AS SEEN IN OUR MARCH 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!

From Roller to Dragger

WHEN you’re in love with Chevy C10s, you just can’t seem to let them get away when an opportunity arises. With three C10s under his belt, Highlands, Texas, resident Jaime Silva was looking for his fourth. The first three were so badly rusted that he just couldn’t continue to pour money into them and sold them all. Coming from a truck family, everyone around Jaime has their hands dipped in trucks of all kinds, but he had been keeping an eye on his brother-in-law Fabian’s 1985 Chevy C10 for quite some time. At the time, Fabian had removed the motor and transmission and was just stalling to keep the build process going.

After a bit of questioning, Jaime was able to make arrangements to purchase the ’85 from Fabian as a roller in primer with no working motor. The very first thing Jaime needed to do to get the build started was add some power under the hood. He purchased a 2005 Silverado as a donor truck and installed the motor and transmission himself. Antonio Gonzalez of Tony’s Garage in Pasadena, Texas, completed the full LS swap by wiring it all together. With the Chevy now able to start and drive under its own power, Jaime was able to enjoy the classic for a while before it was time to continue the process.

As an employee at a Toyota dealership in Stafford, Texas, Jaime’s choice for a painter made sense by enlisting the best painters at the dealership. His wife, Nancy Silva, chose Lamborghini Orange because of the impact of the bright color to set the Chevy apart from others, and Jaime picked the subtle white two-tone color for the squarebody. The entire bed was redone to accommodate the new air-ride suspension and powdercoated tan while the engine bay was color-matched to the exterior paint. The tubs under the hood were pinstriped by Pablo Mendoza from Austin, Texas. A fuel cell with a cap was added to the bed for better ease at the pump.

The entire bed was redone to accommodate the new air-ride suspension and powdercoated tan while the engine bay was color-matched to the exterior paint.

Once the stage was set for the tone of the Chevy, Jaime scoured the Internet for a quality upholstery and interior shop. Through social media, he found Paul G Custom Interiors in Fort Worth, Texas, about five hours away from his home, but as Jaime tells Street Trucks, “You make that drive for quality.” The entire cabin was replaced with a high-quality tan, along with wrapping the bench seats for more comfort. A suede headliner was added to the roof for a soft feel. Billet accessories were installed, and the Accuair suspension controller was hidden inside the ashtray compartment for a streamlined appearance.

1 Low ‘85 has given Jaime memories and experiences he will always cherish and appreciate.

Jaime then handled the modest stereo installation entirely by himself. He made the trip to Home Depot and went to town, leaving the head unit as retro as possible to make sure the ’85 kept that nostalgic look and classic feel. All speaker components were carefully fitted into the doors and behind the seats for sound quality and ease using Focal components and Rockford Fosgate amplifiers for power. A full Vintage Air A/C system was added for those hot summer days in Texas.

Jaime wishes to thank everybody who helped along the way, including his brother-in-law Fabian Arredondo, who trusted him with the project truck that was missing a motor. Jaime proved he was able to transform it into something worthy of being published in a major truck magazine. Special thanks also go out to Jaime’s wife, Nancy, for her patience and understanding about where the finances were going during the whole process. Jaime wishes to thank his truck club, Mindset, for all their help as well as Arturo Arredondo. 1 Low ‘85 has given Jaime memories and experiences he will always cherish and appreciate.

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TRUCK SPECS

 Engine & Drivetrain

• 6.0L
• Stage 3 cammed with Corvette top end
• Front accessory drive
• Vintage Air A/C
• Aluminum 4-core radiator with two Spal electric fans
• Long-tube headers
• Black Widow 3-inch exhaust
• 4L80 transmission with Circle D 2800 stall
• Holley Terminator X Max wire harness
• Narrowed Escalade rearend

Chassis & Suspension

• Porterbuilt front Dropmember kit
• Crossmember with upper and lower control arms
• Firestone 2600 air bags front and rear
• Accuair suspension with manifold, controller hidden in ashtray
• Ekstensive Metal Works 2-link inside the frame
• Dual Viair 444 compressors
• 2.5-gallon air tank

Wheels & Tires

• 24×9 and 24×15 Bonspeed Sweeps with True Spike lug nuts
• 275/30 R24 and 405/25 R24 Pirelli tires

Body & Paint

• Lamborghini Orange and Toyota White paint
• Paint by Alex Alvarez and Luis Martinez at Sterling McCall Restoration Center, Stafford, TX
• Shaved bed holes on top of bedsides
• Raised and widened tubs inside bed

Interior

• Bench seat, trim panels, and dash pad wrapped in tan
• Interior work by Paul G Custom Interiors, Fort Worth, TX
• Billet steering wheel with tan wrap
• LMC billet pedals and rearview mirror
• Billet trim on trim panels
• AutoMeter gauges
• Retro stereo
• 400.4 Rockford Fosgate amplifier
• (4) Focal 6.5-inch components
• (2) 10-inch Kicker subwoofers behind seats
• Rockford Fosgate 800.2 amplifier
• Subwoofer box wrapped in tan