Sometimes it's an old photo, a pocket watch, a military service medal, or some other type of memento that serves as a reminder of people we will never forget. For James Otto, it's this 1966 Chevy C10. "My grandfather, Pete Lee, bought this truck at a farm auction in the '80s," James says. "I grew up driving this truck on our family farm in Finley, North Dakota, and riding back and forth to town with my grandpa in it. He loved this truck, so it was pretty well cared for as far as farm trucks go. When my grandpa had to move off our family farm due to failing health, he gave the truck to me. At that point, the truck had been sitting for a decade or more in an old barn."By then, James' enthusiasm for cars and trucks continued to grow, and his lifelong musical talent had taken him to Nashville as a successful country music artist. The Chevy went with him."My first plan was to get it roadworthy and just drive it mostly as is. That didn't last very long. Fate intervened when I stumbled across an American Street Car Series event at the Nashville Fairgrounds."

I've owned hot rods for most of my adult life and was very aware of the whole Pro Touring movement but had never been in a Pro Touring car on a track doing what they're trying to do. I was instantly hooked. That day I met Brian Finch and J.B. Grainger from the Are You Faster Than a Redneck? garage door installation torsion spring instructionsTV show and struck up a friendship. sliding wardrobe doors purpleMy plans for the truck completely changed—from mild custom California cruiser style with wide whitewalls to full Pro Touring Ride."garage door plymouth maSwitching gears from old cruiser to Pro Touring truck came with a lot of challenges—mostly making the best component choices to make the truck competitive."roll up doors albuquerque

To help make that switch, James looked to Tri-Works Hot Rods in Old Hickory, Tennessee. Builders Ben Giuliano, Grant Salter, and Jacob Eden gained some notoriety at the 2016 Detroit Autorama, where their Pro Street 1940 Willys was a Great 8 finalist for the Ridler Award.One step toward making the truck competitive was to convert it from a longbed to a shortbed. cheap internal louvre doorsA stock GM shortbed frame was reinforced with a Porterbuilt inner frame stiffener and upgraded with new suspension parts. 2011 2 door jeep wrangler soft topNow the C10 rolls through the cones—or through traffic—riding on RideTech triple-adjustable coilovers. upvc sliding door repairThe frontend features tubular A-arms and CPP spindles.

The rear trailing arms and Panhard bar locate a Ford 9-inch running 3.89:1 gears with a Detroit Truetrac differential, with a rear antiroll bar to brace the ride.The stock brakes could no longer keep up with the demands of the rebuilt truck and were replaced with 14-1/2 inch discs matched with six- and four-piston front and rear Brembo calipers. That's plenty of stopping power even for massive tires and rims. Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires measure 345/30ZR19 and 295/30ZR19 and cover 19x12 and 19x10 Forgeline RB3C 10-spoke wheels.As James' goals for the C10 became more ambitious so did the powerplant choice."The realities of driving a six-cylinder three-on-the-tree farm truck in Nashville traffic at modern highway speeds became unbearable. I pulled the motor and had it rebuilt with a hotter cam and all the performance parts available for a 250ci inline-six. I backed that up with a T5 transmission and drove it that way for about a year." With Pro Touring in mind, James said goodbye to the straight-six, and dropped a 6.0L 2003 Chevy LQ4 truck engine in its place.

Building these potent LS-based engines into 400-500 hp and torque territory is not uncommon, with well-chosen performance components. Franks Ofria did the machine work and John Bouchard Engines in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, built the engine. The iron block has been bored 0.020-over, balanced and blueprinted. A Holley HP EFI system on a high-rise manifold handles induction, and Gibson Exhaust Systems performance headers draw exhaust to MagnaFlow pipes and mufflers. Bowler Transmissions built the Tremec Magnum T56 six-speed with a Centerforce Performance DYAD dual-disc clutch.The most aggressive-looking hot rod mod to the exterior is the pair of hot air extraction scoops added to the stock hood. Car Craft magazine was there when Brent Buttrey built those scoops and added Kindig-It Design flush mount handles to the doors. /articles/five-custom-body-mods-you-can-do-on-the-cheap.The white satin pearl paint was shot at Tri-Works, using PPG Balloon White with Eastwood matte clear. The side trim insert strip was sprayed in contrasting blue.

Bumpers and other pieces that would have otherwise been plated were painted satin silver.The interior was completely redone in keeping with the truck's new performance chores. Autocross racer Brian Finch installed the rollcage. The two-tone gray custom performance buckets, along with the door panels are from TMI Products. The factory dash was adapted for the custom gauges from Classic Instruments, controls for the Vintage Air A/C system, and the audio system. An Alpine ILX-007 receiver and Kicker amps feed Kicker speakers and subwoofer. TriWorks used an American Autowire package to ensure that everything functions like it's supposed to. Other components include the Budnik a steering wheel on an ididit tilt column, Finch Performance floor shifter, Wilwood bake and clutch pedal assembly, and Joes Racing Products throttle pedal.James had the C10 finished in time for a debut appearance in the TMI Products booth at the 2015 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Since then, he's been driving the truck just like he planned to—at autocross and Pro Touring competitions, on high-mile cross-country tours, and around town.

The streets of Nashville are a long way from the dirt roads of Finley. The fun James Otto is having touring and racing his 1966 C10 helps him remember his North Dakota upbringing and his grandfather Pete Lee, who died in 2015. The truck, which James calls "For Pete's Sake," was named in his honor, built in his honor, and serves as a reminder of him.Frame: GM shortbed frame with Porterbuilt inner frame stiffenerRearend / Ratio: Ford 9-inch with Detroit Truetrac limited slip / 3.89:1Rear suspension: RideTech trailing arms, Panhard bar, antiroll bar, RideTech coiloversRear brakes: 14-1/2-inch discs, four-piston Brembo calipersFront suspension: tubular A-arms, CPP spindles, RideTech coiloversFront brakes: 14-1/2-inch discs, six-piston Brembo calipers, Wilwood master cylinder and proportioning valveFront wheels: Forgeline concave RB3C 19x10Rear wheels: Forgeline concave RB3C 19x12Front tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport 295/30ZR19Rear tires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport 345/30ZRR19Engine: 2003 Chevy 6.0L LQ4, bored 0.020-over, balanced and blueprintedFuel Injection: Holley HP EFIExhaust / Mufflers: MagnaFlow / MagnaFlowClutch: Centerforce Performance Centerforce DYAD dual discStyle: 1966 Chevy C10 pickupModifications: Filled and smoothed holes, converted to shortbed with replacement bedsides and tailgate, replacement front quartersHood: original with custom hot air extraction scoopsGrille