1966 CHEVY C10

Jim Schafer's 1966 C10 is the first in a four-car collection we've built for him — the one that set the formula. Blueprint Engines 427 LS7 crate motor (the same ProSeries 7-liter that later went into his 1968 Camaro and 1972 Chevelle), dropped into a fully swapped chassis from a 2006 Chevy Tahoe. Modern frame, modern brakes, modern suspension, modern HVAC — vintage cab, vintage paint, vintage everything you can see.

Blueprint's own flywheel sheet on this engine shows 595 HP near 6,100 RPM with a flat 565 ft-lb torque shelf from 4,800 to 5,800. Through the GM 4L80E transmission and out to the back tires of the truck, that translates to an honest, daily-driveable powerband that pulls hard off the line and never falls flat.

The chassis is where this build separates from his classics. QA1 triangulated 4-link with coilover shocks out back actually plants 595 horses — no wheel-hop, no axle-walk, just grip. Up front is the OEM Tahoe suspension geometry, dialed in. Brakes, steering, cooling — all 2006 truck underneath, all '66 truck on top.

Inside, a Dakota Digital cluster slips into the original dash like it was always there. Vintage Air climate makes a Pensacola July driveable. CVF Racing serpentine pulleys dress out the engine bay so the LS427 looks intentional, not transplanted.

The truck isn't finished, because these never are. The latest round put Nu-Relics power windows behind the stock door panels, with the original crank handles kept as the switches — nudge one a few degrees up or down and the glass follows. No winding, and nothing on the door that says anything changed. A TCI paddle-shift kit went on the 4L80E too, so it rips through the gears on command instead of waiting on the throttle. Jim's vision. Our build.