Carlos Lockamy, from Dunn, North Carolina, has been a trucking enthusiast for more than 20 years. His previous truck, a custom S-10 was a regular on the show circuit but once the 'Dime' was complete, he wanted to build something new. (As a Snap-On Tools dealer, Carlos likes to keep his well-stocked toolboxes active!) He was looking for a vintage '67 through '72 Chevy, both for the classic lines and the room of a full-size truck. Luckily, one of his fellow club members from Severed Ties had a 1968 Chevrolet C-10 for sale nearby, and it fit the bill perfectly. Owner Billy Allen from Asheboro, North Carolina had been working on the truck for almost six years, but was also looking for a new project. To his pleasant surprise, Carlos found several important modifications had already been made to the truck. He purchased the Chevy and went through it mechanically, learning the vehicle and modifying it to suit his tastes.

The front end of the body-dropped truck was Z'd, which relocated the front cross members downward, lowering the front clip. The upper A-Arm was notched to clear the shaft for the power steering and disk brakes from an Impala that replaced the original drums. The Positraction 3.73 rear was held in place by reinforced trailing arms and stabilized with a Panhard Bar. A C-notch ensured it cleared the frame. In addition to the body drop, the truck has a full air suspension that allows the big 20x8.5 inch American Racing rims and Hancook tires to fill the wheel wells. The engine was a Chevy crate 350 with Vortec heads, Holley 650, larger cam, Hooker Headers, and a 3200 rpm stall speed in the 700R4 transmission.

Carlos began working on the truck, concentrating on the interior that was virtually empty when he bought it. Dynamat sound insulation was the first step, covering everything inside. Nissan Hardbody seats and the custom door panels were upholstered in two shades of Katzkins leather, accented with suede, thanks to JB's Upholstery Shop in Raleigh, North Carolina. Chrome and polished aluminum highlights are everywhere like the steering wheel and Iron Cross rearview mirror from Billet Specialties, door handles and window cranks, plus the LMC grooved panels on the dash. A full complement of Auto Meter Pro Comp gauges in front of the driver monitor all the under hood activity. Four gauges in the center of the dash read air pressure in each bag while the fifth gauge monitors the reserve tank.

Stereo was next beginning with the glove compartment that was converted to hold the Alpine CD head unit. It controls the power coming from the pair of JL Audio amps behind the seats. Mounted in a custom fiberglass enclosure built by Car Audio and Security, Wake Forest, North Carolina, the first 500 Watt amplifier powers the single JL Audio 12" sub between the seats while the second 300 Watt amp powers the 6.5" component sets in the custom kick panels. Dark gray carpeting adds an elegant touch to the silver interior.

In the bed, the polished aluminum, 10-gallon fuel cell is mounted close to the cab wall and the huge, full width tub creates a dramatic look. Hidden beneath the bed are a pair of Viair 450 compressors and a 5-gallon chrome reserve tank, energizing the Firestone air bags through MIC manual valves and quarter inch lines. The tailgate has been welded shut, the corners radiused, and the bed sprayed with Line-X silver bed liner. The Chevrolet name has been proudly retained on the tailgate and the "SCHOOLNU" license plate offset to the upper edge. Slim LED taillights light up the rear and add to the list of subtle modifications. ABS Body Shop in Asheboro, North Carolina did the work, finishing the truck in House of Kolor Orion Silver.

We photographed the completed truck at the Big Show in Rockingham, North Carolina, which happened to be the very first time Carlos entered the Chevy in competition. He was glad that he did, especially when he heard his name called, announcing him as the winner of the Best of Show award, up against more than 700 other vehicles.

How is the completed truck to live with? In the past, he always trailered his previous S-10 to shows, but now he really enjoys the vintage '68, driving it everywhere and enjoying that big, powerful V-8. Future plans? Carlos intends to add a 4-link and 22s in the rear along with a set of ghost flames to complete the exterior. For now, Carlos drives his truck to shows and it will "school you" for it was one of the finest classic trucks we have featured to date.

Shout Out: "Special thanks to Angela, my wife, Rich Thompson, Tommy Bailey, Chris and Mike at Car Audio, and all my Severed Ties member friends in the North Carolina Chapter." -Carlos Lockamy