A 500+ Horsepower 2008 Chevy

Could the ultimate street-driven hot rod be a diesel truck? Quite possibly, yes! Modern diesel trucks are easy to modify, make tons of power, are very reliable and can be driven daily.

Dusty Long of Thomaston, Georgia, owns this 2008 Chevrolet 2500 HD that’s a great example of a modern hot rod diesel truck. Even with more than 200,000 miles on the odometer, his truck delivers more than 500 horsepower and 1,000 lb/ft of torque to the rear wheels on the chassis dyno. Not only is the truck powerful enough to be fun on the street or at the local Friday night drags, he also uses it as his daily driver and tow rig when it’s time for camping, fishing or off-road adventures.

Amazingly, Long’s truck is mostly stock with a few rather simple bolt-on performance products combined with custom tuning to deliver that kind of horsepower and transform the skinny pedal into the fun pedal. Diesel Technology Source in Loganville, Georgia, installed an aFe Stage 2 cold air intake system to help the 6.6L LMM Duramax V-8 pull more clean air into the turbo. To help it exhale more freely, they installed a free-flowing MBRP 4-inch exhaust system with a 5-inch stainless steel tip. To make sure that the engine has plenty of fuel to go with the improved airflow, Long installed a FASS fuel pump and filter system mounted near the fuel tank on the driver side frame rail.

To wrap up the performance improvements, Diesel Technology Source owner David Browning wrote new engine tuning for the Duramax to take full advantage of the other enhancements. Browning uses EFI Live to tune his customer trucks and is able to get 500+ horsepower out of nearly stock trucks like Long’s on a regular basis, making for some potent daily-driven trucks in middle Georgia. Long put his truck on the mobile chassis dyno at the Diesel Truck Series event at the Atlanta Motor Speedway on No- vember 2, 2013 where it put down 530.8 horsepower and 1,038 lb/ft of torque.

Of course, the additional power is warmly welcomed whenever Long mashes the loud pedal, but it really comes in handy when towing. The original 2.5-inch receiver hitch works great for boats and smaller trailers. When Long needs to tow heavy loads, how- ever, a gooseneck hitch mounted under the bed is called into action. The bed of the truck is protected with a spray-in bedliner that takes a beating since the truck is regularly used to tow and haul just about anything.

For better looks and improved performance off the pavement, the truck wears a set of 20×9-inch Diamo D18 Karat wheels wrapped in 33×12.50R20LT Atturo Trail Blade M/T tires. To fit the larger tires and give the truck a nice, level stance, Long installed a 2-inch leveling kit on the front end of the Chevy, giving it a great look without going crazy so that it can still be confidently used for towing whenever needed. A set of tubular side steps are employed to make it easier to get in and out of the truck or to reach into the bed thanks to the third step pad and extra length. Of course, the chrome wheels and stainless steel side steps match the factory bumpers and look great against the bright white Chevy paint.

The leather interior is comfortable and welcoming as is the factory audio system in the dash. To give the audio system some additional low-frequency punch, Long installed a JL Audio XD600/1 amplifier under the rear seat along with a ProBox sub enclosure with a 10-inch woofer. The factory gauges on GM trucks do a pretty good job of telling the owner the basics of what’s going on with his or her truck, but they don’t cover all of the truck’s vitals. To keep an eye on additional parameters, he installed a Bully Dog GT digital gauge display with a windshield mount.

With a lot of power, good looks and great drivability, Long’s Chevy may well be a perfect example of a modern hot rod. And, when you throw in the ability to tow and haul just about anything you can fit in the bed or hook to the hitch, it’s all the more impressive. It does it all while having room for four of your best friends to cruise around town, head out to the races or travel across the country for a camping or hunting trip. We don’t really know what more you could ask from a vehicle; maybe we really have found the perfect modern hot rod, and it’s a diesel truck! UDBG

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