History of the Race Truck – Part 1 THE FIRST BUILD

By Shawn McCann

Quick Specs:
Custom Built Tube Chassis Truck
Selectable 4×4 Powertrain
2.3L Ford OHC Engine
4-Speed Manual Transmission
Weight: 1,500 lbs
Built in 1997

This truck started life as a 20ft length of 2×2 square tubing, and some chrome-moly tubing, it became a hand built tube frame chassis constructed by Robert and Shawn McCann

The front driveline was a twin traction beam Dana 28 differential and stock height Ford Ranger springs with twin shock absorbers. The rear driveline was a custom triangulated 4-link with a 7.5 inch axle from a 1979 Ford Fairmont wagon using Fairmont springs and twin shocks. The rear differential had the spider gears welded for durability and full-time locking.

The powerplant was a Ford Lima 2.3L with 12.8:1 compression domed pistons, ported mustang D-port cylinder head with 1.90″ intake valves and 1.60″ exhaust valves. A Ford Motorsport midget race camshaft with solid lifters and midget race valve springs completed the valvetrain. The intake was a modified and ported aluminum Ford Mustang 2-barrel manifold, supplied by a 2-barrel Autolite carburetor from a 390ci V8. Ignition was simply Ford Duraspark with a MSD blaster coil. A custom built 1 5/8″ primary Tri-Y style header and open collector completed the exhaust. Shifts were made at 9,500 rpm in each gear

Transmission was a stock Ranger Toyo-Koyjo TK4 4-speed mated to a stock Borg-Warner 1350 Chain Driven Transfer case with 2.48:1 Low Range ratio. During racing the truck was run in Low Range 4×4 which gave excellent torque multiplication and acceleration with the smaller displacement engine. The clutch was a stock Ranger unit with a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe pressure plate.

Model :Toyo Kogyo 4 speed Manual
1st 3.96
2nd 2.08
3rd 1.39
4th 1.00

Max Speed in Gear*:
1st: 24 MPH (39 km/h)
2nd: 46 MPH (74 km/h)
3rd: 69 MPH (110 km/h)
4th: 96 MPH (153 km/h)

*Based on 9,500 rpm shifts, Transmission Ratio X T-Case Ratio (2.48) X Final Drive (3.45) X Tire Size (29”)

Safety features included fiberglass one piece race seats with 5 point harnesses, fire extinguisher mounted between seats, and the entire chrome-moly rollcage as a safety cell.

Cut down Bronco II panels were used to cover the chassis during races.

The truck competed in three Nova Scotia races between 1997 and 2000 and finished in the Top 3 for its class in each event. One week after the final race in 2000, the motor broke a connecting rod during a test and tune session when it got over revved. The block had been cracked, a piston got destroyed, and the head and some of the valves were damaged by the piston. The truck did not run again until 2009 when it had been relocated to Alberta and got rebuilt for Tough Truck competition running Kal-Tire livery.