78 c-10 swb lsx sm465

[bowtieguy79]

10 years ago this past august I married my wife, and became what my father in-law said was his long awaited SON..

Since then I have introduced him into a great hobby of automobiles. It took some time for him to embrace buying anything, but as a first timer he long hauled the 2010 Hot Rod Power Tour in his then recently purchased 02 Z28. From that point on, he was hooked. Amazed at the auto lingo he heard on power tour, ( thanks comp cams and your BIG MOTHER THUMPER cams ).

He wanted a truck to tool around in and maybe take to some shows and tote the grandkids around in. He had previously bought my 79 K20 from me and started to buy parts to restore it.


We made a trip to KC and visted LMC, filled the back of my suburban with front fenders, rockers, corners, supports and floor pans. We had locally found NOS inner fenders and a 8ft bed for this truck.

Few months pass and we come across this little truck.

Father in-law really liked it. I offered to buy back the K20 and all the parts that he wouldn't need for the little short bed.

The little red step side is a custom deluxe, 250 I6, SM465 with Z85 suspension code. It is solid where it needs to be and doors shut really nice. I'll get more pictures in the spring.

He had also acquired a 02 5.3L out of a Tahoe as a complete pull out, this will be finding its way to the C-10 now.

There was talk last night about getting this prepped and going for a few days of power tour. I'm excited, he's excited. Should be a fun project. I'll post progress as we do the work.

Plan is to put the LS in and get it up and running. Get the floor pans fixed and supports replaced, rockers repaired and cab corners touched up, fenders swapped, inner fenders swapped, and put it in primer.