A C10 Story

In 1917, the legend of Chevy trucks began with the Series 490. A century later, the Chevrolet Performance team honored that legacy with one of the brand’s most iconic vehicles: a 1967 C10. Today, the truck is still going strong as it showcases the Bowtie’s L8P crate engine.*

“This truck was built in 2017 for SEMA, and to be able to modernize and upgrade it to some of our latest and greatest technology is pretty neat,” says Jeff Trush, General Motors Group Manager for Specialty Show Vehicles and Pace Cars.

The two-wheel drive 1967 C10 started life as a farm truck and was discovered by General Motors Assistant Program Engineering Manager Rich Downing. At the time, he was the Specialty Show Vehicle and Pace Car Program Manager. He found the truck in South Lyon, Michigan, but it had recently been transported there from Evansville, Wyoming. At the time, the long-bed C10 was powered by a non-original 327 cu.-in. Small-Block engine with a three-speed manual transmission.

“The truck was relatively rust-free, but because we wanted to shorten it and there were so many dents, we made the decision to replace most of the body panels with GM Restoration Parts-approved new sheet metal,” Downing says.

Now, the C10 is a short-bed painted in Centennial Blue. Centennial bowties and badging are found throughout the exterior, bed, and as part of the Porcelain White interior. Plus, the exterior trim is all brush-finished.

“I always took pride in how few mods were required to make the truck a stunner,” Downing says. “Besides smoothing the front bumper, roof drip rails, rocker pinch flanges and tailgate handle, the majority of exterior customization was on the rear bumper that received a tapered section and extended corners to achieve just the right look.

“Most of the real heavy fabrication was in the engine compartment though, where custom-formed aluminum panels create the jewelry box for the Chevrolet Performance crate engine.”*

The truck’s first crate engine – installed for the 2017 SEMA Show – was the ZZ6, a modern update on Chevrolet’s famous 350 cu-in. Small-Block architecture. Among the carbureted power plant’s innovative technologies are aluminum Fast Burn cylinder heads featuring LS-style beehive valve springs. The result is impressive high-rpm performance in the engine rated at 405 horsepower and 406 lb.-ft. of torque.

The engine was paired with a HydraMatic 4L65-E four-speed automatic transmission to showcase an entire Connect & Cruise Crate Powertrain System.

The following year, Chevrolet Performance engineers swapped out the carbureted ZZ6 option for a Chevrolet Performance ZZ6 EFI crate engine.* The power plant carries on Chevrolet’s famed Small-Block tradition but utilizes a modern electronically controlled port fuel-injection system. The 350 cu.-in. engine also features an aluminum intake manifold that looks like a carbureted intake.

Rated at 420 horsepower and 408 lb.-ft. of torque, the classic-looking engine with modern performance was a perfect choice to honor Chevrolet’s heritage with a modern flair. It remains a strong choice for a variety of classic vehicles.

The ZZ6 EFI-equipped C10 debuted at the 2018 SEMA Show, still paired with the Hydra-Matic 4L65-E four-speed automatic. The custom ride was also a prominent part of the 2019 HOT ROD Power Tour and many additional events.

For several years, both ZZ6 options showcased the continuing lineage of the Chevrolet Small-Block in the centennial era of Chevrolet trucks.

Today, Chevrolet Performance continues to evolve, and the latest engine in the C10 is the LT-based L8P. The 6.6L Gen V mill is based on the L8T version found in modern Chevrolet Silverado 2500 and 3500 HD trucks.

Once again, the Chevrolet Performance team has adapted some of the latest technology to a classic vehicle.

The L8P has its own identity with the “P” equaling performance. The direct-injected L8P pairs massive displacement and strength with a camshaft derived from the eighth-generation Corvette Stingray’s LT2 engine. The result is the L8P is rated at 523 horsepower and 543 lb.-ft. of torque.

The engine is painstakingly designed, tested and calibrated by engineers, but also benefits from the vast resources at General Motors.

“It's all production-built; the same engine plant that builds the [production] L8T is building [the L8P] for us as well,” says Jeff Walker, General Motors Engineering Group Manager – Performance Software and Calibration. “It's a low-volume build, but you're doing it in a production facility that builds thousands of engines, so being able to implement this into that facility has been perfect.

“You get all the checks and balances from the huge volume of the L8Ts going into the G-vans and heavy-duty trucks that we sell. Those engines have to be perfect and now we're leveraging all of that to build the L8P.”

A SuperMatic 6L80-E six-speed automatic transmission is paired with the L8P crate engine. With a 650 lb.-ft. torque-capacity limit and a 2400-rpm stall converter, the transmission can handle all the power the L8P produces.

The rest of the C10 continues to match the impressive powertrain.

Downing’s team lowered the suspension, and the truck currently rides on billet wheels measuring 20 x 8.5-inch in the front and 20 x 10-inch in the rear. They feature Chevrolet bowtie center caps and are paired with 20-inch tires. The original 2017 build utilized forged wheels similar to the 2018 Centennial Silverado. However, they were swapped to billet versions in a hot rod-style for 2018 and beyond to let the truck stand on its own.

The interior includes LED lighting, a modified stock gauge cluster with new gauges, and a bench seat with improved bolsters and head restraints featuring Chevrolet embossed logos.

From life on the farm to a centerpiece of the Chevrolet Performance collection, this C10 has seen a lot – all the while showcasing some of the best in Bowtie power.

Keep watching The BLOCK for much more on Chevrolet Performance builds.

*Because of their effect on a vehicle’s emissions performance, these engines are intended exclusively for use in competition vehicles. These engines are designed and intended for use in vehicles operated exclusively for competition: in racing or organized competition on courses separate from public roads, streets or highways. Installation or use of these engines on a vehicle operated on public roads, streets or highways is likely to violate U.S., Canadian, and state and provincial laws and regulations related to motor vehicle emissions.