Berry C10 Pickup
The C/K Chevrolet pickups were produced from 1960 until 2002. "K" designated the four wheel drive version of the truck but it was the two wheel drive C series that became one of the best selling trucks of all time. Over 336,000 Chevrolet C10 half-ton pickups were produced in 1970. One of those pickups caught the eye of David Berry of Calaveras in 1984 and the truck became the family workhorse.
The 6 cylinder, manual steering and drum brake equipped truck served the family well for 20 years. Once David shared that he was considering selling the pickup, his daughter Amanda who had gotten attached to the truck over the years asked her Dad if she could purchase the C10. The 34 year old truck ran and drove but did not instill confidence. Amanda's goal was to be able to drive the C10 anywhere without worries. Well, as with many restorations, one thing led to another and the family truck was transformed into a functional, show winning beauty - a product of a five year Father/Daughter restoration.
The motor selected to provide steady reliability and plenty of go was a 460 horsepower 2015 LT1 V8 backed by a 6L80E automatic transmission. The truck was completely dissassembled and all body panels, cab and the frame were media blasted. With the assistance of Jeff German in Hathaway Pines all body panels were straightened, primed and painted with a stunning Audi Utopia Blue base coat topped by clear. As Amanda's checkbook allowed, she and her Dad continued with multiple upgrades including a custom TMI interior, Dakota Digital dash, Vintage Air conditioning, a Retrosound Radio sound system, power steering and a fresh wiring harness from Speartech.
A 3.73 positraction rear end was selected to keep the tires glued to the pavement. The gas tank was relocated under the bed. The wood in the bed was replaced and refinished. Both bumpers were re-chromed and new emblems, lights and grill were obtained from LMC. The suspension was lowered 4" in the rear and 2" in the front to maintain a level ride height. New brake and fuel lines were installed with AN fittings. Disc brakes were installed at all four corners. Magnaflow exhaust was selected to complement the final look of the completed truck.
It is obvious that both Amanda and David really enjoyed the project and the process of completing the build. Note it did not come without challenges, as they found out when the transmission did not fit in the stock C2 tunnel and a C4 tunnel had to be sourced and installed, and this was after paint! The finished product is a testament to the skill level of all involved and the truck is truly a well thought out driver/show truck that Amanda can drive with pride anywhere she chooses to travel. Look for this C10 at future Calaveras Cars & Coffee events as well as the winding roads of the Motherlode and beyond.
