Unleashing The Power Potential Of Diesel

If you’re a scuba diver, attention to detail is a must. One mistake could cost you your life. And if you’re a commercial diver like Morgan Sanders, of Magnolia, Texas, attention to detail is even more critical.

So it stands to reason that a guy who is keen on details would more than likely sweat the small stuff when it came time for him to modify his daily driver.

Morgan’s Dodge Mega Cab started out as the family truckster that was used to pull the family fifth-wheel. After previously being exposed to the benefits of diesel trucks with his `01 Dodge 2500, he claims that the truck “opened [his] eyes to the power potential of the Cummins.” With that belief under his belt, the transformation process began on his `07 Mega Cab.

While a lot of diesel owners go the lifted route, Morgan opted to keep the Dodge at stock ride height and invest his money into engine mechanicals. Helping bring the 7,200-plus-pound truck to a stop is a set of Kinetic rotors and Power Stop pads at each corner. Stainless steelbraided brake lines keep the pedal feel hard.

A geared locker and 3.73 gears out back are all covered by a Mag-Hytec diff cover. When it came to rolling stock, Morgan went conservative by opting for 17×9-inch Eagle Alloy wheels wrapped with 33-inch 285/70R17 Michelins.

The main attention on the Dodge is under the hood, where details count. For openers, the stock intake manifold was replaced with an Industrial Injection unit that works in conjunction with one of its Arctic Cooler fuel plates. Industrial Injection was also the source for a set of 100-horsepower injectors driven by an Industrial Injection Dragon Flow CP3. Fuel is fed upstream by an AirDog II. And since the AirDog is in place with its own filter system, an Industrial Injection fuel filter eliminator kit was also installed.

All the added fuel is offset by a trick compound turbo system. The Industrial Injection towing compounds feature a Phat Shaft 62 that feeds into an S474. The combo will make upwards of 65 pounds of boost, according to Morgan. And with that much boost on tap, ARP head studs on the Cummins were a must, as was an upgraded intercooler from BD.

The stock exhaust manifold was swapped out in favor of a PDI unit to make mounting the twin setup easier. The exhaust is a 5-inch turbo-back system that incorporates a Diamond Eye muffler and black ceramic tubing. Tuning is provided by a Smarty TNT stacked with a Revo. Backing up the hot-rodded Cummins is a G56 six-speed manual fitted with a Valair double-disc clutch for more clamping power.

Visually, the Dodge says “high performance” with an SRT-10 hood from the Dodge Viper-powered pickup and even 2010 Viper Venomskin Green Dodge SRT stripes over the black pearl paint. Windcrest Collision is credited with applying the PPG paint, while Jeremy Stout, also of Windcrest, gets the credit for the cool stripe job.

Both the front and rear bumpers were also paint-matched, as was the CNC aluminum grille insert. Other body mods include Recon LED taillights and a goose-neck hitch in the bed, which is coated with a Line-X spray-in bed liner. And, oh yeah, in case you didn’t notice, the entire truck was “debadged” before painting.

Things are just as custom on the inside, with the Venomskin Green paint job also applied to several dash parts. Inside the dash is a Kenwood audio/video head unit that feeds the signal to 850 watts worth of amplifiers and Infinity 4 speakers through-out the cab. An Audiovox overhead PS2/DVD player keeps the kids entertained in the back seat, while a bed-mounted backup camera that plays through the head unit makes hooking up the fifth-wheel that much easier. A set of Auto Meter gauges in an A-pillar pod keeps track of vitals.

Morgan’s truck is just what he was looking for: a great-looking tow machine and family entertainment center that still gets around 20 mpg. And Morgan has friends and folks such as fellow Texan, John Robin-son, of Texas Diesel Power, and Brent, at Industrial Injection, along with Discount Tire’s Jayme, to thank.

It’s the attention to detail that makes this truck stand out from the rest. (And the bright-green striping doesn’t hurt, either!) UDBG

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