Commuter vehicles tend to go through a lot. Between stop-and-go rush hour traffic and piling up tons of miles, they usually don’t get the privilege of coming home to a nice, climate-controlled garage after a day of hard work. Instead, they see lots of road rash, bug guts, the occasional cracked windshield, brake dust, and empty fast-food wrappers tossed on the floor from those times when you have to get something down your gullet after hours behind the wheel.
And as much as we really should take proper care of these vehicles since they faithfully get us where we need to go on a daily basis, routine maintenance can sometimes get behind schedule and occasionally leave us stranded. Thankfully, those of us who are into the scene tend to be a lot better about it and keep up on the important stuff. Nowadays, if it gets good gas mileage and has A/C, it’s worth its weight in gold.
But there was a time when gas prices weren’t such a hot issue, and you could fill up a truck like Jamin Jones’ ‘84 Chevy C10 for a few bucks and enjoy the ride to work or school without staring at the fuel gauge the whole time. And that’s exactly what Jamin did while attending Texas Tech University after being a diesel tech in the Navy. The ol’ C10 took him back and forth from school on a daily basis, and since everyone who drives C10s loves C10s, Jamin took care of it religiously.
Many years later, Jamin still owns the truck, and recently decided that the truck deserved a makeover by way of some lowering and 20-inch wheels. As you can see, he kind of stayed on course, but he also kind of went crazy with the “extras.” It certainly didn’t help that he visited Hill’s Hot Rods in Lubbock, Texas, where squarebody trucks reign supreme. Jason Hill and his talented crew have specialized in squares since the beginning, so there are always tons of ideas floating around the shop at any given moment!
Jamin was quickly convinced that Hill’s was the place to handle the work that he wanted done, but as you can see, some of Jason’s ideas crept into the build as well. Sure, the truck got its 20s, but they’re not just any 20s. Instead, they’re some pretty serious 20×8.5 and 20×10-inch Raceline Newports, to be exact, shod in sticky Nitto NT555 G2 ultra performance tires.
And that lowering job? Well, there’s nothing basic about the KP Components front and rear air ride kits, which use Slam Specialties airbags to drop the truck down at the tap of the AccuAir switches.
So, what about the more unexpected changes? Whether we’re talking about the big Wilwood brakes, the built up 6.2L LS3 engine with Hughes 4L80 transmission, the custom red interior, or the completely shaved body with custom Deep Metallic Graphite/Flat Blood Red paint by Jason Hill, we’re sure Jamin was a little surprised himself once he saw the completed truck!
The C10 made its debut earlier this year at the Goodguys Lonestar Nationals at the Hill’s Hot Rods booth, where it drew tons of attention all weekend long. Oh, and as for the truck’s name (“Tom the C10”)? You can blame Jamin’s wife Natalie for that one. Jamin was out of town for a bit, so she decided to drive the truck while he was away. One day it wouldn’t start, which prompted her to call her father-in-law to help out, mentioning that “Tom” wouldn’t start. The truck has been Tom the C10 ever since!
JAMIN JONES ‘84 CUSTOM DELUXE C10
- Texas Speed 6.2L LS3, built by Sunset Racecraft, Lubbock, TX
- Hughes Performance 4L80E transmission
- Champion aluminum radiator with Champion electric fans
- Vintage Air and Billet Specialties dress-up equipment
- Holley mid-rise intake manifold
- Vintage Air water pump
- Vintage Air alternator
- Borla XR-1 mufflers, exhaust by A&B Muffler, Lubbock, TX
- Twist Machine paddle shifter setup
- Custom driveshaft by Driveline Express, Lubbock, TX
- American Autowire wiring
- KP Components front and rear air ride kits
- Slam Specialties airbags front and rear
- AccuAir air management and VT air valve/tank combo from Switch Suspension
- 13-inch Wilwood brakes, master cylinder and proportioning valve with stock style booster
- 20x8.5 and 20x10 Raceline Newport wheels
- 245/40ZR20 and 295/40ZR20 Nitto NT555 G2 tires
- Custom PPG Deep Metallic Graphite/Flat Blood Red paint by Jason Hill/Hill’s Hot Rods, Lubbock, TX
- Bodywork by Hill’s Hot Rods
- Shaved handles and taillights
- Shaved/tucked bumpers with LED taillights in rear bumper
- Flush-mounted factory front and rear glass
- One-piece side glass
- Painted ‘88-91 Suburban grille from LMC Truck
- Crystal clear ‘88-91 Suburban headlights from LMC Truck
- Shaved fuel door with custom fuel door added
- WAM Rods hood struts
- Interior work by Fisher Trim and JD Glassworks, Lubbock, TX
- Custom fiberglass dashboard covered in red Ultraleather
- Custom fiberglass door panels and center console
- Classic Instruments Autocross gauges
- Vintage Air climate control
- Billet Specialties steering wheel and vents
- Snowden custom seats in red Roadwire leather
- Gunmetal ACC carpet
- Stereo work by JD Glassworks
- Kicker KMC5 head unit, KEY200.4 and KEY500.1 amplifiers, KSS65 6.5-inch front speakers and Kicker L7T84 8-inch subwoofers