1982 Buick Regal - Darth Vader: Diesel Alternatives

With everything mounted, David had to deal with the incredibly time-consuming task of getting the parts to play nice with each other. The '01 LB7 was kept mostly stock, but a second custom low-mount CP3 pump was added (stock hood line, remember?) in case more fuel was needed at a later date. To send all the correct programming to the engine, an entirely new GM wiring harness that was made for an '81 Oldsmobile was swapped in along with another complete Duramax wiring harness modified by Steve Cole at TTS.

A three-position switch from TTS was used with Tow, Race, and Extreme modes to give the engine some added oomph. The transmission was updated with a Trans-Go shift kit, different clutches, and a custom converter from Mike Lynwood at Inglewood Transmissions. In addition to the twin wiring harnesses already in the car, the 4L85E uses a Compushift standalone controller that allows shift-point changes, throttle-pressure adjustments, and much more.

Still, the work wasn't over. An electrical-pump-driven brake system was employed to keep the discs happy, the steering was modified, and an aluminum fuel tank (which took two weeks to fabricate) was shaped and slanted to fit underneath the rear of the car and still holds more than 20 gallons.

Every little detail on this car went through extensive planning and testing before being added, and in the end, David has a vehicle that few of us will ever own-one that was planned and built entirely the way he wanted (and entirely from scratch). Even though it was built to show-car standards, David refuses to let it collect dust. In fact, it's his daily commuter. David reports that the 4,450-pound GNX clone gets about 28 mpg on his daily drive to work and has gotten a best of 36 mpg on the open road.

But is Dave finished? Heck no! A recent trip to Irwindale Speedway netted him an 8.25-second eighth-mile time at 85 mph. In quarter-mile terms, that translates roughly to the high 12s, and David isn't satisfied. Next time at the track, the car will be on a set of drag slicks and a 245hp tune, and David will be shooting for the 11s. He also said he plans to upgrade the turbo in the future because he still has more fuel to play with.

When David finally finished his two-year story of perseverance, we were exhausted from just listening to all the blood, sweat, and tears (not to mention cash) that he had invested in the car. Our conversation with David had taken well over an hour just to get all the basics on the vehicle and left us with a great respect for his Duramax-GNX and the distinct feeling that his ride will be a hard one to top.