6.0-liter LS-Swapped ’70 Chevy C-10 | OLD OLIVE

New Tricks for a Timeless Hauler

There’s a small part of the soul of every enthusiast reserved for dreaming about what it would be like to stumble upon a beautifully kept and naturally preserved barn find. We love trucks with a story, something from the past that we can bring into the present and enjoy well into the future.

The story of a classic truck made capable of new tricks is one that definitely resonated with longtime fan of ’bagged rides, Josh Criswell. The San Diegan has an extended history with Lincoln Continentals, having built three specimens featuring suicide doors. Turning his attention to custom street trucks, Josh had a particular affinity for the 1967-72 C-10 model. Dreams of creating a slammed truck with hot rod tendencies dominated his thoughts until he was ready make the jump.

For nearly half a century, Josh’s most recent masterpiece, a ’70 Chevy C-10, lived at a South Carolina farm. Purchased brand new, the Chevy truck served its previous owner well until the end of his days. Josh fell in love with its cleanliness, history, “too perfect” patina, and most of all, its name: Old Olive. Josh kept the name because it perfectly matched the truck’s style and history.

Staying true to its humble roots, Old Olive’s transformation took place entirely in Josh’s two-car garage, where he took his find down to its bare bones. With a stripped frame in front of him, he began planning for the Porterbuilt front and rear air suspension setup. In front, Josh deployed a Version-6 dropped cross member, and in the rear a full back-half frame was installed. The one-off rear kit from Porterbuilt was designed specifically to fit his 15-inch-wide rear wheels. The frame was also equipped with a weld-in step notch and Watts link setup. A Porterbuilt frame stiffener provides points to mount the transmission, trailing arms and carrier bearing mounts. Finally, the entire chassis was powder-coated a brilliant white.

The shock location was repositioned to accommodate the narrowed rear frame rails. KYB shocks work in conjunction with the ’bags and Porterbuilt suspension to keep Old Olive afloat. In front, a Porterbuilt cross member and control arms, relocated KYB shocks and McGaughy’s drop spindles do the job. Each corner of the suspension is outfitted with E-Level sensors from AccuAir and a VU4 valve body. Air is housed in a
5-gallon tank and pushed through 3⁄8-inch copper hardline expertly bent through the undercarriage.

To properly adorn Old Olive’s fantastic super-slammed stance, Josh went with an exaggerated wheel and tire setup. A set of Intro Twisted Vista IIs were installed, 22×9 inches up front and a staggering 24×15 out back. Finished with polished lips and brushed inserts, the wheels are paired with some serious rubber. The fronts use Goodyear F1 255/35R22 tires, while the rears use Pirelli PZero 404/25R24s. Behind the beautiful wheels are Baer brakes with slotted and drilled rotors. The 13- and 14-inch discs from Baer are matched with a Wilwood dual reservoir master cylinder, Wilwood proportioning valve and Performance Online Hydroboost. The system uses Russell high-pressure braided stainless lines and fittings.

The heavy-duty rolling and stopping action required a healthy heartbeat, so Josh brought it to life via a hot-rodded 6.0 LS slotted between the frame rails. The power plant features aluminum LS3 heads, a COMP camshaft, springs, lifters, rockers and push rods. ARP studs were used throughout, and a FAST throttle body and Spectre intake cap the top end nicely. Hooker headers flow to a full custom 3-inch stainless exhaust utilizing an H-pipe configuration finished with dual Magnaflow mufflers. A Melling oil pump, Entropy radiator with dual electric fans and Boyd Welding EFI 19-gallon fuel cell with an Aeromotive in-tank pump keep everything cool, fed and running smoothly. Power is sent through a 4L65E transmission to a two-piece driveshaft connected to a Moser rearend with 4.10s. To fit the massive 15-inch-wide rollers, San Diego Gear and Axle narrowed the rear axle 8 inches per side.

Old Olive’s nearly all-original body rests beautifully on top of the carefully considered suspension, drivetrain and chassis modifications. The classic lines of the ’70 C-10 fall right in step with the stance and setup. The interior trans tunnel was cut to fit a high-hump version, the firewall was smoothed, and the original steel bed floor was raised. Sitting 12 inches above its previous location, the bed floor provides room for the fuel cell, air management and suspension/chassis mods. Rear tubs by HartRod ChubTubz are located in the bed. The meticulously maintained body remains coated in its signature Medium Olive Green and White paint, applied by Chevrolet in 1972 and mellowed to its current unparalleled patina.

The near factory interior received very subtle, excellently positioned modern modifications. Olive green vinyl covers the bench seat, and color-matched loop carpet rests on the floor. Vintage Air provides cool refreshment with OEM fit and finish. Black and white Dakota Digital VHX gauges preserve the factory-style interior while giving Josh the updated modern reliability he was after. Old Olive’s steering has been updated to a power rack-and-pinion with an ididit tilt column mated to a Billet Specialties steering wheel.

Josh’s C-10 is an amazing blend of classic preservation, modern technology and street truck/hot rod styling. Ultimately, his vision could not have been more perfectly realized. The bond between man and machine through the creation of a custom project is what Street Trucks is all about. Old Olive, with her long history, has certainly been taught a few
new tricks.

owner

Josh Criswell
1970 Chevy C-10
San Diego, CA

Engine

• 6.0L Chevy LS
• Aluminum LS3 heads
• COMP Cams 229/236, .624/.615, 112LSA
• ARP studs
• Melling oil pump
• Entropy radiator with dual electric fans
• FAST throttle body
• Spectre intake
• Hooker headers
• Custom 3-inch stainless exhaust with dual Magnaflow mufflers
  4L65E trans
• wo-piece driveshaft and custom Moser narrowed rear
• 19-gallon fuel tank
• Aeromotive in-tank fuel pump

Chassis & Suspension

• McGaughy’s drop spindles
• Porterbuilt Version-6 front subframe
• One-off Porterbuilt rear suspension
• Porterbuilt upper and lower control arms
• Narrowed rear frame rails
• Weld-in step notch
• Chassis powder-coated white
• Watts link
• Tubular trailing arms
• KYB front and rear shocks
• AccuAir E-level management and VU-4
• Airbags front and rear
• Dual VIAIR 440c compressors
• 5-gallon air tank
• 3⁄8 copper hard lines

Wheels & Tires

• 22×9 and 24×15 Intro Twisted Vista IIs
• Front: 245/35R22 Goodyear F1 tires
• Rear 405/25R24 Pirelli PZero tiresbrakes
• Baer Brakes 13-inch rear, 14-inch front, drilled and slotted rotors
• Wilwood master cylinder
• Wilwood proportioning valve
• Performance Online Hydroboost
• Russell high-pressure braided stainless lines and fittings

Body & paint

• Rear Tubs by HartRod ChubTubz
• Factory Medium Olive Green and White
• Natural patina
• Smooth firewall
• High-hump interior trans tunnel
• Original bed floor raised 12 inches
• Hinged floor panel for fuel filler and hardline acces

Interior & Stereo

• Factory seats with olive vinyl
• Olive loop carpet
• Hidden stereo
• Pioneer speakers and kick panels
• Dakota Digital VHX gauges
• Vintage Air AC
• Billet Specialties steering wheel
• ididit tilt steering column

Special Thanks From the Owner: “Thanks to Travis Dulgerian at Pro Performance (Azproperformance.com) for most of the parts for the build and tons of support from their top-of-the-line customer service; Nate Porter at Porterbuilt for all the support; Rob Hartley at Hart Rod for the custom rear tubs; Brandon Cumbie at GetYourShiftTogether Transmissions, and JohnyG at Johny’s Garage for the helpful advice.”