A while back the Pookies went to Lebannon Valley Dragway for a Diesel Event. It was there that I spied a truck that grabbed my attention....hard.
Oh it wasn't a special truck or seriously modded out. It was a stocker that was dented and rusted, had a 12Valve Cummins with an Auto trans. The hood looked like there was a dance party held on it. It was even vandilized with spray painted graffiti on the hood. . . .
It didn't have a locker in the rear so it did the one wheel peel off the line.
For some reason every time I saw the truck that day it grew on me more and more. I saw a flicker of a diamond in the rough.
Fast forward and I come to see this rig for sale on one of the diesel forums. I imeadiately contacted and found out the reason for the sale was to fund a costly transmission rebuild on the owners daily driver 4x4 Cummins. I just so happened to have a few of the parts he was needing for his build so we made a deal of my trans parts+a tiny amount of pocket change. He even drove it to the shop from Connecticut...
What I aquired that day was yes ANOTHER project.
but the deal was so good, I couldnt pass it up. Heck for the Cummins alone I was happy.
I wanted to make a lightweight- 2wd streeter for laughs. Maybe hit cruise night and rile up the troops with something different than the camaros and mustangs, or hit Street night at the track.
I started to gut this ol girl and fired up the plasma cutter to make even more scrap for the pile. First into the pile was the disco-ed hood. I replaced it with a 2" cowl version.
I swapped out the 3/4 ton front suspension and swapped in a 1/2 ton front suspension to take advantage of the lighter weight and to have access to a larger variety of race wheels, I had the front 1/2 ton rotors redrilled for a 5 on 4 3/4" bolt pattern. I picked up some Billet Specialties Front Race Wheels and some 8 ply Mickey Thompsons and installed fresh ARP wheel studs with open lugs as required by NHRA. I also included some 3" drop tubular control arms and cut a little out of the coils. I chopped off the front section of frame just after the engine crossmember. This will be replaced with tubing which is much lighter weight. I also ditched the stock steering in favor of a Flaming River manual rack and pinion setup. I even ditched the factory steering column for a lightweight setup.
I also dropped off the stock heavy bumper for a Street Scenes fiberglass bumper cover. It is designed to go over the existing stock bumper so it is just slightly oversize to do so. Since I am not using the stocker (weight) I sliced the fiberglass one in half and took alittle off both halves and spliced it back together again. It fits much nicer now and doesn't stick out like before.
I also utilized a stock lower air deflector.
I picked up a 10 pt roll cage for it and just recently grabbed up some key items being a Fabricated 9" rear that's fully braced, 4 linked, has wheelie bar tabs, Moser 40 spline rifle drilled axles and Strange Dual Caliper brackets. A buddy has it in his Outlaw 10.5 Twin turbo Camaro that has been in the 6's @ just over 220mph. He needs a floater style rear as per NHRA's rules and he offered it up at a great deal.
I recently recieved a backhalf 4 link kit for this truck as well. I plan to cut the frame off just before the front suspension and will replace with some spec 2"x3" chassis material. This should help lower the truck further.
I also snagged a fresh Turbonetics T-106mm Ball Bearing turbo.
Picture is from the origonal owner of the turbo, the fella I bought it from never used it and it sat on his shelf til he decided to clean up and I spied it listed for sale.....
I'm going to be using it in a Compounded Twin Configuration on this ol girl. I have a cylinder head being currently modded for racing and has O rings along with some magic pixie dust thrown at it and the intake plenum has been chopped off and I will be installing an Individual Runner Intake, it is almost likethe head on my Pro Mod engine. The injection pump is going to be sent out along with my new Bosch 13mm plungers and barrels. I'll have the pump tweaked and benched with flow sheets.
I have enough parts sitting around to put together a pretty stout shortblock.
I'm just waiting on the chassis shop to pull my new Fab9 out of my buds car and ship it. I also have to look into a new welder as the one we have has been giving us fits lately and I have grown tired of listening to Pookie complain.
Well there ya have it, that's what I've been busy on.
YET Another Pookie Project......
