This 1,200-HP 1949 Ford Truck Pushes 100-Plus PSI of Boost
That’s a lot.
While we spend all of our time looking at crazy drift builds and Hellcat-powered everything, the diesel world is sitting quietly in the corner, waiting to get credit for the insanity that lies within the world of combustion ignition. It's a common sight to see trucks with over 1,000 lb. ft. of torque, and it's puzzling to me how they don't get more recognition. But when something like this comes along that nearly doubles the output of other heavily tuned pickups, you can consider us intrigued.
Enter Old Smokey F1, a build that was fundamentally redesigned by Chuckles Garage in Santa Rosa, California. The owner, Scott Birdsall, wanted to have his $225 Craigslist find turned into something much, much more, and that's exactly what the shop crew did.
The truck now rides on a full tube chassis that is as purposeful as it is intricate, and it provides the stability you'd need for a truck with, get this, over 2,000 lb. ft. of torque and 1,233 horsepower. That's more power than a Formula One car ... in a two-door Ford.
This output is produced from Old Smokey's 5.9L Cummins, an engine that's habitually used for high power applications. A sequential turbo setup allows for 106 pounds of boost, and when paired with a 375 HP shot of nitrous, all these extras make the truck howl and whistle more than a freight train in the South.
Birdsall's truck was unveiled at the SEMA show earlier in the year, and now, it's been brought to the Hoonigan garage for a bit of tomfoolery. When have you seen a truck as cool as this?
Our answer is "never".