Offroad 4X4

For Sale Fuel Beast D564 Rims and TOYO Tires

2017-02-26T07:41:00.001-08:00

For Sale Fuel Beast D564 Rims and TOYO Tires

For Sale 20x9 Fuel Beast D564 6x139 Black Machined Wheel and TOYO Open Country Tires 285x50 AT 99,9% New set (4). Price IDR 30.000.000. This prices still negotiable. Location in Bali - Indonesia. If anyone is interested, please contact me at +62 81 999 404 899 (text and Whatsapp only).

Source: https://jualbeli.modifikasi.com/kaki-kaki/velg/velg-fuel-beast-d564/127950

Gear Up For The Ninth Annual Race And Performance Expo In February

2016-01-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom started the Race and Performance Expo back in 2007, and it has seen exponential growth ever since. In February 2016, the Ninth annual Race and Performance Expo will take place at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois. For those that couldn’t make it to SEMA or PRI this year, this is definitely a show you don’t want to miss.
“We saw a need for a racing expo in the Chicagoland and Midwest area that would be open not only to the racers, car builders and fabricators and such, but to the general public, and fans as well,” explained Tom Stockenberg of Winner’s Circle Speed and Custom. “We are trying to grow the pie bigger so everyone can get a larger slice!”
Gracing the 100,000 square-foot convention center will be racing retailers, engine builders, race car builders, race sanctioning bodies, and a whole lot more. Unlike SEMA and PRI, this show is open to the general public, and products can be bought right off of the show floor from vendors. In addition to all of the vendors exhibiting, there will also be a swap meet area where consumers can buy, sell, and trade parts.
There will be no shortage of eye candy, as the race car builders and fabricators exhibiting will be showing off some of their wildest creations. Hot Rod Chassis and Cycle will be exhibiting at the expo for the first time, and they have decided to bring their Violent Valiant that debuted at the 2014 SEMA show. We’ve had the car at our facility, and it is a beautiful work of functioning automotive art. Be sure to check it out at the expo!

A really cool organization that will be at the expo is the Hot Rodders Of Tomorrow, and it brings together high school automotive tech teams to compete in events, such as tearing down a V8 engine and reassembling it right on the show floor. How cool! February 20th and 21st are the dates of the show, so mark your calendars! Treat yourself and your family, or bring your friends to have a great weekend learning about the latest in performance technology, drool over some awesome cars, and eat some awesome food in the Schaumburg area.

Next-Gen Volkswagen Tiguan Goes In A Bold Off-Road Direction

2016-01-22T07:21:00.000-08:00

Gas may be cheap at this point in time – below $2.00 a gallon average across the USA – but CAFE rules have done anything but relax. Like it or not, the standards are going up, and just as many predicted, the encroaching influence of electric and hybrid drivetrains is starting to affect the world of off-roading.
Evidence of this comes in the form of the recently debuted second-generation Volkswagen Tiguan, which made a splash at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) this week in its GTE Active Concept. Paired with the 148-horsepower gas motor are two electric motors, the front making 54 horsepower and the rear making 114 horsepower, and peak horsepower of the vehicle is rated at 221. The vehicle appears to be an AWD type, so high- and low-range four-wheel-drive is completely off the menu.
The three motors work in synchrony with one another, with the rear motor being the primary engine and the front motors kicking on when extra power is demanded. A system of checks and balances between the motor trio keeps them all turned off or on to maximize efficiency or power, whichever one is more important in a given situation. The driver can dictate the Tiguan’s behavior through the center console switch, which controls the 4MOTION Active Control unit and has six settings: On Road, Offroad, Sport, Snow, Charge, and Battery Hold.

Volkswagen estimates the GTE Active Concept has a travel range of up to 580 miles, when factoring in the 16.9-gallon gas tank and battery capacity of 12.4 kWh. Would this concept Volkswagen do the trick for you as an off-roader? Or is it barking up the wrong tree? Let us know in the comments below.

Jeep Pickup Confirmed, Production Slated For Toledo

2016-01-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

With its storied history and laser-like focus on SUV sales, the Jeep brand may just be the most American automaker there is, were it not for the glaring lack of a pickup. Americans love their pickups even more than we love our SUVs, and while Jeep has seen a meteoric rise in sales since the merger with Fiat, buyers needing the utility of a truck have had to turn elsewhere.
Rumors of a Jeep pickup have been gaining steam, and The Detroit News was able to confirm that such a vehicle is indeed in the cards, with a debut date sometime in 2018.
That’s the word from the global head of the Jeep brand Mike Manley, who confirmed that a pickup based on the next-generation Wrangler would likely break cover in 2017, with production slated for the following year. We’ve already heard rumors that the next Wrangler will wear an aluminum body, offer a diesel engine option, and maybe even a hybrid drivetrain too. If true, those features would likely translate to the Jeep pickup as well. Both vehicles will be built at the Jeep’s historical home in Toledo, Ohio.
Jeep has been teasing the idea of a pickup truck for several years now, including the Gladiator Concept pictured here, but it’s been almost 25 years since the last Jeep pickup, the Comanche, rolled off of production lines. With low gas prices, Jeep’s SUV sales have soared, and a new compact SUV that replaces both the Patriot and Compass is also slated to debut in March at the New York International Auto Show.
Now the question remains of what form this Jeep pickup takes. Will it be more of an enthusiast-type vehicle, as its Wrangler roots might suggest? It would make more sense than trying to compete with the likes of the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado, squaring off instead against the midsize Chevy Colorado and Toyota Tacoma instead. We’ll get our answer presumably next year.

Three Jeeps on Forbes 15 New Cars to Avoid List

2016-01-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Forbes, known for their “Top 10″ lists and everything regarding finances, is at it again, and this time attacking Jeep owners. Try to restrain your rage Jeepers, but in a recent list by Forbes titled “15 New Cars to Avoid,” the trusty Jeep Wrangler was ranked seventh, followed by the Patriot in sixth, and the Compass in fifth. According to the ranking, the seventh place Wrangler, which included both the two-door and four-door Unlimited variety, were listed as vehicles to avoid due to a few main reasons.
First on Forbes’ list of why they don’t like the trusty Wrangler was how it has “limited passenger comfort, harsh and erratic ride and handling abilities, and excessive wind noise at higher speeds.” While their opinion may be true when comparing the Wrangler to a BMW, Lexus, or any other type of passenger car, the ride, handling, and wind noise are all pretty acceptable when you consider the Wrangler is not a luxury car – it’s an off roader with a removable roof! The list compares vehicles that are in completely different categories with next to no similarities other than that they carry passengers to their destination – and that seems to be a reoccurring issue with these kinds of lists. Even so, Forbes did make note of the high Wrangler resale value but then followed that up with another blow saying that initial quality, performance, and reliability all get low marks from J.D. Power.

Forbes had a field day on the Jeep brand which occupied three of the 15 spots on the list. Both the Patriot and Compass, while not dedicated off roaders, were criticized for their performance, reliability, and cheap-feeling interior among other things.

The 2015 Mercedes Unimog May Be the Largest Yet

2016-01-19T07:06:00.000-08:00

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 5023 4×4 may be the largest yet. The first of these all terrain beasts rolled off the assembly line and will hit the market by the end of the year. Unlike most of today’s SUVs that are nothing more than a glorified FWD station wagon, the Unimog was designed for hard work and off roading. Mercedes-Benz encourages and insists that you take the Unimog off road and push it too its limits.
It’s designed to tackle the roughest of terrain including mountains, deserts and lakes of mud. Mercedes-Benz has designed the truck with the intent of being used by fire departments, pipeline construction and perhaps even military. Its designed to rescue people trapped in the harshest of environments.
It’s powered by a high-torque Euro VI four-cylinder engine that gives the massive beast a top speed of 90 KMH on open road and makes it capable of hauling a massive load of 14.5 tons. Other features of the Unimog are part-time all-wheel drive, differential locks, ABS and EQR (electronic quick reverse). This will allow safer driving in rough terrain.
Yaris Pursun, Head of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks, said at the launch ceremony, “The new extreme all-terrain Unimogs set a new benchmark in the off-road sector. They impress with their ability to handle every terrain and master every challenge, be it in forest fire-fighting, flood areas or open-cast mining. The Unimog is an all-rounder, and we’ve been able to further improve its qualities despite the major challenges posed by Euro VI. That’s a really fantastic achievement.”

A fantastic achievement it is, and expect to see this metallic beast operating in plenty of service fleets and fire departments around the world. Wouldn’t you like to park one in your driveway?

2017 Ford F-150 Raptor Debuts With Supercrew Trim, Six Driving Modes

2016-01-18T07:02:00.000-08:00

Details have been dribbling out for the past year, but finally the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor has broken cover at the North American International Auto Show, and it’s quite literally more truck than its predecessor. In addition to boasting a 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6 with 411 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque, the 2017 Raptor also gets a 10-speed automatic transmission and a four-door Supercrew version for the new generation of off-road ready pickups.
That’s only scratching the surface of what’s new for the 2017 Raptor, which has become not just lighter, but smarter and more refined too.
That starts with the all-new four-wheel drive system, including a new transfer case, which Ford says combines the “best attributes” of a clutch-driven on-demand all-wheel drive system with the rugged reliability of mechanical-locking four-wheel drive. This also includes a new Terrain Management System that lets the driver choose between six preset driving modes to crawl through a variety of terrain and obstacles. These modes include Normal, Street (for high-performance on-road driving), Weather (for rain, snow, or ice), Mud (for muddy or sandy backroads), Baja (for high-speed desert runs), and Rock (for low-speed rock crawling).
Ford has also upgraded the front and rear shock canisters from 2.5 to 3 inches for better performance and more suspension travel than the current Raptor’s 11.2 inches front/12 inches rear. The 2017 Raptor will also launch with the aforementioned Supercrew trim, which adds 12-inches of length and a lot more comfort for all your buddies. Despite all these new features and extra room though, Ford says that the 2017 Raptor is up to 500 pounds lighter than its predecessor, while also making more power.
That sounds like an equation for fun if you ask us.

Local Off-Road Meet Showcases Project Vehicles

2016-01-17T06:34:00.000-08:00

Heading to an off-road get together does not need to be part of a major event, and most of the times smaller local meets host just as good of a party. We headed down to Aftershock Brewery in Temecula, California for the first annual Knucklebusters 4WD Jeep club meet.

Some of the vendors that came out to support the local meet.

The meet brought out local off-roaders and vendors to enjoy a day together. Off Road Warehouse, PRP Seats, and Rogue Concepts. Local off-roaders well able to come out and check out everyone’s rig as well as win raffle prizes donated by the vendors. This was a great family oriented meet that let kids get involved with the off-road world as well as taking home some of the prizes.

Great family fun, and some great raffle prizes.

With over 50 people showing up, the first meet was a success. Local events can get some great traction by word of mouth and with little advertising. Being so close we were also able to bring out some of Off Road Xtreme‘s project vehicles.

Some of the other vehicles that showed up.

Two of our Jeeps are in the Jeep club and it was only fitting to bring some of the others out. In all Project Redneck, Project XtremeJ, and Project Storm Trooper all were on display at the meet.

Project vehicles on display. Top Row, left to right: Project Redneck, Project XtremeJ. Bottom Row, left to right: Project Storm Trooper, Jeep Cherokee.

Overall it was a great time with the off-road community. It is hard not to enjoy time around off-road vehicles, and good beer. What local off-road events do you attend? Tell us in the comments below!

Dakar 2016: Team Mini Knocks Off Peugeot To Take Stage 8 Win

2016-01-16T06:31:00.000-08:00

Photo Sourced From: Dakar

The time has come, Team Peugeot was knocked off the top spot of the podium during today’s stage at the Dakar Rally. Team Mini driver Nasser Al-Attyah may have only won the stage by 12 seconds, but it is enough to win the stage.
“This was a very difficult stage, it was not easy. We had a good time at the beginning, but when we came we came onto the off-road it was impossible to follow the buggy. We’ve won the stage by about 12 seconds, maybe, but we’ll see now how the other guys do. Of course, tomorrow will really not be an easy stage. Maybe we’ll be opening the road, but Matthieu did a really good job today and I am sure that tomorrow he will do a really good job.”

Photo Sourced From: Dakar

“It’s not a time for mistakes. It’s nice to win the stage again after the rest day on off-road terrain and dunes, but the buggy is still really fast in camel grass. I think we improved today with our time and we’ll see for tomorrow. I am here to fight, you know, I don’t care. I will do my best to win the Dakar. Tomorrow and after tomorrow we really need to put in a maximum performance without any mistakes and we’ll see. The Dakar won’t be decided on the marathon stages, but you need to have a good time over the next two stages,” an excited Al-Attyah explained after winning the stage.

Sébastien Loeb also had a rough day saying, ““What happened was that in a rio there was a dip and I didn’t see it, so we arrived on it, fell in and it threw the car off balance and we rolled. We broke a lot of things on the car. We had to change two wheels and change the transmission so, for sure, we lost a lot of time.”
After winning the last stage Carlos Sainz came in second place saying, “We tried to drive at a good speed, but it was not easy to open the road. We had a small problem with the temperature, but for the rest everything is fine. I’m sure it’s going to be tough, especially the next couple of days. It’s going to be difficult.”

Sheldon Creed having troubles of his own in this very difficult Dakar stage.

Robby Gordon continues to have a rough Dakar. He was halted due to a technical problem, and struggled to get to the finish line ending his day well behind all the other drivers. Finishing four hours and ten minutes behind leaves him with lots of work in the remaining stages.
This stage proved why the Dakar rally is no joke. It is something that test man and machine, and the tough part of the rally has just begun. Each of the last stages will continue to push the vehicles to the limit.

Trophy Truck or Trick Truck: Is There Really A Difference?

2016-01-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

For some time now, there has been some debate and confusion over the differences between a Trophy Truck, a Trick Truck, and a Spec Trophy Truck. With this in mind, we did some research on this subject and came up with what we believe are some pretty definitive answers.

Before we get into the details, let’s explore the basics. When you start talking about any of the trucks listed above, one of the first things that most likely comes to mind is this: a vehicle with massive amounts of suspension travel, powered by a mega horsepower motor, and purpose-built for racing in an off-road environment. All of this is true, but one fact remains–the Trophy Truck is the fastest and most recognized vehicle competing in off-road racing today. Designed and built to look like a factory-produced pickup truck, this class is hands-down the most popular with the off road race fans and enthusiasts.

These top-shelf, desert-running rocket ships are capable of speeds exceeding 120mph, although actual average race speeds can be significantly slower depending on the venue. These type of speeds are generated with a (most commonly) naturally aspirated V8 engine generating anywhere between 700 to 850 horsepower, depending on the individual engine builder. The trucks feature a tube frame, chromoly chassis and roll over cage, and these designs can vary slightly from manufacture to manufacture.

Suspension geometry and design are normally dictated by the builder constructing the truck; however, most utilize an A-arm suspension system on the front of the truck, and a three or four- link system with a solid axle in the rear. There are chassis available that employ various types of independent rear suspension systems, but the four-link systems seem to be the norm.

A Costly Proposition

As is the case with any motorsports, off-road racing is expensive.The typical top-tier race truck can cost anywhere between $250,000 to $500,000. Throw in another $200,000 to cover the basic expenses involved with running a complete season (fuel, tires, extra parts), as well as $200,000-$400,000 to maintain the team (race vehicle, hauler, and chase vehicles), and with just simple math you can easily see it requires a large amount of wealth to participate in this sport. Keep in mind that the winner’s share of the purse very rarely exceeds $10,000!

Suspension damping is controlled with either a one- or two-shock system per wheel, depending on the individual builder. Considering the terrain normally encountered with these trucks and their rather hefty weights–a typical Trophy Truck can weigh in excess of 7000 pounds–a two-shock system seems to be the standard. A coilover shock combined with a bypass shock works well and helps prevent overheating and fading at high speeds, due to continuous cycling of the system over the rough desert terrain.

The trucks are of course designed for speed, but even the rigors of a 250-mile race through the desert offer a very unique set of challenges for these trucks; trees, brush, rocks and boulders are just some of the normal obstacles the pilots of these machines have to deal with, so durability is a foremost concern during the construction of the vehicle. “We want the trucks to be as agile as possible, but still maintain a degree of longevity,” stated Matt Loiodice of JIMCO Racing . The old adage of “first you must finish to finish first” really applies to the sport of off- road racing.

Finally, one of the most important and often overlooked part on the trucks are the tires. The trophy trucks ride on desert specific tires. They vary from manufacture to manufacture, but all feature a multi-ply sidewall to help prevent cutting, or punctures during competition. Tire size can also vary anywhere from 37 to 39 inches and are considered as an integral part of the overall suspension.

The question remains, however: what are the differences between the Trophy, Trick, and Spec Trophy Trucks? Loiodice was kind enough to help us clarify some of the differences. “Essentially, the Trophy Truck and Trick Truck are the same. We build the trucks from the same rule book and guidelines. Bottom line, the trucks are the same.”
Concerning the Spec Trophy Truck, Loiodice explains, “The ones that come out of our shops are produced using the same platform as our trophy truck. The primary difference is the Spec truck is required to run the stock LS3 GM motor or the Ford equivalent, and other than a few minor exceptions to the chassis and suspension, the truck is basically the same.”

There are a few minor differences in the design and construction of a trophy truck, depending on the manufacturer, but primarily, the trucks all sit on a wheelbase that is between 125 to 130 inches, the overall track width is between 89 to 95 inches, and the fuel capacity varies from as little as 65 gallons up to 100 gallons, as determined by each individual race team. Different builders use different GPS and radio systems as well as different air pumps that provide fresh air to both the driver and co-driver.

So, as you might imagine, these trucks are an engineering marvel, the designs all have their differences from builder to builder, but they are all equally impressive in form and function. So if these mechanical marvels are pretty much all the same, why is it that in some circles, they are called Trophy Trucks, and other circles they are known as Trick Trucks? The answer is not nearly as complicated as one might think.

Some time ago, the Southern California Off Road Enterprises (SCORE) made a business decision to apply for (and subsequently received) a copyright on the term “Trophy Truck”, “Class 1 Trophy Truck”, “Class 10 Trophy Truck” and “Spec Trophy Truck.” This, of course, was intended to keep any other companies (sanctioning bodies) from using these titles without either (A) obtaining written permission from SCORE to use said titles, (B) pay a licensing fee to use the titles, or (C) all of the above.

Trophy Truck is a copyrighted title owned by SCORE, and other sanctioning bodies, such as Best in the Desert (BITD) are prohibited from using these copyrighted titles, meaning they had to retitle, if you will, the same exact class of vehicles for their promotional and marketing endeavors.
If there’s any big differences between Trophy and Trick Trucks, it’s that the BITD version is now permitted to run with forced induction per the “Engine Transmissions & Drivelines” header in the BITD rulebook. The rule, SCR33, states that turbochargers and superchargers are allowed to run on gasoline-powered mills in either the 1400 class (Trick Truck) or 1500 class (Open-Wheeled Vehicles Unlimited Single & Two-Seat Vehicles). At the time of this writing, BITD doesn’t maintain any restrictions on the sizes or setups of turbochargers and superchargers used in competition.

Hummer Fire Sale! First Time U.S. Gov Sells Military Rigs to Public

2016-01-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

The lifted Jeep guys would take a second look if you rolled up in this.

We don’t need no stinkin’ creature comforts.

Attention all Hummer fans! The U.S. Army’s having a Humvee fire sale at bargain basement prices and the first time ever the Department of Defense has sold military vehicles to the general public. Soon, Uncle Sam will let you buy an Army issue Hummer (original price $60,000 with no motor), with bids starting at around $10,000. From what we hear from ArmyTime.com, 4,000 units will be auctioned off to the highest bidder, hopefully to save a trip to the scrap heap.
Sitting on a dusty lot at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, these are well used examples with 1,300-40,000-miles that have seen military duty hauling troops and equipment. All units will have a pre-sale inspection for defects and will be cleaned and stripped of all military markings and characteristics. So, no guns or armor included in the sale, sorry folks. No titles will be offered as well as these rigs are not street legal.
Additionally, regardless of all the fuss regarding the Pentagon’s transfer of military equipment to local civilian police departments, state and local governments will have first crack at inventory and anything not claimed then goes to the public.

Dick Cepek Fun Country Tire Review

2016-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

Featuring strong lateral grooves, a nice center-block tread design for ride quality, and “DC” logos affixed to the three-ply sidewall, the Fun Country tire is even better-looking in person than in photos. There is ample tread depth cut into the rubber that feels somewhere between a soft compound and a hard compound. Woo elaborated on the compound by stating, “We use silica in the proprietary compound, but it is designed to provide excellent wear and cut/chip resistance without sacrificing traction.” With a claim like that, we had to put it to the test!

With the tires mounted, balanced, and looking ready for the great outdoors, it was now time to get to the fun part. It’s time to go off-road!
While we didn’t have any mud thanks to the never-ending Southern California drought, this section of trails contains a wide variety of terrain including deep sand, hard-packed dirt, baseball-sized rock roads, and light silt. Right from the get-go, we noticed that the Fun Country tires offer up a tremendous amount of forward bite. Thanks in large part to the strong laterally grooved pattern, the tires are able to claw and dig to get the traction you need. This became all the more apparent in the sandy section that can (and has) eat a two-wheel-drive truck for breakfast.
The same great sand performance continued onto the hard packed dirt where we were able to really push the limits of traction with a bit too much speed! The smooth off-road ride combined with ample grip was deceiving, and we quickly found ourselves going faster than you probably should go with two-wheel-drive and only a spindle lift. This was not only fun, but it was also a great indicator of how well these tires drive on dirt – the traction is constant, there is ample forward bite, and when wheel spin or sideways maneuvers are present, it is very predictable and easy to save thanks to the side bite. This all combines to give a confidence-inspiring off-road experience.
Despite the uneasy terrain, the Fun Country tires handled the section with ease and provided stable traction. Even better, once we stopped to check out the tires, there was no visible damage to the tread and no rocks stuck in between the blocks, meaning the tires do their job well by ejecting debris that would otherwise get stuck.
All in all, we were very impressed with the tire’s off-road ability and found them to be a nice bump up in traction over the Trail Country tires previously on the truck. With only having two-wheel-drive, vehicle speed is often needed to get through sections that a 4×4 could crawl through, and as such, we were very happy with the predictable manner in which the Fun Country tires performed.
Thankfully, the Fun Country tires excel in on-road performance thanks to their design and construction. With the unique tread pattern these tires have, take notice of the center section of tread blocks that are close together and made up of a lot of smaller tread blocks. This is the section of the tire that gets the most use on-road and thanks to the smaller blocks and minimal gaps, the tires drive great on-road, especially when you remember that most of the gaps run laterally across the tire.
Freeway driving helped us answer another question we had upon taking delivery of the Fun Country tires – the noise. all-terrain tires are going to be louder than a street tire obviously, but considering the mud terrain-inspired tread pattern, these all-terrain tires are considerably quieter than expected. There was a slight auditory increase over the Trail Country tires previously on the truck, but even still, the truck remained very quiet and did not impede the ability to listen to the radio or have a discussion with the passenger.
Being all-new, these tires serve as a great indication of what can happen when cutting edge technology and off-road innovation come together in an effort to make a great all-terrain tire that can do it all. From your front door to the hunting grounds and back, the Dick Cepek Fun Country tires will provide you with a smooth and predictable ride, while instilling confidence that you have the traction needed when the going gets rough.

Spy Photo: Jeep Pickup A Reality?

2016-01-12T08:32:00.000-08:00

How long have we waited for a Jeep pickup to come back into the market again? I don’t mean the Comanche, which, unfortunately was a little weak, and never became a sales success, but a full-size pickup, or a maybe a Wrangler-pickup variant. Well in our opinion, it has been far too long. Sure, you can get a conversion from any number of companies such as AEV, but we want a real live factory roller.
Well, that day may have come. While on a trail in Moab yesterday scouting out locations to use for feature vehicles we were planning on photographing the next morning, we ran across a group of guys that were … well, put it this way, they had that way too clean cut and uptight look that comes with being engineers who have just been startled by three people showing up where they didn’t think anyone would be. Know what I mean?
While none of them had any identifying clothing on, and wouldn’t admit it, there were far too many notebooks, belt-clipped hand-held radios, and iPads among them to be anything but just that. In addition, when we whipped out a camera, these guys got really nervous, and asked us to please leave and not shoot any photos. So we acquiesced.
However, while they were talking to two of us, the third member of our small expeditionary party snuck a single cell phone shot (seen above) from the inside of his slightly unzipped coat to get this shot of what appears to be a new Jeep Wrangler pickup concept.

RockZilla Is Ready For The Apocalypse

2016-01-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

If you’re in the market for a go anywhere, do anything, survive the zombie apocalypse type of vehicle, then you need to take a look at JD3 and their RockZilla off-road beast. Custom built as a “jack of all trades” in the off-road world, the RockZilla is said to be easy to drive both on-road and off. Jeremy Dixon, designer and fabricator of the RockZilla has had a long standing background in turning his automotive dreams into a reality – and the RockZilla is his latest creation.

Serving as the backbone to the vehicle is his platform of choice – Cummins-powered Ram 2500s and 3500s. The Cummins powerplant is known throughout the off-road industry for its long-lasting reliability and even more importantly, its gut wrenching amounts of torque. Thanks to a sturdy frame and a great powerplant, the RockZilla is a vehicle that is designed to be driven everywhere from the highway to the tops of mountains.

Prices start at $75,000 for a two seater and go up from there depending on the options you select. To make matters even better, the RockZilla is street legal in most states and can be serviced nearly anywhere thanks to its extremely common Cummins motor. While these trucks don’t seem to be the vehicle of choice if you live in a downtown metropolitan area, we here at Off Road Xtreme think they would be an absolute blast to drive daily – especially in Prius-filled California.

N-FAB Launches 20 New Step Systems for 2016 Toyota Tacoma

2016-01-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

New from N-FAB – step systems for the 2016 Tacoma. Take your pick from 20 different designs to fit either Double Cab or Access Cab configurations. See more details below.
Official Release:
N-FAB, Inc. is excited to announce its launch of 20 new Step Systems for the 2016 Toyota Tacoma double cabs with 6-foot and 5-foot beds, and access cabs with 6-foot beds. The new step system includes the N-FAB Nerf Step in 2” or 3” main tube in cab length, wheel-2-wheel and bed access configurations in gloss black or textured black.
N-FAB now also offers N-Durastep with a larger step pad and a more aggressive look, which can be purchased in a wheel-2-wheel configuration. For the perfect step height, the AdjustSTEP step pad adjusts to a height up to 5.5”, which is also available in wheel-2 wheel. A bed access step can be added to the double cab with a 6-foot bed. New, detachable RKR Rails delivers a dual-rail system with bolted steps for vehicle entry and exit ease and easy removal to provide clearance and protection when you hit the trails.
All Nerf Steps, AdjustSTEPS, N-DuraSteps and RKR Rails with detachable steps come with a standard with a 5-Year Finish and Lifetime Workmanship Warranty, manufactured here at the N-FAB factory in Houston, TX.
Features:

Fits 2016 Tacomas with 5-/6-foot beds, access cabs with 6-foot beds
Includes N-FAB Nerf Step in 2-/3-inch main tube in cab length, wheel-to-wheel, and bed access setups
Come standard with five-year Finish and Lifetime Workmanship warranty

2016 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off Road Review

2016-01-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

In presidential races like the one currently underway, there’s the curious concept of the “dark horse candidate:” a contender who starts off small with grassroots efforts that slowly but surely snowballs into a massive, populist movement. He or she didn’t start off with a network of connections or wealthy donors, and was laughed at for a time, but this individual has overcome the naysayers and mocking pundits by establishing a bond with the constituency and addressing their concerns.

Did the 2016 Tacoma live up the hype? Continue reading to find out.

Similarly, Toyota and its history of trucks had humble beginnings that transitioned to overwhelming success. The 1930s G1 gave way to the 1960s Stout then to the 1970s Hilux, laying the groundwork for what would eventually become the ubiquitous and massively popular Tacoma, which began production in 1995.
Now, 20 years later, the pickup has entered its third generation with the 2016 model year, and with it comes a renewed vigor and interest in staying on top of the midsize heap. We previously gave our evaluation of the 2015 Chevrolet Colorado Z71, and found it to be a worthwhile investment for the fence-sitters out there who wanted a truck without the excess of a fullsize. But we’ll be taking a different tack when approaching this new Tacoma.
Toyota’s latest motto has been, “Let’s Go Places.” When we picked up our 2016 TRD Off Road model, that motto became a mission. We spent an entire week going over the pickup, examining its odds, ends, advantages, and defects. Our aim was to see just how well the current model stacks up against the outgoing 2004-2015 second-gen, and tally up the pros and cons to give you the answer to the question: is the 2016 Tacoma worth it?

The Truck

To test a new truck at its best, you must have its best. In the case of the 2016 Tacoma, that comes in the form of the Double Cab with the TRD Off Road package. We were pleased to see our particular pickup also had the much-touted “Crawl Control” capability, a new piece of technology designed to help off-roaders out of a tight spot. Crawl Control is currently only offered by Toyota on the new 2016 Tacoma, and will likely inspire GM (and possibly Nissan) to get cracking with a competing design in short order.

Priced as tested, a Tacoma like ours would cost $37,819 MSRP.

Other features included in the Tacoma were the Premium and Technology package, offering front dual-zone climate control with individual temperature controls, heated seats, backup sensors, and blind spot monitors embedded into the sideview mirrors. We also had the V6 Tow Package, complete with a Class IV tow hitch, ATF cooler, engine oil cooler, power steering cooler, 130-amp alternator, and trailer sway control. Carpets and door sills, a $209 option, rounded out the niceties.
Measurements of the truck really push the limits for what it means to be a midsize, which is an amusing problem in the market segment – the fact that midsizes of today dwarf those of years past, and are closer to fullsize trucks now more than ever. The 2016 Double Cab Tacoma with a five-foot bed comes in at 212.3 inches long and 74.4 inches wide, which isn’t far off from a 2016 Double Cab Tundra with a 6.6-foot bed at 228.9 inches long and 79.9 inches wide.

Is it still a midsize if its proportions are 93 percent of that of a fullsize? We'll let you decide.

Exterior

Toyota really went for broke on the look of its new Tacoma – okay, not really. Truthfully, there hasn’t been much change to the body lines and overall shape of the truck compared to the second-gen. The lower grille now stretches across both foglights, giving the look of a mouthguard-wearing rugby player, and the headlights have noticeably narrowed. The hexagonal upper grille is here, jutting forward from the hood and giving the truck something of a snout. It’s an appearance that definitely leaves an impression, but which kind of impression, we’ll leave to you to decide; personally, we could take it or leave it.

Forget what you’re driving? Just check the big block lettering stamped right into the tailgate.

All the badging has been left as it was, but one striking change is the large-font “TACOMA” stamped into the steel bed, reflecting the recent resurgence of big, bold lettering that tells everyone what you drive. Ford did it to the Raptor, Ram is doing it to the Rebel 1500, and now Toyota has done it to its beloved workhorses.
The paint is a nice earth tone called Quicksand, which can only be had with the $650 V6 Tow Package option. Other colors include Blazing Blue Pearl, Barcelona Red Metallic, Inferno, Black, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Super White, and Silver Sky Metallic. Depending on outside hue one chooses, he or she can choose between Graphite with Gun Metal or Black Fabric with Orange Accent Stitching. Pair the latter with the Inferno paint code, and you’d never lack for vitamin C again.

Top: The new face of the Tacoma has a protruding 'snout' that you either like or despise. We could go either way depending on the day. Bottom: All other angles of the truck look great.

Interior

Whatever misgivings people may have about the outside, it’s more than made up for by the inside. The cloth seats are standard fare for the market, and won’t surprise anyone familiar with trucks, but they maintain a nice, springy feel up front (and we can’t stress how lovely the heated seats are) and back.

Legroom is lacking compared to the Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab.

Space may be a concern, however, as backseat passengers of an average male height will have a difficult time feeling comfortable with the amount of legroom provided. That was something we liked about the Colorado, which had ample accommodations for us American-sized folks compared to this Tacoma. The headroom is about the same between the two trucks, so no worries there.
Facing the driver is a gauge cluster that’s easily read and understood. A digital display situated between the tachomoter and speedometer can be rotated through to display readouts like mpg, XM Radio, tire pressure, and even a clinometer measuring pitch and roll. The steering wheel comes with all of the controls you’ve come to expect from late-model vehicles, too: Cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, etc.

Visibility is decent from the front, but the hood does seem to stretch a little too far for the sake of off-roading. There were times when coming up over a crest, we felt we couldn’t see as much as we wanted to. The mirrors keep you aware of your surroundings, and the built-in Blind Spot Monitors (BSM) in the sideviews are useful when on the highway. Toyota went so far as to include a factory GoPro mount too, located on the passenger side of the vehicle next to the rearview mirror.

Left: The array of controls for Blind Spot Monitors, ECT Power, backup sensors, and more. Right: These overhead controls operate the sunroof, diff lock, Traction Control, and Toyota's new Crawl Control for fully automated extraction in sticky situations.

Look right, and there’s the console, chock full of dials, buttons, and other means of distraction. The seven-inch display holds together all the electronic creature comforts one could want, from XM Radio to navigation to the backup camera, and looks much better than it did in the previous generations. Fiddling with the infotainment center too much while driving would trigger a pop-up warning, essentially telling the driver to hold off with the distractions until he or she had come to a full stop. We thought this was a nice touch.
Look down, and dual-zone climate controls are handy, as are buttons to toggle even more electronics. BSM starts on the left, and to its right is the ECT Power, which changes the transmission’s shift points to make the truck more capable for towing purposes. A backup sensor helps prevent you from crushing the mailbox backing out the driveway, and next to it sit the ports for USB and auxiliary audio cable. Last but not least, we find the Qi toggle, which turns on or off the wireless charging pad for so-equipped smartphones. It worked perfectly on our Samsung Note 5, for example.

Wireless charging pad for your smartphone? Oh Toyota, you think of everything ... except power seats.

Look up, and the controls for the sunroof and drivetrain were right there. Traction Control and the locking rear differential were nothing new, nor were the sunroof controls. What was new was Crawl Control, which had five settings corresponding to miles per hour and the type of terrain one was situated in. As a TRD Off-Road and 4×4 package exclusive, this was one of, if not the, defining feature of Toyota’s latest pickup; but more on that later.
On the whole, the interior feels like the much-needed update people have been demanding for so many years. While we’re impressed with the amount of innovation brought to electronic conveniences, the legroom factor was a tad disappointing.
Powertrain

Yet another overhaul of the Tacoma came in the form of its powertrain. Base models have the 2.7-liter 2TR-FE inline four, making 159 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque, just as it did in the previous generation. Upstream models come with the 3.5-liter 2GR-FKS, a change from the old standby 4.0-liter 1GR-FE V6. This V6 update increased the horsepower by 36, but dropped the torque by one pound-foot, for a total of 278 hp and 265 pound-feet of torque.
D-4S technology found its way into the 2GR-FKS, which switches between port and direct injection during different driving conditions for optimal performance. It also features a self-cleaning ability to fix carbon buildup problems in fuel injectors, spraying fuel when idling during stop lights, drive-thrus, or stop-and-go traffic.

Downstream of the V6 is a six-speed automatic (or five-speed manual, which Toyota offers on both the inline four and V6 models). It’s electronically programmed, which isn’t conducive to spirited driving, but that’s balanced out by the “Sport” mode offering partial manual control of shifting to give us a more spirited driving experience.

These graphs show the dyno results of our 2016 Tacoma, first by itself (left) and versus a 2015 Tacoma TRD Off Road with a stock drivetrain. The 2016's horsepower is higher, torque is lower, and its power band has to get to a higher speed to beat out the 2015.

The 4×4 capability is rounded out by a limited-slip front differential and electronic locking rear differential, both operated by console controls that are, admittedly, not easy to figure out without the instruction manual. We didn’t get around to towing anything with the Tacoma, but the truck is rated to haul up to 6,800 pounds, which is 300 pounds more than the second-gen could handle.
On-Road Driving Impressions

Driving is a two-fold experience, as we all know. You either drive slowly to be more conservative on fuel, or you drive quickly to have fun or get somewhere faster. Fortunately, the 2016 Tacoma rewarded us no matter our style.
This being the most wonderful time of the year, people have to get a Christmas tree (or two) while the getting is good. The bedside’s built-in tie-down mounts were on a slide, allowing them to be repositioned to get the best layout for securing a strap or length of rope. We figured the trees didn’t weigh much – probably 60-80 pounds, at most – so it did little to affect the ride quality. Nevertheless, we made it home in one piece and were glad to have the rear-facing light to help us figure out where to grab the trees for egress.

Christmas trees fit quite nicely in the back of a five-foot Tacoma bed.

On the way to Ocotillo Wells SVRA is the 78 East highway, a two-lane road that, on a lazy Sunday, has few other drivers running around. It was a fitting place to test out the on-road driving experience. Leaving from Hemet, California, we had 92 miles to cover before reaching the off-road area.

Our real-world fuel economy tests showed a best of 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, right in the neighborhood of EPA estimates.

Along the two-hour journey, we noticed the truck rode nice and quiet. Any and all road noise was kept to a barely audible level, just the gentle hum of the V6 going up and down as we went over dips and around mountains. Holding the truck at 60 mph had the RPM hovering around 1,000; definitely the mark of a highly efficient motor.
During the curvy mountain portions, the Tacoma reminded us that it was indeed a truck and not a car – attempting to steer it through the sharper corners had us biting lips and cursing as the G-forces pinned us side-to-side. Nevertheless, the pickup pulled through, and any rough portions from cracks or potholes were easily dismissed by a very smooth suspension system.
From this drive, we managed to achieve our best fuel efficiency reading of the week: 22.1 miles per gallon. That was right around the EPA estimate of 23, proving that this truck had decent mileage properties when not driven maniacally. It made the Tacoma a pleasure to drive knowing that it would forgive us at the gas station.
Off-Road Driving Impressions

All that self-congratulating on good mpg went right out the window once we reached an off-road destination. In the case of the 2016 Tacoma, we tried out several locations to get a complete sense of where the limits lay.

Ocotillo Wells was almost closed by the time we got there, but the sun was giving us an epic view set against the sand.

Out in Ocotillo Wells, we felt the popular hotspots would be a little too hardcore for a stock Tacoma like ours, but there was still plenty of terrain to romp around in with all the safety features set to “off.” Blasting over whoops, the truck’s Bilstein shocks got quite a workout, and the truck never felt like it was a bucking bull. It felt quite restrained and in control, although ABS had a nasty habit of kicking in when we wanted to get sideways.
Since the park was mostly empty at this time, we opted to go full-bore down the main road. We came across washboard sections that would have turned an older, stock Tacoma into a motorized earthquake, but again, the suspension was so smooth that the rapid bumps hardly registered. Ocotillo Wells was fine and dandy, but how would the truck hold up in a more dicey situation?

We drove the truck down into the local wash, an area that was made up of super soft sand. The sand would be a great area to test the Crawl Control feature. To begin testing the vehicle, we drove out to the middle of the wash and left the truck in two-wheel drive. We buried the rearend until the sand was half way up the wheel. We then enabled four-high, and did the same to the front.

With Bilstein shocks and 265/70R16 Goodyear Kevlar Wrangler tires, this Tacoma can get down and dirty any day of the week – and it did!

Once the Tacoma had all four tires spinning freely, we knew we had gotten the Tacoma good and stuck. Enabling Crawl Control means switching the truck over to four low, turning the MTS (multi-terrain select) knob all the way to the right, and pushing the Crawl Control button. The truck needs to be in neutral to enable four-low, and once Crawl Control is selected, the shifter needs to move to reverse or drive, giving users options to select what way the vehicle exited.

Next, all you do is sit back and let the truck do the work, without needing to step on the gas or brake. The truck shook back and forth as the wheels began to spin and vibrate the sand underneath the tires. Crawl Control seemed to use the ABS system as we could hear noise coming from under the dash. In a matter of seconds, the Tacoma began to rise up and out of the sand like a four-wheeled Graboid.

Final Verdict

In the span of one week, we got to see so much of the 2016 Tacoma, and likewise the Tacoma got us to see so much of Southern California. We can safely say that this is a truck that not only gets the job done, but also has fun doing it. The updates Toyota fans have clamored for have finally caught up with the automaker, and have been implemented with this latest midsize: the infotainment system has merged well, the interior comfort has gone up, and the off-roading capabilities have shown a marked improvement to boot.

Versus its preceding second-gen, the new Tacoma has a lot to offer in some areas, but feels familiar in most respects.

But can we justify this truck as a worthwhile purchase over a low-miles, pre-owned second-gen? That’s a question we have a harder time answering. The 2016 model carries itself well, but doesn’t do enough to really make itself distinct from a well-equipped 2015. A new engine, a new look, and some new buttons are great, and the Crawl Control cannot be stressed enough as a technological wonder. However, any off-roader worth his salt can take care of himself out on the trail, and Crawl Control alone cannot replace the peace of mind one gets from off-roading with friends and their rigs. So worry not, second-gen owners; compared to this new kid on the block, you still have a very solid truck and aren’t going to be left in the dust (unless you get stuck).

But if you have the means, the will, and the passion, then the 2016 Tacoma TRD Off Road is the chariot of choice. It will get you where you want to go, then take you a little further, all while playing the greatest hits and keeping you warm. It may not be the standout, blow-us-away midsize that the hype built it up to be, but it came close and is plenty of fun to take off of the beaten path.

What’s the Word: Nissan Announces Pricing For 2016 Titan XD

2016-01-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

2015 has been a landmark year for truckbuyers in the United States. We saw the proliferation of the Ford F-150, Chevy Colorado, and GMC Canyon, while Toyota has been pushing its 2016 Tacoma on the midsize market to duke it out with GM. Meanwhile, Ram has been riding the wave of success with its EcoDiesel engine, promoting high efficiency and strong towing numbers as its edge in the marketplace.
So that leaves just Nissan, who has been busy pushing the 2016 Titan XD as the new half-ton entry. The big fuss, as you may or may not know, is all about the 5.0-liter turbodiesel Cummins V8 sitting under the hood, making a reported 310 horsepower and 555 pound-feet of torque. Rumors have been circulating about the Titan XD for the better part of the year, including what it means for Ram and Cummins’ partnership for the future, how half-ton buyers will treat a “Japanese” truck built with an American motor, and what the pricing will be like.
We now have definite answers for that last question. Today, Nissan announced the pricing breakdown of the Titan, with packages ranging from the base model S to the top-of-the-line Platinum Reserve. It seems the cheapest version will run with an MSRP of $41,485, while the most expensive version will cost $66,135 with all of the options ticked. Here is the full list:

Time will tell if the public likes the Titan XD and if it represents the right direction for Nissan to take. We have yet to review the truck ourselves, but look forward to doing so soon. In the meantime, we’ll just keep waiting for the Frontier to undergo a makeover, too.

Three (Not) Of A Kind – An Unlikely Trio of LS-Swapped Pickups

2016-01-07T07:33:00.000-08:00

There’s no denying that the LS engine family is the most popular donor for powerplant swaps going right now. With a combination of affordability, durability, availability, and simplicity that no other modern V8 can match, the LS has found its way into practically every brand of car, from Avanti to Volvo (there aren’t any LS-swapped Wartburgs, Xenias, or Zimmers that we have come across so far) as well as countless boats and even aircraft and helicopters. With all that variety, you’d think that dropping a Gen III or IV into something as humble as a GM pickup would hardly merit any attention, but the reality is that this kind of swap has soared in popularity recently.
Making it Easy
Dropping an LS into an older pickup is so popular, in fact, that there’s a growing list of companies making parts specifically to help facilitate the job. Gibson Exhaust Systems has developed long tube LS swap headers for 1963-1987 C-10 pickups to compliment their exhaust systems, and Holley has gone all-in with everything from oil pans to cast exhaust manifolds and even complete front drive accessory systems for these swaps.
If the S-10 is more of what you had in mind, Muscle Rods has completely sussed out all the hard parts necessary for an LS swap including things like motor and transmission mounts, avoiding the need for any fabrication of critical components. Even if you have a vintage pickup or want to go the complete DIY route, though, the generous engine bay space available makes a truck LS conversion a much easier proposition than some other projects, like third gen or early fourth gen F-bodies.
To explore the world of LS truck swaps, we found three very different projects that prove the variety and scope of what’s possible is only limited by your imagination. One is a perfect example of a true DIY build, the second is an unlikely road racing monster, and the third is a vintage truck professionally built to hunt monsters. All they have in common is a bed out back and an LS under the hood, plus a lot of personality behind each.

Mark Burch has actually LS-swapped two C10’s. The first one shown here was stolen, so he built the second to replace it.

Mark Burch – 1987 Chevrolet R10/C10
Frequent readers might not be familiar with his name, but they’ve probably seen Mark Burch’s work before. In the guise of AGearhead4Life on YouTube, he’s produced a ton of great do-it-yourself LS content, some of which we’ve featured here on our own site. Burch’s ’87 Chevy has been the star of many of his videos, and it’s a perfect example of why LS swaps into older pickups are so popular.

Burch’s pickup is a familiar sight to Holley LS Fest attendees.

The ’87 is actually Burch’s second “Rounded Line” LS swap. The first, an ’84 with the same 5.3/4L80E driveline combo as his current truck, was actually stolen back in 2013. “My wife and I were on a date-night, and went to see a movie. When we came out of the theater, my truck was gone. Then we had to find some way to get home to relieve the babysitter watching our three kids,” Burch recalls. Undaunted, he almost immediately set out on a search for a replacement.
The donor chassis was sourced for $2,500, with a bad transmission but in otherwise good shape. “The paint was one reason why I got it,” Burch explains. “The body was straight so I could just throw my powertrain into it.” That powertrain is a testament to what can be done on a budget, using “pre-owned” parts. The long block is a 5.3 with 165,000 miles on it, with swapped 4.8 flat-top pistons to bring the compression ratio to 10.6:1. Burch ported a pair of 5.3 862 heads himself, and installed used 2-inch LS1 intake valves and .600 lift beehive springs from PAC.
Right now, he’s running a TSP 220R “sleeper” cam, but says the future holds a bigger 228/230 cam from Trick Flow. Also on deck is a switch from stock truck fuel injectors to a set of junkyard 3800 supercharged injectors that Burch says are effectively 42-pound units at the fuel pressure LS engines run. A (used, of course) 4L80E automatic with a stock converter backs the LS, but Burch has a converter with a 3,200 RPM stall waiting in the wings. He estimates the combo is good, in its current form, for 425 crank horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque, but admits he hasn’t had the truck on a dyno yet.

Note the custom-modified factory intake manifold. Burch smoothed and filled it using a soldering iron to weld it up with scrap plastic.

That power gets to the ground via the factory 8.5-inch 10-bolt rearend stuffed with a used 3.42 ring and pinion sourced from a ’94 model and an Eaton Detroit Truetrac limited slip differential. That turns a pair of factory 15×8 rally wheels, with matching 15×7 rallys up front for less backspacing. The front suspension uses a combination of 2.5-inch drop spindles and 2-inch drop springs to tuck those factory wheels into the fenders, while out back a flip kit relocates the axle above the leaf springs to even out the stance.

Burch’s resourcefulness in repurposing used parts doesn’t end with the mechanicals, though. Inside, he made custom brackets to mount a 60/40 split bench seat with a folding console out of the ’95-’99 model pickup, and the steering wheel is off a ’95. The finishing interior touch is the rearview mirror, which once graced a 2000 Camaro.
How much did Burch spend? “As little as possible,” he jokes. “I save all my receipts, but I’ve never taken the time to add it all up. There was a lot of bartering and Craigslist, too.” The work-in-progress result is a great daily driver with awesome performance and practicality that serves as a rolling testament to Burch’s aptitude for DIY work.

Photo credit: Ralph Saulnier

Mark Bovey – 1971 GMC 1500 Long Bed
The old joke about a flying elephant is that you shouldn’t criticize how well it flies – you should be amazed that it flies at all. That’s an apt analogy for Mark Bovey’s ’71 GMC, but in this case, it actually flies pretty well. It might even be the most well-known LS-swapped pickup in the world, if there is such a thing, thanks to Bovey and co-driver Miles Markovic’s success at the 2014 Targa Newfoundland, where they piloted the big GMC to second place in the Vintage class as well as winning Rookie of the Year honors.
“We ‘plated’ in our first attempt,” Bovey recalls. “That means we did every stage [of the Targa] in a certain time. Most [competitors] take a number of years to achieve this.” While the racing success may have seemed to come overnight, the truth is that the Targa Truck has led a lot of different lives before its present incarnation. “Many, many lives,” Bovey admits. “It’s always evolving.”

The Targa Truck’s first life with Bovey, back in 1997. Love the hair!

Bovey and his father, working on a Cadillac engine swap.

The GMC entered 41-year-old Bovey’s life when he was just 14; purchased by his father for a mere $100, the two worked together to restore the then-17-year-old pickup. “When first completed it was stock, with the original 307 and Powerglide,” Bovey recalls. “Next we dumped in a 350 and lowered it… 700R4. Big stereo in, big stereo out. After that it was turned into a period hot rod kinda thing. All vintage speed parts, trying to emulate what it would have been like in the 70’s. Then the 427/T56 came into play. I was drag racing for fun at the time, and went land speed racing. The plan was to twin turbo it and go index drag race and Outlaw stuff. Then my friend dared me to sign up for autocross school and another friend sent me a link that said a truck had never competed in the Targa Newfoundland. That’s when everything changed…”
Before we launch into that story, though, let’s take a closer look at the heart of the Targa Truck. The engine, put together back in 2010, is built around GM’s LSX block with a Callies rotating assembly, topped by AFR heads and fed via a carb-style Edelbrock single plane intake manifold set up for EFI, namely a BigStuff3 engine management system. Bovey claims 630 horsepower for the big LS when set on “kill;” a figure we’d call conservative considering the displacement and the fact it doesn’t start running out of steam until revved past 7k despite a cam chosen for broad torque instead of peak power.

Not every engine with the distributor up front is a Ford.

A Spec Stage 3+ clutch connects the LSX to the Tremec T56 gearbox, and out back a leaf-sprung 12-bolt rearend with an Eaton Posi differential handles final drive duties. While high-horsepower leaf-spring cars are making something of a comeback in the world of drag racing, for a handling application you might wonder if it wouldn’t be more effective to replace the buggy springs with something more sophisticated.
“Vintage rules in the Targa Newfoundland limit you to stock major suspension components and pivot locations,” Bovey explains. That means that in his words, the suspension is, “Boringly stock. It has lowing springs from Classic Performance Products , a CPP sway bar, CPP drop spindles, and an Early Classic Enterprises shock relocator kit. That’s it, other than shocks. I hooked up with Ron Sutton Race Technology and he curved a set of Ridetech HQ single adjustables for it. Those shocks and my set-up from Scott Murfin at Can-Alignment make this thing do way more than it should.”

Yes, that’s a baby seat. No, it’s not a joke.

Though the interior is race-car serious, this is still a street-driven truck. “The big thing with the full Targa Class is safety equipment, and a cage. I put in a full fire suppression system, though it’s not mandatory,” says Bovey. “Seats and harnesses need to be FIA-spec. For Targa, you need to carry a certain number of tools, jack stands, a jack, and so on, and all of this needs to be tied down, securely. One final thing — all of this can be moved around to put my son’s baby seat in.” To attend the 2015 Holley LS Fest, Bovey made the round trip from his home in Toronto (that’s in Ontario, Canada, for the geographically disadvantaged) to Bowling Green, Kentucky behind the wheel of the Targa Truck.

The Targa Truck has turned over 200,000 street miles in its long, varied life.

But as it turns out, you can’t race a truck and go to both Kentucky and Tennessee without being asked a lot of questions about buying guns… – Mark Bovey

Per Bovey, “It drives easy and has endless power for America’s amazing Interstate Highways. Thanks, President Eisenhower! That being said, the Momo seats are a bit hard on my butt after a hour or so. During competitive events the Momo seats are perfect because you are moving around and the seats are designed to hold you in, but on highways, the main body movement is up and down, and it takes its toll. Everyone always asked about gas mileage, and it gets great mileage. I need to get out every $25 worth of fuel for a stretch anyway. It gets way better gas mileage than ass milage.” Bovey has driven the truck extensively through the U.S., starting way back in 1997 on the Hot Rod Power Tour. “Crossing the border is always entertaining,” says Bovey. “Coming down to LS Fest I ended up doing a guided tour for a couple of border officers. I think they were just curious. I usually cover the details that make it street legal and everyone calms down. Coming back home, the border guard had heard of the truck, as her dad lives on one of the Targa Newfoundland routes. But as it turns out, you can’t race a truck and go to both Kentucky and Tennessee without being asked a lot of questions about buying guns — which I did not buy. They searched the truck anyway. It was a nice night.”

Bovey has a laundry list of events he’d like to add to the Targa Truck’s resume, like Pike’s Peak, La Carrera Panamericana, the Optima Ultimate Street Car Challenge, and even the Targa Tasmania in 2017. But in the meantime, it will continue to be his main form of transportation.
“I’m at a point in my life where owning a 600-plus horsepower truck makes zero sense,” he admits. “So, how can I make it fit my life? I live downtown in the fourth largest city in North America. I’m married to a wonderful wife, with a cool three year old son. Up until the Targa Newfoundland, the truck was our family vehicle. I took my wife Liz to the hospital for the birth out our son Wyatt, and when he was about three hours old, I brought him home in this truck. It has been through so much good and bad — including a tornado in Milwaukee — what’s next has to top what it’s already done. The point of all of this is to have fun and keep life interesting.”

Scot E. Dowd – 1949 Chevy Pickup
When we asked Scot E. Dowd what he did, he listed “Geneticist and Car Builder,” so we knew right away that we were in for a bumpy ride. The former occupation puts Dr. Dowd at the helm of Molecular Research LP, a Texas-based genome sequencing company. He’s authored or co-authored more than 130 peer-reviewed journal articles, served as an adjunct professor at Texas Tech, and worked as a microbiologist for the USDA. The latter occupation has him elbow deep in more projects than we can list at Molecular Motors, a West Texas shop specializing in retro-mod work.

The zombie theme came to be because I am a geneticist, and as we know from all the movies it is the geneticists that start the zombie outbreaks. – Scot Dowd

To say that Dowd has a thing for LS power would be an understatement. Among various builds including Cadillacs, Pontiacs, and even an LSX 454-swapped ’68 Mustang, there’s the Black Ops Pro Street Camaro, which spawned the truck shown here as a companion project. “The zombie theme came to be because I am a geneticist, and as we know from all the movies it is the geneticists that start the zombie outbreaks,” Dowd explains. “So building a zombie themed car was one of the early visions. The Pro Street Camaro was a resurrection of a long dead drag car. She had been literally stuck in a field and left for dead. I saw her on eBay looking sad and dejected and I did not waste a second before placing the Buy Now price — a little too much, but she needed a good home. Although I had the zombie theme in mind, this car immediately showed me what she wanted to become. We even left the name [of former driver] Ken Franks stenciled on her doors.”

“The Zombie Killer Truck was originally intended to be the tow vehicle for the Black Ops Camaro on trips to the drag strip,” Dowd continues. “Craigslist surfing one day showed me this ugly pumpkin orange 49 Chevy truck. The price was a bit much but I saw immediately what I wanted. We managed to coax her old straight-six to start and drove her to the shop at 30 MPH jumping left and right with every bump. Then began one of the most extreme transformations. We pulled her apart leaving only the frame.”

The Zombie Killer pickup and its inspiration, the Black Ops Camaro

That frame turned out to be surprisingly straight, but was never intended to handle what Dowd had in store for it. To prepare for what was to come, a full five- by six-foot heavy gauge steel plate was welded in under the cab, the bed area was reinforced with an x-brace made from roll cage tubing (with steel plate reinforcement of the bed for good measure) and ahead of the firewall, the frame was boxed for strength.
“We left a little flex before and after the cabin and aft of the rear axle, but not much,” says Dowd. “You can put a jack under one corner and pick up two wheels at once, the chassis is so stiff.” That strength is completely appropriate; in place of the original wheezy inline six there’s now an LSX376-B8 short-block with an LSA keyed crank, topped by an LSA supercharger that’s been ported and overdriven to deliver 12 pounds of boost. A pair of CNC-ported heads from Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center and a custom COMP Cams bumpstick round out the hardware, delivering what Dowd describes as “750-ish” horsepower.

Motivation for the ’49 Chevy comes from an LSX 376-B8 topped by a hot rodded LSA blower.

The rest of the drivetrain consists of a 4L85E automatic with a 3,500 RPM stall converter, with the 12-bolt from a ’68 Firebird holding up the rear, suspended by a Heidts four-link. The truck wears Mickey Thompson radials on the street, and Hoosier slicks for the dragstrip. Up front, the old hot rodder’s standby — a Mustang II independent suspension — keeps things rolling.

Dowd says the build went down in just a month and a half (when you take paint and body work out of the equation by rattle canning the whole thing flat black, you can save a lot of time) but it wasn’t without the occasional hitch. “I took the truck out on one of her first drives, getting her out on the highway, actually heading to get her aligned for the first time, and I heard a couple loud noises,” Dowd recalls.
“Like a rock thown up into the fender well too hard. Everything seems stable, but I pulled off the highway onto the access road. The truck had a slight shudder as I slowed down so I pulled into a parking lot and checked the steering and under the hood, I even checked the wheels. Not noticing anything I pulled back out onto the access road, and as I was only one exit away from the shop where I was getting her aligned I cruised along. The shuddering got a little worse and I heard another “rock” hit the fender. I pulled into another parking lot got out and then noticed only one lug was left on the front passenger wheel! The truck had held onto her wheel and gotten me to a safe spot before the last lug came off in my hand. The studs had literally sheared in half. Needless to say all of our lugs are now ARP, and I gave the old girl an extra can of Torco for keeping me safe.”

Three Of A Kind
While all three of our featured trucks have wildly different specs and “life stories,” they’re all fantastic examples of what creativity and passion can create, based around the reliable, affordable, powerful LS. We’ve only scratched the surface here — each could fill an entire feature article by itself. We hope that we’ve inspired you to consider a project of your own, whether it’s a budget build, track toy, or wild one-off. Whatever you do, take lots of pictures, so that we can tell your LS truck story, too.

The Comfort Of A Cadillac Meets The Mudding Ability Of A Blazer

2015-11-06T09:15:00.000-08:00

When it comes to off-roading, relative comfort almost always takes a backseat to capability. Who concerns themselves with leather seats and sunroofs when the primary objective of the day is crawling up a rock-laden trail and back down again? The inherent discomfort of bouncing around offsets any notion of luxury right off the bat.
J
ust don’t tell that to the seller of today’s Craigslist find, a Cadillac Eldorado perched on a 1985 Chevy Blazer K5 frame. This jacked-up pride-and-joy rides on a six-inch lift kit and 38-inch Super Swampers, giving this soon-to-be-classic Cadillac more road clearance than any Eldorado to come before or after.
The plush leather interior remains is remarkably good condition, and a 350 V8 fitted with a “¾ cam”, headers, and a four-barrel carburetor indicate an abundance of oomph under the hood. While it’s not going to win any beauty pageants or drag races, the seller says it’s just as capable in the mud as it is on the sand dunes. What a sight it must be to watch a big Cadillac plowing through mud bogs.

The asking price for this luxury behemoth? Just $7,000, more than fair for a mudder unlike any udder. Without the petulant Northstar V8 to worry about, this Cadillac is bound to be more reliable than its factory stock cousins, though the seller doesn’t detail whether or not all the luxury features (like power seats) still work. Still, this is a one-of-a-kind mudder that turns a redneck past time into a classy affair.
It’s a merger of two different kinds of car enthusiasts into a single vehicle, and the result is mud-caked opulence.

Craigslist Find: A Custom 1977 Ford Bronco The Definition of SUV

2015-11-05T09:13:00.000-08:00

In the 1960s and 1970s SUVs were not the safe, quiet, front-wheel drive, four door minivans they are today. Back then they lived up to their names as sport utility vehicles.

They were not designed to be practical commuter cars, they were designed to be off-road hobby vehicles. They were designed to be taken on an adventures and pushed to their limits braving the mud, trails, and desert.
This 1977 Ford Bronco we discovered on Craigslist in Rancho Cucamonga, California. This Bronco exemplifies all the elements of a true SUV. Its open air so you can feel the heat and the wind of the desert.
No TV’s, bluetooth or heated seats found in this interior. Instead, two bucket seats, a bench, a simple yellow roll cage and diamond plate on the doors to add a rugged touch. This is a vehicle you physically hop in, turn the key and slam the throttle.

TVs? Heated seats? bluetooth? No just the sweet sound of a 302.

To navigate through the sand and rough terrain the Bronco utilizes a custom suspension with custom coils and Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks on all four corners. Traction is provided by a set of 35 inch Goodyear Wranglers. A Dana 20 twin stick transfer case controls the four-wheel-drive and ARB lockers are present on both the front and rear axles.

The Bronco has received custom front and rear black bumpers. The front bumper has a towing capability to pull out your stuck buddies. Instead of a quite four banger, the power plant of this Bronco is the Ford 5.0-liter 302. It may not seem like much, but is nothing a few top end bolt-ons can’t fix.
This 1977 Ford Bronco is from an era were trucks and SUVs were you worked just as hard as you played. A complete 180 to the soccer mom SUVs of today.

Peugeot 2008 DKR Dakar Racer New And Improved For 2016

2015-11-04T09:11:00.000-08:00

In about three months time, professional racers and teams from across the globe will descend upon the western coast of South America for the annual running of the Dakar Rally. While it’s now half a world away from its namesake city, the Dakar Rally remains amongst the planet’s most hardcore endurance competitions. Two-thirds of competitors regularly don’t finish the trek that last year covered about 5,600 miles of harsh, and often uninhabited terrain.

Among the teams returning to Dakar is Peugeot Sport with its 2008 DKR racer. Bigger and badder than ever before, the French automaker sought to make improvements to every aspect of the car that debuted just last year.
The 2008 DKR is now lower, wider, and longer than before, with a more aerodynamically effective carbon fiber body that includes new hood and roof-mounted air scoops, as well as reducing front and rear overhangs to increase ground clearance. Under the skin is a completely revised suspension setup with better weight balance and a better ability to handle the wide-ranging terrain that Dakar forces racers to endure. The 2008 DKR is also using sturdy-and-light magnesium one-piece wheels for the first time.

The 3.0 liter turbodiesel has been worked over as well, resulting in increased output of up to 350 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque. More importantly, drivability is said to have been improved, which is even more important than extra power when you’ve got to wrestle a racing machine over icy roads and scorching sand dunes for hundreds of miles at a time.
The new 2008 DKR just got its first overall win at the China Silk Road Rally with driver Stephane Peterhansel at the helm, a feat Peugeot hopes to repeat at Dakar in January. How do you think this vehicle will handle Dakar? Tell us in the comments below!

Event Alert: Jiffy-Tite To Attend Off Road Expo

2015-11-03T09:08:00.000-08:00

It’s home to such venues as the L.A. County Fair, various conventions, and live music acts, but we off-roaders love it the best when autumn rolls around. We’re of course talking about the Fairplex in Pomona, which will soon play host to the Lucas Oil Off Road Expo, kicking off October 3-4.

From the parking lot to the south end of Building 4, the event gets packed to the brim with Jeeps, trucks, prerunners, LOORRS racers and more in the biggest expo show in North America. Our experience at the Expo has always been one that’s both educational and fun, and we got to see some very cool tech on display too.
One company that’s making its way to the expo is Jiffy-tite, whose quick disconnect hose fittings have made a difference toward Carl Renezeder’s success in short-course racing, as well as finding popularity in off-road builds. Speaking to us was Jiffy-tite’s Duane LaFleur, who helped us understand what the Expo means to the company, as well as what to expect the event.

Jiffy-tite’s sponsorship of Carl Renezeder has played a pivotal role in the team’s short-course racing efforts.

“We are very excited to be attending this year’s Off-Road Expo,” said LaFleur. “This is a newer market for us, and over the past couple years we have been growing our presence, and it appears as though the off road enthusiasts have liked what they have seen. We hope they are looking forward to our bigger and better booth this year.”
“Jiffy-tite will be showing its full line of Quick Disconnect valved fluid fittings along with its new Pro Compact series,” LaFleur continued. “Our Pro Compact Series is a perfect fit in all areas that a standard AN size fitting would go, but the difference comes from them not having valves in them. This line gives you all of the features and benefits of our quick connect line – no stripping, cross threading, over tightening. As we like to call it, it is ‘plumbing simplified.'”

Jiffy-tite’s quick disconnect fittings are great for applications that need quick servicing with reliable durability.

Theirs will be a booth to watch out for as the show pulls into town next weekend. In the meantime, we highly recommend you head over to Jiffy-tite’s website and Facebook page to learn more about their innovative products.

Mercedes-Benz To Consider Entering US Midsize Truck Market

2015-11-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

We are not talking about Mercedes-Benz merely slapping a bed on the G-Wagon, this new venture would be a ground up build that is expected set the auto industry on its head. In March of this year Daimler revealed they have plans to release a new midsize pickup line from a premium manufacturer before 2020.
Mercedes-Benz vans division has been the leader in the new commercial van segment of the market and they are ready to take on the task of creating a luxury midsize pickup. At the New York International Auto Show Stephen Cannon, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA said “It is something we are going to look at. We’re going to evaluate and see if it makes sense for the U.S. market. This is the largest pickup market in the world.”

Gas prices are lower than in recent years, and now many Americans have options for luxury pickups getting similar MPG to their sedan counterparts. This classification of pickup trucks did not exist just a few years ago. We can agree that the US midsize pickup segment is transforming.
Busy lives with corporate jobs and weekend hobbies tended to require two separate vehicles. Step back just 20 years ago with Mercedes-Benz’s introduction of the M-class SUV which offered the sporty feel of a car yet had ample storage space. Ditch the hatchback for a tailgate and you might just be on to something. Daimler is set on creating a pickup line, but we will have to wait until presumably next summer to hear the decision they reach.

Imagine having the power and handling of a Mercedes-Benz car, yet having to ability for haul an estimated metric ton in the bed. Granted the local Joe the Plumber probably wont be in the targeted demographic, but the business executive needing a bigger trunk for their golf clubs may find this truck to be the best vehicle for his needs. Take the style and comfort from the coupes and sedans Mercedes-Benz is known for and add that to the utility and versatility of a truck bed and, voila, a segment shattering pickup is born.

A Glass Truck That Does Not Break

2015-11-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

Desert racing takes place in the most punishing terrain imaginable. Tires are basically disposable. Shocks get so hot they cook. Engines, transmissions, and suspension components are stressed to the limit.
Legendary racer Parnelli Jones aptly described the SCORE, Baja 1000 as an all-day plane crash. Every racer knows, in order to beat the competition, you have to survive the environment first. The plan is always to win or at least, stand on the podium. Regardless of where you place, nobody wants to DNF (did not finish).

When it comes to finishing races, there is a class 8 truck that stands apart from all others. It’s the FORD F-150 of Macrae Glass. Photo: Mikes Race Photo.

When it comes to finishing races, there is a Class 8 truck that stands apart from all others. It’s the Ford F-150 of Macrae Glass. The truck not only finishes, it wins races and championships. Before the unlimited Trophy Trucks come onto the scene, Class 8’s were the biggest, fastest, and baddest trucks in the desert.
Huge shocks, big tires and considerable horsepower were all staples in Class 8. The only limiting factor they had was the mandated factory frame rails and suspension pivot points. Class 8 trucks paved the way for the high-horsepower unlimited race vehicles we have today.
Many of the Class 8 trucks that dominated during their heyday have reached iconic status today, and those who drove them are some of the sports’ most accomplished drivers.
In order to tell the whole story of the Glass truck, we have to start at the beginning.

Curt LeDuc was racing short course with Skyjacker suspension as a main sponsor. He distinguished himself on the track in his Pro-4 and in a Trophy Truck in the desert.

Back in 2005, Curt LeDuc was racing short course with Skyjacker suspension as a main sponsor. LeDuc had distinguished himself on the track and in the desert as well. His racing career began in the northeast in 1975. He eventually came out west to do battle with Walker Evans, Rod Hall, and the other top racers of the day at Riverside Raceway and the Mint 400.
LeDuc became as successful in the desert as he was on the track. While racing the Don-A-Vee Jeep Cherokee Trophy Truck, LeDuc won the 1995 Score Baja 500, 1997 Score Parker 400, 1997 Score San Felipe 250, 1997 Score Primm 300, and the 1997 BITD Vegas to Reno. He also won the 1997 SCORE Trophy Truck points championship.
Due to LeDuc’s success, Skyjacker wanted to race a Trophy Truck, but the marketing tie-in would be limited to signage on the truck.
LeDuc suggested they race a Class 8, F-150 instead. Class 8 is a production-based truck class and Skyjacker had kits available for the FORD F-150; it was the perfect promotional vehicle for Skyjacker.

LeDuc’s other sponsors, B.F. Goodrich, Ford Trucks, Reider Racing Enterprises, Mastercraft Safety, Autometer, KC HiLites, Signpros, JE Pistons, and Justice Brothers were on-board too.
“I had built many trucks for other racers, this truck was for me,” said LeDuc, “I learned what it takes to survive in the desert. The truck might be heavier than some, but it can take more abuse. The truck was successful right out of the box, winning the first race we entered. My sons Todd and Kyle learned about racing in that truck. They learned how to prepare, to design and make repairs when things went sideways.”

They rolled the truck at the Parker 425 in 2005, but were able to finish the race. Here Curt LeDuc is driving with Todd LeDuc in the co-driver’s seat.

“That first race we were going along when the truck started to run bad; it was getting slower and slower,” LeDuc continued,
“We stopped at a spot that overlooked a big valley. We could see anyone coming from miles away. We pulled the carb apart and blew it out. We could not believe it but nobody came. We put it back together and went on to the win.”

LeDuc went on to log back-to-back perfect seasons in the truck, winning every race he entered. In the Best in the Desert series (BITD), they qualify for starting positions. LeDuc would often qualify ahead of the “faster” cars and trucks causing drivers to complain that he would hold them up.
He assured everyone if they caught him, he would let them go by. He kept his word and let them by, only to pass them when they broke down or spent time in the pits for repairs.
At one race, LeDuc came close to taking the overall win in the truck; he finished in second. LeDuc went on to win six class 8 championships and a second place in the BITD Trick Truck class.

During the five years that LeDuc raced the truck in the BITD series, he finished every single mile of every race.
The SCORE series has a milestone award sponsored by Toyota that rewards drivers for finishing every mile during the SCORE season. BITD does not have such an award but BITD owner Casey Folks was so impressed with LeDuc’s accomplishment he awarded him with a commemorative plaque to acknowledge the feat.
The truck has also spawned a pair of young champions, Curt’s sons Todd and Kyle. Todd is a Monster Truck Champion. He won a freestyle championship in 2014 and was crowned the 2015 racing champion.

During the five years that LeDuc raced the truck in the BITD series, he finished every single mile of every race.

Kyle has a TORC series world championship and two Pro-4 championships in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. He is currently leading the Pro-4 championship standings in the Lucas Oil Series. Interestingly, when Kyle won his first Pro-4 championship in 2012, Brother Todd finished right behind in second place.

Best in the Desert owner Casey Folks was so impressed with LeDuc’s accomplishment, he awarded him with a commemorative plaque to acknowledge the feat.

Despite LeDuc’s success, he came to the conclusion that it was time for the truck to go to a new owner. He had someone in mind, someone who was already familiar with the truck, Macrae Glass.
Macrae had spent years racing stock minis. He built his own truck in his garage and had great success winning 2 championships. He sold that truck to fund his then new practice. Dr Glass is a Chiropractor.
“By 1992 I was sick of racing,” said Dr. Glass, “I sold my truck to establish my Chiropractic practice. I knew Curt because I bought a Ford Bronco prerunner that he built.”
“By 2007, I was interested in getting back into racing but I wanted to go faster this time. I was going prerunning with Curt, and I offered to help in the pits. My crew from the stock mini days was still intact so they came along too. Eventually I was asked to co-drive. We won two championships in a row together.”
According to LeDuc, he knew Macrae would be the new owner one day. He could see it in his eyes when he rode in the truck. When it was time to sell, LeDuc sold it to Macrae for less than it was probably worth, but he knew Macrae would take good care of it, and continue to add to the truck’s amazing list of achievements.

After prerunning and helping pit, Glass was asked if he wanted to co-drive with LeDuc.

“I learned a lot racing with Curt,” says Macrae, “I used to ask Curt tons of questions. One time we were prerunning in Baja and stopped at Rice and Beans for dinner. He told me I was out of questions, so stop asking.”
“I called the waiter over and told him to bring me the bill for dinner. When we went to leave, the waiter told Curt that I had picked up the tab. Curt asked me did you pick up the tab? I said no, I bought everyone’s questions.”
“When I eventually bought the truck from Curt, part of the deal was unlimited technical support. Curt has always stuck with that part of our deal. When I call him, he calls me back right away and has always shared his ideas about how to make the truck better.”
“This truck is very refined. We’ve done things like adding tabbed nuts in hard to reach places and designed the seats to come out easy to service the upper links on the rear suspension. I tear the truck completely down after the race in my garage. What used to take days, I can do in hours, but I still spend a ton of hours in the shop.”

“When I sit in it, the smell, the feel of the steering wheel in my hands, it’s just like the first time. This truck is also very fast. It’s like, how fast do you want to go?”, said Glass

“Another important thing is that we wear stuff out. We don’t just throw new parts at the truck, that would drive me nuts. Knowing how long each part will last without breaking is crucial to winning, and finishing races. I guess I have kind of a special bond with this truck.
“My first truck was awesome; this truck is twice as awesome. When I sit in it, the smell, the feel of the steering wheel in my hands, it’s just like the first time. This truck is also very fast. It’s like, how fast do you want to go?”

Glass considers himself lucky to have won so many races, and had such a good time racing with friends and family.

“I’m lucky to have great sponsors. KC Hilites was one of my first and is still on the truck today. Michael DeHaas, the owner of KC Hilites, once rode with me at the Terribles Town 250; we won that race.”
“Brett King at King Shocks has always helped us out too. When I asked for his help he said How can I say no?” Both King Shocks and KC Hilites have been with me since the beginning and help out whenever they can.”

KC Hilites lighting the way for Macrae Glass at the BITD Parker 425 in 2011.

“We’ve been lucky, won a lot of races and had a lot of fun.” After purchasing the truck from LeDuc, Macrae continued the amazing finishing streak. From 2009 to 2012, he also finished every mile of every race. The truck had finished every race without a DNF, for a mind-blowing nine years in a row. As unbelievable as the streak was, it had to come to an end sometime.

Glass said his kids help out in the shop and go to the races but they are more interested in racing their dirt bikes. We pack everything up and go to the bike races as a family now.

In 2013, they broke a left rear spindle on the truck. They welded it up in the pits and went on towards another finish but it broke again. This time, they were in a remote area with no pit support. The most incredible streak ever was over, but did not end their winning ways. In 2014, they won the first four races in a row, and finished the last two in second place.
Their results earned them yet another Class 8 championship. “I have boxes full of trophies,” says Macrae, “We have won the Parker 425 six times. In 2008, 2009, and 2010, we had perfect seasons. We didn’t just finish every race, we won every race.”
“My kids help out in the shop, and go to the races, but they are more interested in racing their dirt bikes.”
“We pack everything up and go to the bike races as a family now. I am more interested in supporting my kids with their racing. I want to do what the kids want to do and it’s becoming a lot of work in the shop. We have won in the truck so many times. After a while it’s just not as thrilling,” stated Glass.
Off Road Xtreme has learned that Macrae Glass will be taking a break from racing in 2016. There are other Class 8 trucks racing, but they have a lot of work to do to come close to the accomplishments Curt LeDuc and Macrae Glass have achieved.

GSU Building UTV To Race Baja 1000

2015-10-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Off-road racing has been around for decades, and with all the evolution of technology in the sport it is hard to be unique and new. Georgia Southern University (GSU) has found a way to stand out amongst the off-road crowd with the true test coming later this year at the Baja 1000.
GSU is the first college team to build a UTV, and race the Baja 1000. The Eagle Motorsports team is heading in to uncharted waters not just in the sport, but for the University as well. We sat down with Kara Dees, co-captain of the GSU SCORE International Racing Team to find out more about the program and the build.

Off Road Xtreme: How did the Eagle Motorsports program get started?
Kara Dees: “Eagle Motorsports is an organization at Georgia Southern University which enables students to bring their engineering skills acquired from various classes to fruition. As a program that began in the late 1980’s, we were one of the first universities to join the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). SAE is a program which facilitates collegiate racing by building Formula (On-road) and Baja (Off-road) vehicles. For both Baja and Formula, there are certain specifications required to be met in order to partake. Our Baja team is a top 10 Baja team and our Formula team is a top 20 Formula team.”
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We are no strangers to hard work and competing with excellence at a collegiate level. As of October last year, Eagle Motorsports decided to take part in the Baja 1000 race. Baja 1000 is a large-scale race that exists on a level that hasn’t been raced before from a collegiate team coming from competing against other colleges to racing alongside professionals. It was clear that there is no way to better test ourselves than to take part in such a prestigious race- debatably the second largest race in the world behind the Dakar Rally.
ORX: Who is a part of the program? All students?

KD: “Our racing team is a diverse group of talented engineers that have the desire for applied learning and achieving great success. All Georgia Southern students with an interest in automotive engineering are encouraged to take part of Eagle Motorsports – regardless of how much experience they have. Eagle Motorsports accepts applicants twice per school year. All students of Georgia Southern University are welcome to apply. Each year, Eagle Motorsports accepts 60 prospective members to go through a new member process.”
“This six week intensive process involves both bi-weekly educational lectures that are taught by Senior Eagle Motorsports members and three ‘shop hours’ each week to provide new members a safe environment to explore various aspects of engineering. By being in the shop on a regular basis, students have the ability to learn from those around them and become more proficient with advanced engineering skills.”

ORX: What is the goal of the program?
KD: “The goal of the program is to get students as familiar with applicable engineering skills from classroom knowledge, which can be used to further knowledge once they are entered into the work force. The program keeps the material interesting so that each student hungers for more knowledge. The program is comprehensive from applied learning to professional presentation in order to best equip our engineers for future careers.”

ORX: Why did the team select a UTV to race in the Baja 1000?
KD: “That’s actually a funny story, our team decided to choose a UTV to race in the Baja 1000 mainly because when we began our journey back in August 2014, we had the idea to use an old Baja SAE chassis to compete in the UTV class. This clearly shows how little we knew about what we were getting ourselves into in the beginning. When we realized that the SAE chassis would not be sufficient, we began searching for other options in that same class due to familiarity with the rules and regulations from previous research. Our knowledge of the vehicle and race has grown exponentially since then.”
ORX: What does the team hope to achieve by heading to Baja?
KD: “To share our goals. It is important to share the overarching goal of Eagle Motorsports. Eagle Motorsports is an elite organization, consisting of three teams, which meets and exceeds a set standard of excellence year-round. Our mission is to achieve this through providing the environment for Georgia Southern engineers to develop applicable skills from classroom knowledge.”

ORX: Does the team have racing experience? Off-road experience?
KD: “We have several members who have been racing since their youth. In fact, many of our team members grew up working with vehicles. Our team is very diverse and has members who are at all different points of experience throughout the spectrum. Granted, since none have been able to take part in such a prestigious race, it’s a great motivator for all of our team members taking on this great challenge to put in every bit of effort to be successful.”
Stay tuned as we continue to check in the the Eagle Motorsports team as they prepare for the adventure of a lifetime racing in this years Baja 1000. We also look forward to catching up with them down in Baja later this year and meeting this extraordinary group of students.