STRAIGHTAWAY SQUARE

Not all racecar fans are diehard car fans. There are a lot of guys and gals out there who prefer to watch trucks going fast and tearing it up on the track instead of the standard-issue car. If you’re reading this, you may very well fit neatly into this category—as do we. There’s just something about seeing pickups doing what they really weren’t designed for, like sitting low to the ground or putting up downright impressive numbers at the autocross course. Common misconceptions about trucks might peg them to be largely ‘slow’ and ‘clunky,’ but we know better than that. While it does take some work to get these pickups to function much differently than how their respective manufacturers built them to perform, our specialized sliver of the auto industry has perfected the art of making the impossible possible.

Joe Gregory of London, Kentucky, is a racecar fanatic, but he is also a truck guy. When he had the opportunity to build a true high-performance vehicle, the first thing he envisioned was doing that with a pickup. “I started racing go-karts at the age of 10 and moved onto legends cars from there,” he recalls. “I finally moved onto actual automobiles once I was old enough to drive them. I grew up around cars, but I started to notice there weren’t very many trucks in the autocross world. With that being said, I wanted to jump into a pro-touring build that was with something other than a muscle car.”

The journey of looking for the ideal truck for the project began, and Joe was searching high and low for the right type of pickup for the build. He narrowed down the exact model truck to a Squarebody Chevy—a perfect platform for a performance pickup. Joe wasn’t having too much luck finding one local to him that was both priced right and with minimal rust damage, so he took to the Internet to widen his net to nab the perfect catch. “I ended up finding my ’85 C10 on Facebook Marketplace,” Joe shares. “It was in Arizona but was previously a clean California truck that was used at a water company. It had 35K miles and had absolutely zero rust. The search ended as soon as I worked out the details to bring this one home.”

Since Joe was interested in getting down on as many autocross courses as possible, he knew that addressing the C10’s chassis system was of utmost importance. For the front end, No Limit Engineering suspension components along with Viking springs and double adjustable shocks would do the trick. For the rear, a ProTec IRS system was put into position, along with the same Viking springs and shocks used at the front end, along with a Winters quick-change independent rearend. For braking duties, Brembo carbon ceramic 16-inch rotor packages and a Tilton master cylinder have been paired to provide ample stopping power. While the chassis performed as well as Joe intended, he did have some trouble dialing in the front spindles to operate just right. “I must have gone through 3-4 sets but ended up modifying the last set from No Limit to fit around the C7 carbon brakes. Other than that, the suspension was good to go!” A 18×12 Forgeline AL300 wheel and Yokohama Advan A052 tire combo was then incorporated into the truck’s refreshed chassis system combination to provide unlimited race duties.

Assisting in further race worthiness is a modern GM LS7 7.0L power plant that Lewis Roberts at Roberts Motor Works in London, Kentucky put together special for Joe’s ’85. Plenty of go-fast products such as Wiseco pistons, an RPM Motorsports camshaft, BTR valves, and a Holley Front Runner system have all come together to help increase the HP count. An Atomic AirForce intake topped with a Spectre air filter does its part to introduce more fresh air into the LS7, and custom No Limit headers and a one-off stainless steel exhaust system by Finch Performance help expel the spent oxygen as efficiently as possible. Of course, there are plenty more performance parts and components that have been utilized for their own specific characteristics, and each one is pulling its weight during each run at the track. Backing the LS unit is a Tremec 6-speed by Bowler Performance that allows Joe to cycle through and make the most of the estimated 600hp and 650 lbs-ft of torque made by this C10’s heavily upgraded mill.

When it was time to whip the exterior of the truck into presentable shape, Joe requested the assistance of Earl Bryant of Bryant’s Custom to not only perform all the necessary bodywork the truck needed but to also apply a fresh painted finish to seal the deal on its steel. Aside from the cab floor being lowered to put Joe lower to the ground, nothing too crazy was in the cards for the outer styling of the ’85. The OEM front bumper was utilized, although it was powder-coated black. A custom roll pan was fabricated for the rear, the stock hood was outfitted with custom louvered panels, the factory headlights were swapped out for LED projector housings, and the truck’s original side mirrors were replaced with units from Mike Billet Mirrors. The paint color of choice was PPG Arctic White—a clean and simple hue that lends an air of understated sophistication to the truck’s overall character.

Inside the cab, a set of Sparco QRT-C performance carbon seats have been planted for both driver and passenger to settle in for a rip around the road course. Modified OEM door panels and a custom center console by Mark Marsee help the red leather/suede upholstery of the seats blend in better in their new surroundings. A Fiber Forged carbon dash incorporates the race-inspired theme within the interior, as does the Holley Pro Dash system that displays all the essentials from the Holley EFI system. Since Joe does enjoy his tunes and keeping cool when it’s hot outside, he was sure to include a full audio system complete with Kicker and Alpine components that provide plenty of noise, and a RestoMod climate control system will prove to keep the weather comfortable inside the C10 all year long.

While this ’85 Chevy truck looks damn good at 0 MPH, Joe has enjoyed pushing it to its limits whenever a good chance presents itself. “To date, the most memorable experience with this truck has been winning LS Fest East truck class Grand Champion honors,” he happily reports. “That was a great compliment to receive, and I’m glad the truck got such a positive response there because there isn’t a thing I’d have done differently.”