1977 Chevy C10 - Savin' Cash, Goin' Fast

The lower rear trailing arms are built from 2-inch 0.120 wall chromoly tubing and boxed in with 0.125-inch chromoly plate that is doubled up near the lower shock eyes. 1 1/4-inch rod ends hold the links to brackets on the axle housing and framerails. The rear suspension and axle fab work was done with an eye towards building the strength required for the abuse they will receive, while living with the relatively heavy weight of the 14-bolt as a tradeoff for low cost. The upper links were constructed from 1 3/4-inch 0.120 wall chromoly tubing. You can also see that the stock Chevy frame rails were fully boxed using plate steel to keep them from flexing more than they should.

The upper front shock mounts are tied into the engine cage structure. A 2.0 14-inch stroke King coilover is assisted by a 3.0 14-inch stroke 3-tube King bypass shock to keep each front tire under control in the rough stuff. To slow the final suspension travel and limit upward movement, a 2.5 King air bump is used. Scott modified its top end by adding a 3/4-inch rod end to allow it to swivel, while the lower end moves on a slapper arm to keep it squarely tracking the upright landing pad as it moves through its arc of travel.

The rear of the truck is supported by a pair of 2.5 14-inch stroke King coilovers. Damping is provided by a pair of 3.0 14-inch stroke six-tube Mike Smith bypass shocks that Scott's using on loan until they can be replaced with 3.0 16-inch stroke King units. The new bypasses will allow the rear suspension to reach the design goal of 27 inches of travel.

Behind the cab sits a ducted cooler assembly that holds two units: one for transmission fluid and the other for engine oil. Supplementary fans were added for those hotter races. Below the fans sit a pair of Optima batteries. A Red Top provides juice to crank the motor and a Yellow Top serves as a deep-cycle backup.

Nestled in the back of the bed cage is a 32-gallon Fuel Safe cell feeding the thirsty engine with high octane pump gas. A Holley electric fuel pump sits just forward of the fuel cell.

Behind the front tubework and Hella lights sits a Jeg's aluminum radiator. The alternator on the engine was upgraded to a late model 130A unit to help keep the lighting bright. An additional light bar can be added to the roof of the truck if much darkness is anticipated.

With the hood popped off the truck you get a glimpse of the engine cage that protects the small block Chevy V-8 and provides added support for the front suspension. A 350 V-8 was used, but freshened up and is a bit warmed over with the addition of a set of World Products SR Torquer heads that Scott ported/polished and blueprinted. Comp Cams roller rockers are pushed by a Comp XE hydraulic cam. Induction comes via an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake topped with a Holley 750 double-pumper carb. Ignition chores are handled with an MSD billet distributor and 6AL ignition module. A Canton oil pan with wingdage screen helps keep the oil cooled and down in the sump at all times. A bigger, badder motor is in the works and will be finished as funds allow.

Inside the cab, Scott fabricated a functional dash to accommodate a full set of Autometer Pro Comp liquid filled gauges, PCI intercom, Icom race radio, and the wide array of switches need to control everything from ignition to cooling fans to lighting. A Lowrance 540C GPS system sits forward of the co-driver for course navigation. The layout is well thought out and the wiring is clean, something you don't always see on off-road vehicles.

The homebrew goodies show up in the cab as well. Scott fabricated the throttle pedal and brake pedals from scratch. No vacuum brake booster is used on the brake masters to simplify the system and keep braking force consistent under all conditions. Scott built the brake arm a bit longer than normal to help increase leverage and reduce the leg effort needed to bring the truck to a stop.