Back in 1967 when Chevrolet released the second iteration of its C/K trucks, pick-ups were making a more serious step in the transition from workhorses to personal vehicles. Well, this ’67 Chevy C20 seems to have taken that journey quite seriously—don’t let its beater look trick you, this is now a bona fide drag strip slayer.
Body panels in multiple colors, rust that appears to be everywhere, even acting as a weight reduction measure and understated steel wheels—okay, maybe the deep-dish rear units are a bit cheeky—there’s very little here that could warn a potential opponent about the truck’s humongous velocity potential.
The reinforcement bars that penetrate the cabin just above the rear window? Neah, that’s not much of a clue. If, however, you get to zoom in on the front bumper, you might notice smoke coming out the sides.
That’s because not far from the said area, we have a pair of 6973 turbos serving a good old 5.3-liter V8, which packs all the right stuff without even getting close to going overboard in the aesthetics department.
Another hint might come from the fuel cell lying in the bed. Even so, the understated nature of the patina machine can’t possibly prepare one for the new output of the Action Line truck (this was Chevy’s name for the series back in the day).
Perhaps the 650 hp output the machine’s 5.3 LS delivered three years ago when the YouTuber behind the TalonTSi97 Videos channel caught it on camera might be easier to imagine for somebody who comes across this truck. Oh, and by the way, the nickname in the title is on us.
From mean to meaner
Currently, though, the Chevy C20 makes a sweet 1,100 hp, with the Small Block sending the power to the rear wheels via a TH-400 three-speed automatic.
As demonstrated by the time slips include in the clip below, that kind of power allows the machine to beat any production car out there in the 1/4-mile. That’s because the best numbers seen here involve an 8.5s run at 148.5 mph (239 km/h).
During the said 2019 encounter with the YouTuber, the owner said the truck tips the scales at around 4,300 lbs (1,950 kg) and we have no reason to believe this has gotten friendlier to the scales.
It’s still slightly lighter than a Dodge Challenger Hellcat, though and, while we’re doing uneven comparos, it won’t draw nearly as much attention as the muscle car, because it’s supposed to surprise its prey.
And the driver of the second-gen Acura NSX—a low-12s hybrid sportscar—that took on the Chevy truck at the drag strip must’ve felt the full effect of that sleeper strategy.
