BABA YAGA | A 768-Horsepower 1984 Chevy C10 Squarebody!

A Force Too Great to be Reckoned With!

In the very first John Wick movie, the titular assassin was compared to a mythical Russian creature called “Baba Yaga,” or “the boogeyman.” It was a man who would stop at nothing to defeat the enemy and strike fear into anyone who would dare test him in the future. You can’t write a better script for a fun weekend action flick, but for Preston Folkestad of Des Moines, Iowa, that’s just an average weekend at the racetrack battling it out with the other drivers who want his blood. OK, maybe I am getting a little carried away, but these races are intense!

Preston knew right from the beginning that he wanted a race truck first and foremost, but he didn’t realize what kind of monster he would end up with seven months after starting the build. The structure is the best place to begin, so Preston had 515 Fabrication build and install a custom rollcage, along with a new firewall, floor pans, lighter body panels and a custom sub frame to hold the bed sides and a tailgate. Additionally, a custom Fuel Safe fuel tank mount was added along with a trick removable front bumper/chin spoiler. To finish the body mods, Preston shaved the drip rails, side marker lights and fuel door before getting the whole truck wrapped in custom graphics by Ken Woltz.

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ONE OF THE MOST UNIQUE FEATURES ON THE TRUCK HAS GOT TO BE ITS REMOVABLE BED SIDES AND TAILGATE. IT MAKES FOR EASY ACCESS FOR WORKING ON THE REAREND AND SUSPENSION.

The suspension setup consists of Hyperco coilovers all the way around with a No Limit Engineering wide independent front suspension and four-link rear suspension. Maintaining grip with all the power this truck puts out is one tough task, so Preston went with BFGoodrich Rival S tires in a size 305-30-19. The wheels are custom built 19×8.5 Forgeline GA3 forged rims designed specifically for racing. Wilwood six-piston dual brakes stop the truck when requested with a separate control for drifting! Speaking of big power, let’s talk engine specs.

Powering this ’84 Chevy is a fully built 2020 Concept Performance, aluminum-block LS7 with a displacement of 427 cubic inches. Included in the block is a Cam Motion Inc. LS custom spec camshaft, Wegner Motorsports billet pulley system, Champ oil pan and a GC Cooling and C&R Racing ’73-’87 drop-in radiator.

“THIS TRUCK HAS DEMANDED FOR ME TO DO MORE RESEARCH AND UNDERSTAND WHAT OR WHY SOMETHING IS DESIGNED A CERTAIN WAY.”

“AFTER A FEW DIFFERENT OPTIONS, WE SETTLED ON BUILDING OUR OWN CUSTOM MOUNTS TO MOUNT TO THE CAGE.”

Powering this ’84 Chevy is a fully built 2020 Concept Performance, aluminum-block LS7 with a displacement of 427 cubic inches. Included in the block is a Cam Motion Inc. LS custom spec camshaft, Wegner Motorsports billet pulley system, Champ oil pan and a GC Cooling and C&R Racing ’73-’87 drop-in radiator. A Weldon fuel pump keeps the engine fed and Frankenstein Engine Dynamics headers send the exhaust to the back. To transfer the power, a Tremec T56 transmission sends the energy to a Dynamic Drivelines rear drive axle. All of these engine mods were completed by Karl Performance in Des Moines, Iowa.

Inside, the cab received a ton of custom attention to detail as well. A fully custom-built dash designed to hold the Holley Domination display panel and a bigger transmission tunnel were the last things to build before installing new Daytona Racing seats and a MOD Drift steering wheel. Finally, a set of cool custom interior decorative mats gave it the finishing touch.

[divider]Build Specs[/divider]

OWNER

Preston Folkestad
’84 Chevy C10 Race Truck “Baba Yaga” (boogieman)
Preston Folkestad
Des Moines, IA

Engine

Concept Performance aluminum block 427 LSR with 768 hp
Frankenstein Engine Dynamics LowPro LS7 intake manifold with burst panel, valley tray, single injector fuel rails and F7 heads
TREMEC: T56 Magnum 6-speed trans
Wagner Motorsports billet pulley system
Callies crank rotating assembly
Cam Motion Inc. custom spec camshaft
GC Cooling & C&R Racing ’73-’87 drop-in C10 radiator
Holley EFI fuel management with Dominator dash
Fuel Safe fuel tank

Suspension

Boxed and stiffened OEM frame rails with a custom-built rollcage built by 515 Fabrication
No Limit Engineering wide independent front suspension and four-link rear suspension

Wheels/Tires