Gene K

I saw a nice 1999 Chevy Truck at the strip today.

Black, StepSide, Billet Specialties Rims, Lowered Slightly....

Looked like your average low 15 second 5.3L powered 1500.

5.3L Block bored 0.030 over and stroked to 383 ci. The BigChamber LS6 style heads from the previous generation Escalade.
Edelbrock Victor Jr Intake with Port EFI and Custom Plenum.

Homebuilt (very, very professional looking inluding ceramic coating) 76mmm Turbo System at 14 lb of boost.
The bypass valve was plumbed back into the exhaust to keep it very quiet. Two big mufflers.

VERY QUIET! You could only hear the turbo if you were listening for it.

10.8 @ 132 mph.

Why do I feel like I brought a penknife to a gunfight?

SINISTER

Because when you are comparing our little motors to that monster, you did.

Don't worry, if you put in the money, effort, time, blood, sweat and tears into your car that the guy did into his truck, you'd be moving out pretty quick too.

bluebeastsrt

Exactly. You can make anything fast if you throw enough money at it.

Jfsram

LS1 technology, large aftermarket support and a turbo. I'd expect a 10.

Subotai_95

+1 Beastie.. Just like the Dodge "Lil Red Truck" that used to run at Kennedale all the time.. I can't seem to remember what those things had factory under the hood, but for some reason I keep thinking 383?? Just a guestimate so don't get out the blow-torches.. lol I wish I could've found out what kind of set up the guy had but he ran consistent low 10's and high 9's on Hoosier's.. Money + time = as fast as you can afford to make whatever you're driving..

I also seem to remember that for their model year, they were the fastest US made production vehicle? I'm thinking 77 or 78 possibly?

Jfsram

The Dodge Lil Red Express was a 360 engine. Your quote of fastest production was main surrounded by how lame cars of the late 70's were. Mustangs were around 150hp and Corvettes were about 205hp. The Dodge trucks were only fast because everything else was slow.

I had one at they are high 14, low 15 sec trucks. Considering it really is just a 1/2ton stepside with a normal pedestrian V8 that ain't bad.

Production was 78 and 79.

To run high 9's in a 4000lbs, barn like shaped vehicle. I'm pretty sure the truck you saw had a big block, probably a 440.

Subotai_95

This is true.. I just remember that little schpeel from a segment they did on it during a commerical in the middle of a Craftsman series Truck race on the Speed channel.. lol Though you're correct about everything being lame during that time period.. All one has to do is look at the debacle that was the Mustang II.. Looks like a damned AMC gremlin.. lol

I honestly don't even know if it was a real mopar engine the guy had under the hood, but I know he had some serious suspension work done because the truck itself was only sitting about 6 inches or so off the ground, and it had a wheelie bar, plus parachute rig, so I'm guessing it was probably more aftermarket than anything else.. Still, when I was a kid I used to love those dual smokestack exahausts.. lol

And not to go any further off-topic, but then if the Lil Red Express had the 360, what did the Warlock's have? Or was there any difference engine wise? Just curious..

Gene K

Warlocks were an appearance package. The one I looked at had the standard truck 360.
The 318 2bbl may have been available though.

LRE had the 360 from the Police car. Camshaft was lifted from the 340 Magnum of the late 60's/early 70's.

The truck that set the record for fastest production vehicle was a ringer.
It was a Engineering Prototype andhadW2 heads among other things.

The true production trucks ran 15.7 and both theTA6.6 TransAm and L82 Vette were faster.

ThisBlood147

+1 That guy didn't turn a wrench 3 times and buy some good tires to get that truck running that fast........trust me. No one goes that fast without spending lots of dough and/or sweating their *** off under the hood/car for many many hours.

Gene K

I dont doubt that! Likely enough time (At $20 an hour) and dollars in that truck to pay for anew C6 Z06.

They were tuning on the truck at the track. The converter is supposed to be a 3600 rpm unit with a triple lock-up clutch.
The truck was "blowing through" the converter stalling it to 5000+ rpm at launch. They were "making do" by locking the converter early. Cant wait to see what it runs once they get the converterrestalled and turn up the boost.