Home Automotive Fireball! A 1968 Chevy C10 underwent a dramatic transformation

Fireball! A 1968 Chevy C10 underwent a dramatic transformation

March 11, 2024

The result of a drastic change in plans

We all have those plans: the ones we are absolutely going to stick by—that is until something changes. Dale Lunsford, a resident of Nebo in North Carolina, knows this well. Dale Lunsford, owner of the gorgeous 1968 Chevrolet C10 Cover Model dubbed Fireball never expected his truck to look so good, at least initially. But thanks to some inspiration from the pages of C10 Builder’s Guide, what was going to be a somewhat simple errand-running truck quickly snowballed into a full-fledged custom build!

“My wife wanted an old Chevy patina truck, just to drive around, eat french fries in, haul trash off, transport large items in, etc,” Dale told us about the reason for building his C10. “So, after looking at several trucks, I found one with no rust in Newton, North Carolina. I bought this truck after going to see it.

“One evening, I went to the bookstore with my wife,” he continued. “I sat down in the magazine section and found the C10 Builder’s Guide. As I was flipping through the magazine, I came across some amazing trucks. At this point, the patina truck was out, and it turned into Fireball.”

Dale’s truck, which he spent five years creating, is now featured on the cover of the March issue of the magazine that inspired him.

It’s All About First Impressions

This truck caught our attention immediately because of its stunning red paint. How could we miss it?

Dale sprayed Axalta’s Porsche Guards Red paint with precision, then added a clearcoat on top. The paint scheme of this C10 will definitely stop you in your tracks, but it isn’t all this build has to offer. It goes beyond the surface.

Look under the brilliant red paint and you’ll find body modifications like cut-out front wheelwells and rear wheeltubs from ChubTubz that have been narrowed by 4 inches. A custom bed is also included, with a liftable middle section that reveals additional storage beneath. The truck’s beautiful chrome bumpers and trim, as well as its custom halogen LMC Truck Headlights, provide high-end lighting in an old-school style.

The interior color scheme is carried through to the metalwork, which has been finished in Guards Red from the dashboard up to the steering wheel. The carpet and upholstery follow suit, with custom leather door panels, kick panels, and a bench seat built with a TEA’s Design frame and specifically tailored foam. Even the dashpad and custom panel behind the seat were treated to custom leather work, all expertly done by Tom’s Trim Shop of Canton, North Carolina. Dakota Digital RTX Series digital gauges with a black and chrome surround, a black Billet Specialties grid shifter and matching window cranks, and a black and red Billet Specialties D-Shaped Formula 14-inch steering wheel add the finishing touches to the truck’s impressive show-worthy interior.

Dale also wanted to upgrade his interior, so he installed a Custom Autosound USA-740 stereo, which has a digital radio and Bluetooth built in. Morel Virtus Nano Carbon 62 front speakers, as well as Tempo Ultra Integra 692 rear speakers fully envelop the interior of the truck with sound, while a JL Audio HD900/5 amplifier and 10-inch 10TW3 subwoofer add to the system’s highs and lows.

…its beautiful polished chrome bumpers and trim pieces, along with custom halogen LMC Truck headlights, give the truck high-end lighting with an old-school look.

Laying Low

Dale’s truck may look fantastic, but he knew it also had to ride well in order for it to be the ultimate custom. Dale is a talented builder and knew how to achieve this!

While the truck maintains its original frame rails, nothing else about the chassis is stock—starting with front and rear Porterbuilt Stage 3 crossmember kits that feature control arms in the front and truck arms at the rear. Adding to the truck’s ride quality are Hyperco front and rear springs, as well as Ridetech adjustable front and rear coilover shocks. Porterbuilt chassis components allow the truck to ride low despite the absence of air suspension components.

The handling of the truck was also improved by using a UniSteer rack-and-pinion power steering box, and a Ridetech steering stabilizer measuring 1.5 inches. Planting the truck to the pavement are sports car-ready 255/30/R20 front and 335/25/ZR22 rear Pirelli P Zero tires with 4.5-inch and 5-inch backspacing respectively, wrapped around 20×9-inch front and 22×12-inch rear American Racing Torq Thrust SL wheels.

Wilwood 14-inch vented rotors with 6-piston rotors in the front, and 12-inch vented rotors with 4-piston rotors in the rear take care of the truck’s braking needs, along with Wilwood Aerolite 6R billet hubs, fed by way of a Wilwood 7/8-inch master cylinder.

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A Powerplant Fit For a King

You don’t build a vehicle of this quality with so many top-notch components without also building an engine of the same caliber. Dale had also prepared this one!

Dale, wanting to ensure that his truck was powerful, started the engine building with a 1970 Chevrolet 454ci v-8. This V-8 had been bored.030 above its original size, giving it a 468ci capacity. Yes, we are talking about the LS6.

He then added TRW forged pistons 10.7:1 with Total Seal rings as well as Elgin Industries Pro Stock hydraulic roller camshafts. Also, he used stock LS6 rods with 7/16″ rod bolts polished, an LS6 steel cranked, and Manley roller rocks with a stud girdle.

Dale also equipped the engine a Dart Machinery single-plane high-rise intake manifold and a Holley 4150 800cfm carburetor. A Malory ignition helps the engine to fire, while CVF Racing components and Front Runner make up the AC and alternator drive system. This allows for smooth wheel turning, charging and cooling.

The Boyd Welding tank and an 8-quart oilpan are used to feed the engine. Spent fuel from the engine is expelled through coated Hooker headers with a 2-inch primary and 3-inch collector, tied to a 3-inch custom exhaust system with side dump featuring oval Nascar tips to accommodate for the truck’s low clearance.

A 1995 Tex Racing closed-ratio transmission is used to back the 468. It features a magnesium case with polished and coated gears. Also included are a long HT-4000 Shift Kit and a Chevrolet LS6 chevelle Clutch. The transmission is driven by a Spicer U-joint 1350 and a large carrier bearing. It then drives a two-piece custom driveshaft, which has a Spicer 1350 and a 12-bolt rearend fitted with Moser axles that have been narrowed by 8 inches.

From top to bottom, tip to tail, Dale’s 1968 Chevy C10 is one incredibly impressive build. This truck is guaranteed to be a national trophy winner, with its custom features and the best parts in the business. Because of that, we’d love to see what future inspiration from these pages can do for Dale, but he tells us he’s “too old to build another one with this much work.”

Dale, we are in complete disagreement!

BUILD SPECS

Owner

Dale Lunsford
1968 Chevrolet C10

Nebo, NC

Chassis & Suspension

Porterbuilt Stage 3 front Crossmember kit with Control arms

Porterbuilt Stage 3, rear crossmember kit, with truck arms
Hyperco front springs and rear springs
Ridetech adjustable coilover shocks for front and rear

Porterbuilt bodydrop kit
UniSteer power rack-and-pinion steering box
Ridetech 1.5-inch Steering Stabilizer

All chassis and frame components are powdercoated

Wheels & Tires

20×9-inch front and 22×12-inch rear American Racing Torq Thrust SL wheels

255/30/R20 front and 335/25/ZR22 rear Pirelli P Zero tires with 4.5-inch and 5-inch backspacing respectively

Engine & Drivetrain

1970 Chevrolet 454ci V-8 bored .030 over resulting in a 468ci powerplant

TRW forged rings with Total Seal with a 10.7:1 compression ratio
Elgin Industries’ Pro Stock camshaft, with hydraulic rollers. 0.625 inch lift and a duration of.237 at 0.050-inch lifting.
Stock LS6 rods with 7/16-inch rod screws polished

LS6 steel crank
Manley roller rocks with stud girdle
LS6 heads with ported and polished surfaces

Dart Machinery’s high-rise single-plane intake Manifold
800cfm Holley 4150 carburetor
Hooker headers coated with 2-inch primary and a 3-inch collector

Custom 3-inch exhaust system with side-dumping; oval Nascar tips to low clearance
Mallory ignition
Drive system for AC/Alternator/Power steering with CVF Racing components and Front Runner components

8-quart oil pan
Boyd Welding fuel tank
Close-ratio manual 1995 Tex Racing transmission featuring a polished and coated gears, a magnesium case and a polished and plated casing