The 411
Owner/hometown:
Gabe Sandoval / Kingwood, Texas
Year/make/model:
'83 Chevy C10
Engine/drivetrain:
'71 327-cid Chevy motor, bored 0.030 over with 12.5:1 compression / vintage steel crankshaft from a '64 Corvette drag car / JE forged pistons with dome tops / Scat H-Beam rods / ported and polished camel-hump heads / Crane Cams 0.500-plus lift solid roller camshaft / Crane Cams roller rocker arms / ARP bolts / 2-inch billet cog pulley system / chromed alternator / Billet Specialties valve covers and wire looms / MSD 6AL ignition / ACCEL HEI distributor / MSD Super Conductor plug wires / ACCEL spark plugs / Painless wiring harness / Optima YellowTop battery / Edelbrock Performer RPM Air-Gap intake manifold / Holley 750-cfm double-pumper carburetor, Blue fuel pump, fuel regulator, and air cleaner / 1/2-inch stainless fuel lines with Earl's 1/2-inch AN fittings / 150-shot NOS nitrous oxide system / AFCO aluminum radiator with dual electric fans / CSR throttle cable brackets / Hedman shorty headers / dual Flowmaster two-chamber mufflers / Chevy three-speed turbo 350 / B&M 3,600-stall torque converter / B&M Shift Improver Kit / Hurst ratchet shifter / Chevy 10-bolt rearend with 3.73:1 gears
By: Simon Sandoval of Performance Automotive in Laredo, Texas
Rims:
Front: 22x8.5-inch Intro Rally, with 4-1/2-inch backspacing
Rear: 22x10-inch Intro Rally, with 6-inch backspacing
Tires:
Front: 265/35R22 Sumitomo HTR Sport H/P
Rear: 285/35R22 Sumitomo HTR Sport H/P
Suspension:
Front: DJM upper control arms / Belltech 2-inch drop spindles / Firestone 224C airbags / Gabriel shocks
Rear: Ekstensive Metalworks two-link with Panhard bar / Firestone 224C airbags / Gabriel shocks
Accessories: JAZ 16-gallon fuel cell / Harwood Pinto rack-and-pinion steering setup / GC 450-series valves / two Viair 380 compressors / 1/2-inch stainless steel hard lines / 7-gallon air tank
Chassis: Original frame cleaned and painted black / front crossmember notched and raised 2 inches / custom motor mounts / custom transmission crossmember / Ekstensive Metalworks step-notch in rear
By: Gabe Sandoval / Bill Carlton of Ekstensive Metalworks in Houston, Texas
Body Mods:
Shaved firewall, corner markers, door handles, key holes, driprails, cab seams, wipers, stake pockets, and factory emblems / Grant Kustoms tailgate and roll pan rear combo kit / '85 Chevy front clip / A-Affordable bedliner
By: Kustom Werx of Conroe, Texas
Custom Paint:
PPG Scarlet Red
By: Kustom Werx
Interior:
Original bench seat upholstered in cloth and vinyl / original dash covered in vinyl with glove compartment and ashtray shaved / reproduction door panels with matching vinyl inserts / reproduction carpet kit / Auto Meter Ultra-Lite gauges / Billet Accessories Direct steering wheel and dash inserts / painted steering column
By: Gabe Sandoval / (upholstery) PC Auto Upholstery in Spring, Texas
Audio/Video:
Kenwood KDC-X879 head unit / 5-1/4-inch coax MB Quart speakers in dash
By: Gabe Sandoval
Special Thanks:
A very special thanks to his wife, Dina, children, Taryn and Kendall, for getting dirty in the garage, Simon Sandoval of Performance Automotive for building such a killer motor, Cory Scott of Kustom Werx for the paint and body, and thanks to Trey, Mike, and Bill for help and efforts.
This is what the truck looked...
This is what the truck looked like when Gabe brought it home. As you can see, there was a lot of work that went in to recreate this Chevy.
Anything that could be saved...
Anything that could be saved on the interior was taken out to get painted or covered in vinyl. The bench was taken out and reupholstered to match the new beige interior.
The firewall was a mess before...
The firewall was a mess before all of it was shaved. This photo also gives you a clear look at how the rusty frame looked.