What Happens When You Combine One Of The Best looking pickups ever built with the new 6.4L MaxxForce 7 diesel engine? You get the DMAXX, a one-of-a-kind International D-Series street rod that's packing compound turbos and brewing 350 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque.
The LoneStar Influence
The project was designed to help promote the new LoneStar Class 8 truck that was inspired by the styling of the original International D-Series pickups of the '30s and '40s. The DMAXX started out as a '39 International D-39 1/2-ton pickup that was found at George Mitchell's Nollenberger International Dealership in Toledo, Ohio. From there, it was shipped to American Speed Company in Plymouth, Michigan, where it received a body-off restoration and a proper V-8 powerplant.
6.4L Maxxforce 7 And Allison 1000
Since the DMAXX was being designed to promote the heavy-duty LoneStar, a gasoline V-8 would not be right for this street rod project. Instead, the International 6.4L MaxxForce 7 engine (which is the basis for the Ford 6.4L Power Stroke) was installed. The V-8 uses a compound turbo system that combines a large fixed-volume turbo with a fast-acting variable geometry unit to provide up to 40 psi of boost. Fueling is provided by a Siemens VDO injection pump that fills dual high-pressure common rails to feed the incredibly fast piezo injectors. Exhaust that's not routed through the emissions-friendly EGR system is split by a Y-pipe that leads to Flowmaster mufflers and dual outlets under the rear bumper. Power from the turbodiesel is routed through a five-speed Allison 1000 automatic transmission and is sent back to a Ford 9-inch rear axle.
Body And Bed Modifications
Part of the ground-up restoration included upgrading all of the nuts, bolts, and washers on the engine, body, bed, and frame with polished stainless steel hardware. Body modifications involved the cab being chopped with 2 inches removed from the roof height, and alterations to the pickup box. The bed was shortened by 4 inches and then raised 4 inches to match the new bodylines of the pickup cab. The rear wheel housings were tubbed to accommodate the wide tires mounted on 18-inch tall wheels.