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Theme Tuesdays: GC Chassis Subarus

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I promised this Theme Tuesday to a local matte grey Audi driving friend of mine a few months ago and today I am finally making good on that promise.

I’ve made an effort to include a nice variety in here to hopefully avoid some flying tomatoes from the ‘can’t believe people like ruined rally cars’ crowd.

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I had a hard time deciding if this should start or end the post
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Bit of a throw back here but nice none the less…
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This one is a Photoshop, but who knew Regamasters would look so good on a GC?
Innovative Tuning’s drag monster
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I was going to leave Outbacks out of this (for another Tuesday) but the ramps in this shot caught my eye
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Which lead me to this shot and now I kind of want an outback
Andre’s incredibly clean Impreza from his 2011 feature
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Shortly after Andrew went a lot wider
Local RS from last years Toronto Subaru Club Hypermeeting
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Mean.
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There’s a lot I love about this car, personally I love the headlight duct and side exit…
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Bad as hell on Cragar soft 8s
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I could have done a over fender Theme Tuesday on just GC’s it seems
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I’d love to see this with a rear flare that fit slightly differently
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This bagged GC on Euroline’s is one of the more unique examples I have seen in person
This is underneath the leather wrap
This is hiding underneath the leather wrap
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Clean and aggressive
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This is a fairly well known local GC I’ve posted a few times now.
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About a year or two ago the owner changed it up a bit and started tracking it
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2.5 RS from British Columbia in a 2010 Modified Magazine feature
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It was set-up for time attack duty and you can read more about it here
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As you can tell I’m just a bit of a fan of this one…

I’m thinking this one will probably go into a part two someday….

Featured Ride: Chuck’s 56 F-100

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There’s something about American vehicles from the 50’s and 60’s that is universally appealing. Pristine examples of this vintage can be found in a variety of locales in which they were never sold, imported by those drawn to the style they convey and period they represent.

Cars and trucks from this era capture a time when vehicles were built simple and to the point, not over burdened with driving aids, or designed with pedestrian safety in mind. They were constructed to look good, drive reliably, and withstand the tests of time.

When it comes to ride height these classics can be approached several different ways, but a tried and true method has always been get the rear low and the front lower.

The classic ‘muscle car rake’ was the first thing to catch my eye when Mike McConnell sent in his beautiful photos of Chuck’s equally gorgeous 56 F-100.

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The double staggered Schott wheel set-up, a lowered torsion bar front clip, and No-limit four link rear, give this truck a significant forward lean that would be just as at home on a ’57 Chevy Bel-Air as it is here.

The red paint, chrome grill, and stainless bumpers further emphasize this Ford’s classic street truck styling while the twin turbo 5.4L motor under hood gives it enough get up and go to cruise with vehicles half it’s age.

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That 5.4L big block power plant is actually the main reason Chuck bought the truck, seeing the value in the heart past the blemishes that existed in the body.

The solid mill under hood made committing to restoring the body an easy choice and after blemishes were fixed the truck had it’s handles and some unnecessary trim shaved before it was painted PPG bright red and fitted with a matching –and equally bright– red leather interior.

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The combination of clean exterior, immaculate interior, and potent motor have earned this truck several trophies in the time Chuck has owned it in addition to a feature in Classic Trucks Magazine.

However as they say all good things must come to and end and Chuck currently has this beauty up for sale.

What will happen to the truck in the future, and what Chuck’s next project will be, remains to be seen but I am very glad that Mike catch up with the truck before it drove off into the sunset for good.

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Modification List

Suspension/Chassis

  • Torsion bar front clip
  • No Limit 4-link
  • Rack and Pinion Steering conversion
  • Disk Brake conversion

Wheels/Tires

  • Schott 18×8 / Continental Extreme DWS 245/40
  • Schott 20×10 / Continental Extreme DWS 295/40

Motor

  • Twin Turbocharged 5.4L 32V Ford
  • Custom exhaust with 3-inch/Flowmaster 40 series
  • 4R100 Transmission with Shift Kit

Body

  • Shaved Handles
  • Custom Oak Bed
  • Stainless steel bumpers

Interior

  • Smoothed Dashboard
  • Auto Meter gauges
  • Vintage Air air conditioning
  • Alpine stereo
  • Billet Specialties wheel
  • Red leather interior

Photo Credit: Mike McConnell/MDMvisuals.ca

WTF Friday: First Rule Of Broken Wheel Club…

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Remember the ‘COR Fiasco’ involving Jalopnik, COR Forged, and a Mustang owner? I posted about it in October of 2012 and mentioned that with lawyers involved “this situation will probably get worse before it gets better”.

Well as it turns out I was right and things did get worse because yesterday I was forwarded an email from my host that originating from COR’s legal department asking me to pull the photos and the article.

The email reads as follows:

I am writing to inform you that a website hosted on your server is sharing libel information and defamatory images towards our brand (COR Wheels). We are in process of reviewing the indecent and considering taking legal action and decided to notify you prior to going that route in hopes for a quick and ethical resolve.

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Of all the 175 WTF Friday posts I’ve made I’m honestly shocked that the one in question is causing such a stir. It was fairly neutral in tone, and actually addressed the fact that other wheel manufacturers currently have similar policies (to COR’s). It also mentions the fact that the way they approached the warranty claim isn’t a situation unique to the automotive industry, companies deny claims all the time for similar reasons.

I even mentioned that it would be a shame to see COR go out of business over something that caught fire on Jalopnik, which would certainly not be the concern of someone out to defame their brand.

It appears that the people at COR didn’t actually read what I wrote and are instead trying to erase the entire event from the internet entirely using scare tactics. Whomever is running the PR department at COR please give your head a shake.

Enthusiasts are not the enemy we are your target market and you are making it very difficult for us to give you a second chance.

After reading the email I consulted with a few friends versed in Internet law who assured me that I am currently in the clear of any wrong doing.

As of right now I have no intentions of taking the photos down and have sent a calm response to COR Wheels. Hopefully we can come to an amicable resolution, and of course I will keep you all in the loop.

All that being said if that post (and this one) ever do get deleted it’s not because I didn’t try, it’s because I’m not about to permanently risk what I’ve built here over a situation that doesn’t really involve me.

Wish me luck!

Update:
COR Forged has since contacted me and at this point it is all water under the bridge and we are putting together the details for an exclusive interview with the CEO of COR and myself. Stay tuned!

Site Updates

Getting legal papers thrown at me aside I am currently working with my host to move the site to a package that will have it performing faster. Hopefully I won’t have to post about when the switch has been done as it will be so lightning fast you guys will notice.

Until then sorry about the slow responsiveness at times, especially when posting comments.

Flashback Friday

Going back to this Theme Tuesday seems fitting, when in doubt BBS!

Should do a follow up to this one….

It’s not a #!%&’n Photoshop!

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I posted a before and after comparison of this Icelandic 924 turbo on the Fan Page and a few people (somewhat predictably) declared it a Photoshop.

About an hour later I followed up with another photo and still people questioned whether or not the car was real or a manipulation of pixels.

The owner Fannar Þór decided enough was enough and sent in some recent photos proving once and for all that this car is real, and spectacular.

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The only Photoshop work here was making two photos into one
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I love this shot with all the spare and miscellaneous parts that may have had a part in this cars rebirth
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Colour matched Futura’s look great on this car
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Generous camber allows for a fair amount of tuck
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Quite the epic save with this car from beginning to now

Photo credit goes to Fannar who’s just as handy with a camera as he is a wrench.

More info can also be found in his latest thread on Stance | Works.

Import Bible Series Six

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Before Christmas David at Import Bible sent me one of the ‘Hats Off‘ shirts from series six of his Import Bible clothing line.

His sixth line of shirts maintains the same level of quality of his previous offerings (great), and I’m a big fan of this design in particular.

There are not a lot of car shirts I wear outside of industry events but this one has found itself in my regular rotation. It’s netted a handful of positive remarks so far from car people and non alike, and even a few of the graphic designers at work (who are vehemently opposed to fossil fuel vehicles) have complemented the design and typography.

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Great classy hommage to the 240z / Fair Lady
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The car has just the right amount of detail and the choice of fonts works well
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The “Z” design on the back is a nice touch that mimics the wording on the front
Since I'm not about to model it for you
Here is how it looks on someone more attractive than myself
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David also sent by some of his latest stickers, both printed on very high quality semi matte vinyl

I also thought I would include a few shots of the shirt he sent in 2011 (from series five) to show how it is holding up. All too often shirts fade, shrink, or fall apart before their time but this one is holding fast.

I have even recently started riding (and falling) in it to no issue.

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As you can see there’s no cracking, peeling, or fading of the print
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The shirt color itself has also not faded to any significant degree.

If you are looking for some new threads for the upcoming season check Import Bible out.

Winter Wednesday: Sneak Attack

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Yesterday I got on the subway in Mississauga (with no snow in sight) only to arrive to Toronto in the middle of a snowstorm. That’s a complete weather change in about 30 minutes.

The snow combined with the bitter cold (double digit negatvies with wind chill) served as a reminder that old man winter has kicked off his shoes and put his stanky old feet on the coffee table with intentions of over staying his welcome.

The show must go on however so here’s an e28 from British Columbia sitting quite pretty in the snow.

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Those wheels look pretty good on there for winter duty.

Photo Credit: Dylan King

Ask and you shall receive

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On Saturday I posted a picture of this Bronco II on the Fan Page with an open call for more information. A couple minutes later @hothweelsnick shot me a link to a 2010 Minitruckin’ feature on the truck.

The feature revealed that there is more going on here than a curious front end swap and a considerable ride height adjustment.

The owner, BJ, built this truck to pay homage to his grandfather who owned a Ford F-100 while BJ was growing up. After encountering no lucking finding an F-100 for himself he decided to bring elements of the F-100 (and other vintage Fords) into his Bronco II build.

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The grill and headlights are the most obvious touch of vintage Ford but more can be found under hood where a Ford flathead motor now resides. This is a bit of a step backwards technologically but more than enough to move the truck and pairs well with the 62 Galaxie dash.

The pin-striping and two tone paint are also additional nods to days gone by.

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An s-10 front clip and custom back half puts the truck on the ground Air Lift bags lift it out of the weeds when it’s time to roll.  This trucks pretty awesome all around and reminds me a lot of this c10 clipped Blazer I posted last year.

According to Ryan Michaels this truck is now collecting dust while BJ works on the first generation Ranger below.

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In addition to now being an extended cab the Rangers frame doubles as the air tank and it’s got a diesel power plant.

Hopefully this doesn’t mean that the Bronco is going to be cannibalized or lost under a pile of clothes and miscellaneous junk forever.

WTF Friday: Ten Amusing Drift Fails

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Let me preface this post by saying that I can’t drift. When I had my e30 I could get the ass out a little bit but actually holding a sustained controlled drift in anything other than snow? Not really.

Why? Well to be frank I didn’t want to ball up my car like the individuals in this post.

After watching the now famous e30 pole video I figured gathering up a few more drifting fails for a WTF Friday wouldn’t be all that bad of an idea.

10. FWD doesn’t work (unless you’re this guy)

There are a ton of fwd drift fails on YouTube but this one is pretty much straight to the point. An e-brake initiated romp into a pole in less than 30 seconds.

9. Snap Oversteer

This isn’t a drift at all but it’s still a pretty big fail, and perhaps one of the most memorable examples of snap over steer (and erroneous correction) since the famous MR-2 crash from 2000 and some odd.

Poor Lexus. Prius is expendable.

8. F-the Police

This one starts off pretty bad ass, and if the driver had actually got away in the end he would be forever heralded as an Internet legend.

Sadly it seems like cartoons are wrong (again) and circling the same object over and over is actually a pretty piss poor way to avoid someone who is pursuing you.

7. Look Ma One Hand!

Looking back I bet the driver wishes he had both hands on the wheel.

I hope the guy standing behind the pole went out and bought a lotto ticket immediately after this. Pole saved his life.

6. Entry Speed

Have to commend this driver for having one of the highest entry speeds in this entire post. He was completely committed to the drift, until it went horribly, horribly wrong.

At least if he gets the kit fixed he only had to pay to paint it once. I wonder if the guy behind him was any better?

5. Bucking Bronco

Can’t really fault the owner of this e30. He took his car to the track (which is the safest place to learn) but unfortunately for him his track of choice seems to use speed bumps in it’s run off area.

4. Cruise Control

This one is bad and if I recall the driver was fairly injured after getting run over by his own car.

I wasn’t going to post it at first but it does give an opportunity the successful rendition (with two e30s no less!) beneath it.

3. Rob

Classic maxbimmer video right here. Rob ‘drifts’ his old M3 into Randy Sparre’s nitrous fed Civic Wagovan jokingly known as the ‘egg’.

Rob later went on to sell his m3 and buy two CRX’s. Not sure which of the two he is having a harder time living down.

2. Competition Worthy

This is the only video of the bunch where the driver actually displays an incredible amount of skill, it’s just kind of misguided.

I’m not going to preach and say that I’ve never witnessed, or appreciated, streeting but this is a little excessive.

According to the owners of the video Giorgi (driver) ended up losing his license as someone reported him to the Police.

1. 30 Seconds Of Fame

The two main reoccurring themes in this post are poles and sadly e30s. This video has both.

According to a recent post on Jalopnik the owner had just finished saving for an S52 swap too. Divine intervention?

I’ve heard light standards are very expensive to pay to repair.

Site Updates

Hunting for new content and things to shoot. If you’ve got anything feel free to send it in to [email protected]

Flashback Friday

Sorry about all the wrecked e30s. Here’s a super clean one from Montreal posted in April of 2011 to make up for it

Featured Ride: Pat Cyr’s Scion FR-S

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When it was announced that Pat Cyr was Scion Canada’s choice  to campaign the FR-S for the 2013 season I think that the entire province of Ontario unanimously said ‘Hell Yeah’. Scion Canada couldn’t have picked a better person, or driver, to represent their brand and I don’t think I am the only one who  feels Pat receiving support like this was long over due.

During the conversation in which he invited me to come check out the car I could tell by the excitement in his voice that what he was building after hours at Cyrious Garageworks was something special.

Arriving to the shop, about a week later, I was greeted briefly by Pat’s brother Dan who was feverishly cutting the cars sponsor stickers in preparation for it’s delivery back to Scion Canada the next morning.

At which point it would be shot by local photographer Ste Ho before being trailered to the Montreal Auto show. Before all that however it was my chance to see the car and I couldn’t wait.

From beneath the pile of vinyl in which he was buried Dan pointed me towards the door leading to the garage and when I stepped through I found Pat giving his creation one final wipe down.

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Based on his verbal description I knew this car was going to be different than any FR-S I had seen previously, and as I circled the car (no doubt dragging my jaw on the ground as I went) Pat explained how he transformed another red Scion FR-S into his Scion FR-S.

At SEMA Pat gave every FR-S, BRZ, and 86 there a careful once over and fairly quickly one build began to blur into another. People were either playing it too careful, too similar, or too over the top, and nothing seemed just right. Pat knew his car had to be different than the rest yet still stay true to the race heritage in which the FR-S was bred so he looked elsewhere for inspiration.

When he saw the Ford Mustang RTR with its aggressive flares, low stance, and huge splitter, Pat knew he found what he was looking for and the gears in his head began to turn.

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Once back home in Mississauga, and hundreds of miles away from the glitz, glam, and allure of Vegas, Pat kicked his build into high gear.

Local rendering expert Matthew Law was brought in and with his help Pat’s thoughts transformed into 3D renderings that were used by 20hz Audio to construct the over fenders.

Currently a one of one set Pat spent countless hours preparing the pieces for the car. They were sanded, filled, primed, drilled, then sanded, filled, and primed again until they not only fit the car perfectly but were baby’s bottom smooth in preparation for high gloss black paint.

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Once the over fenders were test fit Pat focused his attention on the front bumper where he felt an off the shelf lip simply wouldn’t do. Everything currently on the market was either too plain, too flashy, or just simply not to his taste so Pat’s only solution was to build something himself.

After a trip to Home Depot, for a few sheets of pink foam, Pat got to work crafting a fitting addition to the front of his car and when the pink dust settled he created a mold for the lip currently affixed to the bumper.

Capping off his custom creation is the knife edged splitter affectionately known as the Meat Slicer.

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When it came to the rear of the car Pat explaiend that he didn’t want to slap a shopping cart handle on the back like everyone else, but at the same time didn’t want something too par for the course.

The Nascar inspired trunk spoiler he settled on is one of the more unique pieces of an already unique build and balances out the splitter up front to a tee.

It, like the lip, is a Cyr original and was virtually still warm from being cut and tig-welded by Pat earlier that same day.

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Inside Pat gutted the car completely only opting to only retain the factory dash. A  dash that he was able to keep almost entirely intact thanks to careful routing of the a-pillar bars through the now vacant speaker openings. This is small detail, that will probably go overlooked by many, speaks to the amount of thought and care Pat has put into this build.

The rest of cockpit is fairly simple and to the point, the stout Cyrious Garageworks cage protects Pat and whoever the lucky passenger is, and Spraco Sprint V’s keeps occupants firmly in place as the car slides around the track.

Relaying vital information back to Pat is the factory FR-S cluster along with a trio of AEM gauges.

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Aesthetically complete the car wears Pat’s now signature green hue, and in keeping things the same HSD remains on board for the suspension. Wheel wise the Work Meisters currently on the car are not the 18×9.5 +12/18×10 +15 225/40 and 245/40 set-up Pat plans to run.

His final wheel choice remains a mystery as does what is going to lie in the currently vacant engine bay. Joking aside (yes that means he is not putting in a 4A-GE) Pat’s been keeping his motor plans fairly tight to his chest and though he did tell me what will eventually be under the hood I’m not about to be the one who spoils the surprise.

Pat plans to document the rest of the build in it’s entirety on the Cyrious Garageworks fanpage so those of you eager for answers I suggest you start there.

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You can watch Pat compete in DMCC for 2013 and in addition to Scion Canada he is currently receiving support from Scion Racing, ENEOS Canada, JRP, HSD, Mishimoto Automotive, Ferrea Racing Components, Vibrant Performance, Garret Turbo, and Sparco.

Thanks go to Pat for giving me the opportunity to be one of the first people to take photos of his awesome car and I couldn’t think of a better feature to kick off 2013.

Theme Tuesdays: Chevy C10s

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After SEMA I took a serious liking to C10s, I mean I have always enjoyed them on some level, but after seeing Brad Commer and Chris Smith’s pro touring trucks I took a real liking to them. Not to mention all of the other ones literally sitting on the floor both inside and outside of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

At the time I held back on this Theme Tuesday because I was posting a lot of trucks.

Then I realized I’m almost always posting a lot of trucks so there was no need to hold back.

Brad Coomer’s C10
Chris Smith’s c10 from SEMA
This beauty was inside the convention center
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I would love to see the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational in person
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Track ready
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Beautiful capture of a c10 on the track from Speedhunters, I think it was a Hotchkis event
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Function meets form in a beautiful way
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Despite sitting on the floor this is a Pro Touring build you can follow it here
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Pre runner c10
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Bagged.
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This particular 66 is LS2 powered and the owner is contemplating an LS6 with a two stage nitrous setup…
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Bed filled with the just the essentials
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No restoration needed, just put it on the floor
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Solid wheels suit the c10 pretty well
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Dog dishes and beauty rings are a great touch on this truck
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I reckon this would scare a few kids on Halloween
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Hats off to whoever blocked and painted this truck, look at how straight those panels are!
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One of Tom from Air Lift’s previous vehicles
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Simple and low, like the GMC grill swap too
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Beauty truck via Daily Detergent
Mike McConnell took some awesome photos of this C10 from Dropsicle showdown
This truck is a piece of art
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A little fun via the guys at Canibeat
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I have vauge recollections of posting this before but here it is again
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This reminds me a lot of Chris Hawkins’ truck, wonder what the size of those wheels is…
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Layin’ pinch
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Going to end this one with a frame destined to go under a c10 built by Tetsuhiko Iizuka of Japan
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Remarkable craftsmanship here
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Look at the welds on exhaust… well actually all the welds are pretty damn immaculate
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Some of the craziest work I’ve ever seen

If you are wondering where all the Suburbans are, well that is a post for another day.