By the late ’80s and early ’90s, the American auto market was slowly submitting itself to the sub-compact market. As small-displacement 4 and 6-cylinder motors became all the rage and the need for fuel efficiency became increasingly greater, GM and others had to find ways to make their lack of displacement work.

From 1991-93, the S-10 based GMC Syclone and Typhoon were among the first attempts at stuffing a late-model, performance drivetrain into a truck chassis. These small but potent trucks sported all-wheel drive and a turbo. Challenge one of these bad little trucks from a dig and you were up against a losing battle, but this of course was relative to the times.

Since then, much better performance platforms have come along. When the LS engine series was first introduced in 1997, it revolutionized the small-block, V8 tech and design in the world of GM performance.

The reason is because it established a sweet balance between raceability and driveability. There are many technical and engineering features of the LS mill’s construction that set it apart from the conventional, small block V8.

Among these are O2 sensors in place of a traditional carburetor, variable cam/crank timing, relay packs in place of a traditional coil distributor and a 6-bolt crankshaft in place of the small block’s 4-bolt. All of these have combined to make the LS engine not only one of the General’s best-running, but also one of their most durable motor series to date.

The truck that is burning out in this featured video features GM’s stout LS3, the motor that replaced the LS2 while still maintaining the Gen IV small block’s basic architecture. Even in this old C10 pickup, the modern motor still holds up. And it’s no wonder; with an all-aluminum design, factory heads that are unlike any other and a bullletproof bottom end, the LS is the mill of choice for nearly any, full-size pickup!

In the case of this ’79 C10, the LS3 motor makes it into a utility truck that rips just as violently as even the most built muscle cars on the block, almost to the point of tweaking the truck’s bed and cab sideways. At one point, the truck even creates enough smoke to reduce the visibility for what seems like miles around it. There is definitely enough torque from the LS3 mill to break the truck clean off of the ground.

One of the things that we like the most about listening to LS motors run in any kind of application is that they’re smooth yet accurate, “bouncing” in a way off of the factory rev limiter that no small-block ever has. The LS in this late-’70s pickup does just this, and it’s like mechanical music to listen to the rev limiter try hard to restrain the LS3’s unbridled horses. We think you’ll agree, it all makes for a wild ride.