ON THE ROAD AGAIN
One Man’s Lifelong Trek to C10 Bliss
One Man’s Lifelong Trek to C10 Bliss
ALONG COMES a guy with a nice C10— maybe it’s his first classic Chevy truck that he bought because, well, it’s just the thing to do these days. And then a gent like Trevor Wilkinson comes motoring around the corner, a guy who has been into old pickups since the late ’60s when he was 8 or 9 years old (the math gets a little fuzzy at times). Heads turn.
Not taking anything away from the first guy, of course, or calling Trevor the “old guy” on the block, but when you hear just how many great trucks Trevor has owned over the years and learn just how invested he is in the current C10 scene, you’ll know exactly why we’re making a big deal about him.
“My first introduction with trucks started back when I was just a kid,” Trevor recalls. “My dad bought a ’51 Ford F1 pickup for $75. I thought that was the coolest vehicle I had ever ridden in. Dad sold that truck three years later for $75—can you image that? That was it, I was hooked on trucks from there.”
After he was issued his driver license in ’75, Trevor learned to drive stick in dad’s ’72 GMC
C10. The truck was equipped with three on the tree, a 307 ci, an eight-track player and a CB radio—did it get much better back then?
From there, Trevor has put himself behind the wheel of both a ’78 GMC and a ’78 Chevy pickup, and then slowly moved his way up the chain to more modern full-size GM trucks to stay on track with current offerings. Trevor’s attention gravitated toward street rods from the 90s until recently when he felt the itch to get back to his roots.
“Not taking anything away from the first guy, of course, or calling Trevor the “old guy” on the block, but when you hear just how many great trucks Trevor has owned over the years and learn just how invested he is in the current C10 scene you’ll know exactly why we’re making a big deal about him.”
“Before I knew it, I was scouring Craigslist looking at C10s, hoping maybe one would speak to me,” he says.
Well, one did call out to him, but it was practically on the opposite side of the continent. Trevor is a native Canadian living in the province of Ontario, and the ’64 Chevy truck he found himself drawn was located in sunny California. Without any major bodies of water standing in his way, (aside from a couple sizeable lakes that could be sidestepped) a trip out West wasn’t totally out of the question.
“After some initial messaging with the owner of the ’64 to request additional photos of the truck, I worked my way up to a phone call, which then led to a deal being stuck while on the line,” Trevor says. “After talking to the owner about how I could send a deposit to hold it, all the guy told me was, ‘If you want it, it’s yours. See you when you get here.’ It was nice to deal with an honest, old-school car guy who values your word as a solid agreement.”
Luckily, Trevor’s wife didn’t need much convincing to pack some things to make a trip to Los Angeles. They borrowed a friend’s enclosed trailer, and o they went on a 2,500-mile round trip journey that took them only three days to make. Trevor couldn’t wait to get the truck back home, so virtually no time was wasted getting back across the northern border.
The ’64 was in pretty good condition when Trevor found it. The interior had already been completed, the bodywork and paint were already done, and it had new bumpers and trim. While the truck had a lot going for it as-is, there was still a good amount that still had to be done to get it to Trevor’s liking.
“The truck still had its original drivetrain, 230 ci engine, three on the tree, drum brakes all around and single master cylinder—in other words, the truck really wouldn’t go or stop,” he says.
Trevor had much loftier goals for the truck to let it continue limping around on its half-century-old factory-issued parts. Street Machinery of Cleveland,
Ohio, was recruited to handle an engine swap and then some. A brand new Chevy Performance LS3 and 4L70E transmission would allow the truck be pushed to the limits Trevor had in mind. While the ’64 was sitting at the shop, a fresh braking system complete with CPP front disc brakes, rear drum brakes and a Wilwood master cylinder were swapped in to ensure the truck stopped just as well as it accelerated. To better harness this newfound power, the guys at Street Machinery orchestrated a
full suspension overhaul featuring CPP components at both ends. Now, Trevor was cooking with gas.
Trevor didn’t have any intention of throwing all these premium add-ons at the truck in vain. He had a vision of putting the truck through the paces, and that’s exactly what he did on a rather larger scale than most.
“I had my sights on taking the truck back on the road for the
Hot Rod Power Tour, and it was completed and tested just in time to plan the trip,” Trevor says.
He and the Mrs. embarked on another ride out—a mere 700 miles to the opening event in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with scheduled stops in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina to follow.
“When the tour was all said and done, we clocked 3,000 miles in nine days on the road—it was such an incredible experience with a great group of guys,” Trevor says.
And if you think he’s ready to take it easy this year, think again. He has already signed up to hit the road for the 2019 Power Tour, as well as the Goodguys Hall of Fame tour, and plenty more stops that will keep his motor running.
“This is really the first time we have ever trailered one of our builds this much, but we really haven’t spent so much time showing one before,” Trevor adds. “The truck is definitely built to drive.”
Think your truck might have what it takes to keep up with Trevor’s latest C10 project? You’ll have to catch up with him this summer to find out for sure. If there was ever a diehard GM truck enthusiast to appreciate, Trevor is definitely worthy of the admiration. He has proven himself dedicated to the game and isn’t scared to put his neck on the line to enjoy what he is truly passionate about—hunting, building and driving the very trucks he has obsessed over since childhood.