Slide 1

Meet Project Rocky, Street Trucks magazine’s 1979 Chevy C10—or at least what it will look like when finished. The idea behind the project is to take a down-and-out truck and transform it into a street bruiser via an LS engine swap, 33 inch tires on big 22 inch rims, and a cosmetic makeover. If that sounds like the plot for a movie about a boxer who goes from nothing to champ, give yourself an attaboy.

Slide 2

Street Trucks editor Chris Hamilton paid $2,000 for the C10. It had a non-running small block 350, rusty rear wheelwells, and a three-tone paint job that the less said about, the better. But the truck’s bones were sound and the rest could be fixed. By the way, Chris, the 1990s called and they want their wheels back.

Slide 3

A four inch suspension lift was required to make room for the 22 x 12 inch American Force wheels. No one makes a lift kit for a two-wheel drive 1979 C10. Adding lift in the rear was accomplished with leaf springs like these Superlift springs for a 1973-87 3/4 ton Chevy. The front lift is based around Rough Country 4 inch lift spindles for a 1988-98 Chevy C1500 and includes these parts. This video gives you the details on the lift.
• 1973-87 upper control arms with 1988-98 ball joints
• 1973-87 lower control arms with 1988-98 ball joints
• 1973-87 stock replacement coil springs
• 1973-87 tie rod ends

Slide 4

Street Trucks chose a Summit Racing™ Chevy LS 5.3L 450HP Long Block Crate Engine for Project Rocky. Machined and assembled by ATK Engines, the engine is based on an OEM iron block with factory internals. A Summit Racing Pro LS roller camshaft (222°/232° duration @ .050, .550" lift) helps push output to 450 horsepower and 420 lbs.-ft. of torque.

Slide 5

Street Trucks outfitted the engine with a Lokar LS Classic Series intake kit and valve covers to give the LS the look of a Gen 1 small block Chevy. The intake is fitted with a 92mm Summit Racing™ Billet Throttle Body and 42 lb.-hr. Holley fuel injectors. Fuel and spark are controlled with a Holley Terminator X MAX engine management system.

Slide 6

The 5.3L is connected to a TCI 4X StreetFighter 4L60E transmission that comes in a kit with a Breakaway torque converter with a 2,200-2.600 RPM stall speed, a transmission cooler, filler tube and dipstick, and three gallons of Max Shift transmission fluid. Add a TCI EZ-TCU controller and you can select the transmission’s shift points, firmness, and speed on the fly.

Slide 7

Here’s the chassis with the engine and trans, suspension, front brakes, Toyo Open Country A/T III tires, and American Force Guardian SS wheels installed. The 12-bolt rear axle was rebuilt with new 31-spline axle shafts, 4.11 gears, and a limited slip differential from Yukon Gear and Axle.