Some folks just think of their rides as transportation and year after year, blindly get into a stock car or truck for the commute to work. They own one vehicle at a time, maybe two, and are happy with the factory option, wanting little more. Others are true enthusiasts who own several vehicles in a lifetime, are always looking for the best way to upgrade and update their vehicles, and think nothing of replacing upgrades as soon as a better one comes along.
Ray Thacker has one cool truck that looks great coming or going and is quick on the track, too. Of course, the extra power means better fuel economy—when Ryan can keep his foot off the throttle. The paint is a combination of candy root beer brown and candy red, with some black pearl and silver birch metallic. Of course, the windows are all limo tint.
Ryan Thacker, of San Pedro, California, is one of the tinkerers—a kindred spirit to most of you reading this. In his 36 years, he’s owned a lot of cars and trucks; this is his 46th vehicle to date.
Here you can see the S&B cold air intake and one of the two Red-Top Optima batteries.
Ryan began tinkering with diesel-powered trucks in 2005, with a 2004.5 Dodge Cummins-powered 4×4. He found that they offered something he liked: power and the ability to make even more power. Better still, this power translates into the ability to go fast. And the one thing Ryan loves is to go fast. As a kid, he was introduced to drag racing by his grandfather and has had the “need for speed” ever since.
Under the back you’ll find a PPE high-capacity diff cover and a set of Rancho RS9000XL adjustable shocks. These can be tweaked for the track and then reset for the street.
Jason’s latest Diesel truck is a 2007 Silverado 2500HD. Recently, he upgraded the motor—again. This time the LBZ engine was taken to PPE, where it was bored to .030 over, resulting in a 409cid displacement. Carrillo rods and Manley lightweight pistons where used on the build. The heads were upgraded to a set of So Cal Stage 2, CNC ported units with titanium retainers. The intake was updated with a PPE Y-bridge, and a Bullseye S472 Billet turbo helps pump out the horses. Estimated power now is 604 hp and 1,109 lb/ft of torque.
The hood sports a flaming skull graphic that is air brushed and hand painted—just like this truck, the graphics are one of a kind.
Programming is handled by an EFI Live Tune unit, and some custom tuning was done, too. PPE up-pipes and manifolds pull the spend diesel exhaust into 5-inch exhaust system with MBPR crossover pipe and muffler. On the transmission side, the Allison six-speed auto has been fitted with an ML billet converter, and Inglewood transmission has converted the valve body into a manual unit and added a shift kit.
This cool Chevy truck rides on 285x50R20 Toyo Proxes S/T tires that are mounted on BMF Novakane wheels. These tires excel at wet and dry traction on the pavement and are perfect for this diesel-powered street truck. The BMF wheels are a lug-specific design, so this eight-lug wheel sports eight spokes.
On the suspension side, the rear overload springs have been removed, the D.J.M. drop shackles installed, and some Rancho RS9000XL adjustable shocks added. Up front, a set of Bilstein 5100 shocks were swapped in as the only upgrade. The brakes on all four corners have been updated with ceramic pads and slotted rotors from NAPA. Also, the two stock batteries have been replaced with a pair of Optima Red Tops.
A view of the side graphic—actually, the side view of the wraparound graphic. Amazingly, this and the hood are all hand painted and air brushed by EK Autoworx.
The interior is mostly stock, and the factory leather seats are quite comfortable. A Kenwood stereo replaces the factory head unit and drives a set of Alpine speakers.
The LBZ engine has been massaged and upgraded by PPE. These modifications include boring the block 30-over for a 409ci displacement; a keyed crank and Carrillo rods; Manley lightweight race pistons; So Cal Stage 2 CNC heads and more.
In the looks department, a custom paint job was done by EK Autoworx, in Gardena, California. They used a mixture of candy root beer brown and candy red, with some black pearl and silver birch metallic, to make this truck stand out. The hand-painted graphics wrap all the way around the truck, and a wild, flaming skull graphic is airbrushed on the hood. Topping off the looks and adding handling is a set of 285x50R20 Toyo Proxes S/T tires mounted on BMF Novakane wheels.
On the dash, Ryan has added an Edge Insight CS Monitor. This little unit features a 2.4-inch, high-resolution color display and allows the user to view, monitor and set alerts for any of the engine, transmission and drivetrain parameters tracked by the ECM. It’s really nice for keeping track of 0-60 and ¼-mile times. To date, the truck’s best track time has been 12.53 with the stock engine at 109 mph. We can’t wait to see the numbers with the new engine this truck now sports—seen here for the first time.
When Ryan is not commuting to work, his truck is usually at the track. In between, Ryan spends time on this Silverado build with friends and co-conspirators Mike, Dale, Tom and Joe, who are constantly working to make this truck even faster.
The rear bumper has been replaced with a roll pan for improved looks and less wind drag on the track and street. The graphics wrap all the way around the truck for a custom look.
By Trent Riddle
Photography: Jason Mulligan