2006 Dodge Mega Cab Flat Out Front Left Angle

Flat Out - 2006 Dodge Mega Cab

This ’06 Dodge gets worked hard but looks great doing it

From the December, 2011 issue of 8-Lug

Author: Ron Fresquez

Photography: Bob Carpenter

When Jay Martinez decides to build a truck, he doesn’t just throw a set of wheels and tires on a lifted pickup. No, Jay likes to go all out. During the week, he runs Jay’s Auto Body in the Northern California town of Fowler (www.jaysautobodyfowler.com), but on weekends you’ll usually find him out at the sand dunes.

This is no pretty show truck, as Jay uses it to tow his 40-foot Raptor toy hauler filled with Quads, a T-Rex, broken trucks, and more. He uses this truck every day during the week as his daily driver and shop truck. What better way to make a run for parts than in something like this ’06 Dodge Mega Cab?

The Fabrication Unlimited prerunner-style front bumper really sets the tone for the design scheme, and the F-U low-profile prerunner roll pan in the back just furthers the Baja image.

With a truck like this, suspension is critical. It has to look good, but it has to work under extreme conditions, too. Jay knew what he wanted and included a custom coilover setup courtesy of The Choppin’ Block Kustom Fab in Fresno. This setup raised the truck up about 9 inches and used Fox coilover shocks. With all that new room under the fenders, Jay took the opportunity to fill it up with 22-inch Fuel Hostage wheels and 35-inch Toyo Open Country tires.

The 5.9L Cummins was modified with an AFE air intake and a MagnaFlow exhaust. Both Smarty and Bully Dog were used for programming. The tranny was outfitted with a triple-disc billet converter and Alto clutches, so the truck can now stand up to the abuse that gets dished out in the sand dunes and while trailering.

We’re seeing more and more prerunner-style trucks popping up on the eight-lug landscape. This is one fine example of a style that seems to be growing.