Rusty Fresh…

Not all projects start with completely breaking down a car to fully restore, in fact many of you reading probably started with a project similar to Nick Mangretta’s 1965 C10. A project that has been started, has great bones, was the right price and well within the technical capabilities of the buyer. Not all rad rides need to be built from the ground up! However, the good parts about having a project that’s already been started sometimes are offset by corners cut from the previous owner. You tend to find these sins pretty quickly…this is where Nick started. He bought his 65 in primer grey halfway complete and sat it in his parent driveway for a year before he tore into it and found the short cuts by the previous builder.

Nick by day is a master mechanic for a local Subaru dealership, if you haven’t listened to the podcast yet know he’s seen his share of clapped out WRX’s and has some choice words for those individuals (seems to be a theme on the podcast). He found his 65 online for sale down in Maryland and knew he had to have it. After trailoring it to his parents house, he got to work on making this project his. First on the list was the suspension and brakes. The truck was already bagged by the previous owner however it was not done well with quality parts. Old style SMC valves, lines and fittings had to go for new reliable parts. The stock frame was already C-notched so the hard part was already done, so Nick rebuilt the entire system and tucked it nicely in the bed. Now the truck rides on an AccuAir system capable of anything Nick asks from it. Nick then turned his attention to the braking system because, “I was stomping my foot all the way to the floor and it wouldn’t stop.” The old manual drum brake system has been replaced by a CPP disk upgrade kit that ensure Nick can stop with the same performance as modern cars. The truck rides on Detroit Steel Smoothies 18x8s all around, with baby moon center caps color matched to the trim on the body.

In the future Nick would like to upgrade, the factory stamped a-arms to tubular ones to pull the suspension inwards. Nick was on the wrong side of trial and error and got the wrong offset wheels so he needed to cut out an inner portion of the fender to ensure everything fit. Last suspension upgrade will be to replace the front shock mounts as the previous owner had cut it out. Sketchy to drive an air ride vehicle with no shocks!!

Under the hood, propped up by a stick (love it), Nick kept with the patina theme by keeping the crusty paint on the Chevy 350 out of a 70s van with unknown miles. Degreasing and a few dress up parts keep the theme going topped with a 4 barrel carb. The engine Nick reports is a little tired however this thing was built for low and slow. Nick stated that the truck was overheating, quite the feat in Pittsburgh, so he swapped stock fan for some big electric versions. The manual 3 on the tree stock longitudinal transmission has been converted to 3 speed on the floor. The long throws are remenicant of the old school “knuckle buster” style transmission. As it sits there is a nice “felony hole,” in the firewall where the heater box used to be that is currently being deleted to keep the no nonsense look under the hood.

The interior is where Nick put in most of the work. When he got the truck there was no carpet, some no name floor mats, no radio, original gauge cluster and sill plates however it did come with a really nice pinstripe on the original color the truck came with. Nick threw some carpet finished off by sill plates, that for original, are very unique. He installed a Retro Sound head unit that has modern sound however still looks factory to drown out the old school rattles that come with a 56 year old truck. His favorite part about the interior is the Dakota Digital gauges that give a dressed up look while ensuring that all of the electronic gauges work properly. The original seat looks great with the big steering wheel, big because he’s not running power steering. Nick would like to upgrade the seat in the future as the current one has too much padding and is worn out.

The exterior of the truck is what really sets this build off from the rest. Nick teamed up with John Kokenda, friend of the podcast, and came up with the idea to get rid of the grey paint and replace it with patina paint job. They decided to tackle the job in Nicks two car garage, however one of the bays was filled with another car (the M3 in the background of a few pics) therefore needed to be plastic lined and vented so his family and cars wouldn’t get harmed. They were also hampered by the weather because they chose to do the project in the winter. The rust and black colored base was put down first and the subsequent layers put on top. Once the last layer of the traditional mint green was put down they started sanding through the layers to get the weathered look. They did a lot of research and thinking on where people would lean on and touch over the years as well as where water would run down and rust the vehicle.

John then came in and worked his magic with the airbrush. The attention to detail John put in takes this paint job over the top. The rust around the handles, lettering, gas cap, grill, roof and emblems all make this truck look like it has been sitting in a field for years. It complements the original trim and emblems to give it an authentic patina look but with the advantages of a newer paint.

Future plans for the truck include upgrades that Nick can do over the years and still be able to enjoy the truck. Nick wants the truck more reliable and comfortable. Nicks next upgrade will be fresh seats, with cup holders and sealing up the firewall. He would like to do an engine swap, maybe an LS, for a more reliable, better gas mileage ride that he can take anywhere. A wood bed to cover up the air components and give the truck a more polished look.

Nick is a car guys through and through, not only is he a mechanic by trade but also has a great taste in cars. He continues the tradition of wrenching on your own, driving you car as your working on it and doing it on a budget at his own pace. If you can believe Nick is all in at around $15K for the build and as hot as these trucks are I’d say Nick is way in the money! If you have any questions or want to follow Nicks journey with the C10 give him a follow on instagram @n_mangretta or on Facebook at Nick Mangretta. Big thanks to Nicks girlfriend, who had just received the COVID shot and was feeling under the weather, for letting me come hang out and bs with Nick in the freezing cold. I can’t wait to see what he does next with the truck!