Moving 80,000 Lbs. With 1,160 HP To The Ground

We’re not sure what possessed big rig owner Rick Fenwick to take an otherwise normal 1997 Peterbilt, and turn it into a fire-breathing monster, but the fact that he lives in a town called “Cut and Shoot,” may have something to do with it. While Texans are proud of their trucks, Rick took things a step further and chopped, stretched and souped-up his semi to the point where it makes 1,160 rear-wheel horse-power, an estimated 3,800 lb-ft of torque, and can run a 15.3-second quarter-mile at 20,000 lbs. Oh yeah, and of course he shifts his own gears, and he’s built virtually all of the truck himself.

“It makes 1,160 rear-wheel horsepower, an estimated 3,800 lb-ft of torque, and can run a 15.3-second quarter-mile at 20,000 pounds.”

Chassis

While the big power levels get top bidding, where Rick actually started the project was by modifying the chassis. Originally a 260-inch wheelbase, Rick stretched the frame to 290 inches, which helps in the looks department, but also is good for hauling the specialty freight that Rick often carries. He also modified the body, by removing the original 60-inch sleeper, and replacing it with a 48-inch sleeper that he chopped 7 inches. The suspension also received the “Rick” treatment, with 3.36-geared DS404 axles in back, and a custom airbag suspension in front. The truck was equipped with a 10-speed transmission until just recently, when it grenaded during a drag race, and was replaced with a 15-speed. The clutch is from Lipe, and has been modified to create more than 6,000 lbs. of pressure.

Detroit Series 60

Where the truck really shines though, is in the power department. There one can find most of Rick’s handiwork. A bored and stroked Detroit Series 60 features 14.0L in displacement, and was built by Rick himself, with new bearings, liners, pistons and rings. A marine camshaft was also added, and Rick did some light porting on the cylinder heads. When the engine was rebuilt, the liners were also set up with a lot more protrusion than as spec’d by the factory, to help with head gas-ket sealing. The injectors were also modified, and now are capable of fueling about 50 percent more than the stock units.

With a solid engine and fueling upgrades, Rick turned up the boost by fabricating his own set of compound turbos. A 75mm S400 from BorgWarner resides on the manifold, while the atmospheric charger is a giant 98mm Holset HC5A that he acquired from Antrim Diesel. Both chargers push boost through an Av-Tekk bar-and-plate intercooler that can handle the stress of 80 psi of boost. The final step in the engine build involved tuning, and again, Rick relied on his own talents, by hacking into the original ECM, and increasing fueling, duration, timing, and other parameters himself.

It’s A Work Truck

With immense power, and solid reliability (other than a recent transmission mishap), Rick still uses his truck for what it’s meant to do–work. The difference is that Rick is one of the few owners (big rig or pickup) who can claim that they tow at 80 psi of boost, or who can climb a six-percent grade at freeway speeds while grossing 80,000 lbs. While Rick’s semi may not be the fastest thing out there, we’re willing to bet that anyone who pulls alongside of him when the truck is empty is still in for one hell of a surprise. And all for what Rick calls, “A regular ol’ work truck.” UDBG

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