BETTER WITH AGE
with ball bearing center sections. Despite the head being significantly ported and benefitting from a free-flowing ZZ Custom Fabrication intake manifold, Johnny can peg the 100-psi boost gauge on the A-pillar when the compounds are operating at full steam ahead.
Five-star Transmission
Leaving nothing to chance, Johnny sprang for the baddest 47RE ATS Diesel could put together. It makes use of a five-star torque converter, Raybestos race frictions and clutches, billet input, intermediate, and output shafts, a 48Re-derived six-pinion steel overdrive planetary, billet accumulator piston, a billet second gear servo, and a highpressure valve body. Converter lockup is user-adjustable and can be commanded on-the-fly thanks to an ATS Co-pilot.
Muscle Over Flash
As the owner of Fusion Bumpers in Payette, Idaho, Johnny is no stranger to building big, lifted trucks for the annual SEMA Show in Vegas, as well as other automotive gatherings. However, unlike most of those projects, he’s chosen to leave his second-gen keepsake lower to the ground, fitted it with 35-inch tires on 20x10 wheels, and placed more of an emphasis on making horsepower than on exterior cosmetics or suspension. The no-frills finished product allows him to, in essence, flex the muscles of his company by rocking the rollers at a dyno event, or by simply popping the hood at a show ‘n’ shine. In an age where show queens seem to be making a comeback, it’s nice to know that diesel enthusiasts like Johnny are willing to invest in horsepower over bling.