THE BLACK TRUCK
Keepin’ It Simple
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that someone who is an automotive designer would have a pretty solid custom ride. What might be surprising, however, is how simple that ride actually is. Jordan’s C-10 takes the whole “keep it simple, stupid” thing to the extreme. No flashy paint job and no intricate wheel design here, just old-fashioned good looks.
We’re of the belief that not going overboard on a build can be even more difficult than going wild, but Jordan seems to have things mastered with the perfect blend of tasteful resto-modding. A slammed chassis courtesy of Thor
Bros and modified CPP suspension components, as well as a scratch-built 2-link with pan-hard bar bring the truck firmly to the ground when the Firestone airbags are deflated. It’s interesting to note that Jordan designed the airbag brackets and cut them on the CNC machine himself. He installed everything else as well. Jordan had Doug Morrison machine down the axle flanges to allow enough room to run the black 22x9-inch GM transit wheels, which tuck perfectly in the fenderwells and give an updated look to a classic, smooth design. The 1956 truck caps are a nice touch too.
The rest of the exterior was freshened up by Jordan’s buddies at Sculley’s Garage, where the sheet metal was given multiple layers of black PPG paint and clear, which were color-sanded and buffed to perfection. Much of the trim was restored and refinished, but the original grille and front bumper had such great patina that Jordan stored them away and bought a stock replacement grille and bumper to install in their place. Fresh wood planks in the raised bed offer utility while covering up the notch and rear suspension, and custom
wheel tubs keep things nice and neat.
Under the hood is pretty standard fare for a classic truck of today, but it makes sense and looks right at home. A 5.3L gen four was built up by Hale’s Speed Shop, and the active fuel management system was deleted in the process. When it was finished, the engine was putting out about 500 hp, which reaches the wheels via the 4L60E tranny. Jordan tells us that he likes the mechanical look of LS engines, so he chose to simply clean things up rather than build any fancy covers. We definitely think he made the right choice, and it keeps the understated look intact.
Thankfully, Jordan followed suit with the interior, with a tastefully reshaped bench seat covered in black leather and vinyl by Andy Firchau at Xtreme Upholstery, and black paint with flat clear on the metal surfaces. The gauge insert is of Jordan’s own design that he had laser cut to fit the Omega Kustom Instruments gauges, which sit proudly atop the chrome Speedway Motors Gm-style steering column. Controlling the air ride is a simple two-switch setup with pressure gauge placed inside the original heater control panel location. Even the stereo system is a simple yet elegant design, with a motorcycle Bluetooth head unit hidden out of sight that’s controlled by Jordan’s cell phone.
Jordan’s ’66 has come a long way from being someone else’s forgotten project to where it is now, but as someone who gets paid to have vision, we’re sure he knew from the start that he’d have one awesome C-10 when he was finished.