A lot of us probably sit around fantasizing about what we'd build if we won the lottery and our budget was unlimited. Although that reality is far out of reach, we still have our mind's eye focused on what the ultimate truck would be. Jarod Haselhorst didn't get the magic six numbers that changed his life, but as far as his '67 C10 is concerned, it's essentially received about as much customization as someone who'd hit the jackpot twice. From tip to tailgate this Chevy has so much going on it's scary.
Jarod initially bought this truck as his high school transportation. Having grown up around these types of trucks, it seemed like a natural fit. Over the years he tinkered with various changes, but when the time came to make the decision for a stock resto or a radical change, he was at a crossroads until fate intervened. Jarod got wind of a wrecked '02 GMC Sierra at a local tow yard that remained unclaimed. The majority of the damage was cosmetic, so for $1,600 he picked up what would become the new platform for his '67.
"I was going to restore it back to original, but it would end up costing more than I thought. I figured, why not do something radical instead?" Jarod asks rhetorically.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
In order to transplant the body onto the new chassis, 2 1/2 feet of the Sierra frame was taken out. The rear section was boxed and C-notched and new mounts were fabbed. RideTech four-link bags account for the stance in the back, with ShockWaves up front.
The majority of the bodywork was done by Jeff Truan of Auto Artistry. As you've probably noticed, the top has been tweaked a bit. In most chops, as the roofline is brought down, it also has to be stretched by grafting in another piece of metal. Instead of doing it the old-fashioned way and having a piece of metal fabbed in to make the top longer, the entire cab was stretched! And the amount of shaving that's taken place would give Gillette a run for its money. The driprails, door handles, locks, turn signals, and badges have all been shaved.
In the front, the headlights have been replaced with halogen beams, and the 17-inch taillights in the rear are LEDs. Two bumpers were used to create the custom version you see on the front where it wraps around to meet the fenderwell. The cowl was smoothed out and the mirrors were pulled from a mid-'80s SS pickup.
As for the steps, they have been raised to give the truck the appearance of a newer Stepside with all the body lines molded in to keep everything looking like it came that way. The tailgate came from the donor Sierra and the back end has been smoothed out with the rear pillars boxed in. It also sports a custom roll pan. If that wasn't enough, the license plate also raises and lowers with the help of an actuator that's powered when the truck starts and shuts off. James Bond, eat your heart out. The bed wood is all oak and was installed by Jarod. When it came to color, the shade of DuPont silver that Jarod chose makes the truck look like it's doing 100 mph standing still.
The driveline is all from the Sierra with the stock 5.3L Vortec at the helm. Edelbrock headers and Flowmaster mufflers handle the exhaust duties with the tips molded into the sides of the body just below the step. The rolling stock, although they were the wrong size, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Jarod thought when the 22x9.5 Gino rims showed up, they weren't going to work because he'd ordered smaller ones, but they turned out to look better than he thought and are one of the biggest sources of compliments the truck gets.
Troy Burkhart of Xibit Customs pulled out all the stops to make the interior a world unto itself. Jarod didn't want the run-of-the-mill, bolt-on aftermarket stuff he's seen a million times, so he decided to have everything cut out of the inside and start with a clean slate. Everything from the dash, door panels, console, headliner, rear panels, and seat coverings was custom built. The seats are from an '86 Nissan Pulsar of all things. Wrapped in leather and suede they certainly do the truck justice. Gauges are Auto Meter Platinums and the JVC DVD/CD player being pumped into Sony speakers makes you wonder if Jarod would even feel the need for a home theatre when he can have one on the go.
With the amount of awards Jarod's earned at shows, there's no question that his '67 epitomizes the title of this publication. It screams custom. And I'm sure by now, many of us probably feel Jarod has taken that elusive fantasy truck out of our imagination, improved it, and is lucky enough to drive it. That being said, it certainly gives all of us something to shoot for.