Blazer vs Duramax :D

**Firebirdjones** · 12-18-2012, 06:57 AM

Not planned but fun none the less. Coming home after dropping my son off at school. I'm in the middle of 3 lanes at a red light. The right lane disappears a 1/4 mile up and it's a 35mph zone. People always get in that right lane and speed up and cut you off (happens alot around here).
I notice a vehicle to my right move over in the right lane as he is coming to the red light, so you know what they are going to do. Light turns green and I get up to about 40 mph at a reasonable pace, he didn't expect it. He's back about 3 cars. As we close up on the lane disappearing I see he is gaining speed to come around me (he could easily get behind me but that's not how people drive around here). I speed up slighty, he realized he wasn't going to make it so he tucks in behind and rides my ass

. That's fine, I just don't like the people that speed up to cut you off only to slow down and turn.
After I clear another car in the left lane I'm now cruising at 50 mph in a 45 zone. He moves over and slowly creeps just past my driver door. At this point I see it's a brand new 4 door duramax, a single rear wheel but looked like it could be a 1 ton, big bubble hood with simulated grills with "duramax" spelled out, it was a big truck even next to my blazer, made me look tiny. Young kid driving.
As we come up on another light that had just turned green, there was a car in his lane that just left the light, my lane is clear so I know what he's going to do. Sure enough he punches it and cuts me off, then continues to break the speed limit, probably 65 or more. I sped up to 55 and he just kept going, so I let him go, I'm not stupid.

Well he gets caught behind another slow car in the lane to turn onto the expressway which allowed me to catch up. As we go up the ramp the cars in front take the turn off so it's wide open. I actually need the turn off myself but I decided to wait and see if he was taking the highway, sure enough he did, and just as I suspect, at about 50 mph he punches it, so it's on.

I moved over to follow and matt the throttle. I climbed up on him and glanced down, still in 2nd gear at about 75mph and had to breath the throttle, as he pulled out more I matt the throttle again and pull up some more. About that time he really slowed down quickly as if hitting the brakes but no brake lights came on. I had to jump on the brakes and slow. Then his brakes lights came on.

I'm thinking these new trucks probably have some form of speed limiter? I doubt it had any sort of tune. I had glanced back down at the speedo after I hit the brakes and it was coming back past 90mph so I'm not sure how fast we were actually going. We both take the next exit and I see him just looking in his side mirror, probably wondering how some old blazer just did that

Thinking back I should have moved to the other lane because at the rate of climb I had on him, I could have pulled along side before he ran out of limiter, would have liked to see the expression on his face.

In the end it's a good thing I didn't, another 1/4 mile up the road a county sherrif was merging onto the highway just as we had slowed down,,,,,ooooffff!!!

Man this blazer never stops putting a smile on my face with this engine swap, what a blast to drive.

**0rion** · 12-18-2012, 07:08 AM

sounds like a good run.....those are speed limited. I forget exactly but it's in the 95-100mph range....I keep thinking 98 for some reason but I'm not totally sure.

**Firebirdjones** · 12-18-2012, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by 0rion

sounds like a good run.....those are speed limited. I forget exactly but it's in the 95-100mph range....I keep thinking 98 for some reason but I'm not totally sure.

Ah okay, figured something happened like that, and that's about how fast we had gotten up to I would assume. I was actually about to quit myself anyway since that's more than I care to go, but it all happens so fast you don't realize it. Speed feels alot slower in that blazer than you are actually going too, guess because it's so big compared to a car.

I'd say he would probably pull me from a dig, plus I'm a little hesitant to push it hard (it snaps the pinion after a few launches) so I kept my 60 foot times down in the 2.2 range at the track. It needs more gear for the 33" tires I run.
From that roll of about 50mph worked perfect for me, It's where that thing scoots nicely

I'm starting to get hungry for more mods now....the bug has bitten.

**5.0THIS** · 12-18-2012, 12:58 PM

Must be the slowest duramax truck ever

**Firebirdjones** · 12-18-2012, 01:03 PM

Has to be if it can't beat a 40 year old piece of junk

**5.0THIS** · 12-19-2012, 01:02 AM

Just kidding. But a early K5 with a 6.0 isnt exactly a rocketship

**Firebirdjones** · 12-19-2012, 07:03 AM

Originally Posted by 5.0THIS

Just kidding. But a early K5 with a 6.0 isnt exactly a rocketship

Just 14.40s with a 5,000 lbs. race weight

Not exactly something to sneeze at either

About as good as most of your stock LT1 4th gens ran back in the day. Hell my bone stock 02 SS camaro only went 13.72

Did you miss the video I posted putting a hurting on a new 2012 SS camaro at the track?

I suspect it will get quicker when the maggie goes on.

**5.0THIS** · 12-19-2012, 01:33 PM

I didnt know the 6.0 wasnt stock. At that weight no way a stock 6.0 is pushing 5000 pounds that fast, especially given the tires and aerodynamics. Makes more sense beating the dmax truck though.

**Firebirdjones** · 12-19-2012, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by 5.0THIS

I didnt know the 6.0 wasnt stock. At that weight no way a stock 6.0 is pushing 5000 pounds that fast, especially given the tires and aerodynamics. Makes more sense beating the dmax truck though.

It's stock right down to the manifolds. Obviously has a custom 4" air intake though since this is a retro swap. Otherwise just an SD tune and I run electric fans rather than the mechanical. I guess the custom dual exhaust also helps compared to what these engines are usually choked down with.
I run the 4L60 behind it so the 3.06 first gear gets it moving pretty decent as well.

Believe it

Had the video up here about a month ago. It scaled 4,960 lbs with 20 gallons of gas and my butt in the seat.

**5.0THIS** · 12-19-2012, 06:52 PM

Ok so yeah, it isnt stock. Because new 6.2 trucks wont run that quick, and they're similar weight and that 6.2 has a 6.0 outgunned by a ton, not to mention the leaps and bounds better 6 speed transmission.

**0verkill** · 12-19-2012, 09:24 PM

Sounds like a fun ride I wish I could get some one with a cool ride like your blazer to run my dmax all I get around here is some ricers and I have to guess as they just take off

**0rion** · 12-20-2012, 03:53 AM

the only real race I've had in mine was against a real nice looking dodge cummins. I kicked his ass good.

**Firebirdjones** · 12-20-2012, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by 5.0THIS

Ok so yeah, it isnt stock. Because new 6.2 trucks wont run that quick, and they're similar weight and that 6.2 has a 6.0 outgunned by a ton, not to mention the leaps and bounds better 6 speed transmission.

Well, technically it is stock from my point of view, the engine hasn't been opened up (doesn't even have headers yet). The intake and exhaust on my truck are a given anyway since this is a retro swap, these old trucks had better intake and exhaust setups from the get go than any new vehicle out there now, all I did was stick the modern engine in there

It's still your basic LQ4 that gets the benefit of working with 1972 technoligy.

The fan setup was done more for MPG than HP and to free up some engine compartment space, although I've personally seen 15hp increases when dropping the mechanical fan setups on the engine dyno on the classic cars, so it's a benefit either way, I'll take it

.

The tune is well.....a tune. And that has to be done anyway on a retro swap to delete alot of things that these old trucks just don't need. May as well go in and tweak the fuel and timing tables too

Really this was just a straight forward swap, I didn't do anything more than I had to do to make it work and be dependable. The "REAL" mods will begin next spring

**Firebirdjones** · 12-20-2012, 07:56 AM

Originally Posted by 0verkill

Sounds like a fun ride I wish I could get some one with a cool ride like your blazer to run my dmax all I get around here is some ricers and I have to guess as they just take off

Thanks. I don't claim to be a diesel stomping blazer though

. The oportunity presented itself and I wanted to see how I faired.
I'm almost certain this duramax was a bone stocker. Even though these new ones are rated at what......probably 6-700ft lbs now?? So they get up and go.

My neighbors older 02 duramax is factory rated at something like 370HP and 500 ft lbs. so I know the new ones should be higher by now.

Modded ones make ridiculous power and would proceed to clean my clock

**0verkill** · 12-20-2012, 08:47 AM

That may be tru but it's a lot of fun I haven't bin beat by a civic yet but I sure wouldn't mind getting my but kicked by some thing cool like your ride

**Firebirdjones** · 12-20-2012, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by 0verkill

That may be tru but it's a lot of fun I haven't bin beat by a civic yet but I sure wouldn't mind getting my but kicked by some thing cool like your ride

I just wish I could afford a new duramax

I'd have one parked in the driveway.

**5.0THIS** · 12-20-2012, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by Firebirdjones

Thanks. I don't claim to be a diesel stomping blazer though

. The oportunity presented itself and I wanted to see how I faired.
I'm almost certain this duramax was a bone stocker. Even though these new ones are rated at what......probably 6-700ft lbs now?? So they get up and go.

My neighbors older 02 duramax is factory rated at something like 370HP and 500 ft lbs. so I know the new ones should be higher by now.

Modded ones make ridiculous power and would proceed to clean my clock

The LLY dmaxs were rated at 300hp/600 tq in 2004.5-2005. The LB7s werent 370hp though, I dont recall the exact numbers. The newest one is 395hp, 765tq I believe.

**Too Fast** · 12-20-2012, 01:52 PM

Nice kill. I don't like the douchbags who try to run up at you on the right at the light and then turn right, making you slow down either. If I am that person who uses the right lane, when the light turns green I don't screw around and I go, usually putting a very nice distance between me and the people at the light, and I almost never have to exceed the speed limit to do that.

I've seen that vid of your truck running, nice.

**Firebirdjones** · 12-20-2012, 02:08 PM

Originally Posted by 5.0THIS

The LLY dmaxs were rated at 300hp/600 tq in 2004.5-2005. The LB7s werent 370hp though, I dont recall the exact numbers. The newest one is 395hp, 765tq I believe.

That's pretty darn stout. So easy to pull more power out of them too, which makes it appealing. I may just have to own one in the future.

**Firebirdjones** · 12-20-2012, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Too Fast

Nice kill. I don't like the douchbags who try to run up at you on the right at the light and then turn right, making you slow down either. If I am that person who uses the right lane, when the light turns green I don't screw around and I go, usually putting a very nice distance between me and the people at the light, and I almost never have to exceed the speed limit to do that.

I've seen that vid of your truck running, nice.

Thanks. Yeah it seems they are everywhere. I prefer the through lane so I don't put myself in that position, I try to be courteous (a dying trate today). I don't care to go full bore either, but anyone in the lane that disappears will at the very least have to work hard to get back over in front of me

Just to let them know it would have been easier if they would have simply gotten in line with everyone else.
Usually I can tell the message got accross when I see flailing arms and their mouth going a mile a minute