We saw a link to this video posted over at YellowBullet and thought that the BS world would want to get a look at one of the weirdest and wildest dragsters we have laid eyes on in a good, long time. The traditional rear engine dragster looks to be about the length of a “normal” alcohol dragster and the only indication something weird is afoot comes when the crew fires it up and the sound plus the smoke lets all of us know that this ain’t no normal piece.
In place of a typical gasoline or alky burning V8 sits a huge International DT466 diesel engine which has been bored and stroked out to 540ci. This is an engine normally found in delivery trucks and stuff of that ilk. You know, the truck that the water delivery guy, lumber yard flat bed driver, or other such jockey steers all day. There are a few versions of the thing but as far as we know, most of them are around 200-300hp MAX. They are designed to run forever and provide yeoman service.
If we were guessing, this engine came from a pulling tractor of some sort and was plunked into the dragster. The headline of the video claims that it makes some 3,000hp which may be accurate, but the elapsed time numbers from this pass don’t add up to 3,000hp. That being said, the crew and driver may just be shaking the car down and jaw dropping numbers may be just around the bend. The stock engine, dry, tips the scales at nearly 1500lbs so with all the fluids and turbo rigging on it, it has to be pushing 1600-1700lbs. Add in the chassis and you have a dragster that is a heavyweight…when considering what other dragsters weight that is.
We dig it because it is weird and awesome. We’re hoping more video comes out of the car running and with ever quicker elapsed times on the score board.
Press play and check this thing out!
