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This Radically Simple 1972 Chevy C10 Has A Few Unsimple Surprises

Chevys aren’t the only type of vehicles on Mark Hollie’s list of favorite rides. Neither are classic trucks. Both just happen to be high on that list. Mark has been building, buying, and driving cool cars and trucks for more than 30 years, and his lifetime collection of Bowtie haulers has included 1951, 1953, and 1966 pickups, among others.

His most recent classic Chevy advances him forward in time to 1972 and this custom C10. If you squint it looks tame—but you don’t have to look hard to see a few outward clues hinting that the powder blue and white paint might be covering up a high-performance personality.

The truck was already finished when Mark discovered it in Atlanta. He told his friend Steve Green about it first. It was newly finished with only 160 miles on the rebuild, and Green was impressed by the attention to detail and by how well it had been built. Green brought the truck from Georgia to Texas and it eventually ended up in Mark’s garage in Montgomery, Texas.

Due to the fact that the C10 was finished before Mark got it, he doesn’t know everything about its heritage. And because it was finished earlier, there were things he wanted to change—either because of personal preference or because of every gearhead’s desire to add his own personality to his or her ride.

As you can see, the exterior sheetmetal has been stripped of everything that would distract from the design of the lines—including trim, badging, mirrors, wipers—right down to bumper guards and bolts. The cab itself is factory steel. Classic Industries was the source of a lot of the replacement tin, including the brand-new hood, fenders, and bed. Even the smoothed tailgate forwards the clean, smooth style. The distinctive paint color is Nassau Blue, set off by a cream white top.

The wheels and tires follow that same style. The Ridler 645 wheels are an updated version of classic five-spokes that have been popular forever. They look both contemporary and old school at the same time. The 20-inch diameter fills out the wheelwells real well, and the mildly glossy gray paint and polished lips go well with the lowkey paint on the rest of Mark’s truck. Nitto NT420S radials, measuring 255/40R20 in front and 285/40R20 in the rear, wrap the Ridlers, leaving a wide footprint—one of those clues to the C10’s true identity.

The cowl hood is another clue. Lift that hood and you’ll catch an eyeful of the impressive engine underneath. Mark replaced the Chevy 383 that came with the truck. Taking its place is another Chevy small-block built for beauty and muscle. Mark’s friends expected him to go with an LS engine, but he says he’s “old school.” The carbureted powerplant he chose instead starts with a 406ci short block from Scott Shafiroff Race Engines, using a Dart block and aluminum cylinder heads. Air and fuel are fed through a Holley 750 Ultra 4V carburetor atop an Edelbrock intake manifold. Shorty headers draw out exhaust. Borla mufflers provide a mellow tone that gets a little more aggressive when the electronic exhaust cutouts are deployed. The appearance is beautiful and clean; Mark told us he worked hard to figure out how to route the wires out of sight. All fasteners have been replaced with ARP fasteners. Mark equipped the 1966 TH400 transmission with a Gear Vendor overdrive unit to improve its driver friendliness with a system that could handle the power from the 406. The column-shifted trans is paired with a 3,000-stall B&M torque converter.

Underneath, you’ll find the stock framerails, C-notched to contribute to the lowered stance. The frontend has been beefed up with tubular A-arms, spindles, and coilovers from Classic Performance Products. In the rear, the 3.73:1 gears spin in the GM 12-bolt, suspended with QA1 shocks and leaf springs. Wilwood disc brakes are visible through the wheels. As with the engine compartment, and every other corner of the C10, a lot of attention was paid to the appearance of the undercarriage as well as to the performance. Everything from front to rear was painted or powdercoated.

The cab interior is finished in various shades of brown and tan to contrast with the exterior colors. The custom-molded dash is almost radically simple. On the left, a full set of AutoMeter Old Tyme White gauges were installed minus an instrument panel—it doesn’t get cleaner than that. On the right, the glovebox was eliminated entirely. In between are the controls for the Vintage Air A/C system, with louvers installed at opposite ends. An aftermarket banjo steering wheel is mounted on a stock column with a billet shifter handle. The audio system includes a Kenwood stereo with Bluetooth technology. Two billet knobs are added to the lower dash on the driver side. The righthand knob is the light switch, the left side knob is the ignition key. Brown leather with tan inserts covers the door panels and custom seats of unknown origin. The buckets are separated by a leather-covered cup holder/armrest.

Mark and his wife, Gina, have a few vehicles to choose to enjoy in their free time. There are a couple more currently in the works—a 1966 Chevy II and a 1971 C10. For now, the C10 is the ride of choice—whether it’s for local car shows, an afternoon cruise down the streets of Montgomery, or a ride down the highway to the annual Lone Star Throwdown in Conroe, Texas, where the C10 was a hit with spectators. Classic Trucks photographer Joseph Dowling is a Texan himself and spotted Mark and Gina’s 1972 C10 at the Throwdown where he took these photos so you could enjoy it too.

1972 Chevy C10 Mark Hollie

CHASSIS Frame: 1971 Chevy, stock, C-notched Rearend / Ratio: 1972 GM 12-bolt, Moser axle / 3.73:1, Auburn limited slip Rear Suspension: QA1 shocks and leaf springs Rear Brakes: Wilwood disc brakes Front Suspension: Classic Performance Products tubular A-arms, spindles, and coilovers Front Brakes: Wilwood disc brakes Front Wheels: Ridler 645 20×8 Rear Wheels: Ridler 645 20×10 Front Tires: Nitto NT420S 255/40R20 Rear Tires: Nitto NT420S 285/40R20 Gas Tank: 18-gallon tank

DRIVETRAIN Engine: Scott Shafiroff Race Engines 406 small-block, I-beam rods, Probe pistons Carburetor: Holley 750 Ultra Intake Manifold: Edelbrock Endurashine Air Gap Ignition: MSD Valve Covers: Chevrolet Headers: Shorty headers Exhaust: Custom with cutouts Mufflers: Borla Transmission: 1966 GM TH400 transmission with Gear Vendor overdrive Torque Converter: B&M 3,000 stall

BODY Style: 1972 Chevy C10 Modifications: Shaved trim, filled seams Fenders: Classic Industries Hood: Classic Industries, cowl Grille: Stock Painter: Unknown Paint: Nassau Blue, white Bed: Factory, Mar-K tailgate, oak floor panels, stainless steel strips Headlights / Taillights: 1972 Chevy C10 Glass: Good Guys Bumpers: Stock, smoothed

INTERIOR Dashboard: Custom dash Gauges: AutoMeter Old Tyme White Steering Wheel: Aftermarket banjo wheel Steering Column: Stock Seats: Unknown Upholstery Material / Color: Leather / Brown and tan Carpet / Color: Wool / Light brown Air Conditioning: Vintage Air Sound System: Kenwood, Bluetooth enabled

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