When looking for a car or truck to rebuild, the most likely candidate can be found in the most unlikely place. Such is the case with Dick Rhine of Tewksbury, Massachusettes, and his 1965 Chevy C10 that he located sitting in a field.
According to his son Tim, “He bought the truck from a friend of a friend on May 6, 2012. The last time the truck was on the road was 1977.” The Patriarch of the Rhine family has seen 78 winters come and go, but that doesn’t slow him down. Tim said, “He did roughly 85-percent of the work himself.”
That work began by stripping the truck down until the only thing left was a lot of sheetmetal scattered around the shop, and the frame sitting in the middle of it all. Dick then removed the six-cylinder engine, and sent the cab to be media blasted. Unfortunately, when the cab was returned, it wasn’t in the best of condition.
While the cab was getting stripped of years of paint and rust, the frame received a newly-rebuilt front suspension, and Moog springs to lower the rearend 3 inches and the front by 2 inches.
Tim affirmed, “He found a 350 cubic-inch engine that needed to be rebuilt, and he did that on the engine stand in the garage.” Dick added a small Comp Cams camshaft, an aluminum Holley intake, and an Edelbrock carburetor.” When he acquired the truck, it had already been the recipient of a rebuilt Powerglide, so that was bolted the small-block, and the package was lowered onto the refurbished frame. With the drivetrain back in its proper location, the cab was then positioned atop the rebuilt foundation.
This is when Dick’s youngest son (Jody Rhine) jumped in to handle the bodywork, which Tim says took a little over 1,000 hours to complete. Jody then primed the truck in the family garage and got it ready to be painted. Dick then called good friend Chuck Reissis to apply the GM Flame Red paint.
Once the truck was painted and back home in the garage, Dick then started putting it back together. It was at this time that he realized he could depend on friends as well as his family. Guys like his best friend (Kenny Robbins) was always coming by with surprises like a new windshield and tailgate.
Dick says he has about 50,000 total hours invested to complete this sweet hauler. He started the project on May 6, 2012, and finished on April 16, 2016. It was a long four years of hard work that saw many favors given, and unfortunately, the loss of his beloved wife of 55 years, Margaret. He says it was worth it, and he jokes about calling the truck “The Favor,” because so many friends and family are helping to complete his dream truck. The interior still needs to be finished, but we’re sure that Dick has a plan to make that just as cool as the rest of his C10.
Do you want to read about more Reader’s Hardcore Projects? All you need to do is click here. If you’re working on a project, we want to hear about it. Since we’ve started the Hardcore Project series, we have received more than a few candidates, but we still want to see more, as we can never get enough. Send us a few pictures of your car showing the engine, interior, and exterior, along with all of the pertinent information, and we’ll make you Internet famous. You can send your submissions to [email protected].