Going Against The Grain Pays Off For Mike Obermeyer’s ’68 C10

There is something to be said about going against the grain. For good or bad, winners, trendsetters, failures, and flops all tend to go against the grain…they share one thing in common, though, and that is the willingness to buck the norm and risk reputation or more.

Whether that risk is something as seemingly trivial as choosing which project to build, or as complex as deciding upon educational/career paths matters not in this case – Michael Obermeyer’s case.

All photos supplied by Studio 7 Imagery.

Like many auto enthusiasts and car builders, Michael doesn’t possess any formal training or education about the tasks he has mastered, but sheer experience and will have enabled him to craft a truck that stands out from the crowd. When all of his friends were building Camaros And Novas, he chose a different route to make a very unique and custom C10.

From Humble Beginnings To Standing Out

Michael told us the killer stance his C10 sports is courtesy of a 3.5-inch drop spindle up front and a 5-inch drop in the rear.

In Michael’s own words, “cars and trucks have always been my passion.” During his childhood, Michael became a cub scout, and was tasked with building a model car – he was instantly hooked.

Fast-forward, 35 years later, and the model building has morphed into the designing of award-winning cars and trucks, which have been featured in several magazines – Street Muscle Magazine now among them. Although, he is quick to point out, “The skills I acquired while creating models has really come in handy with the work I do on a larger scale.”

With the tires aggressively tucked in the wheel wells and several racing-inspired design cues like the spoiler, stainless-steel fuel cell, and carbon mirrors, it’s easy to see why Michael’s C10 stands out from the crowd.

Back when Michael was only 18 years old and fresh out of high school, he showed a considerable amount of mechanical aptitude for someone with no formal training. However, that didn’t stop him from chasing his dreams and crafting one of the raddest custom pickups we’ve seen in quite some time. It can be difficult to stand out in the C10 crowd these days, but Michael was ahead of the game.

Did we mention how much we love the back of this truck?

Being a broke youngster meant scrimping and scrounging for the Chevy of his dreams. That also meant Michael swooped up any and all deals he could on a whole host of crusty old C10s until he had compiled enough parts to create his Frankensteined pickup out of the most choice pieces.

Color Change

Flashback to the present – Michael has owned the ’68 C10 for more than 20 years. Although, it didn’t always look the way you see here today. The truck started out in an Electric Blue color, and it stayed that way for many years. That is until Michael decided to tear the whole thing down a few years ago and start over. He wanted to take the build to a whole new level, and we’re glad he did!

No, you’re not losing it, that’s just a ’68 C10 with a ’69 front clip.

It is now a brilliant white. The all-steel body has been customized with a ’69 front clip, which we are sure throws many C10 spotters off. Of course, a modern pro-touring-ish truck like this one wouldn’t be complete without an almighty LS under the hood.

Drivetrain

The truck is now powered by a 5.3-liter LS-variant sourced from a mystery vehicle dating way back to 2004. The little GM engine that could is mated to a Turbo 350 transmission. Out back, a 12-bolt rearend with 3.73:1 gears and posi-trac is on tire-shredding duty.

The 5.3-liter LS that sits between the C10's frame rails sports a hopped-up, fabricated intake manifold from FiTech. The fuel management system is fed by a stainless-steel Body's fuel tank.

Rolling Stock

To allow for a larger choice of wheels, the C10 now has a 1972 five-lug conversion. Although, the C10 still sports a fresh set of Rallye wheels. The truck also sports front and rear sway bars along with an adjustable Panhard bar. To adjust the altitude, as is the nature of many C10 owners, Michael elected to use a 3.5-inch drop spindle in the front and a five-inch drop flip kit in the rear for a great hot rod rake.

The stance on Michael's C10 is damn near perfect. He's accomplished the stance with 3.5-inch drop spindles up front and a 5-inch drop flip kit in the rear.

To accommodate the new fuel-injected heart of the C10, Michael utilized a host of aftermarket support. Starting with the tank, a Boyd’s unit was installed that feeds a FiTech injection system.

The truck also sports a radical Jenson audio system.

Custom Touches

Michael put a lot of thought into the body modifications on the C10, and they are numerous.

According to Mike, “the hood, tailgate, center console, and rear spoiler were all custom-made by the famous OB’s Speed Shop (a.k.a. my garage in the backyard).”

The custom C10 hood sports deep heat extractor vents.

Suffice to say, Michael knows what he’s doing with a set of tools – regardless of what they are. In this case, they happened to be for bodywork. We just love those custom touches he’s added. Check out the see-through bow tie in the tailgate!

Michael also took special care when it came time to address the wood slats in the bed of the truck. He made careful measurements using the rotten board the truck came with and fabricated new ones from solid oak planks. Once he’d crafted the new planks, he added polished stainless steel strips to top it all off.

The custom touches don't stop at the exterior. The C10's interior is rife with personal touches as well. Mike did a fantastic job!

Michael went on, “the front spoiler, door panels, and inner fenders were fabricated by VanNatta Fabrication in Missouri. It felt great to see this vision in my head come to life in front of me, and I am just as proud of the new results as I was when I first finished it all those years ago.”

One of our absolute favorite parts about Michael Obermeyer’s truck is the see-through bow tie in the tailgate. What better way to show off the solid oak planks that make up the bed floor?

Well, we’ve got to say, you should feel proud Michael! Great job, and thanks for reaching out to us with your fantastic “readers ride.”

Until next time…

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About the author

Vinny Costa

Fast cars, motorcycles, and loud music are what get Vinny’s blood pumping. Catch him behind the wheel of his ’68 Firebird. Chances are, Black Sabbath will be playing in the background.
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