VORTEC 4200 FORUM

VIDEO Vortec 4200 w??? 8HP70 meets ???Hank??? a 55??? dump truck!

Year: 1955
Make: Chevy
Model: 6400
Engine: was original 235 now 2008 4200 - acquired
Transmission: was SM420 4 spd, now adapter to 8HP70 - acquired
Rear axle / ratio: dana 80 from 94 Chevy C3500HD with 4.63 ratio - acquired
Turbo: projected 7268
Ecu: MAXX RACE - acquired
Boost: all of it? lol shoot for enough to push 5-600 hp
Other supporting mods:
Snake Eater Performance Injectors - To be Acquired - Snake Eater Performance
Wiesco Forged pistons - acquired - DMZ
Atlas Oil mod kit - Acquired - Atlas Industries
Domiworks 8HP Transmission adapter - Acquired - Domiworks
ARP Main Studs - Acquired - Amazon
CXRacing 30 row oil cooler - Acquired -
Oil cooler Thermostat - Acquired - FSM205 Improved Racing
Walbro HELLCAT 525LPH F90000285 Fuel Pump - Acquired - Summit
Motion Raceworks high flow E85 sensor adapter - acquired - Motion Raceworks

As I found it. We had bought a new house and moved in. Started getting things going like upgrades, appliances, new shop being built etc. When I noticed that parked behind the neighbors barn was this old truck. Now I knew what it was bc I already own a 51' 3100 half ton. So It just sat. Id been over and seen the neighbor and talked to him etc. Bob, a then 77 yr old guy. Retired. Spoke with him a bit and learned about the truck, it was his sons truck. "Dave" bought the truck decades ago and was using it with his dad Bob to do roofing jobs since Bob had a roofing business. So the story goes that they had went to a job one day, scraped a roof onto the bed of the truck and then headed to the local dump. When they got to the dump, the hydraulic dump bed did not want to work. (its a pto shaft driven pump off the side of the transmission) So they said f*** it and drove it to Bobs and parked it behind his barn. There it sat, they mowed around it, etc but never moved it. In the early years i guess they would go out now and then to start it but that was it. So the plates on it expired in 2002' and I have no idea how long before that it was parked. So we will just go with, it set for 25 yrs.

So I struck a deal with the son and drug it across the yard with the Yukon. Took me like 4 days to get the bed cleared off as it had been heat cycled so much that it basically became one big roofing shingle. I then bore scoped all 6 cylinders, drained the oil (had about a quart of water in it from condensation over the years) So I bought a 12V coil, robbed the battery out of the 50' coupe we have, with my son pressing the floor starter and using starting fluid, it fired right up. So then it was time to:
rebuild the carb,
fuel pump, and start ordering parts. Eventually got all new glass, had it tinted, started on the headliner and sound deadning, wiring of tail/brake lights,
changed trans fluid,
new transmission floor pan cover,
swapped to 12v alternator,
water pump,
rebuild the speedo,
stake bed sides
two new front tires
all door seals
led headlights
thermostat
and various other things.

So fast forward some, I had many talks with bob and made sure to pick out details about his business and so on. I then got on etsy, found a guy to work with and in about a week I had a stencil. I then ordered up some stencil spray glue and added Hank's first "Tattoo". It was my way of paying tribute to Bob and his years. Being a good neighbor and such. I think it came out pretty good, not all fancy, a bit of overspray, and some under the stencil too. Like it was meant to be there. So I then drove it out of the drive, 40 yards, and turned into Bobs. I had him come see the truck and waited for him to notice the stencil. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed it. Got a little teary eyed even. He even noticed that I got the year correct for when he started roofing, which I had paid attention in some conversations with pointed questions, to make sure it was correct. I then blurted out "Come on Bob, we goin for a ride, not like you got anything else to do" lol. So helped him up in the truck and went for a cruise. He admitted while riding that it was the first time in the truck. "All the years David had this truck, Id never been in it"

Bringing it back from the dead!

Team Hybrid Racing wrote: Sun Jul 27, 2025 10:18 am Bringing it back from the dead!

Quite litterally as it was just sitting and rotting into the ground. It still has a long way to go but its at least not mouse ridden, leaking into the cab, will start, run, and drive. So just one thing at a time.