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    A Southern Tradition

    Johnson City, Tennessee didn’t just host a car show—it briefly turned into a rolling museum of American hot rodding.
The 51st NSRA Street Rod Nationals South took over the Appalachian Fairgrounds on May 8–9, 2026, delivering two full days of traditional street rods, customs, and classic builds that reflected decades of craftsmanship and culture.

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    Beech Bend’s Best at the Tri-Five Nationals 2025

    This year marked 70 years since the 1955 Chevy hit the streets, kicking off a three-year run that forever changed the automotive landscape. And judging by the rows of spotless Bel Airs, hardtop sedans, wicked gassers, and full-tilt pro-touring machines, the legend is alive, well, and meaner than ever. Everywhere you turned, there was another masterpiece—whether it was a flawless restoration, a ground-shaking drag car, or a radical custom that pushed the envelope.

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    FINDING THE RIGHT C10

    It Takes Time and Know-How

    Author

    Picture of Dave Hill

    Dave Hill

    Story & Photography

    The Action Line C10 series, produced from 1967 to 1972, is one of the most popular of the classic era of Chevy trucks. They have been transformed into every form imaginable, from sweet shop trucks to double-throwdown showstoppers, from strip-burning quarter-pounders to boulder-flattening off-roaders, and certainly everything in between. We’ll long remember the days when a black ’70 stepside would pass you on the street, dumped low in the front with Americans all around, running fat rubber out back and sweet-sounding exhaust dumping out in front of the rear wheels. You just knew that guy had something trick in the garage at home, too.

    Those were among the first pickups to begin the transition from work vehicles to daily drivers, and they are very likely responsible for today’s transportation picture, in which there are far more pickups sold than passenger cars. That probably happened because the  missus got a kick out of driving and being seen in hubby’s cool stepside, which ignited the prettier peoples’ interest in owning their own trucks. If you didn’t have a C10 stepside back when they were readily available, you probably wanted one. We all know you want one now or you wouldn’t be reading this article.  Unfortunately, unless you find one of those older gearheads who still has his black stepside, finding a decent C10 to build these days is not as easy as it was 25 or 30 years ago. These trucks are going on 50+ years old now, and since they were great drivers to begin with, they have a whole lot of miles on them. Probably the best way to buy one is if it’s been recently well restored. It will cost you a bundle, but you’ll be money ahead in the long run.

    What we’re showing you here is either what to expect if you plan to do your own work, or what to look for and avoid if you don’t. If you are serious about finding the right C10, you’re going to have to be patient, determined and, above all, able to resist the impulse buy. If you find one locally, SAVE THIS ARTICLE, get the truck up on a lift, as we did, and go over it thoroughly. If you have to buy it sight unseen, or just from pictures, all you can go on is the owner’s “honest” description. Such was the case with our example here: a very nice-looking ’70 Fleetside found on eBay. It was the exact model that the new owner was looking for, and it had a “built” 350 with a B&M trans. The seller answered all the questions to the buyer’s satisfaction, so he decided that the risk was justified. The truck was located in the Midwest, requiring a $900 transport to California.

    At first glance it looks like a winner, especially with the built engine and trans, the new wheels and tires, and the cleanliness and completeness. But appearances can be deceiving, very deceiving, so let’s have a closer look.  Follow along and learn where and what to look for before you close the deal. Happy hunting!

    It looks like a great truck from here. The wheels and tires were a strong buying point, but they turned out to be not quite what the seller described, so they will soon be in the swap meet pile behind the garage. That four-wheel-drive look has got to go, too. Let’s get it up on the rack for a closer look.
    1. At first glance, it looks pretty clean. There’s the B&M trans—well, a B&M pan, anyway. We also see headers and a deep sump oil pan.
    2. It’s pretty decent back here, too. It just needs that muffler hanger bolted back up. But then, you’ll be installing some performance mufflers and routing the pipes out the side ahead of the wheels. It has the good progressive-rate coil springs, but they sit the truck way too high.
    3. The headers are even thermal wrapped, and that Moroso oil pan, while certainly not the ultimate, is better than a stocker. But if you slam the truck as planned, that will have to go.
    4. Unfortunately, the headers are touching the lower A-arm. Most likely they were not made for this chassis. As you know, headers are generally year, make, model and drivetrain specific. But one can usually squeeze them into a different application. Worse yet, the oil filter is either trapped by them or very difficult to get at. Buyer beware!
    5. That oil pan will have to come off to replace the leaking front seal, which has been leaking for some time.
    6. The steering box return line fitting tube is crimped, and the hose needs a grommet in that hole.
    7. The brakes appear to be okay, and the new dust cap on the bearing housing can mean anything from new bearings to just a repack, or just a new cap.
    8. Greasy, dirty rod end joints are not bad. It’s when they are dry or dripping grease on the tire that you have to check them. Prod them with a screwdriver to see if they are torn or brittle.
    9. Check the body-mount donuts for dryness and cracks. Also look for rust color inside where water can get trapped and eventually break the bolt.
    10. The rear mounts are harder to get at and will require lifting the body to replace them. The truck was obviously repainted in the original color, as you will rarely find new paint in these areas.
    11. Check the inside of the bed’s lower side panels for any signs of repair. It looks all clear here.
    12. The cab-floor-to-rocker-panel joint is prone to rust damage. We marked this area for repair, as it had obviously been covered over with some sort of caulk. Also note the rust damage to the sheetmetal structural members.
    13. Here’s the “built” 350. How well it’s built remains to be seen.
    14. It looks like a snake pit down the passenger’s side of the engine. We see various hoses and wires that shouldn’t be anywhere near those headers. Obviously the engine used to be orange, and if left in this condition, it will need to be repainted to be presentable. Since it is peeling all over, it will have to be pulled to strip it, if you are to do this properly. Of course, with the engine removed, you open up the front end for all manner of detailing opportunities, and even upgrading.
    15. The headers are rusting as well as barely clearing the framerail, and they will most likely hit under torque. If the headers are good and are to be kept, they can be removed and detailed with high-temperature paint, or sent out for coating.
    16. It looks to have a good performance ignition system, and although the wiring is a total rat’s nest, it looks as if it’s done properly, which is a hopeful sign that the under-dash wiring isn’t a hack job. You’ll want to change the carb to an Edelbrock and plumb it better.
    17. It has an electric fan, which is a nice plus, but since the radiator is a crossflow, the fan needs to be on the input side on the right.
    18. If you like the color you’re in luck, because the paint is in very good condition. The upholstery looks pretty nice, too, although not very exciting. The rubber is either new or the truck has always been garaged.
    19. The dash pad isn’t cracked or heat warped, and the carpet is good. If you want to keep the truck “era correct,” the tach, under-dash gauges, steering wheel and matching shift knob are perfect. It even has a pine tree air freshener! The Alpine stereo mentioned in the listing description turned out to be a low-end cassette unit, and we don’t see any speakers. You’ll want to relocate the fire extinguisher and paint the heater and pedals black.
    20. Now for the bad news (California readers, pay attention here): An ad that says “never any rust” is far better than one that says “no rust” Maybe there is no actual rust showing, but this truck has serious rust problems.
    21. What you’re looking at here is the previous rust repair body filler being pushed outward by the still-alive cancer that was not eliminated the first time around. To cure the problem, your best bet is a new door bottom.
    22. The driver’s side is even worse. Since the truck features “new paint,” it’s a sure bet that there are many more rust repairs elsewhere that will eventually bubble out like these.
    23. Here you can plainly see an actual patch piece being pushed away from the growing rust beneath it. With the damage to the rear of it, a new fender is probably in order.
    24. The pain of having to cut into the new paint job is nothing because, as you can see, it was never color sanded flat. It may even be that the primer wasn’t sanded before the color coats.
    25. Always check the doors for traveling mirror tracks. You can clearly see the badly covered previous position here.
    26. All the light lenses are either new or very well preserved, and the tailgate works smoothly and isn’t dented or bent. The spray-on bedliner is a plus, unless you don’t want it, which would mean you’re in for a lot of messy work. If that’s the case, it’s best to replace it.
    This is a nice-looking ’70 C10 Fleetside that could provide a person with a powerful, good-riding pickup they could be proud of, or it could provide a good foundation for a great build. However, unless they want to become a part of the classic truck show hobby we all enjoy so much, this is probably the best view of this example—as it is being driven away by the next owner.
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