Wednesday, 1 November 2017

Centennial C/K: Chevrolet Pickup Blends Old with New, Is Rad

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Launched in 1960, the Chevrolet C/K-series pickup ushered in a new era of pickup design, styling, and comfort for the bow-tie brand. When the second-generation C/K series arrived in 1967 featuring a revised suspension and now-classic styling, it made the concept of using a single truck for work and play more viable than ever, earning it a well-deserved place in the hearts and minds of a generation. With bona fides like that, it was inevitable that the C/K would play a leading role in Chevy’s centennial truck celebration.

Not content to simply plunk a clean survivor or a well-restored example on its stand at SEMA, Chevrolet sourced a rare ’67 C-10 long-bed pickup equipped with the rare large rear-window option and let its in-house team work its magic. After shortening the frame and cargo box, they applied a coat of Centennial Blue paint and then lowered the suspension with modified front control arms, dropped spindles, and custom springs. A front disc-brake conversion with genuine Chevrolet parts replaced the hoary old drums, and a set of 20-inch forged aluminum wheels (8.5 inches wide in front, 10 inches wide in the rear) replaced the original steelies and were wrapped in 255/40 and 295/40 rubber. Several classic and modern hot-rodding touches finish off the exterior: smoothed and tucked bumpers and tailgate, brushed aluminum trim, LED lighting inside and out, custom gauges in the instrument cluster, an updated bench seat—with a Chevrolet logo, natch—and porcelain white interior trim accents.

As with most restorods, the best parts are found under the hood. In this case, that means a Chevrolet Performance ZZ6 small-block crate engine pumping out 405 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. Gear swaps are handled by a tried and true 4L65-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. Chosen specifically to illustrate the simplicity of configuring a build with the maker’s Connect & Cruise lineup of factory crate powertrains, the build also utilizes the supplied engine and transmission controllers and installation kit.