Driving Impressions
We don't know what's wrong with Joe, but for some reason he's into us taking his creations for test drives. "Go ahead, take it around the block, and watch out for cops," Joe said as he tossed us the keys. While trucks that make this kind of power aren't extremely rare, Joe's creation is almost 2,000 pounds lighter than a 3/4- or 1-ton diesel, so it feels lightning fast. Once we had enough fun lighting up the rear tires at 50 mph, we started noticing other things about the truck besides its blinding speed. It rode nice, handled extremely well, and had excellent throttle response. And, detuned a few levels, it didn't smoke at all. This is a truck you could happily drive to work every day that just happens to have, oh, about 800 horsepower.
 The front frame was boxed...  The front frame was boxed for strength, and the engine setback allowed the oil filter and 4-inch downpipe to fit without any clearance issues. |  Due to the wide framerails...  Due to the wide framerails of the C-10, the Allison transmission and 4-inch exhaust have no trouble fitting within the confines of the stock frame. |  For looks and protection,...  For looks and protection, the modified rear wheelwells were covered by Line-X, so only the most discriminating eye would notice that they aren't stock. |
 For a cleaner look up front,...  For a cleaner look up front, Joe mounted the transmission cooler out of the way under the bed. From underneath the truck you can see the subtly reshaped wheelwells. |  The front '70 Chevy C-10 crossmember...  The front '70 Chevy C-10 crossmember was retained, but Duramax engine mounts, along with rubber isolators were added. A limiting strap was used to keep the motor from twisting up in the engine bay during high-torque launches. |  A set of original Rally wheels...  A set of original Rally wheels are used to give the C-10 a classic look. Regular BFGoodrich Radial T/A's are used for street duty, as the Mickey Thompson drag radials are reserved for the dragstrip. |
 Remember the notched firewall?...  Remember the notched firewall? Well, it extends into the cab and required some sheetmetal reforming and creative carpet laying to clear the Duramax-Allison combo. The brake pedal was also moved over to allow more room for a hydroboost brake system from an '07 Silverado 2500. |  Out back, a custom fuel cell...  Out back, a custom fuel cell and PPE lift pump combine to provide more than enough fuel to the dual CP3 injection pumps. A 9-inch Ford rearend with 3.50 gears and Summers Brothers axles should give this truck plenty of traction at the dragstrip, along with a top speed of more than 160 mph if Joe ever wants to keep his foot in it for that long. |  Once Joe finished beefing...  Once Joe finished beefing up the frame and installing the engine, he turned his sights to the interior. Plush seats combined with Dakota Digital gauges and PPE analog gauges, keep an eye on boost, transmission temperatures, exhaust gas temperatures, and rail pressure. |