I love writing about old cars and trucks, especially when there’s an interesting story about the owner and/or the vehicle itself attached. It’s the life stories that truly make it all the more worthwhile sitting behind the computer punching keys rather than throttle pedals. But occasionally, getting those stories out of people is like pulling teeth—and even when the old chunk of enamel’s been successfully pulled, so to speak, the information provided is less than helpful. Or, it’s the exact opposite and I get a novel’s worth of info, which I can deal with. This time, well, let’s just say I got more than I bargained for … and not from the owner, Vincent Troncoso.
About a year ago, Jimmy Ruiz had just finished up this cleaner-than-most daily hauler for his customer, Vincent Troncoso. After arranging to have it shot in the studio for a feature, Ruiz supplied the requisite tech sheet … which I inadvertently threw away at some point. When asked to fill out another, he un-begrudgingly obliged—but instead, Ruiz sat down one evening and wrote a feature! While I’d normally transpose something as such into my own verbiage, the story wasn’t half bad, so minus a few grammatical edits, here you go!
“Vincent grew up around his uncle who was a collector and early American automotive enthusiast. He spent a lot of time with his uncle going to car shows and events, all the while soaking in the different and unique styles of yesteryear—both stock and custom. But one vehicle in particular always stuck in his mind, a first-generation C10 shortbed pickup truck.
“Fast-forward a couple decades and Vincent was now at a place and time in his life where he wanted to get an early American truck, a 1966 Chevrolet shortbed big-window to be exact. He initially just wanted a truck to be used as intended—able to haul house project supplies and such in the back—but still wanted that vintage feel and smell that us early iron junkies chase! So after months of searching the Internet, he finally found his project to be: a small-window cab, and not the big-window shorty he wanted, but it was close enough to satisfy his hunger at the time.
“Vincent took his uncle in-law ‘Tio Steve’ along with him to co-ride in the truck’s journey back to its new house. Well, as it would end up turning out, the ride home was a little more exciting than they expected. Once they made the deal, signed the pink slip, and took off down the road, things got flavorful! The two jumped on the freeway and headed back home to Riverside, shortly thereafter realizing that when the truck needed to stop, it didn’t! So began the panic of pumping the brakes while nervously driving down the road. At this point, the exhaust is getting louder, as pipes are cracked and broken, lights aren’t working, and the ‘dream’ 1966 shorty is now starting to look like it might have been a real bad and potentially dangerous acquisition.
“Nevertheless, Vincent tried to attack the items that he could fix, then took the truck to a local muffler shop—you know the old type with the car rack outside right on the corner, with a couple of Tin Man looking statues out front made of old mufflers, exhaust pipes, and catalytic converters, with the old guy still welding exhaust with a gas torch? So the 1966 shorty gets some new twin pipes and mufflers, and they got it to stop without having to panic pump! Most might be satisfied with that alone, but not Vincent. He is now stepping back and looking at his dream truck saying, “What if I did this or that … what if it was lowered … what if it had new rims … what color would look cool?” Without realizing, he’s now crossing over and getting ready to join the club of the Unchosen Many, and all old-iron junkies know exactly what this is! It’s an incurable disease that we car guys get, to where there is a point of no return once you lay your sights on an idea of ‘what it could be.’ So, this where my shop, Sledsville Hot Rod & Kustom Co., comes into this story.
“I recall a text message I received one day from an unknown phone number, the sender saying he’d been recommended by his brother in-law, who grew up and went to school with my son, Jesse. Putting two and two together, when it came time for Vincent to pursue getting the custom makeover started, his brother-in-law said, ‘I know just the guy for the job!’ I reached out and contacted Vincent to see just what he was after. The conversation initially started out with the usual type suspension and brake upgrades, but before we hung up, Sledsville would be building him a full frame-off, high-performance, custom 1966 shorty!
“Once we had the truck torn completely apart, all the sheetmetal was sent out to R&R Coatings for media blasting to see just what was underneath the suspect paint on the old Chevy. To no surprise, when all the dust settled, the truck was covered in an inch of old bondo, mostly hiding the huge dents in the bed that, sadly, were beyond repairing. The rest of the cab, doors, and fenders were in desperate need of some metal magic, and so my Sledsville team began to resurrect the old, decrepit steel.
“At the time, 1964-1966 shortbed replacement sides were not being reproduced yet, and it was near impossible to find a good, straight, rust-free shortbed for sale for a reasonable price, if at all. So, I contacted a friend who just might have what I needed—but a set of perfectly straight and rust-free ‘long’ bed sides were not exactly it. Since we’re a fabrication shop, however, we made them work. As the amount of hours in metalwork stacked up, Vincent asked if we could make the small-window cab into a big-window cab—so yet another not-so minor job was added to the build list. While the huge undertaking of doing bodywork on a long, flat-paneled vehicle was being executed by Sledsville’s very own understudy and bodywork-oligist, J-Mo Reveles, the rest of the boys went to town on the chassis, suspension, and powerplant.
“After blowing the entire rolling chassis apart and fixing some cancer and cracks in the frame that are inherit with these years of trucks, the rear section got a C-notch for better axle clearance at a lowered stance. The frame was then sent out to R&R for some gloss black powdercoat. Meanwhile, the Shortys 12-bolt GM rearend was sent to DiffWorks to have new billet axles and posi gearset installed. Once those were done, the suspensions were set up with CPP’s tubular arms front and rear—and with the ultra-low stance Vincent desired, the only way to achieve that was by adding airbags on all four corners. He also wanted something traditional looking when it came to the wheels and tires, yet in a larger and more performance-type package. Ultimately, the truck ended up getting a set of custom-offset 20-inch American Racing aluminum Rallyes wrapped with Pirelli rubber. Now with the new wheels and tires, this new girl needed some braking components to help stop this truck on a dime—before, it couldn’t stop on a dollar. Now, behind the new rollers is a full set of Baer brakes with a matched ReMaster-machined aluminum master cylinder.
“When the time came to choose the heartbeat of the matter—well, Vincent likes high performance, likes power, and wanted the truck to make a statement not only when being driven but more so when the hood’s open. So the choice clearly seemed to a be simple one, and that’s why the truck got a 383 stroker with aluminum heads, Lunati crank and rods, 9:1 compression pistons, all matched to handle a Weiand 144 supercharger topped with a performance worked Holley 750 double-pumper. The engine was all dressed up with some nostalgic finned aluminum valve covers and air cleaner. The transmission that was chosen was a GM 700-R4 built by ‘Tranny John’ Salsman to match and handle that supercharged heartbeat.
“With any and all customs—and even not-so-custom builds—choosing the color is important, as that’s the first thing anyone sees. Vincent had his eye on a dark Brandywine paintjob I’d done on a chopped 1949 Mercury (something of which I’m more accustomed to building). The tasteful warmth of that Brandywine spoke to him and he had to have it on his Fleetside! I mixed up a couple gallons of House of Kolor’s Brandywine Kandy Koncentrate and sprayed it over the top of a PPG Mercedes red metallic basecoat, followed by many coats of PPG’s Glamour clear.
“The inside of the cab got a split bench seat from Glide engineering, while Craig Hopkins of Kiwi Kustom Interiors topped it, the door panels, and the rest of the interior in black diamond-stitched leather. A set of black Classic Instruments gauges dressed the dash, and a Vintage Air SureFit system kept the shorty’s cab cool, while an ididit steering column and restored Impala steering wheel gave Vincent what he needed to steer the old gal straight. Sledsville’s Kenny Hollenbeck installed an American Autowire harness, as well as all the Alpine Audio components. With the final touches being completed, Vincent wanted a little more flare out of the truck’s bed floor. So a custom bird’s eye maple was chosen for the 1966, stained in a smooth honey tone and joined with boltless stainless bed strips.
“And that, in no short order, is Shorty’s ‘new’ life story!”
Facts & Figures
Vincent Troncoso
1966 Chevy C10
CHASSIS
Frame: Modified-stock by Sledsville, Riverside, CA
Rearend: GM 12-bolt by DiffWorks, Mira Loma, CA
Rear Suspension: CPP Totally Tubular with airbags
Rear Brakes: Baer 13-inch rotors with four-piston calipers
Front Suspension: CPP Totally Tubular with airbags
Front Brakes: Baer 14-inch rotors with six-piston calipers
Steering Box: CPP
Wheels: 20-inch American Racing Rallyes
Tires: Pirellis
Gas Tank: CPP aluminum
DRIVETRAIN
Engine: GM 383
Heads: Edelbrock
Valve Covers: Cal Custom
Manifold / Induction: Weiand / 144 Pro-Street supercharger
Ignition: MSD
Headers: Doug’s Headers ceramic-coated
Exhaust / Mufflers: Custom / Porter
Transmission: 700-R4 by John Salsman
Shifter: ididit
BODY
Style: Custom Cab Fleetside
Hood: Stock
Grille: Stock
Bodywork and Paint by: Sledsville
Paint type / Color: House of Kolor, PPG base / Kandy Brandywine, Mercedes Red
Headlights / Taillights: Stock
Bumpers: Stock
INTERIOR
Dashboard: Modified-stock
Gauges: Classic Instruments
Air Conditioning: Vintage Air SureFit
Stereo: Alpine
Steering Wheel: Retro 1959 Impala
Steering Column: ididit
Seat: Glide Engineering split bench
Upholstery by: Kiwi Kustom Interiors, Mead Valley, CA
Material / Color: Black / Leather
Carpet: Wool
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