In the September issue of ST, I collaborated with RJ at Eye Kandy Designs to render the ideas I had floating around in my dome for my latest project, a '73 Chevy C10, called The Parts Racer. This is my do-it-all truck-a daily driver that will haul more than ass but still look cool. Well, I've finally found the time to get crackin' on making that dream come true. Way back in January, I wrote a story about dyno-testing the new engine for the '73: a GM Performance Parts LS327/327 carbureted crate engine. Since then, I've slowly been scratching off items from the engine-swap to-do list. I've finally finished the swap and put some miles on the new drivetrain, just in time to shake the truck down and take a road trip you'll get to read about next month. Here is a look at what it took to trade up from the old 350ci small-block/TH400 combo and up to the new LS327 and Gearstar-built 4L65-E automatic overdrive transmission.

You guys are handy. You like a challenge. You enjoy those MacGyver moments when you have to make a fan belt out of women's undergarments. Yeah, we do too, but this isn't one of those moments. This story is about building your own dual exhaust system using a universal pipe kit from Flowmaster instead of whatever trash you have lying around the garage. Finally, you can put the mufflers where you want them and direct the sound where it sounds the best-anywhere you like! Follow along to see how our friends at Muffler Man put their own spin on this kit by customizing it to work on my '73 Chevy C10.

Back in the day, any conversion you wanted to attempt ended up being very expensive and required hours of bodywork to blend lines and get things right. Then guys figured out you could hit up the dealer and get all the stuff needed to convert, let's say a Silverado, to an Escalade. Cool, but still expensive. Then aftermarket companies finally got involved and helped by offering kits at less than dealer prices. Well what if you want to use something from a different manufacturer? Luckily you don't have to find a custom body shop if you want to put a Range Rover-style grille and headlights in your '88-'98 Chevy or GMC truck. The Option Group has crafted a completely bolt-in conversion specifically designed for these trucks that will really change the way your truck looks. Not only can you completely transform the front of your ride, you can do it for less than 400 bucks. We figured it would take a ton of trimming and cutting to install the conversion and were happily surprised to find out it's a true bolt-in replacement that took us about 45 minutes to complete.

Plumbing a brake system is sort of an art if you ask us. Sure you could just use straight tubes and a bunch of brass unions, but that would look like crap. To make the system look nice you're going to bend and curve the line and when you do that you'll need to cut the tube to length. The problem with that is you will have to put the proper double flare back on the end of the tube so it will seal.

Last month, we ran a story on how to pluck a tired V-6 from the fenderwells of a 1989 S-10. The original engine had 170,000 miles on it, burned oil for breakfast, and fouled plugs for lunch. Basically it was well past needing to be fixed or replaced. The first part of this series mapped out the proper way to remove the engine and how to keep track of all the connections and wires. This episode will cover how to button up the new ATK remanufactured long block and set it back between the framerails. We'll also cover the initial start-up, getting the adjustments right, and some new parts from LMC Truck that will support the new 4.3L and make the engine compartment look factory fresh.

We all understand the need for fenderwell modification when it comes to stance and rolling stock versus clearance. Building inner fenders for the rear section of a truck is relatively easy, but what about the front? Interfering components such as the engine, brake system, suspension, and wiring make tackling front wheeltubs a little more difficult.

The upside of stuffing big wheels under the bed of your truck is how cool it looks. The downside to this mod is how much cutting you must do in order to make massive rollers fit. The amount of sheetmetal that gets removed depends on the model of truck you're working on. What doesn't change is the fact that once you cut out a sizeable portion of your truck's bed to make room for all of that rubber, you invite dirt and road grime in as well. The solution is to tub the bed, which sounds easy, and it is-if you know what you're doing. There are a lot of pre-made wheeltubs that you can trim to fit that will do the job. We are going to show you how to build your own set of tubs that will do the same job while looking much better than those prefab tubs.

At one point or another we have all encountered a truck that is slammed down over a wide set of tires and the outer edge of the tire is sliced up from contacting the lip of the fenderwell. There are many ways to roll the fenderwell lip to prevent those expensive tires from getting cut up when the suspension sacks out. Hammers, pliers, baseball bats, and even tin snips have all been used in the past. Pliers and hammers will leave uneven results and tear up the paint. A baseball bat will give you smooth results, but it's very sketchy having some one drive your truck forward and back while you try and control the bat rolling between the tire and fender. It's very unsafe and I have personally seen someone's toe get crushed in the process. Tin snips will give you clearance, but the edge of the fender becomes very weak and can buckle. As you can tell, these tools will get the job done, but they won't do it as good as a tool specifically designed for the task. Enter the Fender Roller from Eastwood.

There's a reason that it's currently illegal for the citizens of New York City to lay on the horn for no damn reason whenever they feel like it. It's freakin' annoying when every cab driver in the city uses their horn instead of the turn signal lever to announce a lane change. That many horns blasting at once is pretty damn loud. Then again, the saying "If it's too loud then you're too old" is valid too. If you like to announce your presence with authority, then get yourself some train horns. Now you can have the same effect as a thousand angry cabbies in your own truck with Get Blasted's Kong four-trumpet horn kit.

Believe it or not, not everything we do around here is geared toward making our trucks lower, louder, or faster. In fact, we've got a couple of trucks in the stable that are used strictly for towing, hauling, and commuting. Sure, we've made those trucks look better, but we've also made them perform better in their arena of use. Case in point: This '04 Chevy Silverado 4x4 spends a great deal of time hauling a 24-foot trailer that weighs in excess of 6,000 pounds. The factory rear suspension wasn't up to the task of supporting the additional tongue weight of the tag trailer, so we fixed that with a simple rear load-bag kit from Hellwig.

I had finally reached a point where my entry-level toolbox was not only full, but also showing signs of wear. It was time to grow up, when it came to my toolbox that is, and get something more suited for a professional. I wanted something that could hold everything I have now and give me room to grow. And when it's full I wanted a box that could be expanded as needed.

The right wheel-and-tire combo will make or break the look of your truck. The right stance will do the same. It will also make the driving experience a whole lot better when your tires are not rubbing your truck's sheetmetal over rough sections of road. There's nothing worse than cutting the sidewall on an expensive tire because your wheels have the wrong backspacing and the tire won't tuck into the fender correctly as the suspension compresses.

If you have been reading the magazine for any amount of time, you've seen the first-generation S-10 I have been rebuilding. The truck has been transformed from a clapped-out POS into a mildly custom daily driver. The first story I did on the truck was tuning up the 4.3L V-6. All that work was kind of a band-aid fix to a much bigger problem, which is a worn-out engine. The tired V-6 has 170,000 miles on it and not only is it down on power, it burns a quart of oil for every 10 gallons of gas it consumes and fouls the number four plug every 500 miles or so. As you can tell, it was well past needing to be fixed or replaced. Instead of downing the truck for who knows how long and waiting for a machine shop to refurbish the original stuff, I decided to pick up a remanufactured powerplant.

Having the right tool to do a job makes all the difference in the world. We needed a tool to cut a round hole in the core support of our '73 C10 and this air saw was just the tool to do the job. We cut the hole in less than two minutes, and the best part is that this tool is available from Harbor Freight for less than a Jackson. This is the best 20 bucks we've ever spent. How cool is that?

Since this issue is dedicated to the muscle truck, we had to include something on our R/T project. This truck has been in project truck purgatory for a couple years and we thought this would be the perfect time to charge the battery and wipe the dust off. The R/T has received some bolt-on motor mods and 'Cuda-inspired body parts, which makes for a good looking truck that has enough power to back it up. One of the missing elements to the truck was a paint job that matched its attitude. We sat down at our computers and searched for pictures of early Dodge cars like the 'Cuda, Challenger, and Dart. We ended up taking cues from the '70 'Cuda to come up with our idea. We called Jason Rushforth and passed on what was in our head. He sketched out a rendering featuring the stylized design and now it's finally time to make it a reality.

The dashboard is the most important feature within the cab of your truck. It's the spot you'll spend percent of your time staring at and can provide a multitude of options for customization. If you're dash is ugly, then it's tough to get excited about driving your truck. Case in point: Our '73 Chevy C10 is a beat-down beast of a truck that neither looks good nor functions properly. This includes the gauges and most of the interior.

We've put 12,000 miles on our long-term test vehicle Nissan Titan and have become accustomed to its manners both on and off of the road. While it is a 4x4 that deserves to be lifted, the fact is that it sees only mild off-road duty, spending most of its time on the asphalt. Combine that with the fact that money is tight for everyone these days and we decided to improve the look of this truck without spending big-time dough. To that end, we didn't lift our Titan much; instead we added a leveling kit from ReadyLift and new Nitto and KMC rolling stock sourced from the pros at Rimz One.

Spark plug wires are one of those consumable maintenance items that occasionally need replacing. Over time, the resistance of the wire builds up and the wire becomes less efficient at transferring the spark from the distributor to the spark plugs and engine performance suffers. The next time you need a new set of wires, shine the cheapo no-name wires and go with a set of high-performance wires. Aside from the lower resistance aftermarket wires offer, most are available in a do-it-yourself kit that allows you to build your own wires for a perfect fit every time. Check out these 8.5mm Super Conductor wires from MSD and trick tools we used to build our wires.

The steering and suspension system in your truck may look simple enough, but in actuality it is a pretty complex series of arms, links, springs, and pivots. All of it is there to do a few basic things like soak up bumps in the road, keep the tires on the ground, and allow you to turn a corner. Even though the stuff is there to do these basic things, there are settings you can adjust even on a brand-new vehicle to make the truck handle better and make the tires last longer.

The question on every enthusiast’s mind is a simple one: How do we make more power? In reality, the answer is quite simple, because there are many ways to improve the power output of any internal combustion engine, including the 4.6L modular Ford used for this dyno session. When you go looking to substantially improve power output, the first thing that comes to mind is forced induction. True enough, adding a turbo or supercharger to an otherwise stock motor will result in a significant power gain. The same can be said for a small dose of nitrous oxide. Adding a little juice to your motor can literally transform it from mundane to maniac, depending on the amount supplied. The final avenue is likely the most popular, often labeled the bolt-on or all-motor route. This involves replacing or otherwise improving the existing engine components to improve the breathing potential or efficiency of the engine. Things like ported heads, larger cams, and free-flowing exhaust systems fall into this category.

Last month, we showed you how we turned The Big Block From Hell from a pump-gas thumper into a nitrous-swilling beast of an engine. This time around, we'll dive deeper into the tune-up of our engine, because it represents one of the most difficult examples of tuning an engine to run safely on N2O. The tips here apply to most any engine you'd like to tune, and although there is a multitude of ways to arrive at the same result, these are just the steps that worked for us. Entire books have been devoted to the subject of nitrous tuning and we won't pretend to be experts on the subject, this is simply what worked for us.

Over the years, we've printed quite a few stories in ST covering the addition of nitrous oxide to sport trucks. In nearly every case, the engine was stock, and the hit of N2O was a small, safe one. That's cool, but what happens when you want to throw a larger shot of laughing gas at your engine? Is it safe? Can you repeatedly feed your engine 200, 300, or more extra horsepower without melting pistons and blowing the air cleaner through the hood of your truck? The answer is yes! There is a catch though: If you want it to live longer than a few seconds after you hit the fun button, then you're gonna have to build your engine a bit differently than you would otherwise. You're also going to be spot-on when tuning your engine.

These days, many truck enthusiasts are looking for bargains that will help personalize and add performance to their vehicles. For owners of 2009 Dodge Ram pickups, it is especially difficult, considering they have already spent thousands of dollars for a new truck. We wanted to add 35-inch-tall off-road tires to the truck to improve its looks for the least amount of money possible.

There's an old saying that goes something like this: A happy wife means a happy life. Boy is that ever true. As much as men would like to think that they are in complete control of their own happiness, the reality is that much of it depends on keeping their significant other smiling at all times. Sometimes a gift or a dinner date is required to keep the wife happy, but there are times that require a little more tact. Refraining from making jokes about her latest hairstyle, or talking smack on her sister's ugly little kid doesn't always do the job. Women are emotional creatures and the smallest little faux pas can ruin their day, so often you'll need to go out of your way to please them. It's a man's job to be a mind reader, a shoulder to cry on, and honey-do list expediter.

It’s a fact that building a custom truck means drilling holes in it and in the parts that go onto it. At some point, you’re going to have to build a bracket for something, and that something is going to need holes in it if you plan to attach it to the truck without glue or chewing gum. The best way to drill holes in any part is with a drill press. The stability of the table and accuracy of the drill head means the holes will be round and in the right spot, unlike holes drilled with a handheld power drill.