When Brandon Shaner of Trafalgar, Indiana, purchased this 1990 Chevy 3500 four-door pickup, it was a two-wheel-drive mess powered by a 454-cubic-inch V8. The engine barely ran, leaked fuel, and overheated. In Brandon’s eyes, it was perfect.
Within a day of bringing the Chevy home, he had its problems sorted. But that was only the beginning. What followed was a years-long transformation that ultimately brought a four-wheel-drive conversion and diesel power to the once-ailing 3500.
Overcoming Setbacks
Brandon, a General Motors dealership technician, knows his way around square-body trucks. He also owns a 1985 Chevy C10 and a 1985 Chevy K10, and his family collectively owns more than 20 Duramax-equipped vehicles. They’re also heavily involved in sled pulling, so four-wheel drive and the General run deep in the family.
Brandon drove the big 3500 for two months before converting it to four-wheel drive. He then put another six years behind the wheel while steadily collecting the parts needed for a Duramax swap. Then life threw him a curveball. He says, “In 2020, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and underwent chemotherapy and radiation.” Thankfully, Brandon reports that all is well today.
When he was ready to get back to the project, he faced another hurdle. Post-COVID prices for a Duramax drivetrain had doubled, forcing Brandon to get creative if he wanted to make the swap happen.
The Engine Arrived In Pieces
The creativity included rebuilding a 2003 LB7 Duramax that arrived at his house disassembled, with the engine contained in two boxes and the rest of the parts on a skid. The engine, given to him by his brother-in-law, had suffered a broken valve spring, which damaged the number one piston. Fortunately, it didn’t damage the block.
Brandon got to work on the engine and created a powerhouse. Some of its features include S&S Diesel Motorsport SAC45 fuel injectors that provide a 45 percent increase in fuel volume, a Dan’s Diesel Performance Stage 2 64mm turbocharger, and a Wehrli Custom Fab 4-inch turbo horn that flows 40 percent better than stock.
Other mods include Precision Fabrication Plus engine mounts, a Power Cool Manufacturing aluminum radiator with dual SPAL electric fans, and a Ken Wolkens-modified 2003 Duramax wiring harness. Furthermore, there’s a single 4-inch-diameter exhaust that ends in a 6-inch tip. The majority of the exhaust was procured from a former pulling truck that belonged to Brandon’s dad. The fuel system includes a 25-gallon fuel tank and an AirDog 165-gallon-per-hour lift pump. MTKB Racing handled the tuning of the engine’s ECM.
Power flows through a 2003 Allison 1000 transmission that sits on a custom crossmember. The transmission was rebuilt by Brandon’s dad and brother, who are Allison technicians. Among other things, its upgrade list includes a Goerend Triple Disc Torque Converter. Also sourced from a 2003 truck is the NP248 two-speed transfer case.
Dana 60, Flanked By A Corporate 14-Bolt
Up front, the truck currently runs a kingpin Dana 60 that Brandon scored from a Facebook Marketplace seller. Sourced from a 1979 1-ton Chevy, the axle rides on Offroad Design brackets and features G2 Axle & Gear manual locking hubs. It dates back to the truck’s original four-wheel-drive conversion, when the Chevy ran a different engine, transmission, and transfer case.
The Duramax swap changed the transfer case drop, leaving the Dana 60 out of alignment with the new T-case. Brandon plans to remedy that with another Dana 60 that lines up properly. Until then, the truck is running without a front driveshaft.
Out back, the Chevy retains its beefy original full-float 14-bolt axle. Both axles are stuffed with 4.10:1 gears.
Lift, Traction Bars, And 35s
Skyjacker Softride leaf springs give the Chevy 6 inches of suspension lift up front. Out back, 2-inch Softride leaf springs team with 2-inch lift blocks for 4 inches of total lift. Reaper custom traction bars help keep the rear axle planted, while Pro Comp shocks handle damping at all four corners.
The lift helps clear a set of meaty 35×12.50R20 Fury Country Hunter M/T tires mounted on 11-inch-wide Detroit Steel Wheel Co. D-Town Smoothie wheels. Vintage GM hubcaps finish off the old-school look.
Aged Patina Is Intact
Brandon knew better than to mess with a good thing, so the Chevy’s weathered exterior and decades-old patina remain untouched. Inside, it’s much the same story. The original gauges and column shifter preserve the truck’s vintage vibe, so Brandon left them alone. Modern tech is limited to an Edge CTS monitor and a five-position switch for selecting the engine tune.
The front seat, however, comes with a story. It was pulled from a 1990 Suburban 4×4 that Brandon’s family owned when he was young. They sold the Suburban in 2002 to buy a new one, only to buy the 1990 back a few years later. Brandon even remembers driving it as a teenager. Now, a piece of that family history lives on inside his Chevy.
Goals Achieved
Brandon’s goal was simple: build a truck his entire family could pile into, hook a trailer behind it, and hit the road “without getting six miles per gallon.” Mission accomplished. He regularly hooks up a 36-foot travel trailer, which he says the big Chevy handles “like it’s not even there.” Better yet, Brandon says the old-school 3500 tows the trailer better than his newer factory Duramax trucks.
But horsepower, towing prowess, 4WD, and fuel mileage are just part of what makes the truck special to Brandon. When we met Brandon at the 2026 4-Wheel Jamboree Fall Nationals, he told us, “The best thing about the truck is how much all four of my kids love and enjoy riding in it.”
Photos by Ken Brubaker and Brandon Shaner
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