Car lift and garage equipment manufacturer BendPak has unveiled its first custom-built vehicle, the Valor C10, a handcrafted 1970 Chevrolet C10 pickup that debuted at the 2026 SEMA Show as a tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces. The company formally announced the build on Veterans Day.

"We call this build the Valor C10. It was created to honor the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces, especially those who gave their lives in defense of our nation," said BendPak President and CEO Jeff Kritzer. "BendPak proudly supports the military community. This serves as our way of saying thank you and reminding everyone that freedom isn't free."

The tribute has personal ties for the company. BendPak was founded in 1965 by U.S. Army veteran Don Henthorn. Kritzer served three years of active duty as a U.S. Air Force C-130 loadmaster before moving to the Air National Guard, where he kept his flight status and loadmaster duties for three years while starting his full-time career at BendPak.

Built by Nostalgia Hot Rods

BendPak tapped Dustin Hacker and his team at Nostalgia Hot Rods, a longtime BendPak equipment customer, to build the truck.

"We've worked with Dustin for several years, supplying his shops with BendPak lifts and equipment, as well as showcasing many of his amazing builds in our SEMA Show booths," said Sean Price, BendPak director of product development. "We knew he had the passion and craftsmanship to bring our vision for the Valor C10 to life."

By the end of the build, the closest thing left to stock was a heavily modified cab.

"Most of the sheet metal is custom-fabricated, including the roof, hood, drip rails, floors, bumpers, engine bay and bed," Hacker said. "Under the hood, there's a 376-cubic-inch V8 with a 2.9-liter Whipple supercharger. This thing will make 750 horsepower and drive like a dream."

The body-dropped C10 still keeps more than 4.5 inches of usable ground clearance thanks to Hacker's chassis setup. It is finished in metallic blue with red accents on the body stripe, brake calipers and engine. BendPak says the colors nod to the U.S. flag, with blue standing for vigilance, perseverance and justice, and red for hardiness, sacrifice and valor. Custom Valor C10 badges designed by BendPak's creative team sit on both doors, and the interior uses a bench seat in two-tone gray Alcantara with blue stitching, plus bespoke door panels and headliner.

The build sheet

BTR Gen V Stage 2 supercharged camshaft
Custom 3.5-inch aluminum driveshaft
MagnaFlow 3-inch mufflers
Holley Terminator X Max engine management system
Gearstar GM 6L80E 6-speed automatic transmission
Custom Eddie Motorsports serpentine system
Speedtech Extreme G chassis
QA1 4-way adjustable coilovers with cantilever rear suspension
Forgeline custom wheels
JL Audio C7 components and a Kenwood 6.8-inch head unit
PCS electronic gear shift module with wireless paddle shifter
Dapper Lighting custom headlights and taillights with billet housings
Nu-Relics power windows

Full specs, the build process and the SEMA Show reveal video are on BendPak's Valor C10 page.

Tagged: Jeff Kritzer

BendPak Reveals Valor C10 Custom Truck as a Tribute to the U.S. Armed Forces