1985 Chevy C10 with a Vortec 4200 Inline-Six

Kenny King had a few requirements when building his 1985 Chevy C10, make it fun and unique. The project was built over several years in two phases. He was able to achieve his goal thanks to help from his good friends Nick Hardman, Kurt Kelly, Jerry Eskridge, and Jason Kingsbury.

Kenny believes a unique truck needs a unique engine. A Chevy small-block or big-block V8 was not going to cut it. He decided to go with a 4.2 L Vortec 4200 inline-six from a 2004 Trailblazer. He wasn’t after a lot of power and the inline-six is a step-up from the tired 262 cu in (4.3 L) V6 the truck originally came with. Kenny built the new motor a custom rear sump oil pan and custom brackets for a 5.3 L LSx power steering pump.

The engine runs on a Lime-Swap tuned ECU and custom wiring harness made by Kenny. The harness required re-pinning the connectors and using an electronic gauge cluster from a 1991 Suburban. The inline-six is mated to a 4L60E four-speed automatic transmission rebuilt by Kenny and the factory 10-bolt rear end.

The truck sits very low thanks to a notched frame and air suspension. The front suspension uses narrowed and cupped C20 lower control arms with C10 ball joint ends. The control arms are built by Jason Kingsbury at Squared Away Customs in Northfield, New Hampshire.

The rear suspension utilizes a 3-link bag on bar system. Each corner features Dominator 2600 air springs filled via an engine-driven air compressor through SMC pneumatic 3/8-inch valves. View more photos of the truck’s build on the project’s Facebook page.