New Pro Stock Diesel build - 2 D Max
 

I will probably live to regret this, but I have taken delivery of a tube chassis truck that I intend to build into a diesel Pro Stock truck.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMGP9610.jpg

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f...d/IMGP9611.jpg

Some of you may recognize the chassis as the one the Max'd Out team bought earlier this year. We reviewed the chassis with an NHRA chassis certification tech, and saw that it needs quite a few updates. The Max'd Out crew will be searching for something needing a little less chassis work. The chassis was apparently built to run Top Sportsman with a big block Chevy engine, and run briefly before being sold to someone who started the conversion to diesel. It came with a low mileage stock LB7 and Allison (I passed on the Allison since I plan to run the new Hughes XP5 lockup Pro-Mod Powerglide), and the interior and windows have been stripped out of it. It is a Chrome Moly round tube chassis, with a strut front (appears to be a factory import car strut, a practice that was popular before aftermarket struts were more readily available). The rear of the chassis is built in the standard 4-link configuration, but had a Dana 60 with ladder bars.

My first task will be to add the necessary bars to allow it to certify to at least 6.00 seconds, and stiffen up the chassis where necessary (similar to a "double frame rail" chassis). Next I will convert it to either 4-link or "swing arm", and either build or buy a fabricated 9" housing and also add a beefy anti-roll bar. The front struts and steering look like they will need some geometry changes, as the existing angles would cause significant bump steer on the track (possibly the reason it was retired from Top Sportsman in the first place). I plan to use a steel firewall, which according to NHRA rules will let me run with either forced induction or nitrous WITHOUT an SFI 3.2A/15 firesuit (same as Top Fuel racers wear). Once it is running quick enough I plan to run it in NHRA Top Sportsman, which requires a steel floorpan on the driver's side. The rest of the interior will be aluminum, custom formed and bead-rolled. Before it is track-worthy I plan to sell the LB7 and replace it with a stock long-block LBZ, then eventually build a serious LBZ with all the trick components.


http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/f.../2DMax03-1.png
Here is a very rough rendering of what it will look like. Once I find someone to do some fancy graphics (both for the rendering and the actual truck), it will probably get something more exciting than a solid color!

One more issue - naming the truck! I have been trying to think up a decent name, so far the best I have come up with is "2-D-Max" or "2wD-Max" (both would be pronounced "To Da Max"). It has the obvious Duramax reference, but also the reference to being a 2-wheel drive. What do you guys (and gals) think?

Regards,
Michael Pliska

Awesome....

I love seeing new entrants in this class... I have a feeling that this is not the last of the Chevy's we will see in the near future.

Dang that looks like a lot of work. Good luck with it!!!

I may rig this thing up to have a section of stock Chevy frame rails attached with Dzus fasteners or zip ties, in case there are any races with classes outlawing tube chassis trucks ;)

I suppose I'll have to disguise the 2,000 lbs of ballast too...

Good Luck Michael!


Can't wait to see it....

Looks good Michael. The guy I bought it from in San Diego will be tickled when you get it on the track.

Thanks Ken so much for making me a "deal I can't refuse"! My girlfriend will probably give you a bad time next time you see her though! She was looking forward to the off season and me spending less time on car & truck stuff!

Sweet , cant wait to see it going down the track.

Looks like a fun project. Good Luck

Is "PerforMax" outta the question? Would be good for isspro & hints towards the duramax too?


Anyways, super excited to see it come together!!

Looks like it will be a fun build

PerforMax is a good one!!

Ya I like that one.

Oh how about DIRTYperforMAX:hehe:

I'd vote for this name.

Good luck to you on the build. Its nice to see more Pro Stock vehicles popping up lately.

Thanks for the feedback so far! I considered PerforMax but thought it would be too cheesy of a tie-in to our products, I'd get tired of hearing the jokes about male enhancement drugs. Just for the record, that name was applied to male enhancement drugs and condoms AFTER we selected it for a gauge line! After seeing the positive feedback on that name I'll reconsider it.

I like "2 D Max" as well but you said you wanted it pronounced as "to DUH max" but I think many would say "to DEE max". So maybe spell it out more for them like this "2 Da max"?


Enough of the petty stuff, when are you hoping to have it out? Sometime next year or is there more work there than you can knock out in 1 winter?


I'm not asking what you paid for that truck, but in general, what can a similar roller be bought for? Just curious.

And can we get anymore pics of it the way it sits now?

I'll post up more photos soon, hoping to run back to the plant today and weigh it (I put it in the ISSPRO plant until I'm done racing my gasser for the year). Going to move some crates around in shipping so I can wheel it onto the floor scale one wheel at a time.

As far as similar chassis, usually rolling chassis like this sell for about $15k-$40k in this economy, depending on the extent of what is included and the quality of the parts (especially in the rearend & brakes). Usually a chassis for sale will have a current certification, but as noted above this one needs a bunch of work to get it certified. Sometimes you see a killer deal come up. Earlier this year I missed out on a Chevy Monza that was built to run Top Sportsman, with a lot of good parts in it (top of the line rearend stuff), for $5k. Usually deals like that are either a divorce or someone got it in trade and doesn't know what it is worth!

I've spent a bunch of hours studying the SFI chassis specs, trying to figure out exactly what I will need to add and how. Since this chassis is wider than most cars, they ran the main fore-aft frame members very wide in front (necessary to space the wheels out), but ran a 2nd set of rails inside to keep the gap "normal" between the rails in the middle. It will make it interesting since the spec requires some cross-members and x-braces to tie the two main rails together. They also set up the seating in a ludicrous position, with the seat so low that there is clearance above it for someone about 7' or taller (which matters for where some of the tubes pass by the body), but the legroom makes me (at 5'6") feel claustrophobic. It's like they fit it to Yao Ming from the waist up, and an Oompa Loompa from the waist down!