A Chevy Dream Fulfilled

By Marcus Amick - July 17, 2017

Veteran GM exec finally lands his classic — and really cool — Chevy C10 as brand celebrates 100 years of trucks.

To say that Craig Daitch loves his 1969 Chevrolet C10 would be putting it mildly. It’s evident in the way he lights up whenever he talks about the late sixties-era pickup. The vintage vehicle is something he’s been dying to get his hands on for quite a few years. In fact, you get the sense that even if Daitch worked for a car company other than General Motors, he’d manage to come up with some reasonable explanation as to why he absolutely had to have the Chevrolet truck.

“Growing up in Detroit, I’ve been a longtime fan of classic cars,” he tells Chevrolet Forum. “I love the look of classic trucks and what they represent, and at the end of the day, I felt like it was going to be a good investment. And I thought I could use it and that there would be some utility with it as well.”

‘I had a vision in my head: short bed, 350 V8 with a manual on the floor. I was looking for something that was really unique and yet still screamed classic Chevy truck.’

But lucky for Daitch, he does work for GM, which makes owning such a cool piece of Chevy history that much more special.

“As an employee of General Motors and someone who works with Chevrolet, I see how much trucks mean to the industry, to the economy, and to the people that use them,” adds the 11-year auto industry veteran. “And there’s nothing better than to kind of champion the legacy of a classic vehicle that reminds people of what helped to build this country.”

Kinda Hard to Ignore

The pickup is quite a conversation piece, evident in some of the comments from people who stop to admire the C10 when we are photographing the truck in Milford, Michigan, which Daitch now calls home. Of course, we are talking about Milford, which is also home to the General Motors Milford Proving Grounds where the company has tested vehicles since 1924. So, we guess you’d expect that a ‘69 Chevy pickup in mint condition would prompt a conversation or two from a few people in town.

Then again, considering some of the unique touches on Daitch’s C10, his truck will probably prompt a few stares well beyond the borders of Michigan.

‘I want it to be a truck where, if someone sees it, whether they are 60 or 16 years old, they’ll look at it and go, “Wow, that’s really cool.”‘

Take, for example, the fact that the body of the Chevy truck is painted in classic Forest Green while the cab is painted in Corvette Can-Am White. Then, there are those wheels, which are originally from a C3 Corvette and give the pickup a sportier look. Under the hood is the C10’s original 350 block, but it has been upgraded to a 383 stroker matched to a 4-speed Muncie transmission. The pickup also features a Flowmaster exhaust with a really nice rumble, which is sure to attract a crowd if the looks alone don’t draw them in, eager to get a closer peek.

“I have been looking for a C10 for about four years now and have been really selective in terms of what I’ve wanted,” says Daitch, who serves as Chevrolet’s Global Content Marketing Manager. “I had a vision in my head: short bed, 350 V8 with a manual on the floor. I was looking for something that was really unique and yet still screamed classic Chevy truck.”

Some Things Never Grow Old

The GM exec’s initial search for a C10 led him to Tennessee, only to return back to Michigan disappointed and empty handed. “After crawling around on the ground to get under the truck, I realized just how much work I’d have to put into it on the body alone, so I left to head back to Detroit,” says Daitch.

He eventually turned to social media for help and was put in contact with a man in Virginia who was selling a rust-free classic C10 that’s never been in an accident. “His father was a parts manager for General Motors, so when I mentioned I worked for Chevrolet there was an instant kinship,” continues Daitch. “After a few rounds of negotiating, I purchased it sight unseen [besides a few photos] and had it shipped to Michigan.”

‘I was a history major, I love history, and Chevrolet’s legacy is tied to trucks.’

Talk about landing a gem, right?

To top it off, Daitch wound up finally lucking out on his dream C10 earlier this year just as Chevy is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its trucks, making the find even more special.

“I’m always inspired by what we’re doing, and the Centennial…certainly played a role in inspiring me to find the C10 this year,” said Daitch. “I was a history major, I love history, and Chevrolet’s legacy is tied to trucks.”

Keep It Classic

Since buying his own personal piece of Chevy truck history, Daitch has already made a few modifications to the pickup. The most notable mod was with the suspension. “I bought a really nice set of KYB Gas-a-Just shocks to match new Belltech front and rear springs,” explains Daitch. “The springs lowered my truck about two inches in the rear and one-and-three-eighths in the front. So, it has a subtle but nice rake to it. To go with the new shocks and springs, I also replaced the tie-rods and ball joints.”

The GM exec has also certified his C10 with an official “Detroit – Vs – Everybody” sticker. It’s a symbol of pride that in many ways represents the same kind of tenacity that has enabled his pickup to survive for nearly 50 years.

‘As an employee of GM, I see how much trucks mean to the industry, the economy, and the people that use them. And there’s nothing better than to champion the legacy of a classic vehicle that reminds people of what helped to build this country.’

There are still a few modifications that Daitch would like to make on the C10. Some of them include adding disc brakes and long-tube headers, as well as some creature comforts like a Vintage Air high-performance air conditioning system. And, of course, he is being strategic in his approach so that nothing compromises the truck’s authentic appeal.

“I really want to keep it very much like it is now,” explains Daitch. “I want it to be a truck where, if someone sees it, whether they are 60 years old or 16 years old, they’ll look at it and go, ‘Wow, that’s really cool.'”