A Family Affair
Most people see cars as a way to transport them to point A to point B. These are the type of people who stair straight ahead while driving, most of the time missing the world around them. I’m not saying that these people don’t enjoy their life, they most likely do, but there’s something about living in the moment. And that moment is captured every time we get in our own vehicle that we have built with our own two hands.
Then there’s us, the “diseased folk” as I like to call it. The people that spend countless hours in the garage just to get ready for the next show or the next race. The type of people that will empty their bank account just to modify their car or truck. The type of people you find underneath their car on a Friday night instead of out a bar or a club.
Enter in Simon Olivarria Jr, the “4th” owner of this beautiful 1965 Chevrolet C10 Pickup. There’s something to be said about keeping a vehicle in the family throughout it’s whole life. As humans we yearn to travel, to see new places and experience new things. Nine times out of ten these memories are made in a vehicle of some sort.
The story of this truck begins all the way back in the early 1970’s when Simon’s grandfather bought the truck from a relative and drove it until 1980. Shortly thereafter, his grandfather passed. Before passing, he had given the truck to his son, number 9 out of 11, saying that he was the only person who he trusted to conserve the truck. Simon’s father became the official owner at age 18 and drove the truck on a daily basis. His favorite memory was driving to Sonora, Mexico with his dad in his teen years. He was able to conserve the truck throughout the years and as Simon grew up constantly reminding him that he would own that truck on his 18th birthday. On July 7, 2011 Simon turned 18 and he respected the decision he had made, handing the keys over to Simon.
When Simon received the truck it was in great shape. Unfortunately, he could not find a job after high school so his father offered to buy him the necessary equipment to start a detail business. He took his offer and loaded the C10 with a 275-gallon tank of water, a heavy duty pressure washer, soap, degreaser, brusher, a vacuum, generator, and other detailing items. He started detailing semi trucks and became very successful, working every single weekend washing up to 12 semi trucks per weekend. He used the Chevy as his work truck for 3 years, until he was able to buy a work van. After those 3 years, he finally had enough money to put the truck to rest and promised his dad that he would make it look brand new again someday.
This past March, one year after he stopped using it for work, they took it to RG Auto Design in Tijuana, Mexico, where it spent 4 months receiving a complete makeover. The body and bed were removed off of the frame, receiving a fresh coat of black paint, along with fixing any rust the frame may have had on it. The cab was sanded down to fix any dents, then sprayed in a shade of grey that was darkened to add a little bit of a custom touch to the truck. The inside of the cab was painted a Land Rover bronze, further adding to the unique style of the C10. The seats were also reupholstered, and new wood was placed in the bed. A lot of the parts including the moldings, wood and rails were sourced from Tuckers Classic Auto Parts. The truck also received a nice drop thanks to CPP springs, 5 inch drop in the rear and 4 inch in the front. The barrels on the stock rear wheels were also widened by cutting the barrel, adding two inches and welding it back together for a final diameter of 10 inches.
Needless to say the truck came out a complete masterpiece. There isn’t a place on this truck that isn’t perfect. Simon’s best memory is that he learned to drive in this truck. “Nothing in this world can replace the love I have for this truck. I can only pray that one day I have a son or daughter who is as passionate about cars as I am and who will continue this legacy.”
