As some know, I just got my SD about 3-4 months ago. It was 100% stock and in great shape when I got it. Tragedy struck 3 weeks ago during an ice storm. I stopped to help flag traffic around a 6 car pile up on the interstate. Had my truck parked on the shoulder and a guy was driving too fast and ran his new Dmax into my parked truck. I stood about 200ft away and watched it happen. His truck was totalled, mine was still drivable, and everyone was OK, so what better excuse to modify a few things?

So let's get on with it.

A quick outline of the agenda.

While its in the body shop, it's getting debadged, door ding strips and 4x4 decals deleted, '08 tailgate, '08 rear bumper, Cervinis cowl hood, '03 headlights/signals, and a new windshield. I'll probably get some clear clearance lights when I get it back. I haven't decided how it's going to look with all clear lights yet, so I'm holding off until I see it with the '03 lights on it.

Once I get it back I have a stack of speed parts to throw at it. This build will be for daily driving and towing my OBS to races and sled pulls. Power goals are around 450hp or so.
The basic setup will be:
- Rosewood 160/100s
- Strictly Diesel full fuel system w/ bowl delete
- T500 HPOP
- S364.5 FMW turbo
- Valair organic dual disc clutch
- Riffraff plenums
- Tony Wildman live tunes
- A few ISSPRO gauges
- traction bars

A few pics to start things off. Here's what the truck looked like when I bought it.


And here's where it was at a couple days before the wreck.


And after the wreck




Some body shop pics











And one pic of the first performance pieces to come in the mail.



The fuel system should be here in a couple weeks and then I need to decide who's turbo mount I'll be running and get started on that. I already have the injectors here and the turbo shouldn't be too far out.

 

Looks good. Glad the cab damage wasn't bad. Thats my nightmare. I won't even take mine out of the garage in crappy weather. Good luck with it and don't forget to coat all those new body panels inside for rust protection.

 

Dang Travis. Sucks you got hit, but at least you're started back in the right direction. I hope you either already had done them, or did the in tank mods when the bed was off.

And the SD and OBS are a bit different in the rear spring department. Might want to invest in some air bags for the SD so you don't sag too much when towing.

Let me know when you're coming up for live tuning.

 

I've been considering air bags, but I haven't got into research yet. Will they work with a B&W hitch?

I haven't done the in tank mods yet. I stood there staring at the tank while the bed was off wishing that I had the parts with me to do the mods.. LOL. I'll run it nearly out of fuel and pull the tank after I get the truck back. Oh well. I would have done it the same way had it not got wrecked.

 

You can get airbags that work with a 5th wheel hitch. I know for sure Firestone makes a kit for that.

 

The firestone kit for the airbags goes on the inboard side of the frame. You can put the airlift set on the outside of the frame if you don't mind doing a little cutting, welding and drilling.

 

Sucks to see a nice truck get hit like that.

Looks like it's making good recovery though.

Looking forward to this build. Keep them pics coming.

 

It puts even more faith in the toughness of these trucks that the other driver totalled his new Duramax and this is all the damage you sustained.
Dmax drivers...

You do have a great looking truck. Can't wait to see it with the upgrades. Keep us updated.

 

Sub'd and watching!

 

^^ x2. Now your gonna have all the obs guys watching.lol

 

Looking good bud! I can't wait to see it all painted with the new hood and lights. I thought you were were gonna do the '05-'07 front end on it though? Either way it's gonna look good.

 

Uh oh. The kids are loose in the adult pool!

Looking good Travis, even for a SD.

 

Help. We're being invaded.

 

Just don't pee in the pool Todd! LOL

Your plans sound good and look good Travis!

 

Haven't seen you in the OBS section in a while Chris. Had to come up here to smoke you out!