The Best Technical Articles of 2007 - Cream of the Crop
Snugtop Fuel Economy Test
There has been a debate whether installing a tonneau cover will help save gas, and with the help of SnugTop, we figured it out. We took a truck from each of the Big Three, Chevy, Ford, and Dodge, to California Speedway, and set the cruise control at 45 mph for 100 laps. Before starting lap 101, the trucks were brought in the pits, had tonneau covers installed, the tanks were topped off, and the mileage calculated. Then, they were sent out for another 100 laps at 45 mph. When it was all said and done, the Chevy gained 0.5 mpg, the Dodge gained 1.3 mpg, and Ford somehow pulled in a lap early and wasn't counted. We found out a few things this day: One, doing 200 laps at 45 mph is pretty boring; two, a tonneau will pay for itself if you give it enough time; and three, Ford drivers finish prematurely. OK, that last one is just a joke.SnugTop(562) 432-5454www.snugtop.com | 
What Issue:April 2007 | 
Where You Saw It:Page 64 | 
Hemi Power From Tti
When you are talking bolt-on performance parts, an increase of 20 lb-ft of torque is pretty good. Once in a while, the sun will shine on a dog's butt and something amazing happens, a modification blows our minds. That is exactly what happened with the guys from Tube Technologies Incorporated (TTI). These guys swapped out the complete factory exhaust system on an '06 Dodge Ram with a 5.7L Hemi for a set of pipes they built. Once TTI had its kit on the truck, the dyno told the results: a 42.9 lb-ft of torque gain. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.Tube Technologies Inc.(951) 371-4878www.ttiexhaust.com | 
What Issue:May 2007 | 
Where You Saw It:Page 82 | 
What Has the Staff Been Up To?
Mike's '67 C10
Mike Finnegan has been wrenching away on his '67 Chevrolet C10 all year. You might remember the truck from our Best Project Trucks story in January. This is not your father's C10; Mike has handbuilt a complete stock-floor body-dropped chassis that lays rocker on 22-inch Boyds. The rails house a bunch of cool stuff, like an independent rear suspension setup from an '03 Expedition and a custom-fabricated front suspension with rack-and-pinion steering. Driving this beast is a crate LS2 V-8 that cranks out 479 hp, thanks to the Demon carb and UMI Racing ignition. The truck is out at Scott's Hot Rods, having the bed relined with sheetmetal. Look for body and paint to be completed next year with the interior to follow. What will it look like? You will just have to wait, like the rest of us, to see what Mike decides to do. | 
Kevin's '00 S-10
Kevin, aka El Tejano, debuted his Second-Gen S-10 in a story about Devious Customs' Drag Proof Fuel Cell. Because of the 'bagged suspension and El Tejano's need to drag, his stock tank took a beating and sprung a leak. Then, he drove out to Ekstensive Metalworks to have the crew replace all of the air line with copper tubing and cut up the front to lay over 20s, while keeping the A/C. That got him low and safe, so he moved on to the paint. Kustom Werx and Pat Maxwell from Houston helped El Tejano out by laying down a bitchen retro paintjob. Kevin still needs to remove the Mexican blanket that is now his "custom upholstery" and do some professional stuff inside, so look for that in 2008. | 
Galen's '07 Colorado
So far, the only thing you have seen from Galen's Colorado build is the rendering. The truck is on jackstands as we speak, receiving a corner-carving suspension. Besides that, plans include a two-tone paintjob, reminiscent of Smokey Yunick's cars from back in the day, and a pretty healthy audio system. |
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