[Michael]

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.





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.



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