Chevy Colorado Prerunner Build Guide

The Chevy Colorado is the modern midsize prerunner — and the factory ZR2 is the closest thing to a turnkey desert truck you can buy new. Along with its GMC Canyon twin, the Colorado gives you a current, comfortable platform with a real long-travel aftermarket. This guide covers which generation to build, why the ZR2 is a shortcut, and how to turn one into a prerunner.

New to all this? Start with what a prerunner actually is, then see how the Colorado compares to every other platform in our best truck to build into a prerunner guide.

Why the Colorado Works as a Prerunner

• Modern and livable. Unlike a 20-year-old Ranger, a Colorado is a current daily you can build over time without giving up comfort or reliability.
• A real long-travel aftermarket. The 2015+ trucks are well supported — Baja Kits, Blitzkrieg, and others make bolt-on long-travel kits, so you’re not starting from scratch.
• The ZR2 exists. Chevy already did the hard part on the ZR2 — factory long-travel-style dampers and lockers — so you can start way ahead.
• The Canyon counts too. The GMC Canyon is the same truck; parts cross over, so shop both.

Which Colorado Should You Build?

• 2nd gen (2015–2022) — the sweet spot: the deepest aftermarket, a strong 3.6L V6 (or the 2.8L Duramax diesel), and the generation most prerunner kits are built for. Build a 2WD for a pure desert truck, or start with a 4WD.
• ZR2 (2017–2022, and 2023+) — the turnkey path: factory Multimatic DSSV dampers, front and rear lockers, and a wider track. The fastest way to a capable truck — expensive up front, but you start with real hardware.
• 1st gen (2004–2012) — the budget option: cheaper donors with the inline-5, but a thinner aftermarket. A value play if you’ll fab.
• 3rd gen (2023+) — the newest: an all-new truck with the 2.7L turbo and an even more capable ZR2; the aftermarket is young but growing fast.

Bottom line: for most builders, a 2015–2022 Colorado is the pick — and if the budget allows, start with a ZR2.

The ZR2 Shortcut

The Colorado ZR2 is why this platform is special. From the factory it runs Multimatic DSSV spool-valve dampers, front and rear locking differentials, and a wider stance — hardware most builds spend real money to add. Starting with a ZR2 means your suspension, lockers, and geometry are already sorted, so your budget goes toward travel, wheels, and armor instead of catching up.

Building Your Colorado: System by System

Suspension

Long-travel is what makes a prerunner — start with our long-travel suspension guide, then pick shocks with the King Shocks buyer’s guide and the bypass vs coilover breakdown. Bolt-on Colorado kits from Baja Kits and Blitzkrieg are the usual starting point.

Wheels & Tires

Smaller-diameter wheels and tall all-terrains, often on beadlock wheels. See the full wheels & tires guide.

Fiberglass & Body

Long-travel widens the track, so you’ll want wide fiberglass fenders and bedsides to clear the tires.

2WD vs 4WD, Cost & Street Legal

A 2WD Colorado is lighter and cleaner for a pure prerunner; a 4WD (or ZR2) keeps all-terrain capability — weigh it in 2WD vs 4WD. Budgets run higher than a cheap-donor Ranger since the trucks are newer; see how much it costs to build a prerunner, and keep it plated with are prerunners street legal.

Real Colorado Builds to Study

Want to see how far the platform can go? Study the Roadster Shop Colorado — an all-steel, one-off SEMA prerunner that proves the midsize Chevy can carry a full custom desert build.

Colorado Engines & the Diesel Option

The 2nd-gen Colorado’s standard engine is the 3.6-liter V6, but it also offered a 2.8-liter Duramax turbodiesel — a torquey, efficient option that’s great for covering desert miles, though it adds weight up front. The 3rd-gen runs a 2.7-liter turbo four (the TurboMax), and the 1st-gen used four- and five-cylinders plus a later 5.3 V8. For a first prerunner, the 3.6 V6 is the simplest starting point; the diesel is the torque-lover’s pick.

What a Colorado Prerunner Costs

Because the Colorado is a newer platform, donor prices run higher than a cheap-donor build. Rough tiers:

• Budget: a used 2WD Colorado with a bolt-on long-travel kit, basic shocks, and wheels and tires.
• Mid: a full long-travel kit, quality coilovers or bypass shocks, beadlocks, and a fiberglass front end.
• High / turnkey: start with a ZR2 and add travel, wheels, and armor — you begin with factory dampers and lockers already sorted.

See the full breakdown in how much it costs to build a prerunner.

Chevy Colorado Prerunner FAQ

What’s the best Colorado to build into a prerunner?

A 2015–2022 (2nd gen) Colorado — it has the deepest aftermarket and the most prerunner kits available. If the budget allows, start with a ZR2 for its factory dampers and lockers.

Is the ZR2 worth it for a prerunner build?

For many builders, yes. The ZR2’s factory Multimatic dampers, lockers, and wider track are hardware you’d otherwise pay to add, so you start much closer to a finished truck.

Colorado or Tacoma for a prerunner?

The Tacoma has the deeper overall aftermarket and legendary resale; the Colorado counters with the factory ZR2 and a more modern platform. Pick the Colorado if the ZR2 shortcut and a newer truck appeal to you.

Is the GMC Canyon the same as the Colorado?

Effectively yes — the GMC Canyon is the Colorado’s twin on the same platform, so most prerunner parts cross over. Shop both when hunting for a donor or a kit.

Can you build the diesel Colorado into a prerunner?

Yes. The 2.8L Duramax is torquey and efficient, which suits long desert miles; just account for the extra weight over the nose when you set up the front suspension.