Lightly Modded 1981 Chevrolet K-10 Is Riding High

By Jeffrey N. Ross Sep 18, 2019

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By Jeffrey N. Ross Sep 18, 2019

A six-inch lift looks great on this square-body Chevy.

GM's square-body pickups have been increasingly popular among collectors ranging anywhere from an all-original survivor to a fully modified truck, and this 1981 Chevrolet K-10 sits somewhere in the middle. For the most part, this truck is just how it looked from the factory, but a lift and big tires adds a cool yet not-too-big look to this Chevy. If you're a classic truck lover, Streetside Classics of Atlanta has just what you need with this lifted and lightly modified Chevy K10.

Lightly Modded 1981 Chevrolet K-10 Is Riding High

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The first thing you'll notice about this 1981 Chevrolet K-10 is its imposing presence thanks to a six inch lift and 15-inch rally wheels wrapped in 35x12.5R15 Toyo Open Country tires. Things get even better thanks to a restoration that brought a fresh metallic silver paint job with a near-flawless burgundy cloth/vinyl interior. Aside from the lift and big tires, the only modification made to this truck appears to be the addition of a steel cowl inducted hood. The bed of this truck isn't in perfect condition, but it is in surprisingly good shape for a 38-year-old truck.

Under the hood is a 350 CID crate engine that should provide plenty of power to this pseudo monster truck with upgrades that include ProComp aluminum heads, four-barrel carb and headers. This engine is backed by a three-speed automatic transmission, and this truck uses GM's conventional four-wheel drive with locking hubs; the 1981 model year was the first year that these Chevy and GMC trucks were available with a shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive system. The big change for the 1981 model year was a refreshed design that brought an even more squared-off look to this truck, which lasted until 1988. The front end of this truck got a little boxier including rectangular headlights and horizontal side marker lights.