The supercharged Hurricane I6 engine establishes itself as the true heartbreaker, demonstrating phenomenal tuning potential that is only just beginning to be explored. The shining proof? A 1987 Dodge Ram D150 pickup, transformed by the expertise of Morgan Evans and Jason Kastner, which develops a staggering 802 horsepower and 740 lb-ft of torque.
A Vintage Chassis, Modern Mechanics, and a Record
The project, featured on the Torque n’ Tungsten YouTube channel, has already made its mark by winning the “Grudge Match” at the famous Roadkill Nights event, holding its own against otherwise very impressive builds. The two partners didn’t stop there, recently completing a 1,200-mile journey across Michigan, punctuated by drag strip passes.
The recipe for this power monster is based on a stock 3.0-liter long block, but radically transformed. Gone is the factory twin-turbo setup, replaced by a single massive turbocharger, a Precision Next Gen 6870, capable of supporting up to 1,200 horsepower. Evans and Kastner, master fabricators, custom-built all the necessary piping and new manifolds to optimize airflow. The result is a roaring six-cylinder that shattered a world record for a Hurricane engine by covering the quarter-mile in just 9.39 seconds, with a trap speed of 140 miles per hour.
A Reinforced Transmission to Tame the Fury
All this power is sent to the wheels via an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, similar to the one equipping the new Ram Hurricanes, but with a crucial upgrade: a Circle D torque converter with a higher stall speed, specially chosen for the dragster’s lightning-fast acceleration. At the rear, a Moser 8.75-inch rear end was installed. After several tests, the team determined that the truck performed much better with drag radial tires than with slicks.
A Constantly Evolving Project
The D150 remains a constantly evolving project, where every detail is refined in the pursuit of perfection. After their latest series of runs at the Sick Michigan Miles event, Evans and Kastner identified a new area to optimize: the rev limiter, which was hit during the best pass. They therefore plan to raise it to unleash even more power. The Viking front coilovers, on the other hand, seem perfectly tuned, having allowed the truck to remain perfectly stable even when its front wheels lifted several inches off the ground.
Unanimous Reception in the Community
While the turbo I6 engine in the new Rams can sometimes divide purists, the feedback on the YouTube videos of this swap project is extremely positive. The choice of a modern, ultra-high-performance powertrain, rather than simply dropping in a Viper V10, seems to have won over the community. This bold build confirms what is obvious to many: the Hurricane engine is indeed Mopar’s 2JZ, a robust and extraordinarily improvable mechanical foundation promised a bright future in the world of performance.