Oh Canada! Shane Joachim’s 1965 Chevy C10 Pickup
Elegant isn’t typically a word I would use to describe a 1965 Chevy C10 Pickup, however Shane Joachim’s custom C10 perfectly meets the definition. The truck’s simple appearance combined with its meticulousness make it an incredible piece of machinery.
Shane lives in a small town just north of Toronto, Ontario and has been a car guy his whole life. “Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a healthy infatuation and admiration for all kinds of vehicles,” he explained. “When I was 10 years old a fellow hockey team-mate had an older brother, who owned a yellow 1966 Chevrolet C10 fleetside. From time to time, I would get picked up in this truck to go to hockey practices. It was the sound of the V8 engine coupled with dual exhaust entering my driveway that ignited my senses on fire.”
Years later, Shane purchased his first C10 and drove it up from Weatherford, Texas. The truck introduced him to the world of custom vehicles and helped developed the criteria that his next C10 would have to meet. “I wanted elegance and at the same time badassery. I wanted the perfect combination of form and function. I also wanted another 1960-1966 C10 because my Great Dane fits nicely inside the cab with me,” he explained.
It was the summer of 2015 that he first saw the truck. The 1965 Chevy C10 Pickup he currently owns was being featured in two different magazines. It was everything he wanted and more, however health issues got in the way forcing Shane to put his truck dreams aside.
Upon recovery three years later, he began his search for another C10. As he was scrolling through eBay, he found the exact truck he remembered from the magazines up for sale in Phoenix, Arizona. “I read and re-read the ad at least a dozen times. Nothing else that I looked at even compared.” He called the owner and spoke with him in great detail about the truck. Shane booked his airline ticket the same week and headed down South to go pick up his dream truck.
This beautiful custom 1965 Chevy C10 Pickup fleetside underwent a complete restoration. No expense was spared and the high-attention to detail make the truck one-of-a-kind. The grey metallic paint paired with its brushed nickel bumpers and grille add subtlety to the build, and the shaved hood and short-box help achieve clean, smooth bodylines.
Although the immaculate exterior of the truck is most prominent, one of the most mesmerizing aspects is actually what’s in the bed. The inner panels have been bead rolled to complete its smooth, finished look, and the floor has been fitted with Spanish Oak wood and CNC machined black anodized bed strips.
The center of the bed floor is a clear piece of Lexan that lifts pneumatically to give access to the fuel filler and the two tastefully hidden Odyssey Marine batteries. The truck has also been equipped with air ride and features dual Viair compressors that are visibly positioned beneath the Lexan.
Powering the C-10 is a cammed 350ci small block Chevy with MSD fuel injection. We kind of get excited when we see something other than an LS! The engine has been dressed up with Billet Specialties valve covers, a black Edelbrock intake manifold and a one-off billet air cleaner by March performance, adding a custom touch beneath the hood. A heavy-duty shift kit was installed on the 700R4 transmission for smoother operation and durability.
“After its completion by the builder, it seemed to be trailered around as a show piece to different events and driven very minimally. Once it landed on Canadian soil and was within my eager hands, my main goal was to ensure that this rolling work of art was something that I could use every day and reliably drive any distance,” Shane explained.
He has taken the truck on a few major road trips since he’s owned it. “It drove like a dream and was reliable in every sense of the meaning. Those meaty 335’s on the back just smother the pavement and deliver that much-appreciated road-hugging feel.”
Shane is ecstatic about his C10 and takes such pride in maintaining it. The flawless execution and uniqueness of this build is no wonder why it takes home “Best in Show” at almost every event he rolls into. An elegant and bad ass truck for sure!
