DARK KNIGHT

Edward Ron’s Deep Dive into the C10 Scene

Most car enthusiasts have a deeply rooted passion for vehicles that goes back years if not decades. During that time, preferences in particular vehicles tend to change, as well as taste in modifications builders tend to prefer, as they get a little older. Chalk it up growing up, and moving upward and onward to building better performing custom machines.  Edward Ron, from Humble, Texas, is one of those guys who got bit by the car bug pretty hard when he was just in high school. This point in a young man’s life is prime time for buying and fixing up something fun to cruise around in since personal expenses are pretty much non-existent, and an after school gig can support the habit. Driving to and from school, hauling friends around—there is no better freedom at this age than one’s own set of wheels.  Back in his school days, Edward had his ’82 Regal T-Top to take him wherever he wanted to go. These cars are as gangster as it gets when it comes to old school 2-door whips. Of course, Edward attracted a lot of attention among his classmates, but once his group of friends graduated and started getting into other types of vehicles, he was quick to pay attention to what they were investing their time and money into.  Most of Edward’s pals were gravitating toward buying trucks—Chevy C10 pickups to be specific. Once he saw how much fun the guys were having with their trucks, and just how killer they were turning out, he just had to join in on the party. Edward then started to hunt for what would soon become a new obsession—his very own classic American pickup. Little did he know then just how deep he’d end up diving into the C10 scene.  After what was a brief search for a project truck, Edward landed on a ’68 C10 pickup equipped with a 383ci engine coupled with a 4L65e transmission. The first few months of owning the truck was like a dream come true. He was getting familiar with the whole experience that goes along with owning one of the most popular vehicle platforms out there right now. He found out the sky is the limit for these trucks, as the aftermarket offers a seemingly endless amount of support and parts for these pickups. To his dismay, however, smack dab in the middle of the honeymoon phase, the truck’s engine gave up on him.  At the time, Edward was facing some annoyance and frustration with his truck’s blown engine, but it ended up working out for the better, since this gave him the opportunity to start shopping for a replacement engine, which then led to every other modification made to the truck thereafter. Looking to make a dramatic improvement over the 383, he selected a 495HP GM Performance LS3 to take its place. Edward recruited the help of TTI Speedshop, a local high-performance specialist to fabricate a custom exhaust system for the implanted engine. This was the tipping point that aimed the truck into the right direction.  Next on the chopping block was the existing suspension system, which Edward was more than happy to gut. RideTech components were introduced to the factory chassis, and the ride quality has never been better. Ridetech coilovers, Fox shocks, Wilwood Pro spindles, and a wide assortment of hard goods have come together to form a high performing, ultra responsive suspension system that complements the truck’s newly added horsepower gains. To top off the aggressive ride height, Edward selected a set of 20-inch Forgeline wheels to fill the fender gap.  With some more tweaks here and there, Edward was whipping his new truck into the form of something he had wanted to drive for such a long time. His C10 was beginning to catch up with the trucks his friends were building if not surpassing them. His creation was quickly becoming worthy of driving to shows and receiving much deserved praise from onlookers and judges alike. Now, Edward looks forward to popping the hood, which gives everyone a look at the nicely dressed LS3, as well as the cleanly wiring job done by TTI Speedshop. In fact, the engine bay turned out so impressive, the truck took home Best Engine honors at the 2019 Lone Star Throwdown event—and that says a lot since the competition there is incredibly tough to beat.  While Edward now has a killer C10 parked in his garage, knowing that his truck performs and is as reliable as it looks gives him every reason to take it out for a cruise wherever and whenever he wants. He did make sure to outfit his Chevy with a capable AC system to help beat that grueling Texas heat. High school Edward would definitely approve of the vehicle selection his future self would make. He not only made the right project purchase, he made it exponentially better for the sole sake of taking advantage of the same feeling of freedom he discovered back when he was a kid.