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by Michael GolubiewskiProduction Editor
A newer original
Paul Maciejewski of Scott Twp. in Columbia County sends us this week’s ride, a 1986 Chevrolet C-10 pickup truck he has given a complete frame-on restoration.
The “C” was the name Chevrolet gave to its full-size pickup trucks from 1960-1998. The 1986 C-10 belongs to the pickup’s third generation, which was produced from 1973-1987. That generation of the C-10 featured the infamous “sidesaddle fuel tanks.” The fuel tank was relocated from the cab to outboard sides of one or both frame rails beneath the cab floor extending under the leading edge of the bed. This allowed the truck’s fuel capacity to be enlarged from 16 gallons to 40 gallons. (It also led to the now-discredited 1993 report on “Dateline NBC” that claimed that placement made the trucks capable of exploding when involved in a side impact collision.
Maciejewski says the restoration of his truck took him a few years to complete, but it was “well worth the wait. I wanted to keep the truck as original as possible.”
It has a new motor, but it’s the same style motor that came with the truck in 1986, a 4.3-liter, 6-cylinder engine that is punched .30 over and features a big old four barrel carburetor. Maciejewski says he installed a 400 turbo transmission with 373 posi-rear end, which he says works well with the 4.3 liter engine. Other modifications include a Cowel induction hood, Chevy rally wheels and custom graphics, which were done by Ed Gregorowicz. Shawn Hack of Greenwood Auto Collision did the rest of the custom paintwork.
“Almost all of the trim is General Motors,” Maciejewski says.
Interior changes included new carpeting, dash cover and seat cover, plus a Pioneer sound system. Maciejewski says one of the unique aspects of his 1986 C-10 is that it features the six-foot box.
“A C-10 with a six foot bed is very hard to find,” he says. “There are tons of eight footers out there.”
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