In a random turn of events, nine-time UFC champion Matt Hughes ran into Dave Timm and Brian Walker, owners of 2 Brothers Custom Trucks at the SEMA show in 2007. After a short conversation, 2 Brothers mentioned building a truck for the ultimate fighter and instantly a bond was made. After returning home and getting the funds worked out, the guys at 2 Brothers located two donor trucks-yes, two trucks-and began a three month journey, resulting in an eye-catching classic that keeps you guessing.
Matt has always loved Chevy's design of its trucks from '60-'66. When it came time to build a project of his own, a '66 was what Matt had to have. After tracking down a good '66 Chevy C10 from Texas, a check was written and the truck was delivered to the 2 Brother's Customs Trucks shop in Springfield, Illinois. Rather than take a perfectly good C10 and rebuild the necessary parts, the 2 Brothers team opted to create a one-of-a-kind classic with late-model running gear. Matt, who has a farming background, decided to put a powerplant in the truck that could overcome any type of obstacle. Adding another twist to the mix, the decision was made to transplant an entire chassis, engine, transmission, and rear end from an '06 Chevy 2500HD Crew Cab 4x4 under the C10. This meant some serious fabbing, then hours upon hours of welding, grinding, and wiring. Once Matt gave the green light, Project Matt Hughes was underway.
Inside the 2 Brothers Custom Trucks shop, the '66 body was lifted off the factory longbed frame and set aside. Measurement after measurement was taken and numbers were crunched. The wrecked '06 Chevy Crew Cab body was then removed from the HD chassis and the classic measurements were cross-referenced with the newer frame. With plasma cutter in hand, Dave Timm cut 27- inches from the '06 frame and welded the two pieces together, using -inch steel from Selvagio Steel in Springfield. Custom body mounts were fabbed, then plans for a cool suspension setup were drawn up. Up front, the '06 IFS was converted to a solid axle using an Off-Road Direct conversion and a Dana 60 axle from a '79 Ford pickup that was built by Knoles Performance Solutions. Keeping things cutting edge up front, 2 Brothers ordered a Pro Comp Double X coilover kit, which had been designed for the Ford Super Duty, and added custom fabbed shock hoops for the dual kit. The look is stunning. Also used up front was a custom-built radius arm from Off-Road Direct and several created-from-steel-tubing suspension pieces from 2 Brothers. All of the steel was supplied by Selvagio Steel. Keeping the classic yet custom look, 18-inch black RBP wheels were ordered and serve as the mounting point for 35-inch Toyo Open Country M/T tires.