Marc Gonzales of Tooele, Utah, says he’s always wanted a fast car, but he was forced to defer to a pickup truck to tackle his everyday tasks. Then the brilliant idea hit him: Why not build a fast truck?
So he did. A really fast one. A very nice looking one. And now he’s tooling around in Tooele as a nationally recognized big shot in the fast diesel pickup world. Funny how that works. Marc hasn’t forgotten cars, however, as he says he is now moving on to begin his next project: a Volkswagen GTI with a big-turbo VR6 engine.
Marc and his wife Tanya built the ’07 Dodge 2500, but Marc says if it weren’t for Brad Caires at Black Hawk Diesel, he would be nowhere. “Brad made it possible for me to reach my goals with my truck,” Marc told us. We’re happy to hear about another excellent shop that really takes care of its customers.
The Quad Cab pickup has the 5.9L common-rail Cummins engine with an AFE Stage 2 air intake system and a custom 4-inch exhaust. A silver Industrial Injection Phat Shaft 62/74 turbocharger is combined with Stage 2 injectors from Goff’s Injection. In addition, an 85 percent Dragon Fire injection pump from Industrial Injection makes sure there’s always plenty of fuel. A High Tech Turbo intercooler keeps the incoming air cool. A Smarty SSR programmer squeezes every last drop of power out of the engine. Marc’s estimate is that the truck puts out 620 hp and 1,221 lb-ft of torque.
With all these power-adders, the transmission had to be beefed up, and that duty went to Intermountain Transmission, where a Five Star kit was installed.
The suspension on the pickup is EZ-Ride with the Long-arm kit, which lifts the truck 6 inches. Bilstein shocks help out with the ride quality. Filling the wheelwells is a set of 37-inch Toyo M/T tires and 22-inch KMC XD 795 Hoss wheels.
The Gonzales family uses their Ram truck to haul cars and trucks, a 33-foot toy hauler, their boat, and many other things. So, you see, this family really needed a pickup—but there’s no reason it can’t be fast.
Marc threw a whole lot of...
Marc threw a whole lot of credit to Black Hawk Diesel for helping him get the truck built the way he wanted it.
Amp Research electric steps...
Amp Research electric steps make getting into the 6-inch-lifted truck a snap.
KMC XD 795 Hoss wheels are...
KMC XD 795 Hoss wheels are shod with 37-inch Toyo M/T tires.
Marc Gonzales poses with his...
Marc Gonzales poses with his ’07 Dodge.
Lots of speed parts contribute...
Lots of speed parts contribute to the more than 1,200 lb-ft of torque. There’s an AFE intake, Smarty SSR tuner, Industrial Injection turbo, Goff’s injectors, and a lot more.
Marc and Tanya Gonzales of...
Marc and Tanya Gonzales of Tooele, Utah, wanted a fast truck—and they got it.