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Joe’s 1968 Chevy C10 – A Custom Truck that Packs a Punch

The more you examine Joseph White’s 1968 Chevy C10 pickup, the more you notice the myriad custom touches, large and small, that make this one of the nicest custom C10s on the road today. White teamed up with the crew at Creative Rod and Kustom in Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania, to create an eye-catching example of how to massage what started life as a pedestrian pickup into a masterpiece of workmanship.

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Let’s start with the body. The one-inch top chop, flush-mount glass, and deleted wing vents are just the beginning of the small but stylish modifications. Continuing the less-is-more strategy, side marker lights and emblems are eliminated. Clunky stock door handles are replaced with flush-fit Corvette hardware. The gas filler is relocated away from the corner of the cab.

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The custom-built front and rear bumpers combine function with style. The tucked front bumper incorporates air inlets and a spoiler, while the rear bumper houses exhaust outlets. Both are painted silver. One-of-a-kind custom taillights complete the rear look. A custom-mixed PPG blue paint covers the truck, complemented by a satin gray hood that hosts custom air ducts.

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Under the vented hood, a GM Performance LS3 engine rests on a Roadster Shop SPEC-series chassis. A Magnuson Supercharger pumps up the intake chores – and the power – while exhaust exits through Ultimate headers and Flowmaster mufflers. More custom metal work in the engine compartment continues the smooth design cues and exceptional attention to detail.

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A GM 4L80E automatic transmission handles the shifting responsibilities, while four-wheel Wilwood disc brakes bring everything to a quick halt. Nineteen- and 20-inch Billet Specialties wheels wrapped in Pirelli tires keep the truck anchored to the pavement.

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The interior is equally as stunning, carrying the satin gray color on the hood through to the custom-formed dash containing Dakota Digital gauges and Vintage Air climate controls. A custom console houses the Lokar shifter while custom bucket seats and custom door panels are covered in Hydes leather stitched by Bux Customs Interiors of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. A Billet Specialties steering wheel and Lokar pedals complete the stylish interior treatment.

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Pickups are everywhere these days and the treatments often run to extremes, from monster pavement pounders to wild custom variations and over-the-top restorations. Joseph’s 1968 Chevy C10 cuts its own path, though, creating a category that highlights subtle sophistication with innovative touches.

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Photos by John Jackson

Dave Doucette is a long-time Goodguys member with a career in newspaper, magazine and website journalism. He was one of the founding editors of USA TODAY, editor of two daily newspapers and co-owner of a magazine publishing and trade show company. He owns and operates Real Auto Media. His first car was a 1947 Ford; he has owned Camaros, Firebirds, El Caminos and a 1956 Chevy that was entered in shows from California to Florida before being sold last year. He was one of the original Goodguys Rodders Reps and served as president of two classic Chevy clubs. Doucette grew up in South Florida, avidly following the racing exploits of local hero Ollie Olsen and, of course, Don Garlits. He remembers riding his bicycle to Briggs Cunningham’s West Palm Beach factory to peak through the fence at his Sebring and LeMans racers.