It’s been a very busy year. Traveling extensively to events across the country, meeting deadlines to produce a magazine each month, building a truck, living family life at home, etc. Never a dull moment, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. George Strait may have said it best, “I ain’t here for a long time – I’m here for a good time.”
That being said, Operation 92 has been an ongoing project for the past 6 years or so. It’s my sanity check. I purchased this truck with the intention of having a fun toy that I could drive as I continued to do upgrades. I’ve managed to do most of the heavy lifting (LS swap, turbo install, etc) during the snowy Ohio winters, when the truck would most certainly be dry docked under a cover. Otherwise, this truck gets driven as often as possible. My girlfriend, Joni, adores this truck, and would be perfectly content if we drove it everywhere, every day.
The evolution has taken place on a modest budget. I set out to build everything with nice parts that would stand the test of time. Do I need a $2000 turbo or will the $500 turbo be just fine for my goals? Based on data gathered from the internet, I should be in good shape. Conversely, I stepped up on crucial items that could be detrimental the lifespan of the engine. I didn’t install the biggest fuel injectors I could buy, but I did go with genuine Siemens Deka 80 injectors that are capable of my power goals and provide reliability and peace of mind that cheaper import injectors can’t. I’m speaking from experience here. Aeromotive’s Dual Phantom fuel pump setup pushes plenty of 93 octane fuel for my needs and will even cover me if I decide to step up to E85. The 4” turbo-back 304 stainless straight through exhaust system is probably complete overkill, but it will support any turbo upgrades I may ever get to in the future. On top of that, it sounds absolutely evil.
Vintage Air’s Cast Front Runner accessory drive is a work of art and does everything it’s supposed to. The kit features VA’s made-in-USA cast aluminum water pump housing that eliminates extra brackets. All of the accessories (AC compressor, PS pump, alternator) bolt directly to the housing and create a tidy package. Extremely pleased with everything this setup has to offer.
Elevated Concepts front control arms and rack & pinion conversion have added a new dimension to the driving experience. The tubular control arms narrow the track width 1.5” on each side, and allow me to run 20×10’s up front with zero clearance issues. Steering input with the rack & pinion is like that of a modern car. Zero play, instant response, great feel.
The American Racing Torq Thrust 2’s are a popular choice on OBS trucks because they fit well and the quality and price point can’t be beat. The staggered 20×10/22×11 setup brings a hot rod feel, looks right at home, and the combo fits without any trimming or clearancing.
There are tons of upgrades planned for the future. The boxes full of parts for the rear disc brake conversion continue to sit on the floor in my shop. A refreshed interior has been in the planning phase for 3 years. Boost control via the Holley EFI is needed. The list goes on. We’ll make sure to keep you guys updated as we move along. Give us your feedback on what we should do next! We are always excited to hear what you guys think.
CK Truck Mag • ‘92 Silverado
- 5.3L LS Gen 3 truck block, bored .030 over
- Summit Racing 5.3L steel crankshaft
- Summit Racing Pro LS H-Beam connecting rods with ARP 2000 bolts
- Summit Racing Pro LS forged pistons, ~9.5:1 CR
- Stock 862 cylinder heads
- Smith Brothers bronze trunnion upgrade
- Trick Flow .080” wall chrome moly 5/16” pushrods
- Summit Racing Pro LS Stage 3 cam, 232/242 duration, .600” lift, 113 LSA
- F-body oil pan & pickup
- Melling standard volume/pressure oil pump
- Fahler Speed & Performance cast stainless
steel turbo manifold - OEM truck driver side exhaust manifold
- Custom 304 stainless 2-1/4” exhaust crossover
- VS Racing Gen 2 billet 7875 .96AR turbo
- VS Racing 50mm BOV and 50mm wastegate
- 4” 304 stainless steel exhaust from turbo to rear bumper, TIG welded with Vibrant V-band clamps and mandrel bends
- Frostbite front mount intercooler
- Stock truck intake manifold, blocked EGR
- Holley EFI fuel rails
- Siemens Deka IV 80lb/hr injectors
- Aeromotive A1000 fuel pressure regulator
- Aeromotive Dual Phantom Stealth in-tank unit with two 340lph pumps in new stock tank
- Aeromotive PTFE -06 & -08 fuel lines and fittings and billet fuel filter
- 454SS radiator with dual 16” SPAL electric fans
- Vintage Air Cast Front Funner accessory drive
- ICT Billet motor mount adapters
- 4L80E transmission with TransGo shift kit
- Driveshaft shortened 1”
- Florida Transmission custom 3,600 RPM stall torque converter
- Tru-Cool Max 40K transmission cooler
- Holley EFI Terminator X Max engine and transmission management
- Optima Red Top battery mounted behind passenger seat
- Elevated Concepts tubular upper and lower front control arms
- Aldan American front coil over shocks
- BellTech rear flip kit and Performance shocks
- 8.5” 10-bolt rear end with Yukon limited slip differential and 3.73 gears
- American Racing VN215 wheels, 20×10 front, 22×11 rear
- Delinte Tires, 275/30R20 front, 295/30R22 rear
- Original interior with Suburban bucket seats and console replacing the OEM 60/40 bench seat
- Headliner covered in Alcantara
- Bahama Blue paint, mix of original and various mystery touch-ups over the years
- 454SS replica cheapie mirrors
- Replacement grille and head/tail lights from Classic Parts of America
- Vintage Pendaliner drop-in bed liner
- Special thanks: Joni Duffy (the boss); Sean Macnealy (aluminum welding and back purged stainless welding); American Racing/Wheel Pros; Rick Love and Ryan Zwicker at Vintage Air; Aeromotive; Holley Performance; Derek Parker at Elevated Concepts; Matt Happel at Sloppy Mechanics; Classic Parts of America; Aldan American; Verocious Motorsports