Weekend Recap 12.18.17

Truck of the Week

Multi-Winner Week

Diesel Emergency Vehicles

As California is battling a number of wildfires (one of them being the 3rd largest ever) and the East Coast is getting mired in snow, our nod to the truck of the week has to go to diesel-motivated emergency vehicles. All across the country everything from regular pickups that are specially outfitted, to rear-steer articulating firetrucks are helping us out of a jam, or saving our homes, or plowing a roadway. Our hats go off to the men and women who drive them; in many cases we quite literally couldn’t make it without you!

Photo Credit: San Luis Obispo Fire Department

 
Highlights

Tiny Turbo

Turbocharge Anything!

We just bought a Go Kart (hey, why not, right?) and multiple people have already suggested we throw a turbo diesel into it. After all, you can turbocharge just about anything right? Well, if this tiny turbo is any indication, yes you can. We ran across this little guy that’s used on 70mpg diesel smart cars and just had to share it. The turbo is designed to give 660cc engines a moderate amount of boost from idle on up. Sounds good to us! We’ll take two.

The Same, but Shorter

NHRDA Goes 1/8 Mile

When diesel trucks were in the 12s and 11s, people didn’t think too much about serious safety, as 120 mph would be about the fastest they’d be travelling (which still seems fast to us!) Now that diesel drag racing has hit the big time however, there are a number of 4,500-6,000 pound trucks in the 160-170 mph range in the quarter mile. These insane speeds have prompted the NHRDA to report that they will be switching to eighth-mile racing for the heavyweight Super Street and Pro Street classes next year. Although these trucks are already loaded with safety equipment, the 660-foot course will ensure speeds stay sane.

 

News

Diesel Thefts in the News

(Almost) Free Fuel

With fuel prices on the rise, it should come to the surprise of nobody that there have been a couple of high profile theft cases in the news lately. We’re not talking about a couple gallons here either, we’re talking more than 1,000 gallons in each case. The first instance was in Shreveport, LA, and the suspect Raymond Bailey was apprehended. The second instance occurred in Calhoun County, SC, but this time there are two suspects that are still at large. Our take? Just pay for it, it’s not worth the jail time.

Photo Credit: Shreveport PD

Mercedes Throws in the Towel (Maybe)

Another Norther American Emissions Causality?

The rumor mill is running around that Mercedes might be the latest company to just bypass America all together when it comes to selling its diesel models. While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, it looks like problems with B20 fuel along with less than stellar sales could be the cause. Or they might just be gearing up for 2019!

 
Parts Rack

Crazy Cummins Power

6.7L Swap Kits on the Rise

One of the more popular items we’ve seen on trucks lately has been the “Second Gen Swap Kit” that is available for 6.7L Cummins engines. These kits make room to fit an earlier style turbo and manifold to the later trucks, and horsepower potential is crazy–600 to 1,000 horsepower is an every day occurrence. Kits are available from Fleece Performance, Industrial Injection, Stainless Diesel, and more.