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Handyman Shortbed: 1965 GMC C10

chimney1

This much we know: it’s currently the rage to take a former work truck with old faded shop lettering still visible and slam it on its belly, all in the name of “patina”. Sometimes, though, the end result is so flippin’ cool that I could care less if it’s a passing fad. This 1965 Chevy C10 here on eBay retains all of its various storage boxes and racks like it could report back to chimney sweeping duty at any moment. 

chimney3

The venerable 250ci inline six will never be a drag strip contender, but it will lope along easily – which is the point of driving a truck like this, to go low and slow without any need to roast tires. The seller notes that the former column shift has been converted to floor mount, making it a bit easier for younger drivers who haven’t had the pleasure of shifting on the tree.

chimney2

As with any project like this, the name of the game is getting low. No word on the modifications the seller made to get the truck this close to the pavement, but I can’t lie: I love the way a lowered vehicle looks. Obviously not to the point of destroying its functional capabilities or ripping off oil pans at every speed bump, but closing that wheel well gap is never a bad thing.

chimney4

The interior still looks largely presentable, if not surprisingly clean for a truck that served contractors and other service providers that likely had to get a bit grungy once in awhile. I wonder if the lettering on the truck doors is authentic – was it actually used by a chimney sweep company? Black Beauty Chimney Services is a real business in California, which could make this the real deal and even cooler than I thought. Is this a trend you want to be a part of?

Comments

  1. Avatar ydnar

    Very nice, thank you.

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  2. Avatar KO

    It’s a big deal in the VW bus world. There’s something oddly alluring about a slammed commercial vehicle.

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  3. Avatar Bobsmyuncle

    I love it too! Hard! But judging by the drop and the photos, the seller knows what they have and the reserve is likely to be pretty high. I’ll be watching this one.

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  4. Avatar JW

    I guess I’m the oddball here. I’m a modifier of these classic cars and trucks and I don’t mind lowering them a inch or two but the slammed look just turns me off. JMHO for what it’s worth and no intent to offend anyone.

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  5. Avatar Rex Kahrs Member

    First thing I’d do is raise it back up…the whole slammed/bagged thing is totally lost on me.

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    • Avatar Kevin

      Agreed. Cool if fixed back to OEM.

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  6. Avatar John

    Dumb.

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    • Avatar Bobsmyuncle

      Fantastic contribution. Would you like to expound on that at all?

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  7. Avatar Jim

    Maybe it’s me but I’ve ridden in a few “slammed” cars and trucks. It turns a perfectly good vehicle into a piece of crap. Load capacity is zero, handles and rides like garbage. I like driving my cars, not at 4mph either, highway speed and they handle nice. Like i said, maybe it’s me. I dont get the rust look either, too lazy to paint maybe?

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    • Avatar Bobsmyuncle

      That’s a terribly inaccurate generalization. Plenty of lowered cars handle just fine, in fact many have improved handling. Extremely slammed cars can be inconvenient around town, though.

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  8. Avatar Metalted

    I have lowered many cars and trucks, If done correctly. It is awesome. If done wrong it sucks!!! This looks good. When on bags and done wrong its terrible.
    Please check out gas money , ford Gt. Lowered. It’s beautiful!!!!!!
    How Aron did it. And you’ll understand.
    Btw love it!!! “down and dirty”

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    • Avatar Jim

      Like I said in another response, lowered is one thing, dropped so far there’s no suspension travel remaining is something else. I’ve ridden in a friends 55 Mercury on airbags and it was a dream, and I’ve had spine reconstruction. I’d consider it for my next street car or cruiser, I worked on trucks in the 70-80’s and air bag suspension trucks were a pleasure to drive compared to almost every other suspension system.

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    • Avatar Jim

      Agreed, that GT was better than new when done, I don’t have their checkbook to work with but watching car shows gives a lot of ideas and possibilities. I was a Ford Lincoln Mercury service mgr for too long but help 2 of my techs convert 84-87 Tbirds to Cobra mustang independent rear suspension/axle swap. Not too difficult, the platforms are similar. I’m ‘re-building a 69 Torino GT, I was restoring but I’m going to do some mechanical and body mods that will piss off the purists but I can live with it. I recently found out the 428 block in the car is a factory replacement for a 68 police car and I’ve swapped to an automatic transmission and hand controls cause of spine damage, it’s not numbers match so I might as well keep going. Independent rear is one mod, I wouldn’t mind looking into air bag conversion for it and air strut for the fronts. If you could point me in the right direction for parts info I’d appreciate it.

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  9. Avatar Metalted

    Jim, rusty is made by years of mother nature , not just money, and a paint booth.
    If rust is in the right place, I like it.
    Love a shiny car also, but I can appreciate building a great functioning car, or truck that looks like it just came out of salvage yard.
    Just my thing. 👍

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    • Avatar Jim

      If rust us your thing, go for it, it’s just not my choice. I’m amazed at how its caught on and even a selection of rust preservation clear coats available. Who knew? Me, I’ll stick with paint, the next time I’m on hour 100 block sanding I may think differently, my arthritis isn’t happy with those repetitive motions any more!

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  10. Avatar Mark E

    I think before I even messed with the suspension I’d try to change it back to the three-on-the-tree shift!

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  11. Avatar Jim

    Lowered for enhanced handling I understand, I road raced an 89 Tbird that was lowered and was a pleasure to push around a track, I also still had suspension travel and tired clearance, it was purpose built but still registered and driven to work a few days a week. What I was refering to was a street car dropped almost so the frame rails dragged on the floor which I’ve seen people drool over but you couldn’t run over a nickel without tearing out the oil pan.

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  12. Avatar MountainMan

    As mentioned there is a right way and a wrong way to lower a vehicle. Im a fan of this truck. When lowering is done correctly it does not ride any differently than stock unless its a better ride. Of course we have all seen it done the wrong way and thats not any fun to drive or ride in when its just butchered. This hobby is such that not every build will appeal to everybody. We dont want to see a stock 2012 Camry featured here which leads to lots of variety so its ok that not every vehicle will appeal to every reader. It seems that some only comment on things just to bash but whatever….free speach is still our right
    Personally I like a lot of the vehicles that seem to piss people off because “its too low’ or “its too loud” but thats just my humble opinion

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  13. Avatar MountainMan

    wheres the “edit” button? i dont like not being able to fix spelling errors!
    these kids today with their low trucks and their clothes and their hair…now get off my lawn

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  14. Avatar Norm Wrensch

    Is this a Chevy or a GMC? 65 GMC would of had the V6 not a 250 inline, but it has the GMC hood grill and dash. What is it? I had a 66 GMC that came with the 305 V6.

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    • Avatar Jim

      I have to dig out my old service books but if I remember right the v6 was being phased out of light duty trucks by 65 and wasn’t available in the 1/2 ton truck only 3/4 and up. The 292ci straight 6 was the largest 6cyl by 67 or 68 in the 1/2, 3/4 or 1 ton chassis, the v6’s continued into the late 70’s but in medium + heavy duty only. They even had 2 different v12’s and I’d love to get one of those for a weekend cruiser, just to have something different.

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  15. Avatar Garv

    Hello thanx for this article, very cool. This is my truck. It was actually used as a chimney sweep truck. To make the story even cooler, I have 2 identical. 1 is a Chevrolet though. I will be raising this back up to stock height. I need to put rear barden bumper back on also. I fabbed a vice on one side and coca cola bottle opener on the other. btw The Chevrolet has the name “John” written on the driver door. that was the owners name.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Jesse Staff

      Awesome Garv. I love it!

      Like 0

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