IF YOU'RE A C10 ENTHUSIAST, 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 - YOU'VE HEARD OF JOHN ORO.
John Oro is a husband, a father, a grandfather, and a school bus mechanic of 30 years. He also happens to be one of the most revered figures in the Chevy C10 community. Lovingly nicknamed “El Presidente”, John is co-founder and de facto leader of The C10 Club, a wildly popular group established in California in 1999 and boasts membership all over the world.
John’s origin story is pretty vanilla as origin stories go. He grew up humbly in Long Beach, CA, watching his dad regularly work on his old car. Not because his dad was a gearhead, but out of pure economical necessity. His first car, a 2-door ’54 Bel Air with a straight-six engine, piqued his interest in the classics, but when a cousin lent him a slammed ’63 Impala Super Sport convertible that general interest turned into full-fledged passion. He dove into the LB car culture of the 80’s, cruising down lowrider-iconic Whittier Blvd. despite the gang-related stigma associated with it at the time and subsequent ban by authorities.
Decades later, cruising is now an established way of life among classic truck enthusiasts and welcome in communities nationwide, and John’s C10 Club has been a leading force on its acceptance. Founded by John, Carlos Vidales of Dropped Lower, and Sacramento chapter President Tony Ortega, it was meant to unite not just C10 owners but all lovers of paneled trucks: Blazers, Jimmys, and Suburbans are welcomed with open arms. They pride themselves on the group’s non-competitive, family-friendly vibe, one in which you could meet someone shopping for parts one week and “wrenching with him the next week”. Their unofficial motto speaks to that: “No Rules, No Dues, No Hierarchy”. The club’s signature event, the United Pacific-sponsored C10 Intervention, was recently held in Woodland, CA and welcomed 1,000 trucks and thousands more fervent fanatics.
John’s consistent presence at classic truck events, accompanied by his treasured “Prom Queen”, has brought him a certain level of fame among truck enthusiasts. Prom Queen formally debuted as UP’s showcase vehicle at the 2021 SEMA Show, where the 1971 K5 Blazer quickly became a fan favorite. John likes to say it’s three vehicles in one: a truck, a hot rod, and a convertible. And now John and his Prom Queen have “offspring”: John’s boys are now both enthusiasts, one with a ’71 C10 and the other a square-body GMC, as well as his “Generation-3” grandkid working on a K10 square-body.
John is a regular attendee at Southern California car events, you’ll likely find him and Prom Queen most weekends at one of the many local cars & coffee and swap meet gatherings. He’s not currently working on a new vehicle but instead waiting to find his next inspiration. Until then he continues to be a vocal, enthusiastic ambassador for United Pacific and the C10 community at large.
