Just when you thought you’d seen it all, we bring you even more eye candy from the 2017 Scheid Diesel Extravaganza. From classic repowers to wild daily drivers and one-purpose competition rigs, this is truly the best of the rest from this year’s affair.
But this installment isn’t all about brute power and earth-rotating torque. There were some true show trucks present in Terre Haute the weekend of August 25–27 — and we’ll bring you up close and personal with the one that took home the First Place trophy. Also front-and-center under the Show-N-Shine pavilion were dozens of trucks, both old and new, sporting 24- and 26-inch rolling stock.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the remaining A-listers from this year’s biggest diesel event. And don’t forget to tune in for our final Extravaganza installment, where we highlight the hottest products on display at the show.
1. SHOW-STOPPING RAM
Neither words nor photos can do Brandon Davis’ Ram justice — but we’ll do our best! For more than four and a half years, Brandon pieced together his work of art in precise, metered steps. The ¾-ton Ram has just 20,000 original miles on the odometer and still wears the factory paint (aside from the components that’ve been paint matched). Livening up the Cummins is a set of 200-percent over injectors, a 10 mm (stroker) CP3, AirDog II-4G fuel system, and a Fleece Performance Engineering S468 turbo bolted to a Steed Speed exhaust manifold.
Best-in-Show
As far as the suspension is concerned, nothing on Brandon’s Ram is off-the-shelf. A Baja-style custom four-link suspension exists up front with a three-link in the rear. Four dual-rate King coil overs provide superb ride quality and Carli Suspension ball joints combined with a Shifted Industries hydraulic assist steering system keep the front end tight (even with 38-inch mud terrains in the mix). A polished, 5-inch Jamo Performance Exhaust system allows the S468 to expel exhaust in a hurry and a full billet 68RFE M3GA Competition transmission from Sun Coast harnesses the power produced by the 6.7L Cummins. Not surprisingly, Brandon’s show-stopping Ram handily won the votes required to declare it best-in-show during Friday afternoon’s Show-N-Shine competition.
2. 1,200+ HP MEGA CAB
Our unique-meter was definitely going berserk when we came across this truck. And even though Daniel Hartman’s immaculate, 50,000-mile, 5.9L Cummins-powered ’06 Dodge Ram 2500 was graced with compound turbos, triple CP3s and a stuffed Tickle Me Elmo, that wasn’t what got our attention.
Reflection of Perfection
When what’s under your hood needs to be seen twice…you add a mirror. Thanks to friend (and owner of Mirror Edge) Travis Siferd, a piece of plexiglass with a silver backing was crafted into an underhood-mounted mirror. The trick reflective surface is attached via Velcro and — in our opinion — is the ultimate way to show off the truck’s incredible engine bay. As expected, the mirror (and the truck) attracted countless onlookers throughout the weekend.
3. SIDEWALL IS OVERRATED
We can remember a time when 20-inch wheels were the price of admission in the diesel segment, but now 24 and even 26-inch rims are creeping into the mainstream. While a lot of folks call it a fad, others now call it the norm. No matter the case, there was no denying that the big wheel craze was front-and-center at this year’s Scheid Diesel Extravaganza. Huge wheels, stretched tires and wheel spacers could all be found on countless rides. The old body style Ford Power Stroke pictured above exemplifies the latest cosmetic craze, with a set of 24x14 AKA SS8 polished aluminum American Force wheels, stretched 37-inch tread and a pair of wheel spacers installed on both ends of the front axle to provide enough clearance.
4. ’59 CHEVY APACHE
While diesel swapping a C10 and newer Chevy is becoming more and more common these days, finding an oil burner under the hood of an Apache is still a rarity. This 4x4 NAPCO fleetside short bed version was the recipient of Cummins power, a completely new drive line, electrical and paint — all in an eight-month window.
K.I.S.S. (12-Valve Cummins + ZF-5 Transmission)
Under the hood, things are simple. A non-intercooled, 12-valve 5.9L Cummins — plucked from a ’97 model year Ram — appears right at home and a custom adaptor plate allows for the use of a five-speed ZF-5 transmission. A divorced transfer case transmits power to the front and rear axles.
5. MASTERSTROKE: P-PUMP'D 7.3L
Even though it wasn’t “technically” part of the Show-N-Shine competition, it could’ve (should’ve?) been! Meet Unlimited Diesel Performance’s P-pumped 7.3L Power Stroke. The mechanically injected 7.3L V8 powers the company’s ’81 Ford, which competes in the Limited Pro Stock pulling class. The intake alone is a work of art, not to mention the inline eight-cylinder injection pump that consumes the lifter valley, the billet front cover and even the one-off, recast cylinder heads.
6. HEADLIGHT DELETE
Never let trivial things such as headlights get in the way of your fun! After weighing the benefits of utilizing the passenger side headlight vs. running an air filter on the lowest-positioned turbocharger in the engine’s triple-turbo arrangement, Garrett Fort opted for the ladder. The decision paid off in the form of his ’09 F-350 clearing 1,020 hp while aboard the Dan’s Diesel Performance chassis dyno that was on hand at the show.
BorgWarner Triplets
A trio of BorgWarner turbochargers (the third being located below the passenger side unit that’s visible in the image above) help fill every last square inch of real estate available under the hood of Garrett’s late-model Super Duty. Without a doubt, his 6.4L was one of the wilder, street-driven Power Strokes at this year’s Scheid Diesel Extravaganza.
(Photos: Mike McGlothlin, Tim Sutton)