Over the Top

This Chevy Show Truck is a 700-HP Sleeper
When it comes to spinning some tires, a show truck isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind. After owning more than 15 different cars and trucks over the past decade, Nick Mofford of Draper, Utah, wanted something different. He’s a guy who’s into all kinds of motorsports through his company, 80Eighty. However, he still needed a truck, so a ’16 Chevrolet 2500 soon found its way into his driveway. Mofford had known he wanted a diesel. But he didn’t want just any truck, so he put himself to work and started to modify his Chevy to stand out in a crowd.

Game Plan

When developing a game plan for his new ride, Mofford decided that he wanted his truck to be bigger, faster, and wilder than the average show truck—which meant modifying the vehicle in virtually every area. He started with the factory frame, which was powdercoated Illusion Purple to match the rest of the build. The suspension is fully custom and features a wild 12 inches of lift thanks to some Kelderman air springs and Fox Racing 2.0 reservoir shocks. Mofford also took the opportunity to add some steel braided brake lines, along with powdercoated front and rear axles with Mag-Hytec differential covers. The wheel and tire package is where he went a little crazy: A set of 42-inch tires from Fury Offroad take full advantage of the lift. They’re mounted on monstrous 28-inch American Force wheels.

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The 6.6L Duramax engine in Nick Mofford’s Chevy is just as clean as the rest of the truck. Its estimated 700 horsepower is just as impressive as its cleanliness, because the engine has received a host of upgrades to nearly double the factory output.
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A performance intake system is one of the first steps for any performance enthusiast, and upgrading the factory system was a no-brainer. The aftermarket piece from SDP uses a large conical filter to gulp incoming air, rather than just sip it.
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Even if the truck is brought to a beautiful landscape, it’s still the center of attention.
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One of the keys to the Duramax engine’s elevated horsepower figure is its upgraded turbocharger—a new-generation 69mm SX-E from BorgWarner. Combined with an upgraded fuel system and tuning from Starlite Diesel, the engine has all the efficient airflow it needs.

Power-Adders

Even with a truck that drove higher up than most in Utah’s thin air, Mofford didn’t stop there. He wanted his truck to be “go” as well as “show,” so next up was a full engine and transmission build.

The 6.6L Duramax powerplant still retains its stock longblock, but the turbocharging and fueling system have both received upgrades. The factory injectors were replaced with a set of 100% over units from Exergy Engineering, along with a 12mm CP3 pump. The lift pump has also been ungraded with a 150-gph piece from FASS Fuel Systems.

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The wheel/tire package is one of the first things we noticed about this Chevy. Mofford bypassed the usual sizes and went all the way up to 28 inches via American Force Alta wheels, which support a set of 42×15.50R28 Fury Country Hunter M/T tires.
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We were surprised to see an independent front suspension, with 12 inches of lift, still underneath the truck. A lift kit from Cognito Motorsports made it happen, along with a set of Fox Racing shocks. Before it was installed, the entire front suspension was powdercoated Illusion Purple.
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The truck proudly displays all the companies that aided in the creation of this beast.
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The rear suspension on the Chevy uses the same color and shocks as the front setup, but a set of Keldermann airbags was also added to give the truck a smooth ride and a lift/lower capability for towing.
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All the truck’s equipment helps prepare for whatever may present itself on and off the roads.
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The entire rear undercarriage of the truck has also been given the Illusion Purple treatment, including the train horns, rear axle and Mag-Hytec rear differential cover.
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Some western roads can be dangerous from poor lighting, but this LED bar will illuminate any road Mofford decides to travel on.
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The body was also given its fair share of modifications. A new front grille emblazoned with Mofford’s company logo (80Eighty) was added, along with twin light bars and tow hooks that were mounted in the BodyGuard bumper.

Sources

American Force Wheels
888.981.1344
Americanforcewheels.com

BodyGuard Bumpers
903.785.8939
Bodyguardbumpers.com

BorgWarner Turbo
Turbo.borgwarner.com

Cognito Motorsports
866.426.4648
Cognitomotorsports.com

Exergy Engineering
616.977.3766
Exergyengineering.com

FASS Diesel Fuel Systems
636.433.5410
Fassride.com

Fox Racing
619.768.1800
Ridefox.com

Fury Off-Road Tires
855.575.3879
Furytires.com

Kelderman Suspension
641.673.5396
Kelderman.com

Mag-Hytec
818.786.8325
Mag-hytec.com

Screamin’ Diesel Performance
360.417.9000
Sdptwins.com

Starlite Diesel
435.578.1230
Starlitediesel.com

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