The onset of Covid in Spring 2020 produced widespread panic and fear on a global basis.
The net result was a widespread shutdown of everyday activities and plenty of spare time because severe social restrictions also created widespread isolation.
Jim Sutherland
Some people bought pets to help them cope with Covid rules, but many car guys chose a different path, including Barry Arnett. Barry decided to dive deep into the restoration of a 1971 Chevy C-10 truck to bring the pickup back to its former glory as his personal pandemic project during the timeout.
For the record, a 1971 Chevy pickup is a member in good standing of one of the most popular pickup models ever built, namely the Chevy pickup trucks built between 1967 and 1972. They were known as the “Action-line” pickups and were the second generation of GM pickups to wear the C or K badges to differentiate the two-wheel drive “C” models from the four-wheel drive “K” models.
Barry’s 1971 Chevy C-10 falls right in the middle of the Action-line production years, and it is a stunning example of why these famous pickups have remained so popular for the past 53 years.
His ’71 Chevy was a frame-off restoration that required two donor trucks to complete the project. Barry has always been a big fan of the Action-line generation of Chevy pickups because of their timeless style and decided to build his own vision of the perfect model during the Covid panic stage.
For example, Barry used the front disc brake system from a 1972 Chevy truck to improve the overall stopping power of his pickup and retain its period-correct engineering.
The front disc/rear drum brake system is enhanced by a power booster to make the stopping experience easier on the truck’s driver. The ’71 Chevy C-10 also has power steering to improve the driving experience for Barry.
However, his truck does not have air conditioning because Barry added a sliding rear window from a donor truck, and it works well with the C-10’s vent windows to provide flow-through air movement through the pickup’s cab.
The ’71 Chevy can dangle down the road with its 350 small block and Turbo 400 automatic transmission from a donor truck. Barry added that his classic Chevy pickup has a 4-core radiator to help keep his pickup’s small block cooler under load, as well as higher road gears that reduce stress on the engine at highway speeds.
Barry replaced the truck’s rear bed with new wood and chose to move the gas tank from behind the front seat in the cab to the rear of the truck when he changed out the truck bed wood. He wanted to improve the room in the cab and eliminate a potential gas tank hazard.
He also changed the truck’s factory paint into a two-tone red and white combination that really pop on the ’71 Chevy C-10.
The entire project took about 2 ½ years and now his ’71 Chevy C-10 “doesn’t do rain and doesn’t do mud”, in Barry’s words, but it’s a perfect choice for a road trip on sunny days.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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