Although Chevrolet is certainly showing 2013 SEMA Show attendees a glimpse into the future with its concept vehicles, it also came to the show with some great things for the vintage crowd. Offering somewhat of blend of both modern and vintage is Chevy’s Performance Classic Truck Concept.

This 1978 Chevy Silverado was rebuilt from the ground up, with its biggest selling point being the 5.3-liter Chevrolet Performance E-Rod crate engine sitting under the hood.  Offering nearly double the horsepower of the original ’78 Silverado, the Chevy team cleanly fit the 336-horsepower E-Rod engine in the truck to produce a solid workhorse truck that won’t have any issues passing that next smog test, all while producing an impressive 350 lb-ft of torque. The 5.3-liter engine is mated to a 4L70E four-speed transmission, and Chevy did manage to maintain the original transfer case.

A host of Chevrolet parts were used to make the new motor work, including a programmed engine controller (part: 19258006), engine wiring harness (part: 19244447), electronic throttle pedal (10379038), oxygen sensor and mounting bosses (part: 12581966, 126111765), and a mass air flow sensor (15865791).

For paint, Chevy went with a clean two-tone black-and-red paint job, with retrimmed red simulated leather seats inside with red and black houndstooh cloth. A close look at the side emblem looks similar to stock, but it has the added twist of noting its E-Rod engine under the hood.

Be sure to check out our full SEMA Show coverage on Off-Road.com, or peruse the 2013 SEMA Show photo highlights.