Words: Tommy Parry
After being surrounded by classic trucks for most of his lifetime, Jimmy knew that one day he’d have a custom truck of his own. Preferably one which went around corners nicely. Inspired by the Pro10 C10 and the Smokey F1 trucks, he set out to build his own hillclimber special roughly three years ago.
With an image of a dedicated race truck in his mind, Jimmy had a great deal to ponder. Fortunately, his background as a mechanical engineer helped him shuffle towards his goal a little quicker than might a mere dreamer, but he still had his hands full.
The first order of business was to make the chassis as rigid as possible, as he planned to build this machine like a stock car, with the body only acting as a shell and aerodynamic device. The floor – most likely an aluminum sheet – would attach directly to the chassis.
Building a truck to this standard is a tall order, especially when trying to source all the CAD files for bits like the steering, differential, brakes and so on. However, his familiarity with the relevant software more than sufficed for the necessary research. After running a number of chassis configurations in Solidworks, he tested them using FEA software. To confirm his predictions, he 3D printed scale models and torsion tested them.
A large part of why he structured the chassis this way was for aerodynamics. In order to seal the car with an undertray, the entirety of the drivetrain has to be mounted on top of the chassis. That said, some of the tubes will be cut slightly to lower part of the engine – namely the oil pan – deeper into the chassis for center of gravity.
With a good chunk of the planning done, he sold the original engine and chassis from his C10 and started cutting the floor and firewall out of the cab in anticipation of the rollcage. Then he mounted the cab atop the chassis, and sighed a breath of relief. His calculations were accurate; he planned for about a half-inch of clearance between the outer tubes of the chassis and the inside of the rockers, and it fit beautifully.
Someone with Jimmy’s skillset, ambition, intelligence and resourcefulness is bound to create something singular. There’s a bright future in store for this ‘64 C10. Between time attack, NASA Super Touring and perhaps SEMA’s Battle of the Builders, Jimmy’s going to have plenty to ponder.
Down the road, he plans on employing the following parts:
-Custom engineered tube chassis and suspension components
-Carbon body panels
-Independent front and rear suspension
-All-aluminum LS3-based engine
-NASCAR Jerico 4-speed transmission
-Winter’s IRS Quick Change
-Wilwood Brakes
-335/30-18 A7/R7 Hoosier Slicks or equivalent for Time Attack/NASA
-335/30-18 Toyo R888R for autocross
-18×12” CCW Corsair C10 Wheels
To keep an eye on Jimmy’s progress, you can visit his build thread here.
