Every year, the crunch to bring a new vehicle to SEMA has shops working hard. While some labor for months or even years on their vehicles, Classic Trucks Magazine did it in one week. With the help of Fuel Air Spark Technology (FAST) EFI from the COMP Performance Group, project “Week to Wicked” turned a ¾-ton long bed into a lowered, short wheelbase street screamer with 700 HP.
The project was sponsored by CPP, who supplied the suspension components. They also threw in one of their “long to short” frame kits that includes everything to easily and safely take 20 inches out of the frame. With a shortage of, er… short beds, this is a great option.
The CPP suspension uses their big disc brakes in conjunction with their HydraStop power brake assist kit. The suspension kit also includes front-to-back “slider” engine mounts that make engine swapping a little easier and a transmission crossmember that bolts into the factory holes. They used it to secure the 4L80E from Performance Automatic.
Brothers Trucks is a major player in the truck game and supplied the bed, exterior trim and full interior kit that includes a dash pad. They also supplied a ‘67-’72 Blazer center console that is flanked by two ProCar bucket seats by Scat. Dakota Digital gauges fill the dash, and an Eddie Motorsports steering wheel caps the CPP steering column above the Lokar pedals.
All four corners are held up by one-piece billet Rally wheels. The timeless Chevy design was modernized into 18×8 and 18×9 sizes by American Legend Wheels and wrapped in Falken rubber.
With the truck sitting better inside and out, only a proper engine would do. For this the folks at MAST Motorsports built a 427ci LS7 that cranks out 700 HP and is cooled by a Frostbite radiator. In addition to the cool billet hood hinges and taillights, Eddie Motorsports supplied one of their S-Drive pulley systems.
Making big horsepower means getting air and fuel in and efficiently burned, and that’s where the COMP Performance Group was there to help. Topping the LS is a new FAST LSXrt manifold top with an LS3 base and mid-length HP runners. It’s fed with a 102mm Big Mouth throttle body from FAST and a universal filter kit from AirRaid.
A laptop-tuneable FAST XFI Sportsman ECU seamlessly works as a unit with a FAST EZ LS Ignition Controller; a simple CAN cable controls the ignition and runs the coils. FAST’s 57 lb/hr injectors were used to allow more room for future upgrades if desired. Testing for the FAST LSXrt intake showed horsepower gains of more than 20 HP, with peak power coming in around 6,800 RPM. It offers great mid-to-high rpm power, right where the truck will use it most.
Classic Trucks Magazine Editors Ryan Manson and Jason Scudellari worked long hours with their “Week to Wicked” crew and had the fuel-injected truck together and doing burnouts in five days. It went to SEMA and then drove 1,560 miles to Memphis to prove its road-worthiness and that it’s not just another SEMA show pony.
Check out the photos and poke around http://www.hotrod.com/classic-trucks-magazine/ for their daily video recaps and to see how the truck went together.
