This is John Lothringer’s 67 Chevy C10 truck. It’s overflowing with style, substance, and character. No doubt – a truck like this is a rolling piece of Americana. And it sparks emotions, nostalgia, culture, and heritage that are much bigger/deeper than 4 wheels & faded paint.
Everyone wants a truck like this…
But the thought of actually building a truck like this can be overwhelming. There’s an understandable wall of intimidation. But don’t necessarily let that deter you, because there really are no mistakes. Building a truck like this is an open-ended journey… it’s not a plotted course. And like Bob Ross said, “We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.” Sometimes what starts as a screw-up… ends up becoming a breakthrough.
Every corner of this 67 Chevy C10 has a story to tell…
And every cut, weld, patch, & do-over is accumulated wisdom. So real talk – screw it – let those walls of intimidation come down… and let those mistakes happen. Don’t shut the door on yourself. The entire point of this hobby is fun, creativity, and experimentation. That’s where the prize is. John will be the first to tell you, he’s not a professional at this. But he’s crafty, courageous, and has the kind of confidence that comes with a few beers lol. So stop looking at the stack of dominos as one piece… and just flick one. Alright that’s my pump-up speech for today.
1967 Chevrolet C10 in 503 Green…
503 Green drew John Lothringer in. The color is definitive of the era. And from a cinematic/photogenic perspective, it brings out the best in all sceneries. And it patinas so well… somehow getting sweeter with age. To John, 503 Green was as vital as the vehicle it was on. And he found it on this 67 Chevy pickup. The patina is all organic/real, and the original 503 Green was covered in Poppy’s Patina wipe-on clear coat (check ’em out if you haven’t seen it). This is a long wheelbase C10 that John cut-frame & shortened to a short wheelbase… and then trimmed (bobbed) the bed an additional foot. It’s easy for the casual eye to overlook, but the custom proportions set this truck off.
When John Lothringer scooped-up this 67 Chevy C10 pickup…
It was someone’s abandoned project. Parts of it were pretty haggard. So he took the truck down to the frame rails and started completely over – as a blank canvas. To get the Chevy pickup all the way low, John did a huge frame notch in the back, and a Z-notch in the front. He also cut the front frame rails and raised them up 1.5”, and sectioned the crossmember by 1.5” as well.
Everything is custom…
This 67 Chevy was essentially reconstructed around the low ride height & wild wheel fitment. That’s the nucleus of the build. So John started there… and then overcame every subsequent obstacle with a cut-off wheel and/or a welder. The wheels are Work CR2Ps off a widebody E90 BMW M3 time-attack car. They’re 5×120: 18×11 -4 in front, and 18×11.5 -30 in the rear… with 315 tires all around. You’d naturally think wheels that size would cost a fortune. And they should, but John found them for a steal on Marketplace. See – the market/application for a wheel like that is so small, that there just wasn’t a buyer for them. Except for John – who was putting a truck on a set of wheels… rather than a set of wheels on a truck.
Most everything on this Chevy C10 is a Marketplace find…
The engine is a simple small-block out of a 78 Chevy something or other, but with a T56 manual transmission. It doesn’t make record-breaking horsepower, but it doesn’t need to. John’s built thousand-horsepower cars. And he’s learned that thousand-horsepower cars come with thousand-horsepower problems. Plus, with those kinda builds, John felt like they always ended up lacking a certain kind of style. He never really made them his own. This truck was built for cruising to town & back… though he’s ventured further & crossed multiple state lines with it.
Moral of the story??
Don’t take it all so seriously, don’t make mountains out of mole hills, and don’t let obstacles beat you. Instead – be sneaky & beat the obstacles. Fact is: You don’t need a bunch of money to build something like this. And you don’t need all the state-of-the-art tools like you see on TV. Instead of cashflow, try creativity & hard-headed determination. It has more value. John has a pretty basic welder, a 2-car garage, a 6-pack, & maybe a space heater. From there, it’s kind of just life-size Lego building. Trial & error. And here’s the thing to remember: You’re not destroying a car, you’re saving one that was already destroyed. Its fate was already written, until you came along & rewrote it.
Photos by Breyden Campbell (Lucid Aperture)
1967 Chevrolet C10 – OEM 503 Green – Factory V8 Truck – 2WD
Performance:
350 V8 small block Chevy / LT1 T56 6-speed manual transmission / FiTech fuel injection / Hooker headers / Custom tucked 3″ dual exhaust / Edelbrock intake, valve covers, & air cleaner / RAM conversion flywheel & stage-1 clutch / Fidanza short-shifter / Thirdgen F-body rear end / DEI heat protection / Painless Wiring 21 circuit kit
Brakes:
AP Racing pedals / C6z 6-piston Brembo front brakes & 4-piston Brembo rears / Kore3 billet hubs
Steering:
Borgerson quick-ratio power steering box, Volvo electro-hydraulic power steering pump / PTFE coated rod ends to replace outer tie rods / Steering mounts moved 3″ forward
Fuel:
18-gallon aluminum fuel cell / Full -8 AN feed line & return line / FiTech 255lph in-line pump
Interior:
Roll Cage with gussets / Speedhut custom gauge package / Sparco Chrono seats & 6pt belts / Sparco steering wheel & quick release
Exterior:
LWB (long wheel base) to SSWB (super short wheelbase) / Bed is roughly 1.5′ shorter than SWB / Front suspension moved 3″ forward / Speed holes in hood / Organic patina w/ Poppy’s Patina clear coat / “Peeker” drivers mirror / Holley Retrobright yellow headlights / LED rear clears / LED Signals with OEM lenses / Front & rear roll pans / Chassis-mounted tow point / 6-lug to 5x120mm conversion
Wheels & Tires:
Front: Work CR2P 5x120mm 18×11 ET: -4 / Rear: Work CR2P 5x120mm 18×11.5 ET: -30 / Wheels were powder coated OEM Porsche Silver / Kenda Vezda UHP MAX Summer KR20A 315/30R18
Suspension:
Engine crossmember sectioned 1.5″ / front frame “Z-ed” 1.5″ up / 10″ rear step notch / 3″ drop blocks on OEM trailing arms / Bag-on-Axle setup / Alex V Metalworks watts link / Airlift 3P Management w/ dual compressors / Airslammit 2600 front bags & 2500 rear bags / Ohlins LMJ Series shocks with external reservoirs / CPP tubular upper arms, lower arms, and 2.5″ drop spindles
Group Affiliations:
Vaded Mob
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