C10 Builders Guide

LA COLORADA | ’85 Chevrolet C-10

By Kevin Whipps

September 04, 2020

A Truck Built on a Memory

WE ALL HAVE BENCHMARK MOMENTS IN OUR LIVES THAT LEAVE AN INDELIBLE MARK ON OUR PERSONAL HISTORY. Usually it’s a momentous occasion—like the birth of a child—that we’ll always remember. For Manuel Zavala of Houston, Texas, one of those moments was the day, 10 years ago, when he started his construction company. Like many beginning small business owners, he didn’t have a ton of cash to sling around, so he picked up a rusty ’85 Chevrolet C-10 for $1,000 to tool from worksite to worksite. It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done and started his business off on solid footing.

Soon the one truck became two, and the next thing he knew, his business was off and running. As the years went by, that ’85 stayed in his life. He just couldn’t seem to part with it. That’s when the idea hit him: turn the truck into a shrine of sorts to honor its place in his business’s history. Make it completely custom, from top to bottom, restoring and tricking it out. It would become a visual representation of his personal and business successes.

BILLET AND LEATHER ARE EVERYWHERE ON THIS TRUCK, INCLUDING THESE CLEAN DOOR PANELS.

And so it was off to Ekstensive Metal Works in Houston to see about getting some work done. Ekstensive has been building notable trucks for decades, so when it came time to pull the trigger, Manuel didn’t hesitate. His plan was to keep things clean and simple: lay the truck flat on the ground, put down a bright single color and add some mild custom accents. It would be completely built from the ground up, but in the end, the untrained eye might think it was a stock body with a ton of suspension work.

So about that “untrained eye” part. When the crew at Ekstensive started tearing into the body, they didn’t shave everything they could just to cross things off the proverbial checklist of mods that every custom truck seems to have. Instead, they kept it clean and simple, just smoothing out everything and keeping the big stuff like the taillights and door handles. But one thing they did is often overlooked. Manuel bought all new bumpers for the truck, and Ekstensive shaved the bolts clean and tightened up their fit and finish. Then, the bumpers, tailgate panel, drip rails, grille insert and door locks were painted a faux brushedaluminum finish similar to a construction material that Manuel has used on the job for years. It’s a subtle touch, but one that ties in nicely with the mammoth US Mags Outlaws and their complementary brushed centers.

Let’s get into the suspension a bit. There are lots of ways to lay out 1973- 87 Chevrolet trucks, and one of them is to Z the front frame. That’s the way Ekstensive went, getting the front end down nicely in the process and tucking a 24×9 with no problems, particularly when tubular control arms were added to the mix. Out back was a different story. The rearend was narrowed for the 24x15s, and the crew fabricated a custom 3-link using airbags to get the suspension moving up and down. The resulting stance of the truck is just perfect for long cruises and laying out on the concrete.

The truck’s power plant is no slouch either. The motor is a 1997 Vortec 350 V-8 pushing 420 ponies to the wheels. It was fully rebuilt and assembled with custom parts, and then carbureted to keep the look and feel authentic to the truck’s original era. It’s mated to a 700R4, which gets the power to those 15-inch-wide rollers with no problems. It’s a solid and reliable combination that works well for the Chevy.

THAT’S A VORTEC 350 UNDER THE HOOD, CLEANED UP ALL NICE AND PRETTY WITH BILLET AND CHROME GOODIES.
THAT’S A 24X15 IN THE BACK OF THIS TRUCK, WHICH TELLS THE COMPETITION THAT THEY NEED TO STEP UP THEIR GAME.
THE TRUCK’S BED IS JUST AS CLEAN AS THE REST, WITH NEW FENDER TUBS AND A NOTCH COVER INTEGRATED INTO THE BED FLOOR.

This truck has seen a lot in its day, from the start of Manuel’s business to its place in Ground Zero’s Houston chapter, and there’s still more on its list. Manuel is currently taking the truck everywhere he can, adding and tweaking as necessary while taking home a ton of trophies in the process. Who knows if it will ever truly be done. One thing we do know is that it’s certainly made its mark on Manuel’s personal history.

TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

Manuel Zavala 1985 Chevrolet C-10 New Caney, TX

ENGINE

SUSPENSION

WHEELS & TIRES

BODY & PAINT

INTERIOR & STEREO

SPECIAL THANKS FROM THE OWNER: “To my friends Alex Lucio, Joseph Lucio and Angel Duran. I also want to thank my wife and kids for being patient during my build.”