When a Ford Car Guy Builds a Chevy Truck

Brand loyalty exists in its most potent form in the automotive world. Think about it: How do you respond when you step out for lunch and order a Coke, only for the guy behind the counter to ask, “Is Pepsi ok?” Chances are you’re going to say sure and start sipping away. As long as there’s a cola in your hand, it really doesn’t matter.

When it comes to guys who have had a lifetime relationship with a certain brand of truck, the plot thickens. How could it not? For most of us, our affection for a certain type of vehicle was passed down to us from our dads/gramps/uncles or whoever else influenced our hobbies when we were kids. This is most certainly the case for Travis Enoch, who grew up surrounded by early Fords of all types. “I’ve been around cars my entre life, mostly Model As and Ts,” Travis says. “My father and grandfather both restored old Fords as a hobby. My brother and I have carried it on, and I have two full restorations under my belt. This Chevy truck here is my third finished project.”

I didn’t know much about Chevy cars or trucks. I settled on the ’66 C-10,  which was only supposed to be a  ‘play around on the weekend’  kind of truck.”

How does a Ford lifer end up with a C-10? Travis offered a convincing story after we grilled him on the matter. “The real reason I bought the Chevy truck in the first place was because I pulled a 383 SBC out of a 1933 Ford coupe, and I wanted to put it in a Chevy of some kind. I admit that I was bored and wanted to do something different than what I was used to.” We can understand that.

We had so many more questions, and Travis was quick to answer them all. “I didn’t know much about Chevy cars or trucks. I settled on the ’66 C-10, which was only supposed to be a ‘play around on the weekend’ kind of truck. I actually got it running with that 383 for a few days before I parked it and started to gather some ideas of what exactly I wanted to do with it.” Naturally for a guy with his upbringing, he hit the junkyards for inspiration.

“I found and purchased an LS2 from an ’06 Corvette that I thought would work perfectly in the C-10,” Travis says. “I was pretty excited to find it at such a good deal, as it was my first LS engine. I did end up having to rebuild it and replace the entire block. It was cracked and there was no way around that. I learned a lot from working on this LS, but would do things 100% differently the next time around.”

Once the LS2 was ready to rock, Travis plucked the 383 from the engine bay and planted his freshly rebuilt power plant into position. It was during this time when he fell deep into the magnetism of the C-10’s charm. Travis discovered that the next couple of years of his life would be engulfed in the restoration of almost every aspect of the truck, a huge departure from what was initially slated to be a weekend beater.

With a powerful LS2 rooted under the hood, Travis experienced something genuinely new and exciting with his first truck project, and he decided to do something different with the suspension. “I originally was just going to do a static drop and be done with it. But I knew that I would kick myself for not going all the way with the drop. I went ahead and ordered premium front and rear kits from GSI Machine & Fabrication to not only get the truck as low as possible, but also to allow me to utilize the LS2 when it calls out to do so.” The front cross member allowed top-shelf modern air suspension components to be mated to the old field truck, and the rear 4-link offered the same updates and performance as well.

Travis’ home shop was the perfect place to work on a majority of the build with few distractions. It was in the same shop where he addressed the C-10’s exterior. The truck has a simple, straightforward vibe going on, but it’s not exactly basic. A few stock components, such as the bumpers and grille, remain intact, and the DuPont paint combination serves as naturally classic attire. Travis was surprised that the bulk of his work was spent on the bed floor. “I have a mountain of time invested in the wheel wells alone,” he says. “I guess what could separate my bed a bit from most raised C-10 beds is that I made it … accept the original wood kit. I essentially cut the entire structure out of the bed and raised it 10 inches, which was a lot of extra work I didn’t anticipate. I modified the wheel wells to make them a bit wider and a lot shorter, and also left the factory indent, which most people don’t do, I guess.”

The learning curve was naturally going to throw Travis for a loop, seeing as this was his first truck build, but he pulled through like he always has. The only aspect that he would like to improve is the stereo system, but seeing how plush the rest of the interior came out, that’s a minor quibble. Although Travis crossed to the other side of the tracks, he’s ready to head right back over. “The next build will be a ’61 Ford unibody truck. I’ve been hooked on trucks nowadays.”

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BUILD SPECS

OWNER

Travis Enoch
1966 Chevy C-10
Las Cruces, NM

Engine

• 2006 GM LS2
• 400 hp
• 2002 GM 4L80E transmission
• Champion radiator
• Gibson long-tube headers
• Stock LS2 air cleaner
• Magnaflow mufflers
• Boyd Welding fuel cell

Chassis & Suspension

• GSI front cross member
• GSI control arms
• CPP 2-inch drop spindles
• Rear 4-link setup, GSI notch and cross member
• Air Lift Dominator 2600 ’bags
• GSI shocks
• AZ Performance 14-inch brake system
• Wilwood master cylinder

Wheels & Tires

• 22-inch Budnik Pivot wheels with titanium powder-coat finish
• 255/30R22 and 265/35R22 Nexen tires

Body & Paint 

• DuPont Saddle and Milkshake paint by James Munoz and owner
• Stock front bumper and grille
• Custom bed floor

Interior & Stereo

• Snowden bench seat
• Vinyl upholstery
• Custom-wrapped door panels
• GSI handles
• Dakota Digital gauges
• Budnik steering wheel
• Brothers carpet kit

Special Thanks From the Owner: “Thank you to GSI Machine and Fabrication, AZ Pro Performance, James Munoz and my wife, Rebecca Enoch, for all the support.”

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