Looking at today’s custom car scene, ‘subtle’ isn’t a word that comes to mind with many builds. Most of the time, it’s about wider arches, bigger turbos and everything in between.

Although these builds can be really epic – and we’ve seen many examples from SEMA this week – sometimes less can be more. Case in point, this Chevy C10 shop truck from Motown American Autoparts in South Africa.

Owning a parts shop that specializes in all things American and especially the classics, Ralph Kumbier could never be seen driving around in something late model and vanilla. He needed a part-time parts-hauler that was large, brash and old school.

The truck that made the cut was this 1964 Chevrolet C10 Fleetside, which Ralph found at farm where it had sat de-registered for some time.

To get the truck back on the road legally, Ralph first had to prove its identity with the police. The original number plates showed the C10 was from a tiny little farming town called Noupoort, but Ralph had nothing else to go on. Proving anything was going to be very difficult.

But in a stroke of sheer luck, the police officer who assisted Ralph was from Noupoort, and recognized the farmer’s name printed on the milk jug in the back. From there, identifying the Chevy was easy. Ralph’s kept the jug in place, too.

Bodywork-wise, the truck’s patina-rich exterior has been kept pretty much the way Ralph discovered it – and why would you ever want to mess with it?! The only changes are Motown Speed Shop sign-writing on the doors, blacked-out bumpers, grille and badges, and the addition of custom Jeep-style DRL front lights.

The wheels are custom 20-inch Detroit Steel Wheel Co. items finished in matte black, all wrapped up in white-wall tyres.

They’re big wheels to tuck under the C10’s square arches, but custom front tubs, a c-notched chassis out back, and the addition of air suspension gets the truck nice and low. The air-ride system features custom bags, a manual switch controller, plus dual Viair compressors and a single air tank hidden under the Chevy’s bed.

Under the hood, the old truck has been given a complete new lease on life with a Vortec 5300 LM7 5.3-liter V8 engine breathing through a K&N air filter and a custom exhaust featuring valved Varex mufflers. Packing 350hp the C10 is no slouch, and driving is a breeze with a TH350 3-speed automatic transmission.

Given the rest of the build, the interior is just as I envisioned it would be – a mix of old and new, but nothing looking out of place.

Ralph wanted a simple but rad truck to promote his business, and that’s exactly what he’s ended up with. Sometimes a few choice modifications are all you need.

Stefan Kotzé
info@stefankotze.com
Instagram: stefankotzephoto
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