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LS2-Powered 1970 Chevrolet C10 “Cylon Raider” Has an Interior So Red It’ll Hurt Your Eyes

I recently started re-watching Battlestar Galactica. It’s the third time I’m diving deep into this universe where the remnants of the human race have to flee their homeworlds, chased across the galaxy by a race of robots they themselves created, the Cylons. It’s my third time because, you know, one can never have enough of great sci-fi epics. And it’s weird how one of the show’s episodes came to mind, as soon as I laid eyes on the interior of this custom 1970 Chevrolet C10.
1970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,900 27 photos
Photo: RK Motors
1970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,9001970 Chevrolet C10 priced at $189,900
It's the fifth episode of the series’ first season I’m talking about, called You Can't Go Home Again. It tells the tale of how one of Galactica’s Viper pilots, Kara Thrace (Katee Sackhoff), crashes on a lifeless and unhospitable moon somewhere, the culmination of a space dog fight with a formation of Cylon spacecraft, the dreadful Raiders.

One of these thinking machines crashes on the same moon as the human pilot, and eventually gets requisitioned by her as a means of escape. In doing so, the pilot climbs on board the Raider, only to learn how the thing is not exactly just a machine, but part organic and red on the inside, filled with goo and all sorts of nasty smells.

I’m pretty sure the interior of the Chevy C10 we’re here to discuss now is anything but filled with goo and all sorts of nasty smells. But the truck has a cabin so red I can’t help making the connection with the entrails of the fictional machine-organic creature.

You can’t tell what’s waiting for you when looking at this thing from afar. Looked at superficially, it's not unlike many interpretations of the most famous member of the C/K family of trucks Chevy made from early 1960 all the way into the 2000s. Only it's not really like most others, and the huge asking price (we’ll get to that in a bit) is more than just an indication of how special it is.

1970 Chevrolet C10 priced at \$189,900
Photo: RK Motors
An incredibly rich and deep shade of blue has been sprayed all over the smooth body of the pickup, including on the bowtie emblem featured up front. The only bits that escaped being drowned in this color are the few chrome trim elements on the grille and mirrors, the factory door handles left on as a means to remind people of how old the truck really is, and of course the Billet Specialties Invader wheels, unevenly sized at 20 and 22 inches and shod in Pirelli P Zero tires.

The body is not fully stock despite its looks, as the unnamed builders behind the project performed plenty of changes. We get a reinterpreted front with Truck-Lite headlights, a bumper that seems to stretch out right from the body panels, and said blue bowtie emblem that’s simply to die for.

Further to the back, a set of Mustang mirrors dangle from the doors, ahead of the handles we already mentioned. Then come the panels surrounding the bed, with cutouts on either side to allow for the fitting of a side exhaust system. The bed itself is very well cared for, and offsets both the blue and the red seen elsewhere with a well-chosen shade of gray for the simulated wood floor.

Open them doors and voila, bright red gushes out to hurt your eyeballs. Once you’re past the initial shock, though, you come to realize just how well this choice for the interior matches and complements the exterior look.

1970 Chevrolet C10 priced at \$189,900
Photo: RK Motors
Much of the material you see in there is leather, generously spread over the bucket seats, door panels, and the upper side of the dashboard (the lower part comes in blue to make the connection with the exterior).

A center console stretches between the seats, providing the occupants with access to cupholders and USB ports for charging mobile devices. It also holds the controls for the truck’s power windows.

In front of the driver seat there’s a Billet Specialties steering wheel, and behind that a series of AutoMeter gauges are located, with the odometer displaying 5,500 miles (8,851 km) of use since the build was completed three years ago.

Mechanically, the C10 is much more of a beast that its appearance indicates. The engine bay holds a red LS2 small-block engine, 6.0-liter in displacement and running a Magnuson supercharger. No details are provided on the engine’s output, but whatever the troop, it is controlled by means of a 4-speed automatic transmission. The truck sits on a new suspension system with coil-over shocks, and stopping power is provided by Wilwood hardware.

1970 Chevrolet C10 priced at \$189,900
Photo: RK Motors
You’ve probably figured out by now that the Cylon Raider, as we chose to name the C10 for the reasons mentioned above, is for sale. North Carolina-based RK Motors is tasked with finding a new owner for it, and the asking price is (hold on) $189,900.

Now, that’s extremely expensive, no matter how you look at it, but there are reasons behind the sticker, and they’re not limited to the truck’s features alone. This C10 is also a famous show truck, being a constant presence at the Battle in Bama hot rod, truck and bike show, where it was even part of the famous C10 million-dollar row display.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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