N/A LS Power Takes NASCAR ‘Dale Truck’ to Another Level
A 427 cubic-inch LS V8 kicks out nearly 700 horsepower on pump gas, at least, for now.
YouTuber Cleetus McFarland has been so busy breaking records in his Corvette cart and other people’s Camaros that we almost forgot about his other, incredibly cool project. We’re talking about the “Dale truck,” a NASCAR pickup that he scored and actually drives on the street. This is, of course, thanks to some lax laws in his home state of Florida. But McFarland promised us weeks ago that the truck’s old, tired small block would soon be replaced with something much more sinister. Now, he’s delivered in the form of a built LS engine.
The goals for this truck are of course rather lofty. McFarland wants to get 650 hp out of the naturally-aspirated LS, and the crew at Texas Speed is tasked with making that dream a reality. Judging by the parts list, that seems like an attainable goal, however. The team went with 427 cubic-inches, with a short block very similar to “Leroy,” the Corvette kart.
The engine started life as an aluminum 5.3-liter that’s been bored out and sleeved. Ported and polished LRC heads and a CID intake wrap up what the team is willing to share with us. And even though the LS is running N/A at first, it has been set up for nitrous in case McFarland needs a little more power down the road. You know, just to nudge horsepower over the tidy four figure mark.
The proof, however, is in the pudding. Or the dyno. With pump gas feeding it, the new LS powerplant delivers the goods. On the very first pull, the motor puts out 609 hp. But with the new fuel injection/intake setup, that number immediately jumps up to 653 ponies, and then 679. Pretty darn impressive for an N/A motor on 91 octane, we’d say. And now we can’t wait to see how this thing does once it’s sitting in ol’ Dale!
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