Name:  Pete terHorst
Location:  Asheville, NC
Year:  1973
Make:  Chevrolet
Model:  C10 Stepside
Owner Comments:  I have a 1973 C10 Chevrolet Stepside short bed.  I bought the truck in 1999 with 75,000 miles for $1200 while living in Southern California.  It was a farm-to-market truck with the 250-inline six, three-on-the-tree, 3.73 differential and no power anything, not even a radio.  The avocado green paint was nearly worn away but the rust was all on the surface, thanks to the dry climate.  I spent the next year going through it completely.  The engine had near-perfect compression and I liked the six for economy reasons so I cleaned it up, added a flex-fan, Clifford water-heated intake manifold, Holley 390 CFM four-barrel carb, Clifford long-tube headers, an MSD ignition and moved the gearshift to the floor.  I repainted the frame and engine bay with POR15, lowered the rear about two inches and had the truck interior and exterior painted blue, along with the 15x8 Wheel Vintiques rally wheels (they sport 255/60/15 rubber).  The bed has a Mar-K oak bed kit with stainless steel hardware and I added chrome bumpers front and rear.  On the interior, I added carpet, reupholstered the seat, cleaned up the dash and repainted the plastic, added an aluminum faceplate, put on a dash cover, painted the door panels, replaced the armrests and added a Grant steering wheel.  I am sure I will think of more things but that’s all the big stuff.  In 2002 we moved to Asheville, NC where the truck has to weather the humidity and winters, which means it just gets driven mostly in the spring and fall.  It has some rust spots, mainly on the driver’s door.  The marine-duty finish on the bed cracked in the heat and let water underneath, so I stripped it all off and just treat it annually with wood preservative.  It’s not as pretty but it holds up well.  I use the truck on weekends for running errands and it now has 83,000 miles on the clock.  Being a 1973, it is the first year of the new body style (no drip-rail and round tail lights are clues) and I hope it will increase in value.  I’d like to sell it someday but I am no hurry to do so.  Keep up the good site, I really enjoy looking at everyone’s rides!

Home