1986 Chevrolet C10 Was a SEMA Star, Could Wrestle a TRX

I was listening to a podcast the other day, and a well-known music artist said, "humans are just a collection of emotions, mixed with a little reason." And that's exactly why I always tell my friends to go out and drive that car before buying it. Once you're sat behind the wheel, your intuition will help you decide.

Sometimes I tend to think that nostalgia is the reason why we love older cars. But then again, nostalgia might be the reason for choosing an older car, but it's not entirely responsible for keeping us there. Hardcore petrol heads will always look for a particular feeling when driving a car. It might sound strange to non-car people, but we enjoy being terrified by the vehicle we're about to drive.

We all have our limits, and if a car is going to feel way too scary to drive, downsizing will be an option. Several characteristics will define that "scary factor": the way the engine and exhaust sound, the way the car moves around a corner or performs a launch, and the list can go on. That's why newer cars have less of an impact on car guys: less sound protruding through to the cabin, less sliding around, and just too many driver aids.

So what's the recipe for an exciting driving experience, or better yet, for a terrifying one? I've been debating this topic with people around me for many years now. But we're all different, so the answer will be different depending on who you're going to ask. But it is somewhat generally accepted that a good starting point is to jump behind the wheel of something with RWD. If you want to turn up the heat, add a V8 or a turbocharger to the equation.

But feel free to add both if you're the kind of guy that enjoys rollercoasters. Of course, driver aids are a no-go, and the older the car, the scarier the ride. So on today's "Terrifying Cars" to drive, we've come up with this seemingly tame 1986 Chevrolet C10 Custom Deluxe. Before going any further, let's see how this C10 started some 35 years ago. It was built in the United States, in Chevrolet's Flint plant in Michigan.

It started as a 2WD vehicle with a 305 ci (5.0-liter) V8 that was probably just as exciting as a modern-day turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. But this car has aged like fine wine. It was built by KC's Paint Shop of Forth Worth, Texas for the 2015 SEMA Show. And you can't just waltz in at SEMA with an underpowered V8 from the '80s. No sir! Instead, the builders opted to take this truck to a level at which it could even take on a Ram TRX if it had to.

They opted for a Mast Motorsports LS7 engine with a 2.3-liter TVS Supercharger. That means you're now looking at a 900-horsepower setup! Of course, everything has been upgraded to support this level of performance, but I imagine that this thing feels way more terrifying than a brand new RAM Trx. This has only been driven for about 1,800 miles (2,896 km) after it was rebuilt, and it currently resides in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. With 7 more days to go before the auction is over, the highest bid is now up to $50,959! The question is, how much higher up can it go?