Mike Rolleri’s Insane 1965 C10 is Putting Salvage to Savage on the Map
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. It seems to be a common theme around here. In this case, one man’s ’65 C10 is another man’s canvas for automotive art. Enter Mike Rolleri and his team at S2S Customs, or Salvage to Savage for the layman. Mike and his team have carefully crafted a beast of a machine, touting a twin-turbo LS platform as a heart and plenty of goodies to compliment every angle you look at.
Mike has had a passion for building anything with his bare hands, but quite literally, has engraved his own niche in the C10 community with his revival skills. Salvage to Savage isn’t just a trendy name that his team, Tim, Michelle, and Andrew thought up. It’s their artistic way of reincarnating old forms of machinery that have passed on for the world to enjoy. You see, MIke’s ‘65, known as “Cha-Ching”, isn’t the only gem to arise from his shop in Boca Raton, Florida. Step into the facility, and you’ll find thousands of square feet of historic art, road signs, and beer taps that take you back into the rich history of the 1950’s in South Florida. Don’t believe us? Mike’s office windows happen to be from an abandoned home that withered away in a hurricane. No one would know, unless you asked where in the world it came from.
Now, let’s get down to the reason you’re all here. Cha-Ching isn’t just the sound Mike heard over and over while building this project. As a matter of fact, the name came from a larger than life, lighted vintage sign at popular taco spot in south Florida. He was in charge of the renovation of the place, and when the store owner cut ties with the old sign, Mike carefully retied the knot.
What started as a project for Mike and his team has taken them to new levels of exposure and the years of handwork have paid off. Although Cha-Ching might look like a ’65 C10 from the outside, it sports the most modern inner-workings that make this pro-touring patina build a sight for sore eyes. The LS1 lump received a revamp and some extra breathing room with twin turbos from Nelson Racing Engines along with custom fabricated Ti-Con headers by the lead madman in the house, Tim Moceri. Tuned by Mesa Balancing, this LS1 features Wiseco goodies and a few add-ons from their friends at Texas Speed & Performance to bring the output healthfully into the high 3 figures. If that’s not enough, the Holley Hi-Ram intake takes care of any extra effort on the street. The power plant is mated to a T-56 Magnum 6-speed that makes this truck break through gears just as hard as the necks when anyone sees it. The Monster Clutch is working overtime to put the truck through it’s paces. At the back of the step-side Chevy, you’ll find a Ford 9-inch rear end, Moser Axles, and an Eaton Posi to finish it all off.
All that power has to be able to tamed some how, right? Beneath this ’65 beauty, lies full custom air suspension with Accuair management sent to Slam Specialties double-bellow bags. Just before you reach the outside, massive 14-inch Wilwood Brakes help this blast from the past come to a full stop. If the pedal isn’t enough, feel free to grab the hydraulic E-brake in the center console within arms reach.
Working our way to the outside, you’ll find a 1 of 1 set of Vossen Wheels. Normally you’d find these on a Ferrari, Range Rover, or maybe a modern Camaro, but the ERA-3 3-Piece Wheels truly make Mike’s truck stand out from a mile away. The wheels are wrapped in Nitto INVO tires to help the truck stick in any situation.
Lastly, the part every driver experiences when out for a Sunday stroll, the interior. Inside the cab, you’ll find a fully custom bench seat and door panels, carefully crafted by the team at E3 Upholstery. The saddle-brown stitching pops off the interior and makes it road trip friendly for the shows that tend to be further than others. Above the steering column, the past meets the present with a full digital display from the guys at Haltech. Every measurement necessary is displayed real time with the push of a button. We haven’t found the smiles per gallon tab, but we’re certain the programming team is on it.
When considering parts for this build, not only did Mike not spare any expense, but the partners in this build have found a new shop in town that’s here to stay. What’s special about this truck is that at any particular time of day, you’d find Mike and his team burning the midnight oil in his shop to get a step closer to perfection. Not only was his daughter key and critical in designing Cha-Ching, she made sure the photos for this spread did it justice.
The team at Salvage to Savage are full speed ahead on builds from all ranges of ages and a certainly here to move and shake with the industry. Stay tuned for the next big build out of S2S Customs, we know we sure will.
