TEXAS HEAT | 1972 Chevy C10 Built Right

Family Fun  Done Right

 People build their custom rides for a lot of different reasons. For some, being cool is enough. For others, the reasons can get rather complicated. Andy Rubio has built quite a few custom vehicles throughout the years, many of them falling into the previously mentioned “because it’s cool” category. This time around, however, Andy had different motivation. 

After taking his family to countless shows over the years, he wanted everyone to have a hand in the next build, offering their input on how it would turn out. What the Rubio family ended up with is a showstopper that left the crowds slack-jawed when it debuted at this year’s Lone Star Throwdown.

 After taking his family to countless shows over the years, he wanted   everyone to have a hand in the next build, offering their input on   how it would turn out.  What the Rubio family ended up with is a   showstopper that left the crowds slack-jawed when it  debuted at this  year’s Lone Star  Throwdown. 

Now, while everyone reading this obviously already loves C10s, we all have to admit that there’s a certain formula that has become popular over the last few years: stock-bodied C10 + popular air-ride kit + popular wheels = done. Before anyone gets mad, we follow that same formula all the time, but Andy and family decided to go a different route altogether and go as custom as they could with this ’72. That meant no kits, and a ton of body mods!

Andy called upon his buddy Adrian Lopez to handle all the cutting, smoothing, and painting on the truck, and one look will quickly prove that he was the right guy for the job! A molded and raked front end, shaved drip rails, reshaped rear roof section, shaved and molded bed, and modified ’67 Camaro bumpers are just a partial sampling of the body mods, which were eventually covered with custom-mixed silver paint.

The chassis retains portions of the factory frame, but Adrian modified it extensively with a custom notch and 4-linked air-ride setup out back, and a fabbed front air suspension as well (all controlled by Air Lift’s 3H air management and a Flo Airride tank) . He also completely smoothed and boxed the frame before blowing it all back apart for paint. Brakes are 14-inchers from Wilwood front and rear, which are hidden behind 22×8.5 and 24×15 Schott Tomahawk billet wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tires.

The truck was now really beginning to come together, and the decision was made to bless the truck with something a bit more exciting than a common 4.8 or 5.3L swap. Instead, Andy found a 2015 LS3, which he took to Kahlen Koch for some work. A potent Texas Speed cam was installed, and the original manifolds were ditched in favor of an Edelbrock EFI intake manifold and Doug’s headers, leading back to a pair of Borla Attak mufflers exiting through Lokar tips on either side of the bed. Shifting is handled via a 4L80 transmission built to Stage 3 specs by Kyle’s Transmission, which spins a custom aluminum driveshaft fitted with Moog U-joints. With everything finally in place under the hood, the custom sheetmetal panels could be installed and the truck moved over to Sublime Heights for the interior work.

While at Sublime Heights, a fresh Snowden bench seat was fitted with custom-shaped foam padding and upholstered with Relicate leather. Of course, a matching headliner, console, and door panels were a must, each with custom Dotlow Rides stainless steel inserts to match the Dotlow grille and other pieces installed throughout the truck. The custom steel dash was then fitted with Dakota Digital HDX gauges, and a Billet Specialties Fury steering wheel was bolted onto the steering column. The icing on the cake is the JL Audio-based sound system, which probably doesn’t get used as often as it should due to the LS3’s own beautiful sound.

Now completely finished, Andy and family have been taking the C10 to lots of shows in and around Texas, where it picks up trophies left and right, which is just about the perfect family fun night if you ask us! The only thing left now is to decide what the next family project will be!

BUILD SPECS

OWNER

Andy Rubio
Pearland, TX
1972 Chevy C10

Chassis & Suspension

• Smoothed, boxed, and notched frame
• Custom front and rear air ride setups
• Air Lift front airbags
• Slam Specialties rear RE7 airbags
• Ridetech shocks
• Air Lift Performance 3H air management
• Flo Airride air tank
• CPP rack-and-pinion power steering rack
• Custom laser-cut inserts by Dotlow Rides
• Wilwood 14-inch brakes front and rear
• Wilwood master cylinder
• Nickel-plated brake hardlines

Wheels & Tires

• 22×8.5 and 24×15 Schott Tomahawk billet wheels
• Pirelli P-Zero tires

Engine & Drivetrain

• Work performed by Kahlen Koch
• 2015 Chevy LS3 engine
• Eddie Motorsports front runner pulley setup
• Texas Speed cam, .630/.615 lift, .230/.245 duration
• Edelbrock intake manifold and EFI
• Doug’s headers
• Borla Attak mufflers
• Lokar billet exhaust tips
• Stage 3 4L80 transmission built by Kyle’s Transmission
• Circle D 3,200-RPM stall torque converter
• Derale transmission cooler with auxiliary fans
• Custom aluminum driveshaft with Moog U-joints

Body & Paint

• Work performed by Adrian Lopez
• Molded and raked front end
• Shaved drip rails
• Rear roof section rolled
• Modified ‘67 Camaro bumpers
• Molded and shaved bed
• Exhaust cutouts in bed
• Precision Rodware LED taillights
• Flush mounted parking lights and third brake light
• Dapper Lighting LED headlights
• Tilt wood bed floor with Tricky Air shocks
• Smoothed firewall and engine bay
• Custom sheetmetal panels in engine bay
• Custom mixed PPG silver paint
• Custom laser cut grille by Dotlow Rides

Interior & Stereo

• Upholstery work performed by Sublime Heights
• Snowden bench seat upholstered with Relicate wine leather
• Custom door panels and headliner
• Custom center console
• Digital Guard Dawg push start ignition
• Lokar shifter
• Custom metal dashboard
• Dakota Digital HTX gauges
• Billet Specialties Fury steering wheel
• JL Audio sound system