Trucks have been a staple in the lives of North American’s since the very first one rolled off the line somewhere around 1925. Based on commercial vehicles, the thinking was that many people could benefit from owning something that would help make their day to day lives a bit easier. Man, did they hit the nail on the head with that one!
Since anything with a motor can be modified and raced, it wasn’t long before trucks started getting in on the action and eventually showing up in force on the street and strip. And here we are today with trucks having a distinct following in motorsports, and guys like Chris Corrado in his wild small block nitrous S10 bangin’ off 7-second ¼-mile ETs!
Corrado has been in the automotive trade for 20 years. Fresh out of high school, he got a job doing oil changes and emissions testing and before long, he knew he wanted to pursue a career as an automotive technician. He was able to land an apprenticeship in his home town of Windsor, Ontario and that was when he bought his first S10 pickup, which would fuel his attraction to not only trucks, but speed, as well! “That first S10 had a 350 small block in it and from there I was hooked. It was a 1983 square body on leaf springs with a Dana 60 that I had made for it. It ran 12.80s naturally aspirated,” he explained.
By 2008, Corrado, now a licensed technician, was stepping up his program and that’s when he found this particular 1994 S10 out of Atlanta Ga. It was a clean bracket truck that looked pretty well built, so Chris loaded up the trailer and a buddy to make
Chris Corrado with his 1994 S10. Corrado bought the truck in 2008 as bracket class piece and gradually built it into the 7-second nitrous fed heads-up hauler it is today, doing most of the work himself. He did all the body mods, including lengthening and installing the ‘glass lift-off front end, doors, hood and scoop.
A 408-inch Dart Little M block based engine is the weapon of choice and it is assisted by 2 direct port nitrous kits built and flowed by NX. SB2 heads are equipped with titanium valves and Jesel rockers and a custom DaVinci 1250 Dominator style carb tops the mighty mouse motor. The original long block was bought out of Illinois but was assembled by Chris and he does all maintenance himself, as well.
the 30 hour round trip with him and brought it home for $20,000 turnkey.
“It was back-halved with a 400 sbc with ’Glide and 4-link that ran 10.40s naturally aspirated.”
After one season running the truck as it was, Corrado decided to enter the wonderful world of power adders. “One hit on nitrous and that was all it took, once again I was hooked!” He exclaimed. But by year’s end the 400 needed some love, so out it came.
One hit on nitrous and that was all it took, once again I was hooked!
Chris had built a 383 for his other truck and decided to slip it in the ’94 with a single plate nitrous system, which got him down to bottom 9-second quarter-mile times. Armed with a serious need for speed, the 400 was rebuilt and his addiction continued to worsen as this time two kits, a direct port and plate, were plumbed into the mix.
In 2015 Corrado completed a comprehensive update on the S10 body with a one-piece Hairy Glass fiberglass removable front end and hood along with a set of their fiberglass doors, and completed any necessary chassis mods. By 2017, after reaching 8s with the two kits on the 400, he bought a complete long block Chevy SB2
out of Rockford IL. and sent an intake to Nitrous Express to install and flow 2 direct port kits for the new combo. With the new mill installed and continuing to make changes and trying to lose weight out of the truck, Corrado has wheeled the S10 to 7s in the quarter-mile and 4s in the 1/8th.
Chris did all the bodywork and mods himself, including adding the 6 inches into the front bumper, and the clean silver skin was sprayed by Aaron Etue at J&H Restoration in Windsor Ontario.
Chassis wise, it’s still that high quality back-half and the 4-link sus-
The sano interior is all about racing. A carbon dash holds the Racepak display while a B&M Pro Billet shifter activates the shift and twin nitrous bottles are kept in check by an ARC dual mount. Electronics are cage mounted on the passenger side for easy access.
The truck rides on a custom 4-link with Afco Big Guns and anti-roll bar in the rear and a complete TRZ setup was used with a Stiletto rack up front.
pension out back was upgraded with an anti-roll bar and AFCO Big Gun coilovers. Up front is a full TRZ setup with their upper and lower control arms, spindles and billet steering arms with a Stiletto rack. A TRZ coilover conversion kit was also used and the AFCO shocks up front are TRZ valved. A braced 9-inch
hangs out back with an aluminum Strange center section, 4.10 gears and Bear’s Pro axles.
Along the way, Corrado learned to do the lion’s share of work and maintenance himself, including assembling his own engines. A 408-inch Dart Little M block was stuffed with a Callies Magnum crank spinning
