nothing that doesn’t belong has been added to the exterior of the truck, which was purely intentional. Aside from shaved handles and mirrors, custom glass and some nicely executed sheet metal shaping in the bed and cab, the C-10 maintains a clean, factory appearance, which is worth more than thousands of dollars of bolt-on accessories. To seal the deal on the bodywork, Isaias selected House of Kolor Lime Time pearl to coat the freshly massaged panels. The solid green shade keeps the Chevy looking classic, and the pearl really takes things into a whole other dimension under the right lighting.

So far, Isaias was tailoring his build to his exact standards of a classic truck with judiciously selected modern conveniences. Although sticking with a vintage engine could’ve been more cost effective, he was designing the truck to be a driver. That fact stuck in the back of his mind as he began scouting around for a new power plant. “I was going to install an LS1 out of a Camaro, but the truck was looking way better than I had planned, so I felt a little guilty about wanting to install an older engine. Instead, I upgraded to a brand-new LS3 from GM Performance, along with a new 4L65E transmission.” That was a smart move for more reasons than one. For starters, the truck will fire up with ease; and second, it’s an LS. If Isaias ever wants his truck to go even faster than it does now, there’s a whole world of performance products that have been developed especially for that exact engine. To ensure the fresh crate engine would fire at optimum power, Jimmy Ellison was recruited to handle all of the installation and wiring.

In this day and age, a lot of guys subscribe to the theory that bigger is better. Well, it might not be everybody’s idea of “better,” but moderation is sometimes king. Isaias could have easily chosen a set of 22s for the front, and perhaps stuffed 24s into the rear, but he opted to keep the size of the wheels within reason. “I kept the wheel size smaller at 20 inches. I could have gotten away with more, but I didn’t want to overdo it. The overall idea of this truck was to modify it in a way that kept everything looking as subtle as possible so the truck could hold on to that timeless vibe while still having touches of modern appeal.”

The truck’s interior is a prime example of Isaias’ approach. He turned this portion of the build over to Daniel’s Custom Upholstery and Tea’s Design for a truly custom leather split bench seat. Throw in a shaved and painted dash, updated gauges, aftermarket steering wheel, plush carpet, door panels, etc., and you’re left with a well-rounded custom truck fit for show and the open road.

It might not be flashy or outfitted with a DVD player, GPS navigation or heated seats, but this C-10 hits the marks that truly matter. It’s lean and clean, and with all of the nondescript, yet highly desirable, components stashed away, Isaias’ truck is most definitely mean. The Chevy has been updated where updates matter most. Introducing frills for their own sake just wasn’t part of the game plan. Old stuff can be successfully blended with new stuff, as long as the formula is properly balanced. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

Owner

Isaias Vega
1969 Chevrolet C-10
Ukiah,
Ground Zero 

Engine

• Installation and wiring by Jimmy Ellison
• GM Performance LS3
• 430 hp, 424 lbs-ft torque
• Hedman headers
• Custom exhaust by Norcal Tires
• Magnaflow performance muffler
• Green air filter and custom intake tubing
• KMJ Performance valve covers
• RAB Performance polished pulleys and drive accessory
• 4L65E auto transmission
• Two-piece driveshaft
• Boyd fuel tank

Chassis & Suspension 

• Porterbuilt front Dropmember system, upper and lower control arms
• CPP 2-inch drop spindles
• RideTech TQ shocks
•  Air Lift Dominator 2600 ’bags
• Rear 4-link with Watts link
• 10-inch C-notch
• Rear CPP 12-inch disc brake conversion
• CPP hydroboost
• Powder-coated frame

Wheels & Tires

• 20×9 and 20×10 Intro polished Split 5 wheels
• 255/35R20 and 285/30R20 Toyo tires

Body & Paint 

• House of Kolor Lime Time Pearl
• Airbrush detailing by Isaias Vega
• Factory front bumper
• Aftermarket 1969 grille with Chevrolet logo deleted
• Shaved handles
• Mar-K wood floor
• Once-Piece Products window kits (flush mount front and rear glass, one-piece side glass)
• United Pacific headlights
• Slosh Tubz

Interior & Stereo 

• Shop: Daniel’s Custom Upholstery
• Leather seating by Tea’s Design
• Custom door panels
• AVS steering wheel
• Infinity Reference series speakers
• JL Audio amp
• Optima battery

Special Thanks From the Owner: “Thanks to my dad, my best friend Jimmy Ellison for all his hard work on the engine install and help throughout the build, and to all my other friends who helped with what they could.” 

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