What is it about the lure to be different? Is being the oddball or black sheep so enticing that we'll go out of our way to snag our own piece of the pie? Well...yes! There's some sort of indulgence one gets when living on the edge, and testing the limits of what society deems acceptable turns us on. Whether it's something simple like rooting for the underdog, or something extreme like building a truck that doesn't quite fit the given criteria in your area, there are always buttons to be pushed. Rich Childers is one of those guys who get off on exploring alternate means to an end.
Just like a mullet haircut-you know, business in the front, party in the back-Childers had his automotive regiment walking the line between business and pleasure. In his everyday schedule he piloted this '75 Chevy C10 longbed, but on the weekends Rich was out and about in a '70 Nova built for the street and the strip. Not a bad setup, huh? Although the business in the front and party in the back lifestyle had its perks, it eventually came time to sell the Nova. This led to the truck becoming more for pleasure than business. It started off with a simple lowering job and wheels... we think you know the rest.
In Rich's area longbeds are seen as strictly work trucks, especially when he set out to build the '75 three years ago, but unlike his habitat's, his philosophy on longbed trucks was completely different. He looked at work trucks as the perfect platform for building a unique and different wicked awesome truck. So with a plan of action, a group of friends, and a wrench in hand, Rich moved forward in building his own breed of custom truck.
He started on the '75's body. Instead of opting to shave the truck or do any other obvious modifications, Rich decided to leave the body alone and refine only minor things the eye might not pick up on at first. The first part of his vision was to move the front and rear bumpers closer to the body. Then the stake pockets atop the bed were filled in. Lastly, the gas tank filler door was shaved clean, and the gas tank was relocated inside the bed.
With the mild mods done, Rich had friend Harry Hennis spray the truck with a custom paint job. Acting as a backdrop for the PPG Pearl Orange flames is PPG Blue Pearl. Breaking off the flames from the blue backdrop is a lime green pinstripe. The paint scheme crept up to the inside of the bed when the C-notch cover and gas tank were given the same treatment. The rest of the bed was sprayed with gray bed liner, and a Gaylord bed cover tops everything off.
Underneath the PPG paint job Rich C-notched the frame and installed a 4-link to the GM 12-bolt rearend. Isolating the truck from the ground are Firestone 2600 airbags. Up front Rich installed a set of Air Ride Technologies' tubular control arms with Firestone bags.