1996 Chevrolet K1500 – Craig S.

A Work Truck with a Second Life
From a rough V6 pickup in Denver to a supercharged, owner-built Silverado that still earns its keep.
There’s something special about an old truck that refuses to retire.
My 1996 Chevrolet Silverado is one of those trucks.
I purchased it in 2018 in Denver, Colorado. It was a four-wheel-drive truck with a V6, and it needed plenty of help—especially underneath the front end. The front suspension was in rough shape and the truck had definitely seen better days.
But I could see what it could become.
A year after bringing it home, the V6 was replaced with a Blueprint 350 Vortec long block. That was the beginning of a transformation that would eventually turn this tired old Silverado into something considerably more than the truck I originally bought.
One thing, however, never changed.
It has always been my work truck.
When my wife and I made the move from Colorado Springs to Columbia, Missouri, the Silverado was right there doing what it was built to do—pulling trailers and hauling the load. It wasn’t treated like a fragile classic. It worked.
And it never failed me once.
As the years went by, the project continued to evolve. The more I drove the truck, the more I wanted to improve it. Eventually, the 350 received a complete rebuild, including lower-compression pistons in preparation for the forced-induction combination.
The transmission was upgraded as well, replacing the original unit with a stronger 4L60E built to handle the additional power. Out back, a new posi rear axle and gears went in to make sure the power could actually get to the ground.
Then came the supercharger.
At that point, the Silverado had gone a long way from the V6-powered pickup I had purchased back in 2018.
But this wasn’t a build where someone else handled all the difficult work. I did the mechanical work myself. From rebuilding the V8 to installing the drivetrain upgrades, rear axle and gears, this truck has been a hands-on project from the beginning.
I even did the alignment myself.
And after everything that’s been done to it, the best part is how it drives.
She drives like a dream.
The Silverado also received a complete repaint along the way, bringing some fresh life to its appearance while retaining the classic look that made me fall in love with these trucks in the first place.
That’s where LMC Truck became part of the story.
Quite a few LMC parts were ordered for the Silverado during the build. Some parts even ended up being picked up in person at the showroom warehouse in Kansas City. They were good people to work with because they knew the right parts for me, and even helped me carry them to the truck.
Those experiences became part of the project, too.
Today, the Silverado is still my work truck.
That’s important to me.
It’s easy to build an old pickup into something that looks great but doesn’t want to be used. That’s never been the goal with this truck. I wanted it to look good, perform well and remain capable of doing the job it was built for.
The supercharger may have added some attitude. The rebuilt V8, stronger 4L60E, posi rear axle and gears have certainly improved its capability. The repaint brought the old truck back to life. But underneath all of it, it’s still the same basic truck I bought in 2018.
That’s what I love about this generation of Silverado. The style is timeless, but the real beauty is its workability.