Shaun with AutotopiaLA joined up with Adrien to discuss his impressive 1964 Long Bed C10 Chevy truck. Adrien’s vision for the truck began after seeing all of the builds coming out of a local body shop. One of the vehicles that caught his eye was a pickup truck. Shortly after that eye-opening moment, Adrien started this custom C10 build.
When he first got the old Chevy it had a 327 cubic inch V8, which was a fun engine to cruise around with but for such an extreme vision, but a 6.0-liter LS3 seemed to be more appropriate. Starting with a refreshed stock bottom end, Adrien added a 265 camshaft, EZ Performance headers, a FAST intake manifold, and tuned the new setup for the street. The result was a powertrain that begs to be beat on.
As for chassis and suspension, Adrien chose to keep the stock frame and A-Arms and add an air bag system with new shocks on the front and the rear. Hiding the Baer Brakes that sit at all four corners is a unique set of 20-inch US Mag Heavy Artillery wheels. The natural patina looking textured finish fits the trucks blue, white, gray primer, and patina custom paint job perfectly. Although, the custom made wheels did set the project back, as it took around four months for them to be delivered.
Despite being weary of cutting a hole in the side of the truck, Adrien chose a custom side exit exhaust because it offered the sound and performance that fits the truck well. Thanks in part to some nice looking bezels it came out super clean and is not too obnoxious. Since the build is still in the project phase, the bed is still floorless from when the air bag system was installed. Plans for a four link rear suspension setup is in the works but the truck bed will eventually be covered back up.
The project’s “blueprints” did feature a major built plot twist though, as the interior is incredibly clean and done almost to new car standards. It features a custom champagne paint job, a Dakota Digital dash, and a beautiful set of black TMI sport bucket seats with a matching flip-up center console. A retro stereo completes the classic look but gives the truck modern features such as bluetooth capabilities.
If you saw this 1964 C10 in a parking lot, chances are you would probably overlook it. However, if you aren’t the type to judge a book by its cover you would get to see how Adriens ‘less is more approach’ has paid off for him in a major way. Even though it’s not finished, it’s hard not to fall in love with a well done LS3 powered C10 with an airbag suspension and a clean interior.
Elizabeth is hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
