Scarlet Fever .... 2007 Dodge 3500 Mega-Cab you see gracing the page below. It doesn't matter that the truck is big enough that a family of four could comfortably live in the truck. What matters is that it can get that family of four from point A to point B very, very quickly. And if point A and point B are a 1/4 mile or less apart...it will do it in under 12 seconds.
Ty Maitland, the owner of this Laramie edition Mega cab got a bit carried away one night at the track with a little too much foot in the peddle...and turned the 6 cylinder diesel into a 5 cylinder diesel with a melted slug. This opened up the opportunity to build the truck how he planned. It was just sooner than later.
In late 2006, the truck was sent to Scheid Diesel in Indiana were they could sprinkle a little of their magic powder on the truck. After extensive machine work, custom Cummins pistons, rods and oversize valve seats were installed for durability. A F1 Helix II cam was installed with the crank being balanced and polished. To make sure everything stayed in place, A1 14mm head & main studs went in and the block was fire ringed just for good measure. From there, Ty took over the built and is a constant work in progress. Hamilton HD push rods and springs are used to ensure that everything works in sync. Dual PPE CP3's along with the AirDog II ensures the 5.9L gets all the fuel it wants. The fuel system is also fitted with a MK-II filter from Glacier Diesel. In 2009, 2 - new Borg Warner turbos fitted with High Tech Turbo's stainless steel housings and hardware were installed. T&C Diesel supplied a custom rail which the Extrude Hone injectors use to fuel to the cooled air. High Tech Turbo's exhaust manifolds went in after a trip to be Jet Hotted to keep the air moving and a Grand Rock set of 6" stacks show everybody the final product.
At 8300lbs with 1450 foot pounds of torque, a transmission was needed that is built to take the torture. Jeff Garmon of Garmon Diesel Performance was called upon to do the build. Garmon built Ty a full competition billet proof trans with some custom “ Thee Jeff Garmon” components. An ATS billet flex plate rounds out the package. 3yrs laters and over 300 1/4 mile passes... the Garmon built transmission is still holding it's own !
If you are going to have a truck that runs this hot...you have to have looks to match. All exterior badging was removed for that smooth look. Since the view from on top is always better, a 6" Superlift was used to gain altitude, with triple SS Bilsteins up front...and dual Bilsteins in the rear. To achieve the proper stance, 20" Helo wheels were wrapped with 37" ProComp tires. Powder coated Thuren steering linkage and a Dodge Steering Stabilizer makes sure the truck goes where it’s pointed. The truck rear was wrapped with a FabFours bumper. On the front, a SRT-10 hood with a custom made insert to match the E&G classics grill. Line-X was sprayed into the bed to protect it's loads and 5% tint on all the windows keeps the gawkers from peeking inside.
Inside the truck, a custom installation was done into his center console with a TCI Outlaw shifter and a TQ lock switch into the dash. Isspro and Dipricol gauges help keep an eye on the engine, while an Escort 8500 keeps an eye out for the po po when the foot gets a bit heavy. The trucks electronics have some assistance with a Smarty programmer stacked with a TS Performance MP-8 module to help get the most out of the engine.
Looking ahead...there are many plan for this truck and another we have as time and funds permit. As a member of the NADM every effort will be put towards attending as many events as possible to run ET bracket and Quick Diesel classes.
