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Lifted 1985 Chevrolet K10 Silverado Hides Vortec Unit, Also Has a Boost Gauge

I'm currently considering adding a new car to my garage, and it must be something that I could daily drive and it has to be practical. And by practical, I mean that I need a lot of space to carry things around. So I've been debating whether I should get a station wagon, an SUV, or perhaps a nice pick-up truck.
Supercharged Vortec-Powered 1985 Chevrolet K10 Silverado 4×4 35 photos
Photo: Bring a trailer
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But every time I browse through the classifieds I tend to drift away from the practical side of things, as I start looking for vehicles with more horsepower than I need. And all of a sudden, the reliable, economic station wagon became a custom-built, stroked, and boosted behemoth of a truck. Don't get me wrong, I haven't signed any checks yet, and I'm doing my best to stay on course, but I keep trying to find a reason as to why I need this kind of vehicle in my life.

And there seems to be something about the Chevrolet K10 that draws me in time and time again. At first, you might not think too much of this 1985 K10 Silverado, although it looks fairly clean on the outside. There is some chrome trim in place, a tinted rear window and aftermarket front turn signals have also been fitted. This K10 is sitting on Forged 15" Weld wheels, that are wrapped in 35" Interco TrXus M/T tires.

There's just enough lift to make it look special, as it uses modified springs and 1" blocks. Nothing too extravagant in the cabin either, as sometimes minor upgrades just provide a better result. You might be blown away by the subwoofers mounted behind the seats, but you might also be tempted to keep them at a low volume so that you may enjoy the sound of what's under the hood. The Pro-Comp gauges will have probably given you a hint about what's coming to you.

Supercharged Vortec\-Powered 1985 Chevrolet K10 Silverado 4×4
Photo: Bring a Trailer
And that's where the magic begins. I looked up the VIN on this truck and found out that this was built in St. Louis, in the Missouri plant, and that it initially had a 305 cubic inches (5.0-liters) V8 in it. But a fuel-injected LQ9 Vortec V8 that originally powered a GMC Denali was swapped in, and that was just the start of its journey. After it was stroked to 378 cubic inches (6.2-liter) it received quite a few upgrades, the most important of which was a Procharger supercharger.

Of course that required a series of other modifications, and this truck now works with Snow Performance methanol injection, an Aeromotive fuel pump, forged pistons and rods, and a high-volume oil pump to name just a few. A dyno sheet has not been provided by the seller, but with all these upgrades in place, I think it's safe to assume that you're looking at around 400 horsepower, which is not bad for a 36-year old truck!

Before pulling the trigger on this one you might want to do a thorough check on everything, as this has been previously involved in an accident, and there might be some minor issues with the documentation, especially if you plan on registering it in California. The highest bid at this point stands at $12,000 and there are six more days to go before the auction is over.
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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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