LS-Swapped Chevy C10 Was a Real Trendsetter: Track Time Tuesday Presented by the All-New Nitto Recon Grappler™ A/T
LS-swapped Chevy C10, dubbed ‘The Muscle Truck,’ was one of the first of its kind, and is an enduring legend.
It’s virtually impossible to designate any LS swap as the first one ever, but we do know for a fact that David Freiburger‘s LS-swapped Chevy C10 pickup was his very first such build, and one of the first C10 swaps in history. Freiburger first acquired his vintage Bow Tie pickup back in 2007, slapped an LS6 Corvette mill in it, and backed that up with a TH400 trans and 9-inch rear with 5.13 gears. The rest, as MotorTrend says, is history.
Since then, the LS-swapped Chevy C10 – affectionately named “The Muscle Truck” – has been on more adventures than most of us. That includes towing boats while doing burnouts, taking a trip across the sea to Saudi Arabia, blasting around the desert like a dune buggy, hitting the drag strip, and participating in Hot Rod‘s Power Tour. All along, The Muscle Truck has appeared on TV numerous times as well, including many episodes of Roadkill and Hot Rod Garage.
Through all of this, the old C10 has kept on ticking. The LS6 has been flawless, while the only real problems Freiburger has incurred stem from his own botched modifications and journeys. Letting the truck sit for a year after traveling the seas destroyed its fuel system and brakes, while a rough c-notch and botched front fender job were bad ideas, in retrospect.
These things have been fixed over the years, and the truck has been treated to continuous improvements as well. Most recently, that included an engine overhaul with a new EFI setup, cam, and intake that enabled the classic C10 to lay down 600 horsepower on the dyno, not including a shot of nitrous. But perhaps the best thing about The Muscle Truck is how it sounds. A unique exhaust setup ensures that, consisting of mid-length headers, a 2.5-inch ball connector, three-inch tubing, and four-inch DynoMax Race Series Bullet mufflers.
The result of all that is a machine that has endeared itself to everyone that’s ever driven or seen it, including more than a few enthusiasts around the globe. There’s just something special about a beat-up old pickup truck with copious amounts of power and the propensity to do burnouts on a whim that speaks to us all, and we doubt that formula will ever change.
Photos: MotorTrend
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