Take an old Chevrolet S10, bolt a supercharged Hellcat V8 delivering over 700 hp, and send it to a no-prep drag strip in Florida. Some people dream of it; Victor Rafael did, approaching the challenge with a serious appetite for mechanical risk. His compact pickup has shed its status as forgotten utility and become a full-blown drag monster, ready to lift its front wheels at the drop of the flag.
Based in the United States, the enthusiast documents his preparations on YouTube, under the VICtorious and G2K channels. His first-generation black S-10, nicknamed Sleepy Joe, has evolved into a true Chevrolet S10 Hellcat. It now sports a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi in place of the traditional Chevy LS V8. The goal wasn’t merely to make noise online. The project had to prove itself on a real track. Headed to the Immokalee Regional Raceway in Florida for a first 1/8-mile run in 7.50 seconds. Front wheels in the air and tires smoking in a cloud of rubber.
Chevrolet S10 Hellcat: From discreet utility to extreme street truck
The Chevrolet S-10 spent years as America’s small family work pickup. Built from 1982 to 1993 for this first generation. In its sportier variants, the S-10 SS and Xtreme, it wore a 4.3-liter V6 delivering about 195 horsepower. Those models did 0 to 60 mph in just under eight seconds. Over a 400-meter dash from a standstill, they hovered around 16.1 seconds at 138 km/h (about 86 mph). A lively machine for its era, but far from what Sleepy Joe would become.
In 2024, Victor Rafael looked at his black S-10, already equipped with an LS V8. And a two-speed Powerglide transmission. He decided that LS swaps had grown too predictable. He wanted something more spectacular, almost sacrilegious for a Chevrolet aficionado. The choice fell on a 6.2-liter, supercharged Hellcat V8 from Chrysler, originally rated at about 707 hp. It was paired with a three-speed Turbo 400 automatic built by Tom Kozlow, better known as Street Racing Tom. Mating this Mopar mill to a GM transmission demanded a J&W Performance SFI-certified conversion bellhousing. The seed of the mechanical puzzle that would follow.
Hellcat swap, mechanical headaches, and first Florida runs
Getting the Hellcat into the compact S10’s tight engine bay required a string of cunning moves. The front sump oil pan of the Hemi collided with the pickup’s steering. Victor therefore opted for a Holley Gen III Hemi rear-sump oil pan, which clears the steering linkage. Welder Series motor mounts from Paul Horton were tweaked by Charles of Solo Man Motorsport. The aim was to allow the engine block to slide forward without any vertical interference. The stock crossmember was flipped and reinforced, while the driveshaft was shortened to about 54 inches (approximately 138 cm). The dash and undertray were trimmed and rebuilt in custom sheet metal to clear the compressor’s water inlet. Large SRT-style exhaust manifolds gave way to Hooker BlackHeart headers designed for the Hemi swap. A modified TRZ Motorsports steering column, custom driveshafts, and a Strange fast-hub kept the exhaust pipes within millimeter clearance.
Behind this tight layout, the entire ecosystem was reworked to withstand more than 700 hp and sustained E85 use. Up front, Victor shaved the nose to fit a chunky radiator, electric cooling fans, and an oil cooler radiator. In the bed, a Mitsubishi radiator and an intercooler pump manage the water loop for the supercharger. A trio of three-quarter-inch hoses transports the coolant forward. A rear-mounted fuel tank feeds the original rails through a MagnaFuel pump, a Jegs filter, and PTFE lines compatible with ethanol. All of this is orchestrated by a Holley Terminator X Max ECU and a Hemi electronic throttle pedal. A SmoothBoost controller handles the compressor’s bypass valve. Yet at first startup, the original engine showed zero oil pressure due to a failed crankshaft. Victor then installed a reconditioned 6.2-liter Hellcat engine supplied by Mike from Sinister Performance Club. This motor is rated at more than 700 hp, with a calibration by Richard Nedbal of FastManEFI. On his birthday, he loaded Sleepy Joe onto a trailer and hit the road for Florida. Drag Hoosier tires were mounted for a no-prep run in Immokalee. The S10 Hellcat ripped the front wheels off and laid down a plume of tire smoke. It clocked an impressive 7.50 seconds in the 1/8 mile, a time that would do justice to many professional drag cars.
