Long Road Ahead

THE CALL TO BE UNIQUE RINGS IN THE EAR OF EVERY BUILDER WHO TAKES UP A WRENCH. Despite the constant ebb and flow of custom trends, every truck reflects the singular perspective of its builder. That’s part of what makes the truck featured here so special, that and the owner’s long history with it.

For long-time enthusiast and garage-built hero Matt Smith, inspiration came in the form of a mini- truck that was practically laying frame on the freeway. The mini caught Matt’s eye for just a few moments during his drive to school, but the image stuck with him for decades. After he graduated, Matt pursued his pickup passion with a vengeance.

Matt has owned his ’83 Chevy S-10 since 1988, and every show he attended and every magazine he read fueled his goal of building a mini masterpiece for himself. As his modification list slowly grew, he got started with a simple set of 14-inch custom wheels, a ground effects kit, new stereo and new paint.

Fast-forward nearly 10 years and he’d moved on to stuffing a classic Chevy 350 into the S-10. Then, Matt grabbed the bull by both horns and opted for a full frame-off customization. The passion project became the big-picture type with a long timeline in mind, and he shared the process with friends and family. Matt was even able to work with his grandfather on the project before he passed, which added special meaning to the truck for Matt and his family.

The S-10 developed throughout the next several years, and by 2014, it was loosely buttoned together and sat in the corner of his garage covered in a few coats of primer. Then the final leap toward a completed custom began when he boxed the frame and welded the holes closed. Next, the rear was C-notched, custom motor mounts were fabricated, and a Flaming River rack-and-pinion was installed. Tubular G-body upper control arms and RideTech lowers were installed, and the A-arms were narrowed 1 inch. The front suspension deploys drop spindles and Air Lift Dominator airbags, and the rear setup is an attractively built 4-link with a ’bag-on-bar configuration and KYB Excel G shocks with mounts tied into the custom rearend housing.

The beautifully crafted underpinnings of Matt’s truck are complemented by an equally excellent wheel-and-rubber combination. The Chevy rolls low on a set of staggered Billet Specialties wrapped in Pirelli P Zeros. The front wheels boast a 20-inch diameter and measure 8.5 inches wide, while the rears sit at 22×10 inches. The sticky Pirellis, 245 and 295, provide loads of grip to plant the truck on the pavement. Behind each one of the four wheels rests a 12-inch Aerospace Components cross- drilled rotor, clamped tightly between four-piston calipers, all directed by the Aerospace master cylinder mounted under the cab.

There are about 425 reasons for the world-class brakes and tires, all of which lie underneath the hood. Visible through a gaping hole in the bonnet is a Chevy V-8 from a 1962 Corvette. The small- block has been stroked and fully built using a knife-edged crankshaft, Crane cam, Eagle rods with Keith Black pistons, Dart Iron Eagle cylinder heads, Howard’s pushrods, Harland Sharp roller rockers and a full port and polish. The powerhouse is kept cool with an Edelbrock high-flow water pump, two 12- inch fans and a Griffin radiator. A Holley 750 is partnered with an Edelbrock polished RPM Air Gap intake manifold. On the reverse end of the motor, Hooker headers pair nicely with a ceramic exhaust ending in two Magnaflow mufflers. All of this power is sent through a Turbo 400 and custom driveshaft to a Ford 9-inch rearend narrowed and braced with custom housing.

Matt’s efforts to customize the body and finish off the project are strong. The hood was cut for the custom-finished shotgun intake scoop. The front bumper was shaved and modified to reduce its depth, and the rear bumper was replaced with a smoothed roll pan. The bed floor was replaced with custom sheet work and trailer fenders to provide an ultra-clean and molded surface, exposing the fantastic rear suspension work. Matching finished trailer fenders are tucked away beneath the hood to fit over the Billet Specialties wheels with the same paint details frenched antenna, but leaves the traditional door handles in place for a minimalist look. Then the body was sanded down to a glassy surface so that a good deal of PPG Scarlet Red paint could be added. Multiple stand-out features, such as the grille’s Bow Tie, the custom rearend housing, door handles, front and rear inner fenders, intake scoop shutters, bed floor and exposed 4-link bars, are finished in wood-grain airbrushing. After the final surface application, the whole truck was clearcoated, sanded, recleared, wet-sanded, and then painstakingly buffed to a high shine. The final touch on the gem-like exterior of Matt’s truck was the custom tiki-themed airbrush work on the back of the cab executed by Jayson Haymaker.

The Chevy’s interior is every bit as stylish, unique and refined as its exterior. For starters, the scarlet-and- wood-grain combination is extended to the beautifully matched leather-wrapped seats (custom rebuilt from Honda CRX buckets), leather headliner with metal inserts and leather-finished floors. The custom center console and door panels flow into what is the star of the interior show, a custom-fit 1955 Chevy Bel Air dashboard. The dash is completed with a Bluetooth head unit, Little Larry’s air switches, Auto Meter gauges and a custom Genie shifter.

This little ’83 Chevy S-10 hot rod might have been a long time in the making, but the result leaves nothing to be desired. It’s the perfect combination of timeless design and customization mixed with personality and style. The build is absolutely true to its builder and demonstrates Matt’s commitment to the world of custom trucks.

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Matthew Smith
1983 Chevy S-10
Ocala, FL

ENGINE

• 1962 Chevy 327 V-8 from a ’Vette
• 425 hp
• Knife-edged crankshaft
• Crane camshaft
• Eagle rods
• Keith Black pistons
• Dart Iron Eagle heads ported and polished
• Harland Sharp roller rockers
• Edelbrock 750 carb
• Edelbrock polished RPM Air Gap intake
• Hooker headers
• Ceramic exhaust with Magnaflow mufflers
• Edlebrock high-flow water pump
• Dual 10-inch fans
• Griffin radiator
• Magna Kool hoses
• EZ wiring
• Custom-finished tall valve covers
• Custom-finished shotgun intake scoop
• Optima Yellow Top battery

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• Custom A-arms narrowed 1 inch
• Flaming River rack-and- pinion
• RideTech lower control arms
• DJM drop spindles
• Air Lift Dominator 2500 front airbags
• KYB Excel G rear shocks
• Firestone 2,600 rear ’bags
• Custom 4-link
• Boxed and C-notched frame
• Little Larry’s switches
• Custom fuel cell
• 12-inch Aerospace brake rotors
• Four-piston brake calipers
• Aerospace master cylinder

WHEELS & TIRES

• 20×8.5 and 22×10 Billet Specialties SLG02 wheels
• 245/35ZR20 and 295/25ZR22 Pirelli P Zero tires

BODY & PAINT

• Front and rear molded trailer fenders
• Custom-cut hood
• Shaved tailgate handle
• Frenched antenna
• Shaved and reduced front bumper
• Rear roll pan
• Custom bed floor with cutout
• Custom-shaved gas filler
• PPG Scarlet Red paint
• Custom wood-grain trim and elements

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Bluetooth head unit
• Kicker sub
• Two 6-inch Kicker speakers
• Custom leather seats
• Leather headliner
• Leather floor
• 1955 molded Bel Air dash
• Molded custom door panels and center console
• Genie shifter
• Auto Meter gauges

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “God first and foremost! Next, my mom for going in halves on the truck and letting me do what I wanted since she made me go out and work for what I wanted, which made me appreciate it much more. My wife, Vicky, and the boys for understanding the late nights in the garage and for always being willing to lend a hand. Jerry Gallery, who helped through the whole build, and Duane Olson of Viking Cycle Art who started the wood grain. Jason Haymaker who finished the wood-grain artwork and helped with everything that goes into putting a truck back together after the chassis. Dave Benck of PPG and Scott Lapham of Citrus Sew&Vac. Tommy Gloer, who helped plumb the air, and Frank of Auto Glass Plus. Ted Wiggins of Gibbs Upholstery and Sheik of Ofab for the paint booth. Rob Blower at B&M Automotive and Josh Welch of Welch’s Chop Shop. Thanks to everyone along the way who helped inspire this build in some way!”

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