I helped build/setup/tune this truck and we’re pretty proud of it so far. It’s a basic heads/cam LS1 with a 4L80E. The big trans w/ its extremely tall first gear is killing us some. THe body is very rough… on purpose. We have a clean cab/bed/front clip etc. we’re going to spay flat black (not primer, a true flat black urethane) but for now we love it looking like a total POS.
We’re looking to maximize the combo NA before we get to spraying it. There’s some more tuning to do, build a better intake tube, throw an under-drive pulley on it, and maybe play with intakes (just a stock LS6 intake right now). Also, We’re looking at moving to 4.88s (from 3.73s) but up to a 30" tire (from 26"). That will provide better gearing overall, but a lot more tire contact patch. NA we weren’t having traction issues, but the 30 should help when we hit the jug. On the 30" even w/ 4.88s we should still get the ~130mph we’re looking for in 3rd. The spray setup is a 2 system/3 stage setup. We’re using a single nozzle kit for a first stage (probably roll w/ 100hp) out of the hole, then kill that system and kick in the direct port system with a 200 hit for the 2nd stage, and if traction allows combine the 2 systems at the big end for the 3rd stage. But we want to see 11s NA first.
Believe it or not it’s only about 3700lbs. There is zero weight reduction done, in fact it has at least an extra 50lbs of steel in the tow hitch we built into it and some reinforcements at the suspension pickup points.
Yeah, we have a lot more tuning to do up top since it’s going pig-rich up there. We really didn’t focus much past 6,800 on the dyno since the power was starting to drop off pretty quick as is typical w/ the LS6 intake. But the more we rev’ed it at the track the quicker it went. In the 12.3 run (last vid) you can hear it bounce the 7,400 rev-limiter 2 or 3 times and the 2-3 was at 7,200. The 4L80E in it is totally stock so the 2-3 soft especially is a bit slow. A good shift kit in the '80 would help and I think a single plane “carb style” intake will make the power even better up high.
Oh, I forgot to mention it’s a fully forged bottom end (stock displacement) and ARP studded. I’m surprised nobody called :bs: on the nitrous plans without hearing that yet. Haha.
I wish we could take the credit for the tube-work in the car… but we know our limitations and farmed that out. Original plans had an “off the shelf” 4 link and a Chris Alston roll cage going in, all installed/welded by us. We certainly have the skills to make that happen, but plans became more ambitious.
We decided to go to a custom 3 link with much longer links than the 4 link kit we had, and obvioulsy totally different pickup points. This required a lot more pure custom work and changes to the LCA subframe and creation of a pickup point for the upper link tied into the cage. That gorgeous work was done by our fab guy. One of the owner’s biggest regrets is not choosing this route from day one. The basis of the cage is still the Alston kit (again, the whole rear is reworked and anything related to the 3 link is pure custom work by our guy) and we know our fab guy could have done a cleaner job, particularly keeping the cage tighter to the A-pillar.
The big delay right now is the car is back at the fab guy for the floors (obviously custom due to the rear susp and exhaust plans) and firewall (again, custom because the owner & I set the motor waaaaay back when we made the motor/mid-plates). We can’t wire, run turbo plumbing, run the fuel system, begin the interior work etc. until we have that done. He’s also building the frame/hinges to hang the 1-piece VFN 'glass front clip. But it’s a slow process with long waits because he does the work as a side project out of his home garage. The up-side is he is super duper anal and doesn’t let anything go less than amazingly perfect how he’d want it. Also, you’re getting that level of craftsmanship for much lower cost than slam-bam get you out the door shops. But the time it takes to get your finished project is certainly the down side.
