And then they installed it free, let the dude run on their test track, and thanked him for coming! Yeah, it was that kind of week for John and Val Martin. Here is the story of how one of the cleanest stock C10’s we’ve seen, named Thing 2, got a makeover.
Do you remember Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? It’s a story about a kid who finds a golden ticket in his candy bar and wins a dream-come-true visit to a strange factory. Last week on an FM3 Road Trip called Cars N Cones, something similar happened. There was no chocolate, weird hats or Oompa Loompas, though …and the factory makes awesome car parts, not candy. In this story, one lucky couple, John and Val Martin won a free RideTech StreetGRIP Suspension System for their 1987 Chevrolet C10 pickup. Completely original, their truck is a worthy candidate. John and Val are great people, too. While the winners would have been content with free parts, RideTech took things further. Imagine winning a brand new suspension system, then learning that the parts will be installed for free at the RideTech shop before the last leg of the tour. John and Val were giddy.
…But wait, there’s more: John was the first customer to ever be let loose on RideTech’s private test track. Now that’s our idea of a Golden Ticket experience. John was a bit nervous to hot lap our track at first, but started to relax and enjoy himself, after a few laps. The truck, of course, is transformed. Prior to the swap, RideTech president, Bret Voelkel had the chance to drive the truck on the autocross. The body roll was borderline dangerous. After the install, the C10 rides and handles like a brand new performance car — which exactly what StreetGRIP is all about. It will thoroughly modernize your old car or truck’s functionality without breaking the bank.
RideTech wishes to congratulate John and Val Martin for winning the kit. We would like to thank Jimi Day, Carrie Strange, and the entire FM3 Road Trip team for hosting such an exceptional charity driving tour. We had a great time driving and racing and loitering in hotel parking lots. If you want a chance at winning a suspension kit, sign up for next year’s event. Remember that Cars N Cones is about giving, though. As a participant, plan on making a few charitable donations along the way. The FM3 Road Trip raised more than $25,000 this year for the Daphne Reynolds Kick “C” Fund. Way to go everyone.
To learn more about StreetGRIP, click HERE
To learn more about the FM3 Road Trip, visit their Facebook page HERE
AFTER The Install: RideTech’s StreetGRIP Suspension System radically improved the stance of John and Val Martin’s Chevrolet C10. Some BEFORE Pics are below.
BEFORE The Install. This photo shows at least four inches of gap between the top of the tire and the flat part of the wheel arch. The measurement from ground to wheel arch drops from roughly 31-32 inches (stock) to approximately 27″ (StreetGRIP).
BEFORE The Install: The stock suspension geometry, while better than many vehicles from this era, still has plenty of room for improvement.
BEFORE The Install: From behind the steering wheel it felt like the shiny side didn’t want to stay up.
RideTech makes dreams come true. Imagine going on a road tour and finding out that your car will change specs for the better along the way — for free. It happened here.
Back out on the test track, it is difficult to believe that this is the same truck. All four tires are level and in full contact with the pavement during cornering.
Dropped spindles, revised rear suspension mounting and proper springs lower the center of gravity, while custom-valved monotube shocks, delrin bushings and a bigger sway bar control suspension movement. John’s truck is now much more easy to drive hard.
something about that entire combo looks off once lowered. it would be interesting to see how they attempted to fix that clapped out look next.
How much (Retail $) did the parts cost in addition to the $ 6k (or less) truck they were installed on in this story ?
not a fan of the stance, I like the front down a little dont like the level look.