RETIREMENT PLAN

After years of working hard and staying true to the grind, retirement should be a time when one can slow down and indulge in the finer things in life. Jeth Gonzales of Antelope, California has recently found himself a full-fledged member of the retired community, and his chosen method of celebrating newfound freedom was to build a truck he could enjoy driving to shows. “After 31 years working in management at Costco, I finally had ample time to spend on the ’63 C10 I purchased a few months before my last day”, he states. While Jeth had already had a dozen years of experience with classic vehicles, he hadn’t worked on a vintage Chevy pickup yet, so he was excited for the new experience. 

Jeth purchased his ’63 C10 sight unseen from an out-of-state seller who arranged to have it shipped to his house. Now, this can be dicey situation, but luckily the truck arrived in overall decent condition. “The truck had good bones, but it was previously someone’s ongoing project, so I was ready for the unexpected”, he adds. “The exterior was nicely painted, but the long bed was in complete disarray. The rest of the truck was only held together by the bare minimum of bolts—I’m very surprised the truck didn’t dismantle itself during transit.” 

After spending some much-needed regroup time with his truck, Jeth was able to handle a chunk of the mechanical work that it so desperately needed. Bolts were added where they needed to be and then tightened to spec for good measure. From there, he figured it was a good idea to reach out to Todd Van Boekel and his son Jake at Todd’s Odd Rodds in Herald, California to take care of the rest of the build since it was their fault Jeth found himself so wrapped up in C10s in the first place. “Todd had a ’64 C10 nicknamed Shop Truck that I really liked”, he explains. “I rode around in it with him while at Hot August Nights in Reno, Nevada back in 2020, and since then I became addicted to these things.” 

The first rendition of the project included the short bed conversion, a basic air ride suspension, and the wiring being finished, which ultimately led to the 350 SBC getting whipped back into shape. New brakes and fuel lines were also added, as was a Boyd’s fuel tank, a fresh 15-inch wheel and tire combo, and other items that renewed Jeth’s hope in the truck, but it wasn’t enough to last for the long haul. “I took the truck to a couple shows in this condition since it was road worthy, but I wanted more from it”, he admits. “I approached Todd and Jake with my ideas with the only stipulation of having everything being completed by the next Hot August Nights show, which was only 4 months away. I knew it was a big ask, and so did they, but they agreed to do everything in their power to get it done in time.” 

To dial in the truck just right this time, Todd and Jake blew Jeth’s truck down to the cab and frame. They yanked the SBC out and threw in an LS3 that Jake had lying around the shop. Jeth then ordered a Texas Speed & Performance cam and added a Holley mid-mount front drive kit that Jake also had taking up shelf space. The engine work came together faster than they expected since two major components Jeth wanted were already sitting in their workspace.

“Todd and Jake then quickly went to work on pancaking the crossmember, taking 2.5 inches out to get the truck nice and low”, Jeth says excitedly. “The air ride components were then relocated where needed. I also wanted 22-inch wheels like the one on their truck, and I got a great deal on some transports. I had them powdercoated and used a simple C10 clip kit to fix the stock ’66 hubcaps.” While Jeth got the look he was after, the use of larger wheels and tires required more fab work to get them to fit properly. To alleviate the lack of available space, the guys ditched the stock cut inner fenders and ordered tubs and front filler panels from Josh Hart at Hart Fab. This portion of the build presented Todd and Jake the perfect opportunity to then reconfigure the engine bay before the LS3 was securely planted into its final position. 

To give the bed floor more clearance, custom risers were fabricated to bump it to the right height, and to change up its appearance, the guys selected wide, ebonized redwood planks since the color would end up looking closer to how the bed floors came from the factory. While this process doesn’t sound like it would pose too much of an issue, Jeth admits that trimming the wood to just the measurements proved to be a challenge. 

The interior space was next to be upgraded with fresh leather upholstery work from Paco’s Fabric and Upholstery in Roseville, California, and a booming system of audio components installed by Stereo Solutions. Jeth was looking to add custom touches here and there, but overall cleanliness and tasteful customization was really what he was after. 

“Todd reached out to me a week and half before the upcoming Hot August Nights event and reported that they had finished with my truck”, Jeth exclaims. “I was so F’n thrilled! They were able to work with the tight deadline I gave them, and I now had a brand-new truck to unveil at the show.” There were no issues to report while in Reno, and soon after, the truck was taken to C10 Intervention in Woodland, California where it placed top 50. “It even won more awards that next year at Kool April Nights in Redding and at C10 SLO Down in San Luis Obispo”, Jeth adds. “People familiar with my ‘63 just couldn’t believe it was the same truck. I am so pleased and happy with the quality of the work and recognition it receives. I am grateful to my friends Todd and Jake for their hard work because now I can show my truck off any chance I get.”