In a world where bright and flashy trucks get body-dropped straight from the show room floor, there’s something refreshing about seeing a classic brought back to life in all the right ways. From the exterior and wheel choice to the tastefully done motor and interior, Tim Fitch of Enid, Oklahoma, made all of the right moves when it came to this ’72 Chevrolet C-10.
To clarify, there’s nothing wrong with building new trucks, not at all. There’s just a certain feeling of comfort you get when you see an old truck that’s kept its nostalgic look with updates from the perspective of a new generation of builders.
Having been lucky enough to find this truck after a large amount of the work was completed, Tim was able to skip a lot of the painstakingly long fixes most C-10 builders encounter and hop right into finishing the truck to his own taste.
In fact, the truck was more finished than you might expect. It was once sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction, so he had an impressive base for his project. Dr. Eric Steinbrecher, who originally built the truck, put quite a bit of time and money into the build before he sold it, which would make most new owners happy to leave the show-quality truck as is after purchasing it, but not Tim. He attended a few shows with the truck as-purchased before sending it to Kyle Gamble at Laid Back Recreations in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in April 2015.
Having been lucky enough to find this truck after a large amount of the work was completed, Tim was able to skip a lot of the painstakingly long fixes most C-10 builders encounter…
Most of the important parts were compiled shortly after the truck was handed off to Kyle, and the makeover began to take shape. Tim relied heavily on Kyle’s input and opinions as the build progressed. One of the only changes that Tim hesitated over was the white belt line on the truck; however, Kyle persuaded him to make that change happen and both now agree it was definitely the right decision.
Throw in the custom-cut bamboo bed wood panels with one-off CNC-cut, grooved bed strips by Don Doors of Enid, Oklahoma, and it was pretty much a wrap on the exterior.
Next, the C-10 made its way over to Heath Upholstery in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for Don Heath to work his magic. It cannot be said for every build, but for this particular C-10, the interior genuinely ties the whole truck together. Sometimes being subtle is overrated, and this was one of those times. Not only is the burst of red a nice touch, it also allowed red accents to carry through in small ways throughout the build.
From the body to the engine bay and even on the tires of this timeless classic, you’ll find little hints of color peeking around every corner. Really making an effort to pay attention to detail before completing a build is one of the best things any builder can do. Don did a fantastic job on the red vinyl bucket seats with plaid inserts. The look fits the era but is still noticeably different from an interior that would have originally been installed at the factory.
In case anyone somehow thought this truck wouldn’t be a complete build, have no fear. It also has a built 413-hp LS3 power plant, which is more than enough to burn the tires off those 22-inch wheels. A full set of front and rear Wilwood brakes provides a far cleaner-than-factory look and allows the C-10 to stop on a dime. Once all of these quality parts and details were attached to the Porterbuilt 4-link body-drop, which sits on a set of staggered 22×8.5-inch front and 22×10-inch rear Billet Specialties wheels, this build deserved nothing but positive feedback.
Now that the truck is just how Tim wants it, he plans to enjoy the C-10 as much as he can, making new memories with family and friends. Be on the lookout for him at shows across the Midwest as he puts some well-deserved miles on it this show season.
Be on the lookout for him at shows across the Midwest as he puts some well-deserved miles on it this show season.
Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the April 2017 print issue of the Drive Magazine.
