Mike came to us looking for a better driving and handling truck. Let’s just say we didn’t stop there.
Exterior
This S10 is so rock solid that only minimal rust repair was necessary. Mike wanted a wider look without installing bolt on flares. Our solution was to widen the front fenders by 3″ and push the bed sides out 4″. This gave the truck a factory looking widebody, allowing us to fit much wider wheels in the front and back. Currently the body sits in primer allowing the truck to be driven before Mike and his father paint the exterior together. Darklab MFG built a 1 / 1 set of wheels by cutting the face from a c4 corvette wheel and making it a 3 piece wheel. Front wheels are 18×9, and the rears measure 18×11.
Engine & Drivetrain
A tired 5.3 and Ar5 transmission weren’t going to cut it after Mike decided to overhaul the whole truck. We refreshed a 6.0 LY6 and installed a stage 3 BTR cam. A new TKX 5 speed was ordered and paired with a Mcleod Twin Disc clutch. This combo should handle the abuse for years to come. After all this we could not leave the factory posi rearend. We installed a built Ford 9″ from Quick Performance.
Engine Bay & Cooling
The engine bay came to the shop looking a little sloppy and needed some clean up. We made a custom beadrolled panel to shave the heater box. All the unnecessary holes on the firewall were welded shut. The firewall then got a fresh coat of paint to finish it off. A tubular core support was installed to save some space for the big aluminum radiator / fans.
Chassis & Suspension
This truck seriously needed some chassis upgrades. After stripping the truck down we decided to box in the entire frame. Along with building multiple custom cross members. After that, we addressed the suspension. Cut coil springs weren’t going to do it for the spirited driving Mike is looking to do. We installed a Ridetech suspension kit, including coilovers, tubular control arms, and a big front sway bar. The truck went from rubbing on every bump to carving corners as it should.
Specs
- 6.0 LY6
- TKX 5 Speed
- Mcleod Twin Disc Clutch
- Holley terminator engine managment
- Ridetech suspension
- DSE Quick ratio steering box
- Dakota Digital Gauges
- Aluminum Fuel cell
- Custom bed floor
- BTR intake
- Tubular core support
- Quick Performance 9″
- C5 ZO6 front brakes
- DARKLAB MFG Custom Wheels
- Mephis Audio with 8″ sub
Completed: May 2026
