What is it that separates the custom truck show-stoppers from the show-floppers? It's the builder's commitment to a creative concept, design, quality craftsmanship, and attention to detail. Custom truck enthusiasts are continuously raising the bar to the next level of perfection and this '68 Chevy is another great example of that execution.
Lee Milinich, a fourth-generation automotive painter from Hanford, California, executed a family tradition of building quality street rods. His great-grandfather, Bill Milinich, initially opened the family auto body and paint business in the '50s in Porterville, California, where his son (Lee's grandpa Ron) took over the family body and paint business. Then Lee's dad, Lewis, was reshaping wrinkled fenders and spraying color in the '70s until Lee himself applied a firm grip on the family spray gun.
While in junior high school, Lee discovered an abandoned '68 Chevy C-10 pickup alongside a building where it had sat dormant for 15 years. Lee swapped the owner a little green ($150) for the pink slip and his dad trailered it home, where it sat until Lee could save enough money so he and his dad could begin building their father and son project.
When Lee graduated high school the old C-10 was disassembled. He and his dad began another quest together as they began to build Lee's second-generation custom C-10, this time with a greater effort toward perfection, which took four years to complete to his satisfaction. The foundation of any custom ride is its frame. The frame's crossmember was cut and raised 3-1/2 inches, while 2-1/2 inches were trimmed off the bottom of the boxed framerails. All the framerail holes were filled and smoothed. A pair of Belltech 2-1/2-inch drop spindles were used, along with GM '73-'82 disc brakes with 9-inch rotors. The cab floor remained in the stock location, and the transmission and driveshaft tunnel was raised 4 inches, allowing for ample driveline clearance. Mike Scott was responsible for fabricating brackets, installing the Conti Tech pneumatic bags, and plumbing the entire system. A pair of AFCO shocks were bolted to the lower control arms and framerails, dampening the front suspension. The rear suspension uses a four-link, and a Panhard bar eliminates any lateral movement. The Ford 9-inch rearend was sanded smooth, painted silver, and then stuffed with Richmond 4.11 gears and a Detroit Locker posi-unit. Lee's mellow-yellow C-10 rolls on Boze Stinger 22x8-1/2-inch polished billet aluminum wheels wrapped with Nitto 255/30R22 rubber. A 15-gallon aluminum fuel cell was installed between the rear frame-rails behind the rear axle.
 The '68 Chevy C-10 rolls on...  The '68 Chevy C-10 rolls on a set of Boze 22x8-1/2-inch polished billet aluminum wheels wrapped with Nitto 255/30R22 rubber. |  The tailgate was grafted to...  The tailgate was grafted to the bed with a smooth roll pan. Notice there are no taillights. ("But, officer....") |  The bed floor was raised 6...  The bed floor was raised 6 inches, and tubbed wheelwells received a Morton spray-in black bedliner. Notice the polished billet aluminum gas filler cap grafted to the bed floor and the Optima Yellow Top battery also located in the bed. |