In the world of off-roading trucks, the 1979 Chevrolet K30 dubbed Quagmire is a legend, if not an icon. While many modified vehicles – trucks and cars alike – are usually built from aftermarket parts bins or to copy ephemeral trends, Quagmire was engineered and built to a purpose, and we like the philosophy expressed in its build – abuse it, fix it, and make it reliable. Now we see that Quagmire is for sale on Hemmings.com, still in the hands of its builder and looking just as capable after 15-plus years. From the seller’s description:
Quagmire is a ’79 Chevy K-30, tubbed and narrowed with 48x25x20 Firestone Floatation Deep Treads inside the box. 20×20″ custom Midwest Wheel Specialties aluminum wheels run tubeless to support the big meats. Everything but paint was constructed by me in my over-equipped home shop. (Which leaves very few to blame if something goes wrong…) The rear, ultra custom Cantilever Rocker Arm Air-ride suspension offers 10″ of wheel travel. Front suspension is also air-ride with cab controlled riding height for both. The quad shocks per axle are also remotely in-cab controlled dampening RS9000s from Rancho.
The rear axle, is a one-off custom narrowed 5-ton Rockwell H-172 dump truck rear end with 5.86 gears, Detroit Locker and 2″ 39 spline custom 300M billet axles. Willwood 13″ rotors, sextuplet, (count ‘em, 6) piston magnesium calipers and Kevlar pads do the big wheel haul-down chores.
Reliability mandates no larger than the 17×40″ Boggers on 12″x16.5″ Welds up front. The front axle is a Dana 60, Detroit locked 4.56s with 35 spline (1.5″) custom Moser Engineering axles all the way out with custom lock-outs.(I’ve broken a half dozen of the factory one tonners)
After years of abusive, conclusive off-roading, from spent small-blocks to big-blocks, I’ve weeded out all of the unreliable stuff and have finally found driveline goods that get the job done. What’s the job you ask? “Serious fun without having to fix it every time out.”
The motor to move the metal is a Port Fuel Injected, Brodix aluminum-headed, Nitrous Oxide-assisted 572″ stroked Big Block Chevy. Force Industries Fuel Injection, Top Gun 300HP N2O, Crower, Manley, J&E, Lunati, MSD, Hooker and Flowmaster are a few of the names that help make the motivational music to the beat of 675HP w/o N2O. The engine is Hydramatically connected to the all gear drive New Process 205 T-case and custom industrial driveshafts. All past factory shafts seem to turn to licorice at about three quarter throttle. Oh well…these work. That TH400 transmission is the ultimate with straight-cut planets, auto or manual shifting, hardened shafts and Kevlar clutches. The converter is a bullet-proof, puller converter.
As the photo may show, the box sides are lift-off, Performance Fiberglass ectoskins (11.5 lb. each) with removable 54″x30″ tubs by Bob Porter of Wisconsin. The true cold air induction hood is also fiberglass. Star Auto Body’s application of Porsche Guardsman Red, tiger flamed with pearl white, fading to pearl charcoal blazes the eyeballs.
All AutoMeter gauges grace the dash as a Smittybilt cage protects the occupants. I almost forgot the custom aluminum bumpers, storage box and 31-gallon fuel cell are lightweight yet functional. Two Warn 12,000 lb. winches fed by two paralleled deep-cycle batteries which power the retrieval from under estimated terra firma.
This vehicle was designed mainly for recreational use but is competitive in most arenas while remaining mostly street legal. (Height and width-wise at least)…(It is street driven)
See more Chevrolet trucks for sale on Hemmings.com.