1965 Chevy C10 on Airbags and 20-inch wheels

Jon Hansen . September 29, 2022 . c10

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Sometimes Crime DOES Pay

Dennis Weaver, a bail bondsman from Venice, Florida, has probably gained some pretty wild tales from his career over his time in the “industry.” As much as we wanted to hear all those crazy stories, we will have to wait until next time we sit down with Dennis and have some cold ones in our hands. The tale we are here to pass on today, however, is the story of his 1965 C10 affectionately known as Busted.

Catfished … Kinda

When Weaver initially found this Chevy online from a man in West Virginia, you might be able to say he had been slightly catfished by what he got … a.k.a. the truck may not have been the gem that he expected at the time to begin transforming.

Let’s go ahead and list the pros before the cons (we are a pretty glass half full set of people here after all): The truck had been in a garage for 13 years before Dennis bought it, and it had come out of Arizona originally so the C10 had zero rust on it.

Fully custom shades of tans, browns, and rust created the one-of-a-kind patina that really make this 1965 stand out. In person, let us be the first to say, it is QUITE a statement piece indeed.

a 383 sporting Chevy Orange was the heartbeat of choice here.

The cons: The truck had been in a garage for 13 years (yes, that is a positive and negative), the gas tank was literally held in place by a man’s belt, the back window was held into place with a Ford window molding and a riveted piece of aluminum, and to put the icing on the cake, the engine was a 305 when he was told it contained a 383.

So, what does this all mean? Well, Dennis and his friends had some work to do.

The Teardown

Wasting no time at all, the project began. Weaver started off by stripping the truck down to nothing but a cab and some pre-existing framework. Once that process had been completed the real fun kicked off with the first part of the truck’s transformation, the suspension. In addition to installing a full set of airbags in the front and rear, support was added by putting Speedway Motors shocks with each corner for stability.

A custom air suspension wouldn’t look quite at home here, so a reclaimed barnwood box was the perfect hidden treasure trunk.

Upon wrapping that up, the new 16-gallon gas tank and fuel neck were relocated, and the motor work commenced. Dennis made sure he got the 383 he originally wanted in the truck, and THEN some. The 383 V-8 crate motor from Hot Rod Company out of Washington was built to peel the rubber off the wheels. The upgraded cams, connecting rods, pistons, manifold, and more ensured this engine will be providing smokey burnouts with ease for many years to come.

A Statement Piece

Next up, is everyone’s favorite part: the paint and body. For many people, this is when you really start to see your truck take shape and become what you have been waiting for all this time. After wrapping up the rest of the bodywork needed to proceed, JR Mustani began spraying the magic you see before you today. Fully custom shades of tans, browns, and rust created the one-of-a-kind patina that really make this 1965 stand out. In person, let us be the first to say, it is QUITE a statement piece indeed. As a final custom paintwork addition, Dennis had his gorgeous set of staggered 20-inch Intro Twisted Vistas given a matching brown colored face to set them off from the polished billet lips.

To complete the truck, Weaver called upon another friend—Shane at Mainley Trim and Upholstery—for some assistance on the finishing bits and interior. Using a smooth, beautiful brown distressed leather, Shane wrapped the Speedway Motor’s bucket seats to be one of a kind, and then made sure the diamond stitched leather headliner, door panels, and custom bed cover tied in perfectly. Throw in his high-performance JL stereo, and new instrument cluster, and the busted C 10 was looking anything but its namesake and has now proven that sometimes, crime does pay after all—well, if you’re on the bail side of it, that is!

Huge Thank You

Dennis Weaver wants to give a huge thank you to everyone who helped make this build possible for him, but especially Shane at Mainly Trim and Upholstery, Chris Kelsey, Jason Hill, Erik Salvesen, JR Mustari, Tom “Second Shift” Schwab, and last and most importantly, Dennis wants to give the biggest thanks to his wife Tina for putting up with all the time he spent in the shop along the way.

Build Specs

OWNER

Dennis Weaver

1965 Chevy C10
Venice, FL

Chassis/Suspension

Cut and channeled stock 1965 frame
CPP steering box
Moog stabilizer
16-gallon Fuel Tank’s Inc. fuel cell relocated under the bed, w/ a custom fuel neck inside the cooler
Airbags from airbagit.com
Speedway Motors front and rear shocks
Custom painted Gulf Livery on air tank
WD-40 Logo’d air compressor
Performed by Shmikey’s Performance in Venice, FL
8-inch narrowed rear end w/ Moser axles and 10 Bolt 373 limited slip

Engine/Transmission