Torque Monster: A Blown 1988 Chevy C1500

Chris Hamilton . August 12, 2026 . Chevrolet

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A Dual Demon Small-Block

At first glance, you might think this is just a clean OBS Chevy, but then the details start hitting you.

The Medium Garnet Red and silver paint feels right at home on the body lines of this 1988 Chevy C1500 Silverado, giving the truck a factory-inspired look with just enough muscle-truck attitude to pull you in. The clean exterior, LMC touches, and familiar OBS shape ease you in for a second. Then your eyes land on the hood. And suddenly, “Nice OBS” turns into “What in the world is going on here?”

That’s exactly the reaction Greg Horton was after. Greg, out of The Colony, Texas, didn’t spend 12 years building Torque Monster just to blend in with a row of custom trucks. He had a very specific vision from day one—build something that paid respect to old-school hot rodders while mixing in modern tech and real street manners. That sounds simple until you actually try to pull it off. Plenty of trucks look wild but are miserable to drive. Others cruise great but don’t have much personality. Torque Monster somehow manages both.

Greg credits Keith Gumaer with helping turn that vision into reality, and the result is exactly what the truck’s name suggests. Under the custom hood sits a Dart-based 380 ci small-block built from a 400 ci platform, complete with Callies internals, Ross pistons, a custom Crower cam, ported Dart heads, dual Demon carbs, and the star of the show—a Weiand 8-71 blower sticking proudly through the hood opening like it owns the place.

Greg’s description of the scoop might be the most honest thing ever said about a custom truck feature: “It’s like walking around with your fly open. People are going to notice.” He’s not wrong.

He had a very specific vision from day oneÑbuild something that paid respect to old-school hot rodders while mixing in modern tech and real street manners.

But this isn’t just some loud showpiece built for trailer duty. One of the coolest things about Torque Monster is that it actually behaves. Greg specifically wanted a truck that could be brutal when needed yet streetable and reliable. Cold A/C. Smooth idle. Traffic-friendly manners. That’s where the custom liquid-to-air intercooler setup gets especially interesting, using the truck’s A/C refrigerant to help keep intake temps in check.

Underneath, the OBS gets just as much attention. Ridetech airbags, QA1 shocks, a fully adjustable parallel four-link, tubular control arms, and RidePro-X management keep the stance exactly where it needs to be, while U.S. Mags CTEN wheels and staggered Nitto Invo tires finish the look.

Inside, it’s all clean muscle-truck business with custom leather buckets, TMI door panels, AutoMeter gauges, a Ray Sinor dash and console, and enough stereo gear to rattle your fillings loose.

Greg says there were no shortcuts in this build. Looking at Torque Monster, that feels pretty obvious.

But this isn’t just some loud showpiece built for trailer duty. One of the coolest things about Torque Monster is that it actually behaves.

Greg specifically wanted a truck that could be brutal when needed yet streetable and reliable. Cold A/C. Smooth idle. Traffic-friendly manners.

TRUCK SPECS

 ENGINE & DRIVETRAIN

2018 Dart cast iron block V-8
400ci platform de-stroked to 380ci
Balanced and blueprinted
Callies connecting rods
Callies forged crankshaft
Ross pistons
Total Seal gapless rings
8.5:1 compression ratio
Crower custom proprietary grind camshaft
Ported Dart aluminum cylinder heads
Blower Shop intake manifold
Weiland 8-71 supercharger
Custom liquid-to-air intercooler system utilizing vehicle A/C refrigerant
Dual Demon 4-barrel carburetors
Hedman headers
Custom stainless exhaust with electric cutouts
MSD Digital 6AL ignition
MSD distributor
Custom fabricated accessory brackets and accessory belt drive

TRANSMISSION & DRIVELINE

2010 GM 4L80E automatic transmission
ATI transmission controller
PTC torque converter
3,000 RPM stall speed
Shortened driveshaft
Narrowed Currie 9-inch rear axle

CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

Factory 1988 GM frame
RideTech RidePro-X Level 3 air suspension management
RideTech airbags front and rear
QA1 single-adjustable shocks front and rear
Front drop spindles
Upper and lower tubular control arms
Fully adjustable parallel 4-link rear suspension
Panhard bar
Level sensors on all four corners
Aluminum 25-gallon fuel tank
Chassis setup by Keith Gumaer

BRAKES

Front disc brakes with cross-drilled rotors
Rear disc brake conversion with cross-drilled rotors

WHEELS & TIRES

Weld CTEN wheels
Front: 20×8.5
Rear: 20×10
Front backspacing: 5.5 inches
Rear backspacing: 5 inches
Nitto Invo tires
Front: 245/40ZR20
Rear: 275/35ZR20
No rubbing issues

BODY & PAINT

1988 Chevrolet C1500 Silverado body
Medium Garnet Red & Silver basecoat/clearcoat
Paint by Bob Romig & Bill Blakeley (Sherman, Texas)
LMC Special Edition grille (PN 39-4110)
LMC headlights (PN 37-4408 & 4409)
GM/LMC bumpers
Cheyenne delete impact strips
Custom dual-hood fabrication with integrated blower opening

INTERIOR

Custom bucket seats
Medium red leather upholstery
TMI Pro

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Chris Hamilton

Chris Hamilton is an automotive journalist, editor, and lifelong truck enthusiast with extensive experience covering custom truck builds, fabrication, performance upgrades, aftermarket products, and a

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