Rhea Sharma July 11, 2023 Press Release
If you were of TV-viewing age in the 1980s, we’ll wager our lunch money you watched The Fall Guy every week. While Lee Majors kicked butt as stuntman and bounty hunter Colt Seavers, the real star was the lifted GMC High Sierra K2500 pickup he used to chase bad guys and jump over everything in sight.
PowerNation TV’s Music City Trucks team must be big Fall Guy fans too. They bought a 1985 Chevy K10 Scottsdale longbed, built it as a tribute to the show truck, and named it Faux Guy. You can see the build on the PowerNation TV website and the PowerNation YouTube channel.
If you have a squarebody that could use a makeover, take a look at our Music City Trucks Faux Guy 1985 Chevy K10 Parts Combos and give your truck the star treatment.
The Fall Guy GMC was a 3/4-ton truck and the K10 is a mere 1/2-ton. The first order of business was replacing the Chevy’s wimpy 10-bolt axles with Spicer Drivetrain’s Ultimate Dana 60 axle assemblies. Designed as universal ‘crate’ assemblies for custom builds, the axles have bracketless tubes so you can fit them with the brackets you need to fit them under your truck. Those tubes are 3.5 inches in diameter and 3/8-inch thick, so have fun trying to bend them.
The Ultimate Dana 60 axles come fully assembled with 35-spline, SAE-4340 nickel chromoly steel axle shafts, 4.10 gears, Eaton ELocker differentials, and disc brakes. In addition, the front axle has beefy Spicer SPL70 U-joints and Warn Premium manual locking hubs.
The Fall Guy High Sierra had a six-inch lift and rode on 35-inch tall Dick Cepek tires mounted on chrome steel wheels. Music City Trucks replicated the lift using Skyjacker Softride leaf springs and M95 monotube shocks. The springs provide six inches of lift and are designed to provide a smooth ride. The M95 shocks are high pressure nitrogen gas-charged and have a floating piston design for fast response to terrain changes.
The Skyjacker springs were mated to Ultimate Dana 60 axles with a combination of Trail Gear spring perches, larger Skyjacker U-bolts, and custom retainer plates made by the PowerNation Carcass team. The spring perch on the driver’s side of the front axle had to be modified to fit over part of the differential housing. Skyjacker dual steering stabilizers dampen highway jitters and steering shimmy from running larger wheels and tires.
Music City Trucks remained largely faithful to the Fall Guy GMC’s rolling stock by using 36 x 16.50 Interco IROK knobbies on a set of U.S. Wheel 75 Series eight-spoke chrome wheels. The IROKs have a bias-ply design with a directional tread with a three-lug pattern, blade and molded siping, and cut resistant compounds to handle mud, rocks, and snow. The IROKs even offer a decent highway ride with low noise levels—well, as low as a tire this aggressive can get.
Transmission and Transfer Case Parts Combo
The K10’s 305 cubic inch small block was replaced with a more appropriate powerplant, a 622 horsepower, 496 cubic inch big block Chevy built by PowerNation TV’s Engine Power. The engine was one of the two big blocks that Engine Power built and strapped together on the dyno to see how much power they would make—and to see if they would stay together. Check out the build and the parts used in our Engine Power DejaVroom 496 CID Big Block Chevy Parts Combos.
Behind the 496 is a TCI Super Streetfighter 4L80E automatic transmission. Rated to handle up to 875 horsepower, the transmission is built with extreme performance clutches, nitrided steel plates; extra-wide powerbands for greater torque capacity and more positive shifts; and a manual/automatic valve body.
The transmission is mated to a TCI Bolt-Together torque converter. The bolt-together design allows you to upgrade, rebuild, or repair the converter. It has a triple-disc lockup assembly with woven carbon frictions to handle more torque and dissipate heat more efficiently. The converters can also lock up at wide-open throttle. A TCI forged steel flexplate mates the converter to the engine.
Music City Trucks replaced the Scottsdale’s New Process 208 transfer case with an Evolution Driveline New Process 241C transfer case. The chain-drive 241C has a driver side front yoke and a 32-spline input shaft that mate perfectly with the Dana 60 front axle and the 4L80E transmission. Evolution Driveline remanufactures the transfer case with all-new bearings, seals, and fork pads; replaces the drive chain with a top-quality Morse chain; and wet-sands the case mating surfaces to prevent leaks.
Rounding out the combo is an Edelbrock TC transmission controller for the 4L80E. The controller lets you set shift points, shift firmness, shift speed, torque converter lockup, and line pressure. The TC transmission controller can be used with carbureted engines like Faux Guy’s 496 as long as the carburetor has provisions to install a throttle position sensor.
Engine Accessories Parts Combo
Engine Power built the 496 big block Chevy with fuel injection. Music City Trucks decided to go old school and replaced the EFI system with an Edelbrock VRS-4150 carburetor. The 750 CFM carburetor has a one-piece cast aluminum body, mechanical secondaries, four-circuit metering blocks with power valves, and larger float bowels with internal ribbing to control fuel slosh. The VRS-4150 also has provisions for a GM throttle position sensor for use with electronically controlled transmissions like Faux Guy’s TCI 4L80E.
An Edelbrock Performance RPM mechanical fuel pump feeds the VRS carburetor. It delivers 110 GPH of fuel flow and has a unique valve design that improves flow rate and quality to support engines making up to 600 horsepower.
Keeping the big block cool is a Frostbite aluminum radiator. The radiator has four rows of 11/16-inch tubes to keep high-horsepower engines cool, TIG-welded seams, a billet aluminum filler neck, and a brass petcock. The radiator was fitted with a Frostbite aluminum shroud with two 14-inch diameter electric fans rated at 2,200 CFM of airflow.
The Billet Specialties Trutrac serpentine accessory drive system features a 130 amp Powermaster alternator, an Edelbrock aluminum water pump, a Sanden SD-7 AC compressor, and a GM style power steering pump. The Trutrac system has all of the necessary billet aluminum brackets, pulley, stainless hardware, and a seven-rib drive belt to make everything work.
The exhaust system features a set of Sanderson shorty headers with 1 7/8-inch primaries and a three-inch Stainless Works dual exhaust system. To clear the transfer case and steering linkage, Music City Trucks modified the system with a crossover so the driver’s side tubing would run next to the passenger side of the system. The pipes dump into a midpipe setup and a Y-pipe with a single pipe exiting out the back of the truck. Music City Trucks added a catalytic converter to the system; our combo includes a MagnaFlow universal-fit converter.
Rated for engines with compression ratios as high as 14:1, the Summit Racing™ Mini High-Torque Starter has plenty of grunt to spin Faux Guy’s big block. Said big block was classed-up with a set of Billet Specialties cast aluminum valve covers, air cleaner, and ignition wire looms.
Brakes and Steering Parts Combo
The Spicer Ultimate Dana 60 axle assemblies came with disc brakes, but Music City Trucks upgraded them with Power Stop Z36 Truck and Tow brake kits for a little extra whoa power. The kits come with drilled and slotted rotors. The drilled holes keep the rotor surface cooler, and the slots help evacuate gas and dust for better pad to rotor contact. Those pads feature a carbon fiber-reinforced ceramic compound that provides severe-duty stopping power without excessive dust.
K10’s stock power brake booster was deemed functional, so it was cleaned up and repainted. Music City Trucks replaced the master cylinder with a Wilwood compact master cylinder. It comes with an adjustable proportioning valve to fine-tune brake bias, prebent fluid lines, and brackets for left- or right-hand mounting.
Music City Trucks bent hard brake lines out of Summit Racing™ Copper/Nickel Alloy Tubing. The tubing is as strong as steel, but is much easier to bend without kinking and is more corrosion-resistant. Skyjacker and Summit Racing stainless steel braided line assemblies connect the calipers to the hard line.
Music City Trucks swapped the K10’s power steering box for a PSC SGX Series power box. It has the largest piston assembly available to deliver increased torque output; a 45mm sector shaft bearing for smooth steering; and billet aluminum top and end covers. The PSC box connects to the steering column with a cut-to-fit Borgeson steering shaft that comes with the necessary U-joints. A Billet Specialties power steering reservoir and hose kit complete the steering system.
The Fall Guy GMC had a brown and bronze two-tone paint scheme from the factory. The Faux Guy K10 came from the factory in navy blue and dark silver, a paint scheme Music City Trucks decided was just dandy.
Underneath the scruffy paint was an exceptionally straight body. The only rust was in the cab corners, which Music City Trucks repaired with patch panels. Our combo includes Auto Metal Direct cab corners.
The truck was stripped down to bare metal before getting a couple coats of Summit Racing™ DTM Epoxy Primer and Evercoat Optex Superbuild primer/filler. The DTM primer provides a durable foundation for paint. The Superbuild primer has a built-in guide coat that highlights dents, low spots, scratches, and other surface imperfections.
After block sanding, filling in low spots, and more sanding, the body was sprayed with Evercoat FeatherFill G2 primer surfacer to smooth out the body panels before final sanding with 400 and 600 grit paper.
The K10’s frame was sandblasted and painted satin black with Summit Racing™ Chassis Shield Paint. The epoxy paint requires no primer and resists peeling, cracking, and scratching. It even has rust inhibitors to neutralize rust and help prevent future corrosion.
Music City Trucks turned to TMI Products for a custom bench seat, door panels, and dash pad in blue vinyl with red, silver, and black plaid inserts. Our combo includes a TMI Pro-Series R split-back bench seat, TMI Sport Series door panels, TMI sunvisors, and an OER reproduction dash pad in basic black. The Pro-Series R seat comes assembled with a new frame, new foam for the seat bottoms and backs, and a hand-sewn vinyl cover with suede inserts.
The K10’s steering column was replaced with a Flaming River tilt column. It’s a direct replacement for the factory column and comes with a billet gearshift lever, tilt and turn signal levers, and a hazard light knob. Music City Trucks topped the column with a TMI Products banjo-style steering wheel. Our combo includes a Lecarra Newstalgia steering wheel that has a similar design.
Music City Trucks cleaned up the factory instrument cluster and replaced the dash panel and lens with reproduction parts. Our combo includes an Autometer dash panel and a United Pacific gauge lens.
The K10 came with a rubber floor mat instead of carpet, so Music City Trucks stayed factory and installed a new floor mat. Our combo includes a new Key Parts OEM reproduction floor mat.
The Fall Guy GMC had some very 1980s accessories like a chrome bed bar, KC HiLiTES Daylighter lights with the yellow smiley face covers, and a classic Warn M8274 winch. Music City Trucks replicated the look with a Go Rhino bed bar topped with a pair of KC HiLiTES Gravity LED Daylighters. Two more Daylighters sit next to the Warn winch that is bolted on a reproduction of the Fall Guy K2500’s winch mount.
The M8274 winch has been in production since 1974. Warn retained the classic looks but upgraded it with things like high-output motor to increase the pull rating to 10,000 pounds, Oilite bushings on the pinion gear assembly for improved durability, and 3/8-inch diameter Spydura synthetic rope.
Rounding out the combo are a Holley Classic Trucks reproduction grille and Bowtie grille emblem as well as a Precision Replacement Parts weatherstripping kit to keep your truck sealed from the elements. The kit includes door weatherstripping, vent window seals, windshield and rear window seals, beltline seals, and chrome lock strips for the windshield and rear window.
Summit Racing Equipment
1-800-230-3030
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