It’s never been harder to scout out and purchase an old C10 (at a bargain price, that is). Back when it was, however, buying these trucks and storing them for years on end without even having the slightest idea of what do with them wasn’t uncommon. Danny Griffin, of Hermitage, Tennessee, bought this ’64 C10 nearly 15 years ago. He found it listed for sale in north Georgia for $2,500. Crazy, right? Since he already had other projects going on, he didn’t even start thinking about cutting into the ’64 until only very recently. After years of uncertainty, it wasn’t until he received a flash of inspiration that he knew exactly what he wanted to do with this C10.
“When I got the truck, it had patina and the normal cancer they all get from being neglected in the deep South,” Danny says. After bringing it back home, it sat for years while I was building others. Having recently completed a C2 Corvette with a SRIII Motorsports chassis with my friend Mark Turner, I though how cool it would be to build the ’64 with a C5/C6 tubular frame underneath it. That’s basically how I got the idea. Mark and I called up Michael from SRIII to see if he was willing to help us out with fitting an old Chevy truck with a Corvette chassis. Well, we needed two chassis since Mark wanted one for his ’69 C10 too.”
The idea was well received by the SRIII Motorsports crew, and before Danny knew it, his ’64 was the recipient of a killer new 1.75-inch tube chassis. Now all he had to worry about was lining up the rest of the suspension components he’d need to successfully fit his truck onto its new foundation. C5/C6 arms and spindles soon found their way into the parts pile, as did AFCO coil-overs, Baer Pro+ brake packages, a Corvette anti-roll bar, 18×12 Forgeline FF3 Concave wheels, and fresh BFG Rival S rubber.
“Both mine and Mark’s trucks were designed to run the 2010-2015 Camaro rearend center section,” Danny adds. “Soon after, I found a wet sump LS7 for sale in Indiana during the week of PRI 2023. The puzzle was complete. Well, it was after I got the 6-speed Magnum transmission from Summit. The drivetrain was now ready for the new frame.”
It was about this time when Ernesto Gutierrez of E-Built joined the project. “Ernesto was finishing up another C10, and I approached him to see if he could possibly help wrap up my truck in time to debut at the fall 2024 C10 Nationals in Nashville,” Danny states. “He accepted the challenge of first helping to fix all the truck’s rust damage in crucial areas while leaving others alone to get that perfectly worn and weathered look.” Ernesto then continued his work on the C10’s exterior by installing the widened wheel tubs and properly sealing in the engine bay.
Ernesto is a man of many talents, and he kept his word to Danny by continuing to make progress on the C10. For his next trick, Ernesto then created a set of custom stainless headers, a full exhaust system, and an air cleaner for the LS7. He even went a step further to make sure the engine was properly tuned and dialed in after installation too! After it was all said and done, the LS7 put down 550hp to the wheels, which will be more than enough for exciting days at the track.
The build was nearing completion, and all that was left was properly outfitting the C10’s interior with some basic amenities to making driving this truck much more enjoyable. First, a set of bucket racing seats were covered in black and plaid upholstery, fresh carpeting was planted, and the a few electronic accessories were wired in by Ernesto. He installed the Dakota Digital gauges, digital climate controller, Vintage Air A/C, as well as setting up a full sound system complete with an Alpine deck and JL Audio speakers and amps.
This truck shreds, blasts ice cold air condition, AND has a booming stereo setup—what else could you ask for? Well, Danny did ask Ernesto to deliver the entire package by a specific deadline, and he made it happen. “We arrived at C10 Nationals with the truck for its big debut, with only a few things left to do, but nothing major,”, Danny admits. “After cruising the show and a few afternoon trips to dinner with my wife, we refined the build to get it properly dialed in to hopefully do some autocross sessions this upcoming season. We’ll soon see just how well this truck performs. I can’t wait!”