pettycash
Detroit 395
This is a build-up thread of sorts for my Clod.
In October of 2005, my parents and I went to our first ever NR/CTPA Worlds event. At that event, I was introduced to the Retro Monster Truck. I was amazed by the detail, and scale appearance of these trucks. About five weeks later, I had a Super Clod Buster sitting in front of me, ready for the journey I'm about to explain here, from AM/PM Rocket Retro to 395 Detroit Sled Dragger Box Stock.
I started with a stock Clod, and soon put all the goodies needed for the Retro class on it, hitch, servo mount, AM/PM Rocket custom airbrushed body, and so on. I ran it only at the 2006 Worlds before I decided racing is just not my thing, I'm going strictly pulling (again).
I then locked the diffs, upgraded to an ESC with 7 cell pack, and got it up to 14 LBS. The truck was not ready to pull until the night before its first big pull, the 2007 County Line Winter Super Pull. In round one, I hit the wall, Dairy Queen. Before round two, Spence gave me a driving tip that would help me rest of the weekend, so in round two, I took the sled out the door. With a full pull already, I passed third, and we went to the pull-off. I stupidly put an old, worn out, weak battery pack in for the pull-off. Because of this, I ran out of juice at about 16-20 feet, and finished about fifth out of six trucks. I then started preparing for the Spring Nationals, in May by fixing the front wheel drive that I lost at an undetermined time that weekend.
With weeks to go before the spring event, I was just starting to get the truck back together. With about three days left, the truck was back together, but the motors would not turn, the truck stayed home.
I have figured out the problem, and have fixed it. With the fixing of the Clod, I will now abandon my T-MAXX pulling class adventure in favor of Project 395 Detroit Sled Dragger.
Why 395 Detroit Sled Dragger? It is so named because of my favorite engine, the 6.5L GM/Detroit turbocharged diesel. The 6.5 started in the late '70's when GM went to their Detroit Diesel Division to design a new diesel engine, that would be much better than the old Olds 350's. They came up with the 6.2L natrually aspirated diesel engine, available in C/K pickups, Suburbans, and Blazers from 1982 until 1993. This engine was not much for power, unlike the modern diesels of today, but a milage vehicle that would go forever on a tank. Many years later, GM redisigned the 6.2 with a slightly larger displacement, 6.5L, or 395 CI. This new engine, available from 1992 until 2000, was available with or without a turbocharger. In 2001, the Isuzu/GM Duramax 6600 6.6L turbo diesel replaced the 6.5, and started GM into the high horsepower diesel world.
My goal is to make a fairly close to scale Clod with a scale model 6.5 under the hood. For this, I think I'll use a 454SS body from Parma, a Dodge Hemi kit from Parma, and an SCollins High-Lift interior kit. The hood will be hinged to reveal the engine, and various styrene sheet, rods, and tubes will be used to replicate the 6.5 as much as possible. I will update this thread as I build the 395 Detroit Sled Dragger.
In October of 2005, my parents and I went to our first ever NR/CTPA Worlds event. At that event, I was introduced to the Retro Monster Truck. I was amazed by the detail, and scale appearance of these trucks. About five weeks later, I had a Super Clod Buster sitting in front of me, ready for the journey I'm about to explain here, from AM/PM Rocket Retro to 395 Detroit Sled Dragger Box Stock.
I started with a stock Clod, and soon put all the goodies needed for the Retro class on it, hitch, servo mount, AM/PM Rocket custom airbrushed body, and so on. I ran it only at the 2006 Worlds before I decided racing is just not my thing, I'm going strictly pulling (again).
I then locked the diffs, upgraded to an ESC with 7 cell pack, and got it up to 14 LBS. The truck was not ready to pull until the night before its first big pull, the 2007 County Line Winter Super Pull. In round one, I hit the wall, Dairy Queen. Before round two, Spence gave me a driving tip that would help me rest of the weekend, so in round two, I took the sled out the door. With a full pull already, I passed third, and we went to the pull-off. I stupidly put an old, worn out, weak battery pack in for the pull-off. Because of this, I ran out of juice at about 16-20 feet, and finished about fifth out of six trucks. I then started preparing for the Spring Nationals, in May by fixing the front wheel drive that I lost at an undetermined time that weekend.
With weeks to go before the spring event, I was just starting to get the truck back together. With about three days left, the truck was back together, but the motors would not turn, the truck stayed home.
I have figured out the problem, and have fixed it. With the fixing of the Clod, I will now abandon my T-MAXX pulling class adventure in favor of Project 395 Detroit Sled Dragger.
Why 395 Detroit Sled Dragger? It is so named because of my favorite engine, the 6.5L GM/Detroit turbocharged diesel. The 6.5 started in the late '70's when GM went to their Detroit Diesel Division to design a new diesel engine, that would be much better than the old Olds 350's. They came up with the 6.2L natrually aspirated diesel engine, available in C/K pickups, Suburbans, and Blazers from 1982 until 1993. This engine was not much for power, unlike the modern diesels of today, but a milage vehicle that would go forever on a tank. Many years later, GM redisigned the 6.2 with a slightly larger displacement, 6.5L, or 395 CI. This new engine, available from 1992 until 2000, was available with or without a turbocharger. In 2001, the Isuzu/GM Duramax 6600 6.6L turbo diesel replaced the 6.5, and started GM into the high horsepower diesel world.
My goal is to make a fairly close to scale Clod with a scale model 6.5 under the hood. For this, I think I'll use a 454SS body from Parma, a Dodge Hemi kit from Parma, and an SCollins High-Lift interior kit. The hood will be hinged to reveal the engine, and various styrene sheet, rods, and tubes will be used to replicate the 6.5 as much as possible. I will update this thread as I build the 395 Detroit Sled Dragger.
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