HYPER HAULER

Speed (AKA driving a vehicle fast—not the controlled substance) is a heck of a drug. Nothing compares with the rush of hitting triple digits on long straightaways or the exhilaration of accelerating though a tight corner. As you may already know, this level of adrenaline is near impossible to shrug off once it settles in one’s system, but if you need further reassurance, just ask Wally Logan of Aliso Viejo, California.

Wally has been a longtime admirer of slamming the pedal to the metal, and building the ideal vehicle to do so in. His ideal ride not only has to have muscle, but it must have the ability to flex that muscle in ways that result in pure speed and even purer handling and control. Wally first scratched the itch to go fast with a 1968 Camaro that Barry’s Speed Shop in Corona, California helped him build. Even though he loves driving that car, he began feeling the need to find a new kind of kick.

That ‘kick’ came in the form of exploring a different vehicle type that Wally never intended. “I got this 1970 C10 about 10 years ago”, he states. “A friend of mine sent me a picture of it while he was at a swap meet. It looked nice, and they wanted $14k for it. Without hesitation, I told him to buy it. It did end up having a little rust but overall was in good shape!”

Even though the C10 came to Wally as a decent little street-style truck, he saw it as merely a foundation for something much more capable of living up to the standards of speed he had grow accustomed to. The standard bolt-on aftermarket fare in the way of coil-overs, big wheels and even an LS swap quickly made their way onto the truck, but something still just wasn’t right. “It was all much improved over stock but when I tried to run it on the autocross, the truck didn’t handle great”, Wally admitted. “Right then and there, I decided to go all out to see how well we could make this old Chevy pickup perform.”

Weight distribution on the truck was key, so Wally and the team at Barry’s Speed Shop quickly created a plan to move things around for the better. The first part of the scheme was to ditch the truck’s original frame that just wasn’t built to do that they wanted the truck to do. Replacing it, is a TCI Pro Touring custom chassis, which has been “instrumental in helping set up the rest of the component redistribution”, according to Wally. Weight needed to be moved to the rear, so some drastic changes like relocating the radiator, fuel tank, dry sump and battery behind the cab but in front of the rear axle proved to be monumental in keeping the Chevy’s balance much more centered.

Another facet of dealing with the truck’s weight issue came with addressing its American steel body. The top and back half of the cab, as well as most of the body panels were swapped with carbon fiber replacement pieces. While this portion of the build wasn’t the most time-friendly, it was central in weighing in right where the truck needed to be at. Each carbon panel was painstakingly molded and fit, as well as body worked and painted in a sporty orange hue that is fitting attire of a full-fledged street machine.

Custom front and rear bumper valances and a tailgate spoiler were also created, as were side front fender vents, rear wheel tubs and a completely reworked bed that makes for a long-lasting first impression.

Right off the bat, the transplanted LS engine was exponentially better than the truck’s factory mill, but it wasn’t in the cards to hang onto it for the long haul. Instead, a 2020 LT5 crate engine was the right powerplant for the job—at least for now. The C10’s current selected engine has been successfully planted and tuned to pump out 600+ hp and torque outputs respectively at the wheels, but Wally may soon be looking towards another option. “I may switch over to a naturally aspirated motor”, he adds. “The supercharged LT5 is super heavy and still keeps a lot more weight up front than I’d prefer.”

Although, we’ll have to wait to see what Wally does underneath the hood, we don’t have to waste another second to see what he had done within the cab. The crew at Barry’s Speed Shop once again stepped up to the plate by creating a carbon fiber dash and other various components. Custom carbon-inspired paneling, which included a fresh headliner was stitched together and installed, as was a new set of Sabelt racing seats to keep Wally and passenger properly planted while sloshing around the autocross track. A custom roll cage was also concocted to keep the truck and its occupants safe during exhibitions of speed and agility at the highest levels.

Wally has been hooked on performance since the build of his Camaro, but his most recent C10 project required the most labor-intensive execution to date. Luckily for him, the payout has been huge. “I can’t thank everyone who was involved in the build process enough”, Wally exclaimed. “I would highly recommend every shop and parts manufacturer that played a part in this C10 build. Although I get a thrill with every driving experience in this truck, nothing beats running the autocross with my daughter. She rides with me and is my partner in this craziness that I can’t seem to get enough of.”