2021 – Top 20 Diesel Trucks of the Year

Our favorite Diesel World Magazine featured rides 
of the past year

Wrapping up the year we thought we’d share with you what vehicles you all seem to enjoy the most. So we collected traffic numbers off our website, DieselWorldMag.com, and these are your top 20 features posted this year. No we’re not going to tell you who did better than who, although we will share the overall winner (and we saved it for last). One quick note about said winner, the number of views this ride’s post saw was a blow-out at over three times the views that its closest competitor saw. Enjoy!

Raptor Hunter

2018 Ford F350 – Sintor

Sinister Diesel’s show truck turned into a new business as this is now a production build that anyone with deep enough pockets can buy. The Sintor starts off this best of compilation as one of the biggest (if not the biggest) street legal pick-up truck we’ve seen yet. This truck debuted all the way back at The SEMA Show in 2018. It has been evolving ever since and made another big appearance at The SEMA Show 2019. The Sintor the truck was built to the highest design and quality standards possible. It also meant that it didn’t just have to have unique clean looks, but also had to work well on the road, towing, and off-road as well. Mods include (but are definitely not limited to) F450 axles with lockers and custom steering; ADD Bumpers; Sintor custom fiberglass body panels all around; custom suspension utilizing King Shocks and more; a whole slew of Sinister Diesel performance parts under the hood; 46-inch Michelin Tires.

Great White

A Fourth-Gen Megacab Ram Cummins Packing a 48RE, an S475, and 1,000 HP

We first met Paul Szczypta back in 2017-ish, at the Scheid Diesel Extravaganza. Paul immediately fired up his then-stick-shift Ram and proceeded to do one of the biggest burnouts we’d seen in a long time. We knew he was good people, and his truck was equally as nice. No, it’s not just another Cali-lean Cummins on ‘Forces. Paul Szczypta’s ’12 Mega Cab runs as good as it looks thanks to a 48RE swap, state-of-art fueling, an S475, and spot-on tuning. It’s a truck that makes a dyno-proven 1,013 hp and is a hell of a lot of fun on the street.

What GM Should Have Built

John Eilermann’s Duramax Powered 1972 Chevrolet Suburban

Before building this beast, Owner, John Eilermann was looking to build a Jeep for off road use. We’re lucky he was persuaded and chose this 1972 Suburban as a platform. Everywhere you look on this build it’s done right. Interior isn’t too flashy, it’s just perfectly redone and updated to be used. Body work is flawless as is the undercarriage and custom suspension. Following suite the Duramax under the hood looks like it was always designed to be there.

8-Wheeled Wonder

The Sixth Time’s a Charm for this Talented Builder.

If it’s true that the more you do something, the better you get at it, then Miami’s José Lugo’s skill in creating imaginative rat rods might be approaching perfection. Lugo’s wild, 8-wheeled build consists mainly of a custom build chassis, a 4BT Cummins, 700R4, and a 1947 Willys body. Everywhere you look is custom. 1917 Cadillac headlights, military gas fill nozzle as a shifter, farm tractor seats, the list goes on and on. While the 4BT defiantly caught our eye, the biggest attention grabber has to be the wild 8-wheel setup wrapped in motorcycle tire.

Aftermath

Adam Foltz’ 5.90 Index Second-Gen

Once a daily driver, and even a truck the local Duramax’s and 6.0L’s used to pick on, Adam ditched the VP44, the original frame, suspension, and interior long ago. Trust us, no one is laughing now. Adam’s P-pumped 24-valve second-gen is one of the fastest mechanical Cummins in the country. From its overbuilt, 6.7L-based Cummins to its exceptionally light chassis, and its top-notch fabrication to its clean-burning, single turbo over nitrous arrangement, Adam is looking to make the P-pump relevant again.

A Family Heirloom Is Reborn…

Cummins-Powered ’51 Chevrolet

You see them all the time, especially during planting and harvest season. The service trucks that show up in the field to keep equipment running are the backbone of any farming operation. When he didn’t like the prices he was seeing while shopping for the family farm’s new service truck, Chris Ohl decided to take matters into his own hands. Using his great grandpa’s ’51 Chevrolet 3800 for the cab, a chassis from a Second Gen along with it’s p-pumped Cummins (to be rebuilt by Scheid Diesel), and tons more, Ohl ended up with a truck that works on the daily, and will for years to come.

Possessed

The Road Was Long, But This 1,000HP LML Was Meant To Be

Cory Jarriel definatley had his share of ups and downs getting this LML Duramax to where it is here. First, the truck fell off his two-post lift. Then, after considerable body work, came the electrical fire under the hood, followed by a factory connecting rod vacating the block. Then, once the new engine was in, the supposedly-built Allison sidelined the truck in less than 4,000 miles. Throughout each setback, Cory—who has personally undergone two major surgeries—kept his head-up and ultimately persevered. His reward? A show-ready (and reliable) ’13 Silverado 2500 HD packing four-digit horsepower and more than 2,100 lb-ft of twist.

The Contender

An Owner-Built 1,500hp Ram Takes Aim at UCC

Kenny Bruner’s ‘06 Dodge Ram is unquestionably over-the-top. From the bright paint and tilt front end to the big-horsepower engine and partial tube chassis, Kenny built his truck with one purpose in mind: to compete in the Ultimate Callout Challenge. “I really liked the idea of building a UCC truck,” says Kenny. “In addition to those types of events, I can still do dyno events, and when I can’t sled pull I can drag race. When I can’t drag race, I can pull. You can just use the vehicle for so many things,” Kenny continued. Well we can say for certainty, this truck, and Kenny, are serious competitors not to be messed with.

Looks, Sounds, And Runs Like A Deere

John Deere-Powered ’52 Dodge Packing Compound Turbos 
And An Allison Transmission

If you’ve yet to hear the name Plowboy Diesel, do yourself a favor and Google “Twin Cummins Dodge.” This small, farm-based operation is known for building one-off vehicles that combine wow-factor with fine craftmanship—and their dual 5.9L Cummins ’70 Dodge Sweptline creation brought them instant fame. More recently, Jody Mollet and the rest of the Plowboy Diesel team set their sights on another project: a gen-set engine’d ’52 Dodge B-series pickup that’s as impeccable as it is unique. True to what we’ve come to expect from the Plowboy camp.

Short and Sweet

Neal Nissen’s Cummins-Powered 2008 Dodge 
Ram 1500

Neal Nissen, the owner of Injected Diesel Performance in Mountain View, MO, is always on the lookout for good project trucks. After purchasing this 2008 Dodge Ram 1500 standard cab short bed for only $1,400 with a blown 4.7L V8 gas engine he decided to transform it into a Cummins powered daily driver. Using a running and driving 2006 Dodge Ram 3500 as the donor truck he and friends stuffed the drivetrain into the 1500 and had it running and driving in just five days with the stock Cummins engine and 48RE automatic transmission. But it didn’t end there. Before too long the truck saw another slew of mods and became the 1199 horsepower beast you see here.

The Cummins Ranger

Johnny Montesino’s Sub-5 Second Cummins 
Powered Ranger

Johnny Montesino’s 2008 Ford Ranger drag truck started its life as a humble pool service truck. Then it was purchased for only $100 and transformed into the amazing race machine that you see here. The gasser engine and suspect Ford transmission have been replaced by a Cummins diesel and TH400 transmission while the chassis has been cut, tweaked, and caged to make the truck both strong and safe for flying down the 1/8-mile drag strip in less than 5-seconds to compete in the Pro Street class.

The Krush

Pleasant Cook’s Towering, Daily Driven LML

When you grow up around show trucks, you just might be into them as an adult. Meet Pleasant Cook, the truck-building, UTV-racing, social media phenom you probably know best as 4×4 Barbie. She’s only 22 years young, yet has already been behind some of the most recognizable SEMA builds in the industry. From a white and pink Chevy named Karma, to a sky-high Platinum F-250 coined Ruthless, to her other Blue Oval Beauty, “Kandy,” Pleasant has been busy on the truck show scene the last few years. But believe it or not, this ‘15 Silverado 2500 HD is one of the O.G.’s in her collection, and it’s been to SEMA on more than one occasion. Referred to as “Krush,” it boasts 9-inches of Kelderman air-ride out back, 26-inch ‘Forces all the way around, a one-of-a-kind wrap, and solid list of performance upgrades. On top of that, it’s one of the most functional and versatile show pieces you’ll come across.

The Game Changer

DHD’s Record-Setting Duramax

Many will immediately recognize the charred front clip on this ’06 Silverado and remember when it went up in flames at Ultimate Callout Challenge 2019. But in 2021 it became known for something even bigger: being the quickest 4×4 Duramax on the globe. To be clear, the Dirty Hooker Diesel (DHD) Chevrolet known as “Last Minute Hooker” is still a U.C.C. truck, but this year it entered the shark tank that is the Outlaw Diesel Super Series’ Pro Street class to go head-to-head with some of the fastest trucks in the world. Heck, it’s a truck that may have even broken into the 4’s by the time you read this.

Beast Mode

A 12-Valve ’49 Power Wagon on 39’s

What happens when you treat the baddest 1-ton 4×4 of all time to a 12-valve Cummins swap, Dana 60 and 14-bolt axles, and completely modernize the cab? You get this one-of-a-kind ’49 Dodge Power Wagon owned by Carl Van Rooy. Turning to friend, fabricator, and off-road specialist John Conrad of J.B.’s 4×4, the project took root, got underway, and was ready for delivery 13 months later. In Conrad’s care, he and his crew made the war-born Power Wagon much more than the tractor it essentially was when it left Chrysler’s Warren, Michigan assembly line some 70 years ago.

1,5ooHP—Hidden In Plain Sight

Josh Ewing’s Rowdy, Single Turbo, 48RE-Swapped ’05 Dodge

Life turned out very differently for this ’05 Dodge Ram 3500 than its original owner probably assumed it would. It still has very low miles on the odometer given its age, but the bright red four-door sports a 6.7L Cummins now, has been 48RE-swapped, and makes five times the horsepower it did when it left the factory. After bringing his spotless, bone-stock, 89,000-mile third-gen home from California five years ago, Josh Ewing quickly made the truck his own. Josh’s nasty, full weight third-gen has gone 6.31 at 113 mph in the eighth-mile on a 1.5-second 60-foot. According to the horsepower calculator, his 6,900-pound race weight means nearly 1,500 hp is making it to the wheels. Ready to compete with some of the fastest trucks in the nation.

One Piece at a Time

Robbie Watson spent two years collecting parts to fabricate his personal best

Robbie Watson owns his own wrecker service in Branchland, WV and has been an automotive enthusiast from his earliest memories. At the tender age of 16, he began his own first build, a 1955 Chevy Bel Air and, over the years, multiple vehicles have graced the family garage. The one you are looking at right now however, may be the most elaborate yet. It’s a blend of an F-100, F-350, and lots more, reminiscent of the old Johnny Cash song, One Piece at a Time.

Cummins Killer

From Homegrown, Pro Stock Duramax To 
Triple-Turbo, Mechanical Monster

It’s been on the scene since 2008, in one form or another. From Pro Stock to Super Stock, a big single turbo to compounds and then triples, and common-rail to mechanical injection, the name Cummins Killer is one of the most recognized names in competitive truck pulling. If you’ve been to a national-caliber event in the Midwest over the past decade, chances are you’ve seen it in action.

Lucky

Charlie Fish’s 2005 6.0L Drag Truck

From daily driver to race winner. Believe it or not, KC Turbos Owner, Charlie Fish’s ’05 6.0L used to be his daily driver…and a long bed…and two-wheel drive! After being kicked off the drag strip for going too fast without a roll bar, the wheels started turning, one thing slowly led to another, and eventually a full-blown short-bed race truck was born. Today, Charlie is no stranger to competition, having squeezed 1,536-rwhp and 2,405 lb-ft out of the truck at the 2019 UCC Qualifier, along with making plenty of passes in the low 6’s and now in the 5’s. Charlie hasn’t been afraid to travel either as Lucky can be seen at events all over the country on a fairly regular basis.

Dinosaurs Aren’t Extinct

Brian Jelich’s Trailblazing, 5.90 Index-Racing 7.3L Power Stroke

With all the recent common-rail dominance in diesel drag racing, the 7.3L Power Stroke may seem like an endangered species these days—but not in Brian Jelich’s world. He’s campaigning a 7.3L-powered, 2000 model year F-350 in the action-packed 5.90 Index class. Even better yet, the 444 ci V-8 under the hood is still HEUI-fired, controlled by the factory PCM and IDM. As a longtime drag racer and lifelong 7.3L die-hard, Brian has been one of the lead pioneers in 7.3L performance, and has actively been pushing the oil-fired platform forward for more than 15 years now. This is his his regular cab Super Duty, the world’s fastest 4×4 7.3L Power Stroke.

The Baddest Hummer On The Planet 

Steve Ortner’s Cummins-Swapped, 1,500HP H1

Like we said at the start of the article, there can be only one winner and this H1 is hands down it. More of you interacted with this article on DieselWorldMag.com than any other truck feature over the last calendar year. Owner, Steve Ortner is a great guy to meet and talk to. Say hi if you see him at a show sometime. Steve has built one of the baddest vehicles we’ve seen for a long time. Walking up to his H1, it just screams mean. The menacing Hummer sports a 12-valve Cummins with a 6.7L block, a 14mm P-pump, big compounds, and makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,500 hp. The 36-inch paddles say it’s a regular at the dunes, too. Trust us, this Hummer is king of the sandbox. As Steve says, “It’s the John Wayne of trucks.” We couldn’t agree more.