See the full build: the '78 K10, for sale
The K10 is the four-wheel-drive version of the half-ton Chevy pickup, the truck that shares its bones with the K5 Blazer, and it takes a lift and a big tire better than almost anything from its era. Our 1978 Silverado K10 shows the direction we like for these: a 6.2-liter LS, Deaver leaf springs, BDS suspension components, Fox shocks, Scottsdale wheels on 35-inch tires, all-new custom paint, an upgraded interior with Dakota Digital gauges, and Restomod air conditioning. It's finished and for sale right now.
We work on the 1967–1972 trucks and the 1973–1987 square-bodies, which is where most K10 owners are. A square-body K10 has a deep aftermarket and a chassis that's nearly identical to the K5's, so the suspension and drivetrain work carries straight over from our three Blazers. We're a family shop in Pelham, Alabama, south of Birmingham, and we take in trucks from anywhere in the lower 48.
Two-wheel drive? That's a C10. New to how a build goes? Start with how it works.
The right two-tone, the right trim, the original small-block or big-block gone through, a stock ride height on the right size tire. The truck your dad had, done the way it should have been kept.
What our '78 is. Modern LS power, an overdrive automatic, Deaver, BDS, and Fox underneath, 35s on the right wheel, air conditioning, new paint, a cleaned-up interior. A square-body that drives to work and looks like the poster.
Frame-off. Chassis blasted and painted, body on a rotisserie, LS3 with a matched transmission and a serious transfer case, Wilwood four-wheel discs, beadlocks, a fully custom interior. What we did on the '84 K5, on a pickup.
Every build is billed on time and materials. The Deaver, BDS, and Fox combination on our '78 and our blue '72 K5 is one we come back to, but it's a choice, not a package. Yours gets scoped around your truck, your budget, and how you'll drive it.
Rebuild the original small-block or big-block, or swap in an LS, LSX, or LT with the fuel system, harness, and cooling to run it. A 4L60E or 4L80 behind it, and a transfer case matched to the power: factory, Atlas, or billet, depending on what the truck will do.
A lift sized to the tire you want, not the other way around. Deaver leaf springs, BDS components, and Fox shocks are our usual combination on these trucks; Skyjacker springs and dual Fox shocks on the '84 Blazer. A RedHead steering box takes the wander out. Wilwood four-wheel discs when the power calls for it.
Square-bodies rust in the cab corners, rockers, floors, the bottoms of the doors and fenders, and the bed cross-sills. Metal first, then paint, on a rotisserie for a frame-off. Factory two-tones or whatever you've been picturing.
From a cleaned-up stock cab with Dakota Digital gauges and Restomod air conditioning, like the '78, to a fully custom leather interior. Stitched in-house. Power steps, custom stereo, the works, if that's the truck.
Our '78 runs 35s on Scottsdale wheels with a Deaver, BDS, and Fox setup, and that's a size that still drives well on the road. Bigger is possible, but every inch of tire changes the gearing, the brakes, the steering, and how the truck feels at highway speed. We size the lift to the tire and the tire to how you'll use the truck.
Underneath, nearly. Same frame family, same axles, same transfer-case options, same suspension recipe. The differences are a longer wheelbase and a bed instead of a cargo area and a removable top, which changes the body work. Our three Blazers are fair evidence of what we'll do on your pickup.
A full build typically runs 12 to 18 months once it starts; an LS swap on its own is typically 30 to 45 days in the shop. Condition, scope, and parts move those, and you'll get a window once your truck is scoped. Details on how it works.
Yes. We take in trucks from anywhere in the lower 48, and the build runs the same way with weekly photo updates. The nationwide restoration page covers transport and what to expect.