NASCAR vehicles are designed to withstand truly extreme conditions. They lap the track hundreds of times at speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour, and in the event of a crash, must withstand the immense force of slamming into a wall at triple-digit speeds. However, once their time on the track is done, they're often retired to an unceremonious end. When Lance Smith of RaceRods found an old 1999 Craftsman Truck Series NASCAR chassis, he saw the perfect opportunity for a project. Grafting on a Chevy C10 body turned this into a mean-looking race truck for the street.
RaceRods NASCAR C10 Project
YouTube channel Nicole Johnson's Detour documented the story behind this unique race truck build. Surprisingly, it wasn't as costly as you might think. The chassis was only $1,800, the 358ci V8 was $1,500, and the transmission was just $600. As a collector of car parts from flea markets and swap meets, Smith says he had no trouble finding components that would work for this build.
Smith explained that the build started by stripping the cab off a weathered '71 C10 and carefully cutting it to fit around the NASCAR chassis' integral roll cage. For the bed, 16 inches had to be cut off the front of the Chevy's 8-foot bed to achieve proper alignment with the wheelwells.
The front end was even more complicated, since the front wheels didn't align with the C10's fender openings. Smith carefully cut each fender, moved the wheelwell section forward four inches, and then grafted it back on. The hood was modified in a similar manner, being cut into three sections and grafted back together.
Smith even adhered to NASCAR's rules about front spoiler size to give it a proper "decommissioned race truck" look. At the rear, he built a lip spoiler out of a piece of tailgate. A side-exit exhaust and black 15x10-inch wheels complete the aggressive look.
Under the hood, a true NASCAR 358ci V8 is equipped with a Holley carburetor, dry sump oil system, large aluminum radiator, and long-tube headers to let it breathe freely. Naturally, it's equipped with a 4-speed manual transmission and Hurst shifter. Since there are no inner fenders, the big Brembo 6-piston brakes and double-adjustable Penske shocks are also visible in the engine bay.
Check out the video below from Nicole Johnson's Detour to see the NASCAR C10 in action. It also includes brief features on some of the other cool cars in Smith's collection, including a 750hp Greenwood widebody Corvette, a '55 Chevy gasser, and even a 1971 McLaren M8E Can Am race car.
Looking for Chevy C10 Parts?
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