Building a series of hot rods from classic cars like the Ford Mustang and Pontiac Trans Am, Richard Rawlings has made a name for himself as an automotive personality. Hosting Fast N' Loud, a show on the Discovery Channel for 14 seasons, he chronicled over 150 different hot rod builds. He announced that Discovery canceled the show on December 15th, 2020. Now, his attention focuses upon Gas Monkey Garage's projects and exploits. That includes this 1990s Chevrolet pickup build.

Nonchalantly placed in the background are a Rolls-Royce Wraith and Range Rover, but these aren't his main interests. Large powerful muscle cars and trucks make up the bulk of Gas Monkey Garage's stock. Not only is the build process chronicled on YouTube, but every day Rawlings live-streamed progress updates with his team. The main goal here is to prove the naysayers wrong. The team at Gas Monkey Garage didn't need to bring in outside help off-camera to finish a project in one working week.

This Chevy C/K turned into the truck GM wanted it to be.

What's The Old Body Style Build?

Rawlings throughout this online episode of Gas Monkey Garage, calls the Chevy pickup truck the OBS, an abbreviation for Old Body Style. This is a nickname for General Motors Pickup trucks built on the GMT400 platform. Used by both Chevy and GMC between 1988 and 1998, the OBS is classy looking and incredibly practical. Richard Rawlings brought into Gas Monkey Garage a 1991 Chevrolet C/K.

No longer in Chevrolet's lineup, the C/K's replacement is the Silverado. In 1999 the fourth-generation C/K started to sell under the Silverado Classic nameplate. General Motors gave both their Chevy and the equivalent GMC memorable names. The latter became the Sierra. This creates a stronger brand identity. The pickup market remained competitive with the likes of the Dodge Ram, Toyota Tundra, and Ford F-150.

Over a decade of production, the C/K only saw minor facelifts. Such as the addition of airbags, and a redesigned extended cabin. Available in three different specifications, the high-performance version came with a big block 454. The example on Gas Monkey Garage is not one of these. The team doesn't specify which model, but it has a small block engine. This high-performance model produced just over 200 horsepower from a 7.4-liter V8 engine. Rawlings aims to remedy this by swapping to a modern Chevy engine.

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How Powerful Is This Hot Rod Truck?

With only 37,000 miles and one owner, this particular truck is not particularly in need of Gas Monkey Garage's attention. Rawlings acknowledges that this example had one repaint, but only because older clear coat paint peels off as it ages. The mechanics are most excited by installing an appropriately powerful engine into the large pickup truck. On the first day of this five-day build, the hosts made a trip to Texas Speed and Performance. This workshop specializes in LS and LT engines. Receiving a re-sleeved LS3 454 engine in a specially painted Gas Monkey crate, the team is incredibly excited both with their special treatment and the 675-horsepower motor.

According to Chevrolet, the 454 crate engine produces 627 horsepower and 586 pound foot of torque. With only minor modifications, major performance improvements are accessible.

By the end of the first day, the team stripped the car down to its chassis, ready to get to work with Rawlings' vision for the OBS. New engine, new brakes, and a yank torque converter this build steps into the realms of restoration and modification. The host clearly stated that he didn't want something like a new truck instead it had to keep in style with how a 1991 truck would get modified.

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Did Rawlings' Build Finish Well?

The second day of the build started with plenty of work left. Strewn across the floor were parts, including prototypes from after-market manufacturers. However, the new wheels hint towards the look Rawlings desires. The bold silver ten-spoke wheels from Budnik with a matching steering wheel is a bold look that modern builds rarely choose.

Finished in a metallic blue the workshop opted to keep the same color as when it arrived, which from the outside makes the truck seem remarkably elegant. Rawlings aimed for the "grown-up version" of what they used to build with these trucks. A less elegant aspect is the cowl hood scoop, hinting at the power of the big block engine beneath and harking back to Pimp My Ride. Riding low and with deep dish rims, Rawlings' project is straight from the early 2000s. The team kept the interior in keeping with its contemporary competitors. Many get tempted by the addition of digital infotainment systems but not at Gas Monkey Garage. The radio remains with buttons to control it, a novelty in the era of touchscreen displays. The dashboard illuminates in a neon blue that carries the exterior's aesthetic into the otherwise gray-colored cabin.

Rawlings concludes by calling his workshop "the best hot rod building team on the planet." Over five days the team stripped the car back to its chassis. By the end of the week, a full hot rod build sat in their garage.