C10 Reinvented: Maximum Power, Maximum Fun

Pushing a k Chevy Squarebody to the MAX!

One nice bonus of owning a business within the automotive community is coming across unbelievable buying opportunities every now and then. Chris Gardner owns and operates Maximum Offroad Transmissions in Hesperia, California, which means that he lays his eyes on a lot of badass trucks. One of Chris’ buddies was selling an ’84 Chevy pickup due to it having a blown trans. Even though the truck wasn’t running, there was lots of potential still left, and Chris was quick to spot it. The C10 was basically a cab on top of a custom frame and drivetrain—both fully built to handle extreme off-roading. Chris bought the truck as is and quickly realized that the upkeep of trucks built to shred on dirt isn’t cheap.

Not one to give up so fast, Chris began the process of showing the C10 some love—starting with the trans, naturally. He chose a new SH400 unit, and to flip through the gears, a Winters flush-mount shifter was also thrown into the mix. Keeping the trans running at optimal temps is key, so Chris selected dual CBR coolers to keep it happy. The C10 came with a Dart 434 SBC tall deck, so it was already a perfect candidate to hold onto and tune up, which Chris was happy to do.

The Brad Wooten-built chassis the C10 was sitting on is what really sold Chris on buying the truck. He saw its potential right away but having no real experience jumping trucks with a buttery soft suspension, he wasn’t aware of just how much excitement awaited him during his first test drive. That first ride wouldn’t happen for a while, though. In the meantime, Chris continued dumping money into the truck’s long and more-expensive-by-the-day rehab process. The braking system was soon upgraded with Wilwood components, KMC Impact forged wheels were picked up, as were 40-inch BFG KM3 tires to wrap them in.

As more pieces started coming together, Chris was then able to move on to addressing the exterior of his C10. Since its body only consisted of a cab when he picked it up, he was going to have to figure out what to do about front fenders and bedsides to make it resemble a truck once again. He reached out to RJ Fabrication to help take care of the missing panel situation, as well as create a front bumper for the Chevy.

Next, Mike Dowman of Dowman Auto Body in Hesperia, California, joined in on the action by applying the single-stage gloss black paint, which gave the truck the finishing touch it was in desperate need of. Lighting was the next box to check, so Chris ordered two sets of Aux Beam housings to serve as the headlights, as well as multiple KC lights to illuminate the inevitable darkness.

The interior of the cab was then stuffed with a pair of Corbeau racing seats, along with plenty of high-tech inclusions such as the Holley Pro Dash units, Switch Pros panels, and the Rugged Radios communication system. While there is a lot more work to the dash Chris would like to take care of in the future, the cab space is currently clean, and everything works and has a purpose, which is really all you can ask for when you have many other pressing items to address.

Believe it or not, Chris was dead set on selling this truck before he even had a chance to really drive it. He already had it listed for sale; that’s how serious he was about it. The stack of receipts for items related to the C10’s rebuild had grown too tall to ignore, and Chris just wanted the option to recoup some of that money if the right buyer came along. Regardless, he still planned to take the truck out for a joyride before he parted ways with it. Not knowing what to expect other than feeling the excitement of driving fast and catching some hang time after hitting a jump, he was completely sideswiped by the sensation of pure bliss once he landed on what felt like a cloud floating beneath the truck. From that moment on, the idea of selling the truck was immediately squashed. Now, Chris is trying to fill his calendar with as many more days in the dirt as possible. Funny how that works.

1984 Chevy C10

Owner:

Chris Gardner
Lake Havasu, AZ

ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN: 1990 DART V-8 434 ci; GM Performance/Wilson Manifolds; Holley 100 CFM Terminator X fuel injection; Custom headers; Flowmaster 3.5-inch exhaust; Holley/MSD ignition; 2023 Maximum SH400 transmission and shift kit; Reid case SH400 with billet internals; Reverse pattern manual valve body; Close-ratio gear set; Winters flush-mount shifter; Dynamic 3500 stall torque converter; CBR trans cooler; SPAL 15 x 16-inch fan; Ruff Stuff 9-inch rear drive housing; 40-spline chromoly axles; Harmon Racing fuel cell

Chassis & Suspension: Custom frame by Brad Wooten, San Diego, CA; Center-mount prerunner; 120-inch wheelbase; KDM front springs; KDM and King front and rear shocks; Custom skid plates

Wheels, Tires & Brakes: KMC Impact wheels; BFG 40-inch KM3 tires; Wilwood brakes and master cylinder

Body & Paint: Gloss black paint by Mike Dowman at Dowman Auto Body, Hesperia, CA; Factory grille; Aux Beam headlights; RJ Fab front bumper; Custom fenders; KC lights

Interior & Stereo: Corbeau seats; Custom roll cage