There is that moment when you get close to completing a project, and you you really want to try it out and go play. This is one of those times, as Roman could not wait to take the Big Green Chevy K10 up the Gold Mine Hill off-road trail for a little shakedown run.
Big Green is now powered by a brand-new Chevy Performance ZZ6 350 cu-in V8 turn-key crate engine. This is a carbureted engine that is good for 405 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The original 4-speed manual transmission with a new clutch is still there, as well as all the other components. The exhaust system is not fully completed yet.
Roman eagerly drove to the Gold Mine Hill trailhead (near Boulder, CO on Switzerland Trail). That’s where Nathan met him in our long-term 2017 Ram Power Wagon. Why was Nathan there? Of course, we take every chance we get to go off-roading, but he came along as a support vehicle. Which was a good thing, considering that the new engine in Big Green only has about 150 miles on it. The engine is not fully broken in, and this was the first off-road outing for the truck after getting a heart transplant.
Check out the next Rocky Mountain misadventure here.