2011 Ram 2500 Cummins Diesel: Twister

Twister Custom 2011 Ram Truck Front Three Quarter

The fate of our vehicles isn’t always clear. Would you believe this ’11 Ram was originally supposed to be a farm truck? That’s exactly what owner Dennis Perry had in mind. But after the truck survived the wrath of a tornado, plans for the would-be workhorse changed. “A building literally collapsed on top of the truck,” he told us. “Every panel on the truck had to be replaced, except for one front fender.”

But as the owner of TS Performance, a trend-setting company known for its flashy, fast, over-the-top shop and race vehicles, Dennis’ passion for rolling in style got the best of him. “It was silly to paint something all over and not do anything cool with it,” he said. So Dennis dropped the truck off at Danny Taylor’s Automotive Art and Design in Louisville, Kentucky, for a custom-tailored paintjob.

With the bodywork complete, Dennis turned his attention to the truck’s stance. An 8-inch suspension lift from Top Gun Customz was chosen for its durability, fit and finish, and ride quality. For an aggressive look and a quiet ride, a set of 37x13.50R22 Nitto Trail Grappler mud terrains got the call. Death metal black BMF Novakane wheels (22x10½ inches) complete the black-on-black tire and wheel combo and cover up the drilled and slotted brake rotors.

As for the 6.7L Cummins under the hood, it received its fair share of upgrades, too. H&S Performance’s Black Maxx tuner provides a 175hp gain, and a dash-mounted monitor keeps an eye on the engine and transmission and has a tire size re-calibration function. An MP-8 module and shimmed fuel rail keep the high-pressure injection system happy, and an AirDog II lift pump keeps low-pressure fuel delivery consistent and uncompromised. A cold-air kit from Advanced Flow Engineering and a 5-inch system from MBRP free up intake and exhaust flow.

To handle both present and future power-adders, Sun Coast Converters’ M3GA competition series 68RFE transmission was installed. And since Dennis is a drag racer through and through, it’s not beyond him to send his ’11 Ram down the track at some point. This explains the long list of competition parts added to the truck—especially the transmission. And thanks to H&S Performance’s transmission software, Dennis can tailor the beefed-up 68RFE’s shifts and torque converter lockup to suit his personal taste.

For a truck that was nearly demolished by Mother Nature, it somehow lived to see another day. Very few people can say their truck survived a tornado—even though the building it was parked in didn’t. After being resurrected from rubble and given a one-off paintjob, lift, ride, and appearance upgrades—not to mention being laced with the latest performance parts—it’s now a rolling work of art.

Using a custom concoction of colors (hues of lemon yellow, Guards Red, and Omaha Orange were used), Danny Taylor’s Automotive Art and Design in Louisville, Kentucky, came up with the truck’s unique paint scheme. The smoke effect was actually created by using an acetylene torch. The soot leftover from the torch gets covered in clearcoat and becomes permanently embedded in the paint.
Using a custom concoction of colors (hues of lemon yellow, Guards Red, and Omaha Orange we
The factory 6.7L breathes easy thanks to an AFE Magnum Force Stage 2 intake, H&S Performance Maxx Flow intake manifold and boost tube, and an EGR delete. A free-flowing, 5-inch competition exhaust from MBRP replaces the restrictive factory system.
The factory 6.7L breathes easy thanks to an AFE Magnum Force Stage 2 intake, H&S Performan
The beefy upper and lower control arms in the Top Gun Customz suspension lift have no problem keeping the truck’s upward and downward movement in check. They utilize polyurethane bushings for longevity and came with new sleeves for perfect alignment.
The beefy upper and lower control arms in the Top Gun Customz suspension lift have no prob

An AirDog II 165-gph fuel system delivers clean, air-free diesel to the CP3 and was tucked up underneath the truck on the driver-side framerail. Dennis makes a good point in saying: “It’s something that’s never seen—but is very important.”
An AirDog II 165-gph fuel system delivers clean, air-free diesel to the CP3 and was tucked
Underneath the truck rests a top-of-the-line 68RFE M3GA competition transmission from Sun Coast. Its all-new, B.A.C. Series torque converter sends power through a factory-based, six-speed automatic fitted with oversized clutches, billet-steel shafts, and billet-steel drums. Thanks to a little CNC machining, the final touch included Sun Coast’s acronym being engraved into the Hemi Orange transmission pan.
Underneath the truck rests a top-of-the-line 68RFE M3GA competition transmission from Sun
A Black OPS suspension lift from Top Gun Customz got the truck in the air and uses 8-inch progressive-rate coil springs up front and Bilstein reservoir shocks, front and rear. The shock bodies were originally nickel-plated, but Dennis had them chromed to guard against the elements. The shocks are the only components on the truck that are chrome.
A Black OPS suspension lift from Top Gun Customz got the truck in the air and uses 8-inch

Just like the leaf springs, the 5 1/2-inch-tall rear lift blocks are 3 inches wide—so the spring makes complete contact with the lift block on each side. In addition, the lift blocks have provisions to accommodate the factory dual centering pins for the rear springs, which essentially lock the blocks to the rear springs. Mag-Hytec differential pans were installed front and rear.
Just like the leaf springs, the 5 1/2-inch-tall rear lift blocks are 3 inches wide—so the
This triple-gauge dash pod designed and built by Brad Moss houses three mechanical, Carbon Fiber Ultra-Lite series gauges from Auto Meter. Ironically, the oil pressure gauge (middle) is used to monitor boost, as Auto Meter doesn’t yet offer a 100-psi boost gauge in its Carbon Fiber line. Virtually every other powertrain vital you can think of is monitored using the H&S Black Maxx.
This triple-gauge dash pod designed and built by Brad Moss houses three mechanical, Carbon
An H&S Black Maxx tuner equipped with its Hot Damn file adds up to 175 hp to the equation. To help the common-rail system maintain higher fuel pressure, the fuel pressure relief valve was shimmed and a TS Performance MP-8 module was added.
An H&S Black Maxx tuner equipped with its Hot Damn file adds up to 175 hp to the equation.