The creator of this incredible 1972 Chevy K20 Cheyenne Crew Cab shortbed is Clayton Eshleman, a welder from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He says, “My goal with this build was to create a factory-appearing 1972 Crew Cab shortbed truck with all the factory options and the highest trim level that were available at the time. The 1972 Chevy trucks are my favorite, and I wanted the challenge of building something that GM never produced while maintaining a factory appearance.” His truck caught a lot of attention at the 2025 Summer 4-Wheel Jamboree in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania—its first public appearance since completion.

It Began As A Three-Door Suburban

The build began as a 1972 Chevy C10 three-door Suburban. Among other things, Clayton cut the Suburban in half behind the passenger-side rear door and added a 1972 C10 cab back. He rounded the back edge of the factory rear door to match the cab back. On the driver side, he built a custom B-pillar from scratch to mirror the factory passenger-side pillar. He integrated three door sections, part of the Suburban’s inner window section, and a new door skin, to make a functioning fourth door on the driver side. The truck has new cab corners, inner and outer rocker panels, body mounts, and door bottoms. Additionally, there are aftermarket shortbed body panels sourced from Lutty’s Chevy Warehouse. The roof section from a 1972 C60 grain truck was integrated onto the truck and it has NOS factory “fireman hat”–style cab lights.

Chevy Longbed Chassis, 454 Cubic-Inch Big-Block V8

The truck’s chassis is from a Chevy K20 longbed truck, and Clayton stretched it 22 inches using Chevy truck framerails. Nestled between the framerails is a 454 cubic-inch big-block Chevy V8. It’s topped with a 600-cfm Edelbrock carburetor, and the engine’s features include Hooker headers and factory 1972 big-block engine accessories and pulleys.

SM465 Manual Transmission, NP205 Transfer Case

The transmission and transfer case were both pirated from a 1972 Chevy truck and given new life with Torque King rebuild kits. The transmission is an SM465 four-speed manual with custom linkage, and the transfer case is an NP205 painted factory red primer with a satin clearcoat.

A Factory-Like Build Dictated Axle Choice

Clayton installed a pair of rebuilt 1972 model-year axles under the truck. Up front is a Dana 44 with factory-optional Spicer hubs, Reid Racing knuckles, and Offroad Design crossover steering. He sourced a 1975 model-year K20 tie rod to create a factory-looking steering stabilizer setup. Out back is an Eaton HO52 axle with longer wheel studs to accommodate the 2-inch Shifted Industries wheel spacers. Both axles are fitted with 4.10:1 gears.

He notes that he would’ve liked to install a kingpin Dana 60 up front and a 14-bolt full-float axle in the rear, but to stay true to the truck’s factory-like build, he installed axles that could have come from the factory.

Suspension And Tires

The truck’s suspension includes front 4-inch-lift Skyjacker leaf springs, Pro Comp ES5000 shocks, and heavy-duty greasable rear shackles from Offroad Design. Out back are 2-inch-lift Rough Country leaf springs, Pro Comp ES5000 shocks, and airbags to eliminate squat when towing a trailer. The suspension creates ample room for a set of LT305/70R16 (33-inch diameter) Toyo Open Country M/T tires mounted on powder-coated, 12-inch-wide Stockton Wheel steelies.

So Much More

From the period-correct Hickey Enterprises winch tucked behind the front bumper to the Vintage Air A/C system modified to work with factory vents, Clayton’s 1972 Chevy K20 Crew Cab is packed with features. Inside, Clayton’s craftsmanship shines with incredible attention to vintage-inspired design.

This isn’t just a truck—it’s rolling 4×4 artwork.