This Custom Vintage Chevy C10 Is the Biggest Classic Pickup Truck We’ve Ever Seen
Classic pickup trucks have been rolling around farms, parked under trees, sitting in barns, and living other such humble lives for as long as there have been classic trucks. However, these days, our lumbering old work wagons are enjoying their well-earned day in the sun. The vintage collector car market has finally wised up to the joys of classic pickup trucks. With that, we are seeing more strange vintage trucks than many of us knew existed. The Chevrolet C10 is one of my favorite trucks ever made. However, I had no idea they got so big. This vintage Chevy C10 is one of the biggest classic trucks I’ve ever seen.
This vintage Chevy C10 ain’t gonna be cheap
Get your wallet prepared to stretch if you have any interest in the crew cab Chevy C10. Mecum Monterey (California) is the next in the everpresent vintage car auction cycle. This next leg of auctions is beginning Thursday, August 17, 2023, and closing on Sunday, August 19.
“The Ponderosa” (Lot #F133) is a custom 1966 Chevrolet C10 crew cab dually built by Rtech Fabrications of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. To quote Mr. Bob Dylan, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” I understand that calling this truck “big” isn’t overly helpful or nuanced. But Jiminy Christmas, this custom 1966 Chevy C10 is huge. There is nothing else to say. Well, ok. There is plenty more to say about this vintage Chevy truck, but I feel like we need to give its size the proper space and respect it deserves.
Part of why its size is so stand out is that really big trucks are a newer thing. We have become so accustomed to seeing colossal trucks lumbering about that we sometimes forget that trucks used to be small. Seeing a rare vintage crew cab (with massive tires and an equally huge lift along with plenty of other custom work) is arresting.
“The Ponderosa”
Calling this massive beast a 1966 Chevy C10 crew cab is a bit misleading. The fine folks at Rtech Fabrications have turned a humble old work truck into a heavy-laden beast of burden.
The build is the result of a flatbed truck chassis, multiple Chevy and GMC truck bodies, a 5.9-liter Cummins diesel powertrain, and a 4×4 driveline to match. Oh, and did we mention that it’s also a dually? Well, it is. Now can you see why the size is such a big deal? From every angle, this truck is massive.
The longer you nose around the huge C10, the more you begin to realize that this truck might fetch a heavy price at Mecum. The work is outstanding, as is the creativity of the build.
Chevy C10 with Cummins power
While the C10 wasn’t this big when it rolled off the line in 1966, the all-steel crew cab was never a light little thing. Even in its original form, the C10 was stout but only had a 250 cubic-inch Inline-six engine making 155 hp.
The lads at Rtech saw fit to slam a 5.9-liter Cummins turbodiesel putting out 500 hp – a far more appropriate powertrain for such a truck. If the 500 hp isn’t enough to tickle you, the Cummins also makes 1,300 lb-ft of twist. Stock, this engine would never be able to make torque figures like that. However, Rtech upgraded it with Dynomite Diesel Products Stage 3 injectors, a ported/polished cylinder head, BD Diesel’s upgrade turbocharger, an intercooler, and a three-piece intake manifold. A 4-inch Flowmaster exhaust system punctuates the build with one hell of a rumble.
The insides match the outsides
The build didn’t stop with a pretty paint job and monster truck engine. Inside the Chevy C10 is a breathtaking custom interior made from a mix of OEM and custom bits.
Taking everything to the next level, this truck was built to work. MotorTrend says the classic pickup truck won’t struggle to do real “truck things” thanks to its powerful motor, 4×4 driveline, and a custom cross member up front that holds a Class V receiver hitch.
Standing at 8-ft tall, this custom Chevy C10 is quite a sight to behold. The truck will be featured in the upcoming Mecum auction. There is no doubt that this custom truck will get a lot of attention.
If you want more information or photos on this vintage Chevy truck, check out the Mecum auction listing here.
