Credit: Original article published by Barrett-Jackson.
Editorial Note: At Barrett-Jackson, our fans mean everything to us. They are the driving force of our auctions. To celebrate our amazing collector car community, we requested our #BJACSuperFans to share their favorite stories with us on social media. This is one of many in an ongoing series highlighting our SuperFans.
Tyler Adams, a 21-year-old civil engineering major in his junior year at Arizona State University, participated in SEMA’s Battle of the Builders Young Guns category with his 1967 Chevrolet K10 pickup truck that he later sold during the 2023 Scottsdale Barrett-Jackson Auction for $242,000.
Adams frequently browses sites like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and OfferUp. One day, he came across an ad for a kayak on OfferUp; in the background was a 1967 Chevrolet K10 pickup.
“I didn’t really realize what the truck truly was at the time,” Adams said of the moment he texted the person selling the kayak. The truck had belonged to the seller’s father, and after some time negotiating, Adams made a deal and brought the truck back to his one-car garage in early February 2022. The factory short-bed 1967 Chevrolet K10 is one of just 1,046 produced that year.
“My dad has been building vehicles since he was 16 as a hobby,” Adams said. “I started helping him in the garage when I was around 12 years old with minibikes and then cars. My younger brother is also into it, so it’s kind of a family hobby that we all do. We each have our own different projects.”
Adams shared that his dad is self-taught and has passed those skills along to his brother and him. “My brother and I have expanded off that and still teach ourselves and push each other.”
Before Adams ’67 K10 build, he had completed five other vehicles. With each vehicle, Adams’ goal has been to continuously improve his work’s quality and reach new perfection levels.
The complete frame-off nut-and-bolt restoration began by taking the K10 down to bare metal and completely reworking the body to perfect the door gaps for a high-end finish. In his garage, Adams painted the truck from top to bottom with Sherwin-Williams base coat/clear coat Cement Gray accented by Linen White.
One of the biggest challenges Adams faced while building the K10 was the truck’s 4×4 technology. “There was a lot to learn compared to a two-wheel-drive truck.”
Under the hood of the truck is a new GM Connect & Cruise 420hp crate LS3 engine and 6L80E transmission backed by a rebuilt NP205 transfer case. One of the most eye-catching elements of the build is the completely shaved engine bay, lacking any visible holes, and all the wiring was hidden for a clean look. Adams moved the gas tank to the rear using a Boyd Welding aluminum tank and a custom-built hidden LED taillight filler door. Inside the bed is a new MAR-K wood finish with a custom-mixed stain and hidden fasteners on the stainless strips. The truck also features MAR-K side trim.
According to Adams, the only work he did not perform on the truck himself was installing the dual 2.5-inch stainless mandrel-bent TIG-welded Borla exhaust and upholstering the seats, which were retrofitted with bolstered Snowden foam and wrapped in black leather with Relicate plaid inserts.
“I have always had different trucks, and I have always built them in different ways,” Adams said. He added, “I liked how this one came together with the colors, and I feel like the interior complemented what the truck was.” Adams said he always wants to build more and will probably take the next project in a different direction or focus on other truck model years.
For Adams, the choice to sell his K10 at Barrett-Jackson was a simple one. “The four-wheel-drive market is pretty strong, but it can be hard finding the right high-end clientele locally. It’s kind of a slim market, but a lot of people come in for Barrett-Jackson, and I just felt like that’s where the truck needed to go,” Adams said. He added, “Barrett-Jackson made selling the truck easy.”
Adams considers himself a Barrett-Jackson SuperFan and has attended the Scottsdale Auction many times. “It’s always fun to see everything, and there’s a lot of adrenaline when your truck is on the block,” Adams said of his experience selling his K10 with No Reserve. He added that he plans to sell more vehicles at Barrett-Jackson in the future.
For other people interested in building trucks, Adams said that while it is not easy, “you really can do anything you want to do.” He pointed out that the biggest excuse he has heard is that a lot of space and a shop is a requirement to build vehicles. “A larger space makes it a bit easier, and I have that at home in Tucson (Arizona) at my parent’s house, but while I am at school, I just have this one-car garage, and it’s just a place to work essentially.”
Adams has already started on his next build: a 1967 Chevrolet C10 – and shared that he loves building trucks – it’s something he will always continue to do throughout his life.
We love hearing about the many special moments at our events created by people who share our passion for cars. To share your SuperFan story, tag us on social media with #BJACSuperFan.
