Hilltop Hotrods brings a Jim Rezac’s 1965 GMC to the Finish Line after 40 Years
Congratulations to Jim Rezac for being named a Finalist for the LMC Truck of the Year with his 1965 GMC built by Hilltop Hotrods!
Most car guys come across a Hot Wheels, a bike, or even a go-kart that they had as a kid and, in many cases, buy it to embrace that childhood memory. For Jim Rezac, he was smart enough to hold on to the one toy that meant the most to him as a 10-year-old: a 1965 GMC pickup.
Jim’s father bought the non-running 1965 GMC just because it was a good deal and figured he’d be able to get it running easily then flip it. But something about the truck just resonated with young Jim. One day, his dad had an offer to buy the truck, so Jim stepped up and bought the truck with money he’d earned from his summer job at the family’s sandblasting and welding business.
Eventually they tried to get the truck back on the road but discovered it needed more work than expected, which relegated the GMC to storage for the next 40 years.
It wasn’t until 2019 when a worn-down, beat-up 2011 Camaro SS showed up at Jim’s used car dealership and got the fuse lit on the GMC. The Camaro wasn’t worth much to resell, but it did have an LS3 and 6L80E drivetrain that would be perfect for the forlorn pickup. This was one of the sparks Jim needed to finally get his 1965 GMC project off top dead center. The second nudge was meeting Andrew Carlson and Phil Thomas of Hilltop Hotrods in Rockwell City, IA, who were both excited to take on the build.
The Camaro’s drivetrain was pulled out and sent to Demers Performance for a complete performance rebuild to support the forced induction of air from a Whipple supercharger! While that was underway, the Hilltop crew was busy putting the final touches on the new Slammed Spec chassis from Roadster Shop complemented with Kompression 20- and 22-inch RLU-556 wheels and Pirelli tires.
Hilltop essentially replaced all the body panels with new metal from LMC Truck and Auto Metal Direct. The bed floor was raised, wheel tubs fabbed, body seams were smoothed, and gaps perfected before a classic Nassau Blue finish from PPG was laid down. Ogden Chrome is responsible for the shine on the factory grille and the modified bumpers.
Inside, the dash was smoothed and updated with OEM styled Dakota Digital gauges, Vintage Air, and a Bluetooth stereo. The Snowden bench seat provides much improved comfort and was wrapped in a custom marshmallow vinyl to match the custom door panels.
The project took two years to complete, which is just a fraction of the years Jim has owned the 1965 GMC. Thanks to the talented crew at Hilltop Hotrods, the GMC is everything (and more!) Jim ever thought it would be.
Photos: John Jackson
