The McElroy Family’s ’66 Chevrolet C10 Journey

The McElroy Family’s ’66

How many great personalized license plate ideas have you had that are sadly unavailable once you check with the DMV? We’d bet the number is more than you can probably even remember.  We recently met up with a gentleman named Mike McElroy from Heber Springs, Arkansas, who started shopping around for a unique plate for his beauty of a ’66 C10 while it was still blown apart. He tried his luck with one idea he thought for sure would be available, but it was already taken—by his own cousin, no less. “MCELROY” would have been cool to run on his truck, but Mike’s next plate idea was unclaimed and ended up being much more meaningful for his project. “MINT2B” was truly meant to be. 

Mike has always been into trucks as far back as he can recall. His memory with them goes way back when he was 6 years old riding around in his stepdad’s ’66 C10 longbed “super truck” (that just happened to be mint colored). Luckily, that truck stuck around until Mike was finally able to purchase a ’66 C10 shortbed of his very own that he built with the help of his stepdad and parts from that old “super truck.” Of course, being that young and not truly knowing how cool of a truck he had, Mike ended up selling that “old” truck to buy a newer one.

“I always told myself that I could always buy another one,” he admits. “As I grew older, got married and had kids, and still not having purchased another C10, I began telling myself that I desperately needed to find another old Chevy truck that I could build with my sons and dad.”

Mike did get his hands on a yet another C10 that he had scouted out locally. It was even a ’66 model that had the same factory 283 engine he remembers his dad’s truck having, which was a huge bonus for him. After locking this new truck down and getting it back home, Mike started tinkering with it right away to get it somewhat drivable.

“Long story short, I eventually had to sell this truck, too, since my oldest son Christian Foster was getting ready to go to the United States Marine Corp,” he states. “I knew I couldn’t swing the trip for my family to see him graduate, so a sacrifice had to be made.”

A young man in the Air Force stationed an hour away from Mike came for the truck with a trailer in tow and a handful of cash. Mike asked the buyer if he would give him first dibs to buy the truck back if he ever decided to let it go. He agreed without hesitation, and then loaded the truck on his trailer and drove away.

“On Christmas Day 2014, my dad, Johnny McElroy, told me that he wished I didn’t sell my truck because he was looking forward to building it with me and my sons, but he understood why I had to,” Mike says. “Well, on Jan. 4, 2015, my dad had a heart attack and passed away. Little did I know that my last conversation I ever had with him was about working on that old truck. Roughly three weeks after his funeral, I got an unexpected call from Blaine Meeker, the great guy who bought the truck from me. He had to let the truck go, and of course I was ready to buy it back. He had no idea what I had just gone through, and I can never thank him enough for keeping his word to me.”

Over the following seven years, Mike and his son Colby, along with Mike’s pal Jody, spent every spare minute they had during weeknights, weekends, holidays, and vacation days to build it to where it is now. Mike quickly blew through his initial budget, but after moving some money around, he was able to build the truck of his dreams with two great partners beside him.

“Ninety-nine percent of the work was completed by myself, my son and my best friend,” Mike says proudly. “Between the three of us, we knocked out the engine rebuild, the suspension, bodywork, a fresh coat of mint paint, and most of the interior. I’ve always dreamt of having a magazine-worthy truck, and after the big debut at the C10’s in Mountains show in Arkansas on July 29, 2023, I was logo’ed as a full member of Acrophobia. Thank you to my family, my wife Jennifer, and everyone who helped along the way. All I can hope is my dad is smiling down from Heaven at the man he inspired me to be.”

TRUCK SPECS

OWNER

• Mike McElroy 
• 1966 Chevrolet C10
• Heber Springs, AR
• Club: Acrophobia

ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN

• 1966 Chevrolet 282ci V-8
• Comp Cams camshaft
• Factory GM intake manifold
• Holley Sniper 2GC fuel injection, Hyperspark ignition
• Engine custom painted Chocolate Copper Pearl to match interior
• Billet pulley system
• Wires hidden to give motor a stock carbureted appearance
• 700R4 transmission w/ upgraded crossmember
• Slosh Tubs high hump conversion

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

• 1966 Chevy frame C-notched and pancaked crossmember 1.5 inches
• Air Lift Dominator D2600 front and rear ‘bags
• Accuair eLevel+ system and height sensors
• Monroe shocks
• 1-inch forward Choppin’ Block control arms
• CPP modular spindles
• Custom 4-link fabricated by Jody Brooks and Mike McElroy
• Chassis powdercoated Hammered Copper Vein and flat black
• Factory steering box moved up 1.5 inches
• OEM fuel tank moved behind seat
• Custom driveshaft by Southwest Speed, Fort Smith, AR

WHEELS, TIRES & BRAKES

• 22×9 GM transport wheels
• McGaughys front disc brakes and master cylinder
• Factory drum brakes

BODY & PAINT

• PPG Deltron Mint My Mind and White paint w/ Southern Polyurethane clear by Jody Brooks
• Stock grille and bumpers
• Slosh Tubz front wheelwells, Hart Fab rear tubs
• Raised factory bed floor w/ under bed compartment to match

INTERIOR & STEREO

• Snowden custom seats w/ black vinyl upholstery
• Custom interior Chocolate Copper Pearl paint
• Kick panels by Chris Hodges @ Audio Envy, Searcy, AR
• Door panels by Chad Holiday
• Dakota Digital RTX instruments
• Forever Sharp 14-inch nostalgia steering wheel
• Pioneer stereo
• Vintage Air climate control