Representing the extreme in every aspect of customization, Edgar Hernandez of Fallbrook, California, arrives in style when behind the wheel of his dumped, boosted, and incredibly loud '81 square-body. Every nook and cranny has been modified, and when it came time to find the proper archetype for a '73-'87 Chevy cover truck, Edgar's C10 was the uncontested king of square.
Edgar writes that he loves custom trucks; not as much as he loves his new bride Evelyn, but he loves 'em enough to spend five years and an unknown (he is just-married) amount of dollars creating the sickest C10 to hit the streets in recent years. Wanting a truck that would turn heads and stir conversation, Edgar drove his '81 Chevy to Temecula, California, where Brian Jendro and Alex Anderson built an air suspension designed to drag and dominate. After installing the 2-inch drop spindles and Toxic drop shocks, the pair added a set of airbags to the fabbed control arm cups and finished the front off by boxing and powdercoating the frame. Out back, the crew created a four-link and a boxed hoop cradle accommodating Air Wave airbags. Powering air to each GC valve are chromed 5-gallon tanks using four Viair 380C compressors to supply endless air needed to drop it like it's hot. Each piece of the suspension was either chromed or powdercoated for ultimate durability and good looks. Disc brakes from CPP keep the C10 stopping on a dime, and the rear discs and stainless hard line add function to the glamour. The remaining bed floor was protected by Line-X of Temecula. On the ground was the only way Edgar was going to roll, and to get his C10s rockers on the ground, Brian got out the Sawzall and removed 3-1/2 inches from the body and welded everything back to normal. Now peeking from under each fender are the only set in the U.S. of Martin Brothers Alloys' Dragontail 22x9-1/2-inch chrome wheels wrapped in new Nitto 420S tires sized 265/30R22. They tuck so hard it seems hard to believe they really are 22s.
Twenty-two-inch Martin Brothers...
Twenty-two-inch Martin Brothers Alloys' Dragontail chrome wheels peer from each fender and are wrapped in new Nitto 420S tires.
Powering the large rolling combination is a 388ci V-8 machined by S&S Motorworks equipped with World Product heads, a Weiand intake, Holley carb, Gibson headers, and Gibson mufflers. The real power comes from the insane Sheer Speed-created Turbonetics T3/T4 hybrid turbo. Located in Escondido, California, the crew at Sheer Speed warmed up the welders and fabbed together a turbo kit forcing 8 psi of boost through polished 2-1/2-inch tubing into the warmed-over small-block. In case the turbo isn't whetting Edgar's appetite for speed, an NOS carburetor plate system fills the intake with cold nitrous and provides a jolt of go-juice to the truck. Sending more than 500 hp to the manual valvebody-equipped 350 transmission, the hardened clutches and shortened driveshaft ensure the power gets to the ground. Lifting the hood is a fun ordeal as people just scratch their heads and question the creativity. However, more fun than that is arriving with the sun beating down on the bright yellow paint and freaking people out with the killer paint job.