'98 Chevy S-10 ZR2Mike Copeland works for this little automaker known as General Motors. In his position as an engineer he sees and does stuff so top-secret that if he told us about it, special dark GM ninjas would drop from the trees and drag us all away. The cool part of his position is that when he wanted to stuff a 427ci LS1 engine in his '98 Chevy S-10 he knew how to do it so it looks factory. The crazy part is that a month before the trip Mike tore his entire truck apart, rebuilt it, towed it from Michigan to North Carolina, and broke in the new engine during Ultimate Adventure.
Mike's truck is definitely a clean, well-built rig, but there were a few times when the southern trails gave it the smackdown. Let us first say that bringing an independent suspension on Ultimate Adventure takes some guts, courage, and maybe a few loose screws. We warned Mike that parts would break, and he told us he didn't mind and that he had tons of spares. In the end we both decided that an IFS can perform great in the mud and sand, but when wedged between 510 hp and rocks that won't move, something is gonna give. Mike not only took home some great stories, but a bent upper control arm, a broken front axlehousing mount, a damaged CV joint, and a dent in the right rear quarter-panel. Since we don't want to embarrass Mike, we won't mention how the airbag went off when he hit one particular obstacle. We would love to do a story about how to put a solid axle under Mike's mean S-10, but we're sure he may have some top secret plans for his truck that those dark ninjas won't let us know about.
Driver: Mike Copeland, Brighton, MIEngine: 427ci LS1 Engine (510 hp), GM C5R block, 4.125-inch bore with BRC 11:1 pistons, Lunati 4-inch stroke crank, CNC ported ZO6 cylinder heads, GMPP Hot Cam, ZO6 intake, custom oil pan, custom headers with Dynomax Race Magnum Mufflers and full 3-inch exhaust, complete Aeromotive fuel systemTransmission: 4L80E, GMPP electronic controller, custom software with high- and low-range shift tables, custom adapter to mate to transfer caseTransfer Case: NV233, 32-spline input, six-pinion hub, JB Conversions SYE, 1350-series yokesSuspension: BDS 5-inch ZR2 lift, custom front dual BDS shocksFront Axle: 8.25-inch from fullsize GM truck, 4.10 gears, Eaton E-Locker, fullsize hubs and CVsRear Axle: 8.5-inch GM, 4.10 gears, Eaton E-Locker, Moser axleshafts, Moser 1350 pinion yoke, Summit rear support coverTires: 35x12.50-17 Mickey Thompson Radial ClawsWheels: 17x8.5 Walker Evans bead-lock wheelsSpecial Features: Driveshafts with all 1350-series U-joints by Dynotech, Corvette seats and steering wheel, rollcage, Warn M8000 winch, East Coast Customs "SS" style fiberglass hood, stainless steel rotating lightbar with four 9x6-inch Pro Comp lights, Alpine sound system, cut-out flares made from ABS plastic, Arrival Blue acrylic enamel with silver "SS" stripes on hood; paint by Trakon Show and Display
'03 BruiserRockcrawlers usually have a deep-rooted dislike for mud, whether it be the goop on their windshields, the muck in their boots, or the long and tedious cleanup after a day on the trail. However, after watching the fun Clifton Slay had taking his rig through the muddy trails in Alabama, we think he may be about to convert to the dark gooey side. In retrospect, his 38-inch Claws did awesome in the mud when mounted backwards. Clifton arrived late the first day after some computer problems in his tube car known as Petunia, but after that glitch was dealt with the rig ran great the rest of the trip. The Bruiser chassis buggies being built at Clifton's Poison Spyder Customs shop outside of Denver really stand out in the ever-growing world of crazy tube creations. We got to see why on our Ultimate Adventure. His rig had room for driver, passenger, one medium-sized dog, and all their gear for a week of wheeling.