Roadster Shop’s ’73 Chevy C10 Restomod Is a True Work of Vintage Art
Stunning 1973 Chevy C10 still wears its original paint, but underneath, it’s like a brand new truck.
Most automotive enthusiasts – no matter their brand preference – are familiar with Roadster Shop, a company that builds some of the finest custom vehicles on the planet. Each year, we’re treated to a handful of these masterful creations, each of which is special in its own way. The latest is this – a 1973 Chevy C10 dubbed “Orange Blossom Special,” and it’s the very first from Roadster Shop’s new “Legend Series,” which brings old classics back to life while also adding some modern features in the mix.
What’s particularly interesting about this 1973 Chevy C10 is that thousands of hours of CAD engineering and labor went into reviving it, but when you take a quick glance, you’d just assume that this is nothing more than a stock(ish) vehicle. The vintage pickup retains all of its original charm, which is a good thing in our book, but does so with supreme craftsmanship and modern mechanicals. In fact, it still wears its factory paint, which has plenty of patina to show its age.
The C10 rolls on a set of 17-inch powder-coated billet wheels which are covered in the original hubcaps and wrapped with 35-inch Toyo all-terrain tires. The same theme of old and new continues inside the cabin, where you’ll find a mostly original interior that’s been updated with the addition of Dakota Digital RTX gauges, a GM 4×4 selector knob, a Vintage Air system, and a Kicker KMC5 head unit with Morel and JL audio components.
The same cannot be said for what lurks underneath this old sheetmetal, however. There, Roadster Shop gave the old truck its own IFS 4×4 chassis, which utilizes GM’s latest suspension components and geometry for a modern ride and handling performance. From there, the company added Fox 2.0 Performance coilovers, long travel Deaver’s leaf springs, four-wheel power disc brakes, and power rack and pinion steering.
Under the hood, the Orange Blossom Special 1973 Chevy C10 is powered by GM’s supercharged LT4 V8, which cranks out a healthy 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque and is mated to an 8L90 8-speed transmission and heavy-duty transfer case. The result is one stunning piece of custom art, a truck that looks old but drives like a brand new vehicle and can be easily serviced anywhere it goes. As such, it should come as no surprise that this gorgeous machine raked in $220k at Barrett-Jackon’s recent Scottsdale auction.
Photos: Roadster Shop
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