If you’ve watched TFLTruck for any length of time, you’ve probably seen Big Green, a 1985 Chevy K10 that has been lifted and sits on 35-inch tires.
TFLTruck purchased the truck and subsequently fit a Chevy ZZ6 engine under the hood, a 350 V8 that puts out just over 400 hp. Big Green has been off-road in the mountains, run up the Ike Gauntlet towing a trailer among many other tests, but we have something new in store for this Chevy. Big Green is headed north!
ALSO SEE: Old vs. OIder: Chevy K10 Big Green vs Dodgezilla in the Rocky Mountain Mud (Video)
After I purchased Big Green from TFL head Roman Mica in Boulder, CO, there was 1500 miles between where the truck was and my home in Brampton, On, so I enlisted the help of my brother and we took off for home.
While we initially thought we might leave on Saturday morning and go straight through, we ended up leaving late Friday night, already exhausted from a day of work. So we grabbed a hotel in North Platte, Nebraska for a night, before continuing on early the next morning. And then it was 24-hours straight through.
Here’s what I learned after driving in this truck for that long on the interstate, along with what I intend to do about it:
- 35-inch Mickey Thompson Mud Terrains are loud. Really loud. I think Matthew and I were yelling for at least two days afterwards. While not a surprise in any way, that drone will forever be linked in my memory with this road trip. Less aggressive tires are definitely on the docket for Big Green. A nice set of all-terrains probably to keep some off-road readiness, but lose the drone on the highway. Some aftermarket sound deadening material could be on its way as well.
- Big Green’s seat is actually pretty comfortable, leaving the only real interior annoyance the lack of cup holders. The aftermarket will help us out there as well, and I might just go for the cheap plastic holders that fit in the window frame.
- The V8 runs great, and the exhaust sounds amazing. Only real drivetrain issue we have it a strange clicking coming from the transmission. Based on our YouTube commenters sage knowledge, it seems to be a throw out bearing. If you drive the truck nicely, you can avoid the noise, so for now, I’ve just been babying it and hopefully can get it through the winter. Would be nice to work on a warm day, as I’m a driveway mechanic.
- Nebraska is flat, and the beef is delicious.
- The passenger-side speaker doesn’t work in the truck, something I need to correct because I love my tunes.
That’s all the issues that presented themselves over the long drive, but for the most part, Big Green is a beautiful example of a K10, and I plan to keep this piece of history as nice as possible.
