1994 Chevy S-10 - MID ENGINE - 515hp LS3 - 5-Speed - Pro Touring - Hot Rod Truck

1994 Chevrolet S-10 Custom

This isn't your typical 1994 Chevy S-10

Standard-Cab - Long-Bed Pickup...

It's Custom-Built from the Ground Up!

It has a Hi-Performance 49cc 2-Stroke Pocket-Rocket Engine under the hood!

Producing over 6.5hp at 10,000 rpm!

Blasting this S-10 from 0-60mph

In under 3.2 Minutes!

OK... Just Kidding...

But, just imagine everyone's surprise when you pull into the local cruising place one evening and pop your hood open to expose a little two-stroke engine sitting all alone in the engine compartment.

Dead silence comes over the crowd as people slowly move in for a closer look amidst whispers of "WTF?”

Then run your 'fun little story' and mention how it gets 75 miles to the gallon and needs a good tail wind to get up a hill. Believe me - people eat this up - and it gets even funnier when you watch it again at home. Because everyone's reaction was caught on the Go-Pro camera, well hidden within the 'coil' over the engine. (It works every time, because nobody ever expects to find an LS3 in the bed of the truck.)

Anyway, once people start crawling around the sides and the rear of the truck, it's time to reach in the driver's side window and press the "Bed Up" switch, which actuates the truck bed all the way up to a 90-degree angle - exposing the truck's 'big' secret.

It's actually powered by a mid-engine 515-HP - LS3 Chevy Crate Engine, coupled to a Mendeola SDR5 5-speed transaxle, tied to a complete C5 Corvette All-Aluminum Independent Rear Suspension!

We've had a lot of fun doing this - and it's a great attention getter!

NOW FOR THE REAL STUFF...

My name is Rick Dobbertin and I build cars for a living. You can search for my other projects on the Internet, just by typing in 'Rick Dobbertin Cars', or by visiting the Dobbertin Performance site.

Two of my former projects were awarded Hot Rod Magazine's "Car of the Year" awards. It was a 1965 Nova SS back in 1982 and a 1985 Pontiac J-2000 in 1986. I also built an amphibious craft out of an old milk tanker and traveled through 28 countries and 38 states with it. (Why? I still don't know...)

Hopefully, these projects will lend some credibility to the quality of this S-10 project. I built it as a promotional vehicle for our Corvette Suspension Adapter business, so I didn't skimp on anything!

In fact, this S-10 won BEST ENGINEERED back to back in 2016 and 2017 at the 'Grand-Daddy' of them all, the prestigious STREET MACHINE NATIONALS in Du Quoin, IL.

There's a lot more information on this truck at the Dobbertin Performance site, including dozens of build-up photos. Scroll all the way down on the site to find them.

When the truck was finished, I went to a split-weight scale and had it weighed at both axles.

I was very pleased to find that it weighed 3,860 with a front weight of 1,660 and a rear weight of 2,200, giving it a 43% to 57% weight distribution...

(THE SAME AS AN ENZO FERRARI!)

OVERVIEW

• 1994 Chevy S-10 - Standard Cab - Long Bed

• 26,550 Original Miles - 220 miles since completed.

• The truck features an authentic Mid-Engine Drivetrain.

• The engine is a 515-HP - LS3 Chevy Crate Engine -

• Coupled to a Mendeola SDR5 5-speed transaxle -

• Running through a C5 Corvette All-Aluminum Independent Rear Suspension.

• Ridetech Coil-Over Shocks on all corners.

• The front suspension is all Ridetech, including their tubular control arms, dropped spindles and coil-overs.

• It features Lambo Doors for the passengers -

• With a powered, 90-degree tilt bed for engine access.

• There's also a 'little secret' hidden under the hood - a 49cc Pocket-Rocket engine, just for laughs.

BODY

• The project is based on a 1994 Chevy S-10 standard-cab, long-bed pickup.

• The truck has 26,550 original miles plus an additional 220 since completion.

• The truck has never been in any type of accident.

• The body fit at the doors and hood is great.

• The body-to-bed fit is great also.

• It features a full set of fender flares and ground effects panels.

• There are three custom aluminum bar grilles up front.

• It's fitted with a high-quality aftermarket Trans-Am style hood.

• The headlights and taillights are aftermarket with very bright bulbs.

• There is a sunroof with an optional sunroof blocker that mounts inside.

• It's equipped with Lamborghini-style, flip-up doors for the passengers.

• It also has an electric actuator to raise the bed 90-degrees.

PAINT & POWDER COATING

• The paint is spectacular, with blue flames that took several days just to lay out. It also has a custom paint effect that I can't seem to figure how it was accomplished.

• The custom paint starts at the body line and flares, then runs up the side and over the top, but the lower portion is a solid blue metallic.

• The underside of the hood is also smooth and painted.

• Inside the bed, the paint is also flawlessly applied.

• All of the frame and components are either painted with POR-15 gloss black paint or powder coated.

• There are also over 140 other parts that are powder coated in gloss black, satin black, silver or silver vein.

• Full Disclosure - It has developed some small cracks where the flares meet the ground effects panels.But the good news is that they are all in the solid-color areas, so touching it up or repainting only the bottom third would be pretty simple. There is also one small dent under the rear glass, but it's very small.

FRAME

• The underside of the truck is just about as clean as the top side. The frame, body, drivetrain, suspension, wheels and tires hardly appear as if they have ever hit the road.

• The front portion of the frame is factory stock with additional bracing for the roll bar and side bar attachments.

• The roll bar is a 12-point with the rear mounting points going through the cab low enough to still function well within the confines of the tilting bed.

• The rear 'back-half' section is custom made to work with the Corvette suspension and mid engine configuration.

• The main rails are 2" x 4" x .120" wall and all bracing is 2" x 2" x .120”wall.

ENGINE

• The engine is a GM Performance Parts 515-HP - LS3 Chevy Crate Engine.

• This engine was set up with a 770-CFM Holley carburetor, designed specifically for this engine by GM.

• The ignition box was also designed by GM Performance.

• The air cleaner is a billet type and the coil covers are modified GM.

EXHAUST SYSTEM

• The headers are stainless steel block-hugger style.

• The entire exhaust system is also stainless steel. It comes out of the headers and runs forward for a couple feet.

• The mufflers are a 180-degree style from Flow-Master, so the mufflers can be mounted in front of the engine and still work with a side-exit exhaust.

COOLING

• The truck has a very large three-pass radiator up front in the standard location.

• The radiator has a custom shroud and a massive electric fan that puts out 3,400CFM.

• It uses a high-volume water pump to make sure it flows well from front to rear.

• Under the passenger compartment is a three-gallon reservoir for added coolant volume.

• I figure the larger the ratio of water outside of the engine, versus inside, the better.

TRANSAXLE

• The transaxle is a Mendeola SDR5 5-speed. It has a 10-inch ring gear and, of course, it has positraction, with a 4.10 ratio.

• It also has 220 miles on it.

• The shifter is a dual-cable type out of an Audi.

• The clutch is an 11-inch street/track unit from ACT.

REAR SUSPENSION & BRAKES

• The rear suspension is from a C5 Corvette.

• My business is making adapter kits to install Corvette suspensions into just about anything - so this made a perfect 'rolling billboard' for our products.

• The lower suspension cradle, upper and lower aluminum control arms as well as the aluminum spindles are C5 Corvette. The suspension is attached to the frame with a set of our Corvette Interface Adapters.

• The coil-over shocks and springs are adjustable units from Ridetech.

• The rotors are drilled, slotted and zinc-plated.

• The calipers are red powder coated.

• All of the brake lines are custom formed.

FRONT SUSPENSION & BRAKES

• The front end was stripped down to the bare frame and everything was replaced.

• The 'Strong-Arm' upper and lower tubular control arms are from Ridetech.

• The 2" dropped spindles are also from Ridetech.

• The coil-over shocks are also from Ridetech.

• The rack and pinion steering is from Unisteer - and although it works fine, I wish it had a little quicker ratio.

• The rotors are drilled, slotted and zinc-plated.

• The calipers are red powder coated.

• All of the brake lines are custom formed.

WHEELS & TIRES

• All four wheels are 18" X 9.5" Corvette Z06 Wheels.

• The two front tires are 275/35 ZR18 Somitomo tires.

• The two rear tires are 275/40 ZR 18 Somitomo tires.

INTERIOR

• Some of the interior remains stock, as in the seats, shoulder harnesses headliner and the dash top.

• There are nine Autometer gauges:

• Tachometer

• GPS Speedometer

• Oil Pressure

• Oil Temperature

• Water Temperature

• Fuel level

• Voltmeter

• Transmission Temperature

• Engine Vacuum

• All lights, coolers and other systems are controlled by 21 Oslo lighted switches.

• The Pioneer sound system and speakers are great.

• There is a back-up camera in the Pioneer radio.

• The steering column is a chrome-tilt version.

• The steering wheel is billet aluminum.

• All of the floor mats, as well as the carpeting underneath the mats are brand new.

FRONT ENGINE

• Not too much more to say here. It doesn't run, but I suppose it could...

• My thoughts were that it might be more trouble than it's worth, and might even cause an engine compartment fire if something went wrong - so why take the chance?

• So, it's in there - just for laughs!

THE TRUCK'S HISTORY

• When I purchased the truck, it was an electric vehicle,complete with 53 military-gradebatteries anda 195-volt motor, running through a manual transmission.
• The ground effects, fender flares and custom paint were already completed, and although it looked great, it took more time to make the transformation, because I didn't want to scuff any of the finished parts.
• It also had athree-axis articulating bed, set up to rise up several feet above the truck.The bed was wired for speakers and video, but all of that equipment was already removed.
• All the modificationslooked professionally built - but the truck weighed in at around 6,600 pounds, so it was more of a brick than a performance vehicle... But we changed all that!

TITLE STATUS

• The title is clear, in my name, and ready to be signed over.

• I, Rick Dobbertin, did 95 percent of the work on the truck myself, except for the paint, which was professionally completed.

If you have any questions or comments,

please don't hesitate to call me,

or contact me through eBay.

(Rick) at 315-695-6645

THANKS FOR LOOKING!

• Make: Chevrolet
• Model: S-10
• SubModel: Center-Grav Touring
• Type: Standard Cab Pickup
• Trim: Custom
• Year: 1994
• Mileage: 26,770
• VIN: 1GCCS1447R8229316
• Color: Blue
• Engine size: Chevy LS3 - 515-HP
• Number of cylinders: 8
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Transmission: 5-Speed Manual transaxle
• Drive type: Mid Engine - RWD
• Interior color: Gray
• Drive side: Left-hand drive
• Options: CD Player, Sunroof
• Vehicle Title: Clear
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