Classic trucks are just that, classic. They all have a story behind them to some capacity. They have years of wear and tear on them, memories of events and a life of their own. Whether it was a company truck used as a work truck, the truck someone learned to drive in or even the truck that just reminds someone of better times. If some of these trucks could talk and tell their story, it would be a real treat to sit and take it all in.
For Chris Patterson of Lillington, South Carolina, his 1977 Chevy Silverado would have plenty to tell us. Chris has been around this truck, driven it from time to time and even worked on it since his uncle bought it in 1987. This truck used to sit in the road next door to where his uncle LJ worked back then and after admiring it every day, LJ finally decided to see if he could buy the truck from his friend. Even though the truck was 10 years old at that point, Chris remembers that it still looked brand new. After the deal was made and the title changed hands, Chris, 17 at the time, was the one to drive it home to his uncle’s house. This short drive instantly made him fall in love with the truck.
The truck came from the factory with a 305 under the hood and served its time well. After 30 years of running, 20 of that with LJ, it was time to refresh the heart of the truck. LJ found a 350 out of another ’77 C10 and decided it was the perfect fit for his truck. Chris and his dad helped Uncle LJ rebuild this new to him 350 and did the swap together. Just one more tie to the truck for Chris. Just like a lot of older vehicles, they get parked while newer vehicles see more of the day-to-day commute. Knowing the truck didn’t get driven much, in 2012, Chris’s dad bought the truck for $2000 which let it stay in the family. Chris pestered his dad regularly trying to buy it from him, but his dad would never let it go, even though it just sat at their shop collecting dust. By this point, it needed a new paint job and some TLC to bring it back to where it once was.
Back in 2015, Chris’s Uncle LJ had passed away but with all the memories with this truck, it immediately took on the name “LJ” in honor of his uncle. Chris’s dad eventually gave in to the requests for purchasing the truck, only if he restored it. He wanted to bring it back to life for his dad, but unfortunately his dad passed away before he ever got the chance to do so. Knowing his dad would want him to follow through with his plans, Chris had a new paint job added, pulled the engine to paint it as well as under the hood and swapped out some interior panels.
Fast forward to 2024, the truck was involved in a fender bender and Chris knew this was the time to really bring the trucks potential back. So, he contacted Jason Mode at New Creations and lined up the repairs to his family truck. Once Jason and his crew got the truck torn apart and the crash damage repaired, it was time to truly bring this truck back to its original glory. The truck was repainted back black, and all the bright work was freshened up.
The truck received a new lowered Ridetech coil over suspension to give it a better stance and the stock 12-bolt rear end was narrowed to allow better fitment on the 20” US Mag 3-piece Scottsdale wheels. Under the hood, the 350 was freshened up and an Entropy radiator and Holly Sniper EFI was added. To make it enjoyable to drive, a Vintage Air system was also added.
No build like this would be complete without an updated interior and being that part of the build is one of New Creations specialties, they added their custom touch to the build. The stock seat was stripped, and Snowden foam was added before the Coast-to-Coast leather was sewn on. German square weave carpet and more leather wrapped panels tie it all together. Since the 77’s came with wood grain interior panels, and no one makes a replacement for it. Jason and his guys airbrushed the trim panels to look like wood grain. He even added Chris’s uncle’s initials, “LJ” on the dash trim. That was a fitting touch and ties the whole story together.
Now that Chris has the truck done and back at home, every time he drives it, it lets him relive his younger days and reminisce on the impact his father and uncle had on his life. He plans to enjoy this truck, and it will make for a good truck to pass down and keep in the family.