So why pick a C/10 Chevy or the INTENSE build? Terry Van Dyke admits he had been on the lookout for a potential project for the students to tackle, but he was also aware that getting anything too complex would make the project too overwhelming for students that had never completely disassembled and reassembled a vehicle before.
"The C/10 provides a base that can be easily understood," explains Terry. "And today's enthusiast industry has embraced pickup trucks to the point that they are a hot commodity. It made sense to see if one might be out there that we could snatch up for a reasonable cost."
"I started checking the sale ads and found nothing that would be in our budget. So I checked out Marketplace to see if there were any on there. I found a couple trucks that fit our budget and one that was a little out of our range. I called and talked with the owner and told him what the truck was for and talked him down in price. Next was a 4 1/2 drive to pick up our find. I was very happy with the truck we got."
The C/K Chevrolet series of trucks debuted in 1960 following the company's Task Force series that was produced from 1954 to 1959. This was Chevrolet's first major change in light duty truck design, incorporating a truck chassis rather than the shared GM A-body platform. The series used a drop-center frame, placing the cab lower, along with the truck's center of gravity; an independent front torsion bar suspension and rear axle with coil springs. Those torsion bars disappeared in 1963, replaced by coils up front.
The C/K designation signified C for all conventional cab and K for the 4-wheel drive. The series didn't use a specific name until 1967, when the Action Line was introduced. A totally redesigned body marked this second generation as a favorite among vintage truck enthusiasts multiple decades later.
The trucks from 1967-1972 had numerous added features and revisions, with these models now sporting automatic transmissions, AM/FM radios, carpet, and two-tone paint. Those work horses began to show some style and the public responded in a positive fashion.
The second generation continued to use the same basic body sheet metal until 1972, when the "square body" trucks came into the market as the third generation of C/K production. The 1968, C/K trucks could be ordered for the first time with big block V8s. Both the Cheyenne and Sierra (GMC) names were introduced in 1971 and 1972. 1972 was also the last year Chevrolet offered the series as just a two-door cab. The 4-door crew cab made its first appearance in 1973.
In 2017 Chevrolet celebrated 100 years of producing trucks by building a 1967 C/10 show truck in house, trimming its factory long bed down to a classic short box, lowering it, installing 20-inch wheels over 4-wheel discs, smoothing the bumpers and adding a 405hp ZZ6 crate engine mated to a 4L65-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission.
Aftermarket parts builders and distributors have stepped up big time in the past few years, getting a huge array of performance and styling accessories on the shelves for C/10 fans to create their own pickup beauties. The Hawkeye Community College INTENSE project C/10 picked up some fast sponsorship from a list of vendors who want to be part of this student-built masterpiece.
"We picked "INTENSE" as the truck name," explains Terry, "to recognize the attention to detail, concentration, and hard work it's going to take to bring this build to life at the highest level possible. I believe the students are ready to jump in to make this one of the nicest C/10 builds you'll see in the future."
To donate parts to Hawkeye's C/10 build, contact Terry at 319-269-8098. Or support our project with a monetary donation. Thank you!