Chris Chandler Found the Sweet Spot Between Performance, Drivability, Style, and Comfort with his ’71 Chevy C10
When Chris Chandler bought this ’71 Chevy C10 pickup 10 years ago at the Goodguys Autumn Get-Together, it was a driver at the lower end of the scale. After a few years of mechanical and interior upgrades and plenty of highway miles, Chris developed a clearer picture of what he wanted the truck to be and set out fulfill that vision.
“I could have built the truck to more of a setup for racing, or made it a cleaner show vehicle,” Chris says, “But I wanted the final product to be good at all phases of hot rodding and not freak out that I got a chip in the paint or be uncomfortable on a long ride.”
This was the first complete frame-up build for Chris, and he finished it in an impressive timeline. “It took me 18 months in the garage to complete, working on it in the evenings and on weekends,” Chris says. “The majority was built by me with a few friends helping along the way – shout-out to Mitch MacDonald and Ryan Kuhlenbeck! My best sponsor is my wife Mary, to allow me to spend the time to build it.”
That 18-month process was completed just in time for the 2019 Goodguys Hall of Fame Road Tour from California to Texas. The 30 days between completing the project and heading off on the tour gave Chris time to refine the tuning, get the alignment right, and put 350 miles of break-in driving on the odometer.
That 2,500-mile jaunt in an essentially new ride went off with only minor issues. “Made the whole trip without having to put the truck on a trailer,” Chris says.
Four years later and Chris departed from his Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, home for the 2023 Goodguys Hall of Fame Road Tour. That meant a run to Colorado before jumping in with the caravan for the 1,700-mile trek back to the Bay Area. To top it off, he decided to AutoCross the truck for the first time at the West Coast Nationals, where he managed to finish fourth in the No Limit Engineering Truck class and made an appearance in the FiTech West Coast Shootout. All on a road-driven truck with 30,000-mile tires and no track prep!
A look at the build detail offers insight into the truck’s well-rounded performance. Starting with a Pro Tech chassis from No Limit Engineering, the truck’s backbone is sturdy and loaded with proven elements like a performance-based front suspension with tubular control arms and rack-and-pinion steering, a four-link rear suspension, front and rear sway bars, as well as Corvette Z06 disc brakes and a Ford 9-inch floater rearend with 4.10 gears. Sure-footed grip comes from 19×10- and 19×12-inch Forgeline GA3 wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
Under the hood a 378c.i. LS3 V8 producing 600 horsepower provides the muscle for the versatile truck. Chris upgraded the internals with an LSM custom-ground cam, Smith Brothers push rods and rocker trunnion kit, PSI valve springs, and other pieces. Chris also did the tuning on the GM engine controller. Ultimate long-tube headers feed the custom 3-inch stainless exhaust system. The T56 Magnum close-ratio six-speed transmission utilizes a Bowler short-throw shifter.
The bodywork was performed by Alex Rangel at Great Auto Paint and Body in Campbell, California. Modifications include a rolled front pan, front splitter, carbon fiber heat extractors on the hood, shaved door handles, filled stake pockets, a filled fuel neck, modified bed floor, and LED lights. Alex also applied the paint – a deep gloss black on the body paired with white on the roof.
The interior is built for comfort as well as performance, with Classic Instruments fitted into the stock dash and a Momo steering wheel on an Ididit tilt column. Wardell Interiors and Tops in Santa Clara, California, applied the black vinyl and black-and-while houndstooth material to stock bucket seats that are separated by an original console. Heated seats and a Vintage Air system control the temperature while LED lighting illuminates things. Ryan Kuhlenbeck handled the wiring needs. Highway miles require a solid sound system, so Chris installed a Retrosound head unit with two 12-inch Rockford Fosgate subwoofers with Hertz mid-range speakers and tweeters.
Chris is no stranger to C10 pickups (he’s owned four others), which helps explain how he was able to build such balance into this one. And as much as he enjoys driving it, he says he’s looking forward to his next build, whether it’s for himself or someone else. He says he’s looking forward to using a similar thought process and underlying goal – to be a great all-around vehicle.
“I built this truck to be driven,” he says. “To me that means creature comforts, reliability and performance – maybe not in that order. This build checks those boxes.”
Regardless of what his next build is, we’re pretty confident Chris will produce another road warrior that will be at home on the highway, the track, or the car show lawn.
Photos by Steven Bunker, Todd Ryden, Terry Lysak & Chris Chandler
