With the latest EV (the Tesla Model S Plaid, of course) smacking down ICE cars left and right, just about everyone knows we’re about to witness the end of an era and the dawn of an entirely new (and silent) age. Even customization outlets see the electric revolution is upon us, so they’re SEMA-preparing themselves accordingly.
A good example is the cool guys over at Salvage to Savage, which is part of that expanding breed of custom fabricators that showcase all their great work on social media for everyone to see. Their latest endeavor, which started about three weeks ago, will eventually turn out as a fully tricked-out 1985 Chevrolet C10 Square Body. But it’s not going to be your usual restomod as the Chevy is going fully electric.
And fully all-wheel drive, as well. It’s all thanks to the planned twin-motor Tesla swap that’s currently in progress. Yes, although the team has already shot a bevy of episodes, it’s not a full build just yet. But we needed to check it out because even in its current form, it’s a great appetizer for things to come. Basically, this is their second-ever SEMA Show build, and they plan on going full mental on this one.
Complete with a couple of drive units (one for the rear, one up front, naturally) that should deliver a total of around 4,000 lb-ft (5,423 Nm) of torque to the classic pickup truck when cranked up. With such a powerful drivetrain, anyone can imagine there’s a lot of work to be done simply to make sure it won’t crack under pressure. Especially since the team wants it not just as a show prop but also something that will go “off-roading, drifting, road racing... we might even be able to go to the Moon.”
So, the two Tesla motors are getting the needed juice from a complete Tesla Model 3 battery pack that will sit neatly in a low position inside the full race custom chassis the latest build episode focuses on. Before it, the team took care of some other “little” details, such as the custom IFS (independent front suspension) system that makes use of C5, C6, and other Corvette performance parts.
They also dialed in the IRS (independent rear suspension), which didn’t need much fabrication because they decided to keep the factory Tesla setup. Now that a custom chassis is almost done, they’ve also started tearing down the C10 so they can drop the cab on it... and we’re really excited about the neat things to come!
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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