Bare Bones

Jim Rose: 1997 Ford F-250

Jim Rose bought the truck a few years ago as a cheap work truck. Within three years, he had moved on to nicer trucks and put the old truck up for sale. Even though it ran and drove well, with 250,000 miles and more than a little rust, the old Power Stroke 4×2 was bringing offers under $1,500 and it bugged him to let it go that cheap. After a couple of years of sitting, he decided to build it into a budget racer to see how much power could be gained with how little cash.

Rose started the mods by gutting the interior and removing every bit of material on the truck not needed for racing or to meet Sportsman ET class rules. That included things like the HVAC system, windshield wipers, carpets and interior panels. Judging by the holes in some body panels, nature has also helped the lightening a little as rust never sleeps. That was all good for about 400 pounds under stock weight.

The trans had been rebuilt some years ago and a Precision Converter torque converter and TransGo shift kit added. He homebuilt traction bars from inexpensive tractor implement links. For traction, he “Lincoln-locked” the Ford 10.25 rear axle by welding the spider gears. To deliver the power to the ground, he added M&H 10×14-16 cheater slicks on Mickey Thompson Classis 16×10 rims. Rose also homebuilt a rear disc brake conversion.

The engine was upgraded to head studs and the injectors were replaced by Rose’s own Rosewood Diesel Stage 2 Injectors (see Diesel World, February 2008 issue) and a River City Turbo “Sledgehammer” turbo on custom-built plumbing with a home-built hood stack. The electronic tuning is custom and a later model Super Duty lift pump was installed.

Rose thinks the Power Stroke trucks are perfect for budget racer status. They’re plentiful, cheap and parts abound, both new and used. The aftermarket is flush with products and it doesn’t take much to crank one up a bit and have some fun.

Specifications and Modifications

Value of Unmodified Truck: $800-1,500

Cost of Modifications: $3,500

Engine: Gen 1 Power Stroke

Trans: E40D, Precision converter, TransGo shift kit

Estimated Power: 425 hp

Best Quarter-Mile Run: 13.44 sec @ 103 mph

Eventual Goal: 12.99 seconds

Gear Ratio: 3.55:1

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Miser With More

Josh Martin: 1984 Dodge D100 Miser

We all know that D100s didn’t come with diesels, let alone with an engine not offered in a Dodge until five years after this truck rolled off the assembly line. But that’s why Josh swapped in a Cummins! The D100 Misers were a low-buck value package in the half-ton Dodges of the early ’80s. They came standard with slant-six gassers and got mileage. Josh picked up the lightweight short-bed with 170,000 miles for a cool $500. He then bought the 12V 6BT and 727 Torqueflite from an ’89 first gen Dodge Cummins truck for $1,100 and swapped it in. The original 8.25 Mopar rear axle wasn’t going to cut it, so a Duane Corson-built Ford 9-inch with 2.75:1 gears, a Detroit Locker and Moser 31 spline alloy axles were swapped in, to reliably put the power to the ground.

At that point, the truck was quick and very economical, but Josh wanted more. If fact, he set his mind to push the envelope and see what could be done with a Bosch VE pump. Martin O–ringed the head, but used stock head bolts. He and friend Chris Meyer fabbed up a twin-turbo setup using Switzer S300 and a BorgWarner S-400 turbos. The air is chilled by a Cummins Industrial air-to-water intercooler that Martin feeds from an ice/water tank in the bed. New Era Diesel supplied the high-flow injectors. On its first runs, the truck generated 84 psi boost, but it’s now tuned back to about 75.

To fit the Hoosier 30×10.50-15 slicks, Josh enlisted his friends Adam Sifrit and Matt Brown to help tub the bed for the big tires. The truck was lowered by new front springs and a rear spring-under conversion, which makes it a little more aerodynamic going down the road… and the track.

Josh has been playing with first gen VE-pump Cummins Dodges for years now, enduring the chiding with the smile. With the power of a VE Cummins limited, the speed of a heavy truck is also as limited. By swapping the engine into a light platform, he gained the performance equivalent of 150 hp. Not only that, the truck is remarkably consistent on the track. While Martin plays at his local IHRA track and an occasional NHRDA event, a little more work might yield something capable of being a contender in Super-Street. If he does it, Josh will do it with a VE pump and a smile.

Specifications and Modifications

Value of Unmodified Truck: $500

Cost of Modifications: $2,000

Engine: ’89 Cummins 6BT

Transmission: 727 Torqueflite, stock

Estimated Power: 400+ hp

Best Quarter-Mile Run: 12.50 sec @ 105 mph

Eventual Goal: Under 12 seconds

Gear Ratio: 2.75:1

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Starter Truck

Jeremy Hadley: 1996 Ford F-250

Jeremy Hadley’s eyes and future are bright as he starts off into budget racing in NHRDA’s Sportsman ET class. He bought the ’96 F-250 at home in New York State for a cool two grand and began using as a daily driver. The two-lane blacktop began calling, and Hadley began appearing at NHRDA events.

The list of mods is modest. Jeremy is a college student on a tight budget. To date, the truck has received a Bean’s Diesel Performance IDM mod, Superchips 1705 flash. 5.6K ICP resistor, and AirBox delete with a big K&N filter and an MRBP downpipe that fees into a 4-inch stack. The Sterling 10.25 rear axle is still open and with 4.10: ratios. Jeremy added Competition Engineering ladder bars and removed all but two rear leaves. Despite the mods, he still uses the truck as a daily driver. At the end of the school season, he hopes to trade in his textbooks for a Detroit Locker. UDBG

Specifications and Modifications

Value of Unmodified Truck: $2,000

Cost of Modifications: $1,000

Engine: 7.3L Power Stroke

Transmission: E4OD, stock

Estimated Power: 275 hp

Best Quarter-Mile Run: 15.9511 sec @ 83.01

Eventual Goal: 12 seconds

Gear Ratio: 4.10:1

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