A 1977 Chevy C30 Running a 355 Marine Engine

Jonathan Daniels . December 19, 2025 . Features . Jon Daniels and Tucker Harris

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Carson Henderson’s Marine-Powered 1977 Chevy Silverado C30

It’s not every day that you come across a truck powered by a 1979 355 marine motor. That is exactly what Carson Henderson and his dad, Cody, did to Carson’s 1977 Chevy Silverado C30. This swap came about due to what happened the day they picked up the C30.

The 454 blew up on the drive home – not the most ideal situation. Carson told us that despite the frustrations, all you can do is take a step back, take a deep breath, and try again the next day.

That led him to the marine motor application, as it was something Carson told us inspired him to stand out and do something different. This thing is different, that’s for sure, but in the best way.

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A 1977 Chevy C30

The “Guidon Sleeper Cab” & Interior Luxury

Having laid eyes on the truck at Lifted Truck Nationals 2024, we knew we had to document it for an article. The whole truck oozes presence from every body line, and looking inside shows how Carson and Cody made this truck something special.

The interior is extremely clean, with a billet steering wheel from Forever Sharp, LMC custom floor mats, and Sparco four-point harnesses. Everything else inside is immaculate.

The original door panels are still holding true, as is the bench seat, but we can’t skip over the pièce de résistance: the Guidon Sleeper Cab.

You can find a four-inch foam mattress, handmade Southwestern native blanket, and a leather cow skull-stained pillow inside, making for a really cozy cocoon.

This sleeper cab makes this C30 look perfectly at home towing Arabian show horses to the most prestigious of venues across America.

Something about it screams workhorse yet elegant show truck, and we absolutely love it.

A 1977 Chevy C30

The Heart of the Beast: 355 Marine Engine Swap

I’m sure most of you at this point are still very curious about the marine motor application, so let’s dig in! Eddie Erwin, Carson, and Cody came together to make this swap work as harmoniously as it does.

Essentially everything was needed, including a Mildon high-pressure oil pump, Cloyes double roller timing chain, cast rods, .30 over flat-top pistons with valve reliefs, a 9.5:1 compression ratio so they can eventually add NOS, Comp Cams Xtreme Energy 12-238-2 hydraulic flat tappet, Summit Racing cast iron heads, and many other engine components.

The existing transmission was then replaced with a TH400 turbo with a mild shift kit. The sound this truck produces is nothing short of incredible.

Since it’s a marine motor, it sits quite happily at a higher sustained RPM than your usual V-8, so the noise is slightly different than what you would typically expect. A neck snap is guaranteed once you hear the snarls of this thing a few hundred feet away.

A 1977 Chevy C30

Final Words

Overall, Carson said that he is proud of himself for overcoming the pitfalls, maintaining the vision, and executing his truck build to completion.

He told us that it is important to take a break and not get overly frustrated at things you can most likely accomplish tomorrow with a fresh mindset.

Down the road, he intends on throwing NOS at it, as well as adding a 750 Holley carburetor and dropping the rear down two inches to eliminate the slight rake. But after spending a full year building it, he plans on taking it to more shows and enjoying his truck for what it is.