SIMPLY FRESH

Some custom truck enthusiasts have different types of full-time jobs that are nowhere near the automotive industry. Going to shows and working on trucks is more of a hobby for these guys and gals—a place to drift away and phase out the mundane experiences of their regular Monday-Friday obligations. On the flip side of that coin, there are folks who spend every single day deep in the trenches of auto culture. While there are plenty of stressors that pop up while working in the automotive industry just like any gig, there is a unique experience that is gained from working and playing behind the curtain that not every enthusiast gets to experience.

Jody Reed, an automotive paint sales veteran from Dawsonville, Georgia, has held a variety of jobs outside the industry, but it’s a place he has carved a career out for himself over the last 30 years. “I took auto body repair way back in tech school, and then started working at an auto paint store in 1994,” he reminisces. “I’ve been there ever since.”

In that time, Jody has been able to help others select the right paint materials for their own custom builds, and he has also been able to take advantage of such easy access to the same goods to move his own personal projects along when he gets the itch. “I’ve always loved Chevy trucks—especially the ’67-’72 body style,” Jody adds. “My favorite of those years is the ’67 because of the small back glass, so I’ve always kind of kept my eyes open for a decent one that I could purchase and build for myself.”

You just never know when the right truck will present itself, and even though working in the industry can increase the chances of finding that proverbial needle in the haystack, nothing really beats a brilliant streak of luck. “I came across this truck at a local car show with a ‘for sale’ sign on it,” Jody says. “I had been searching for a truck to build for two years already at this point, so I just had to have it. When I found it, the C10 was a just plain old ‘paw paw’ truck but it was a true short bed fleet side model with an inline-6 and a three-speed manual column shift transmission.”

For the most part, Jody’s 1967 C10 was in great condition save for it only needing the rocker panels replaced due to minor rust issues. There was evidence that the truck had been painted a couple times in the past, but it was largely well-preserved thankfully due to it being stored indoors for twenty years before it saw the light of day again. When he finally got the truck back home though, Jody didn’t waste any time before he started making progress on his fresh project.

“I started the disassembly process by taking it down to the bare frame and stripping all of the old paint down to the metal,” Jody recounts. “I had the frame sandblasted and painted and was able to really start on the build from there. Once I started the body work, I realized that it was too much work to do in my basement garage, so I reached out to Dennis Buice at Pro-Tech Collision in Cumming, Georgia to lend a hand to replace the rocker panels and do some other fabrication work like raising the bed floor 2.5 inches.”

As soon as Dennis finished the metal work, Jody then got in touch with Jim Bennett at Stout Custom to complete the remaining body massaging and prep the truck for a full custom painted finish. “I’m glad that Jim not only takes his time to get the job done the right way, but he also took the extra steps to document everything he did to my truck on video, which can be seen on his Stout Custom YouTube channel,” Jody says proudly.

“While the shell of the truck was being worked on, I took it upon myself to start reassembling the cleaned and painted chassis and installing all the air ride parts I had accumulated,” Jody says. “The quality and fitment of the CPP spindles and Ridetech components, including the Strong Arms, air bags and shocks I used, made the process relatively easy.” While working on the exposed frame, Jody was also able to make quick work of hooking up and plumbing the Baer braking system, cutting the rear of the frame to apply a C-notch kit and preparing a much newer engine transplant to replace the truck’s old and tired inline-6.

Jody was able to lock down a 2021 GM LS3 power plant, and he thoroughly upgraded it with a ton of performance parts in the way of a Holley mid-mount accessory drive system complete with a fresh alternator and a water and power steering pumps. An AutoRad radiator and fan combo does its part to keep the LS operating at a cool cruising temperature all year long, and dress up parts like an AMD air cleaner, GM script valve covers and custom wires from The Brillman Company make for a very impressive visual statement for those who keep tabs on stuff like that. The ’21 GM 4L75-E transmission with Circle D torque converter allows Jody to make the most of the modern, high-performance engine that he was just dying to get situated and fired up.

As soon as Jody was wrapping up work on the chassis and engine, the C10’s body was also ready to rock too. “Reassembling all the freshly painted parts without scratching anything was the most challenging part of the build for me, but also one of the most rewarding,” he admits. ‘I put the truck back together in my garage, and once the cab was back on the frame, I was then able to start piecing the interior together.”

TMI bucket seats and center console, dash pad and carpeting made a great deal of the in-cab rehab process that much easier. New Dakota Digital gauges, a RetroSound head unit and Vintage Air climate control system make for a great list of amenities to include in the C10’s interior space that will promote enjoyable cruising comfort over the long haul.

Over a four-year span, Jody was able to transform the entirety of the C10 that he found for sale in as-is condition. Working in the automotive industry has helped him build a certain skill set throughout the years that he was able to lean on to get things done with his own hands. He has also built a solid contact list within the industry of genuinely talented and reliable individuals that he was excited to include in his big project. “I’ve received a ton of compliments at the shows the truck has been to so far,” Jody leaves us with. “There is nothing I can think of that I wish was done differently. I am satisfied with how the truck turned out from start to finish and I can’t thank those who were involved enough.”