Our daily grind here at the magazine often involves the pure pleasure of hammering around in some serious water hardware. One thousand-plus horsepower unleashed within a solid hull skimming the water's surface is definitely an irreplaceable feeling. Add to the picture a killer truck with a matching scheme to the watercraft and it gets our blood flowing.
Following, in no particular order, is a quick recap of what we chose to represent the best of the best for 2005. Get your motor running and head out on the water highway looking for adventure and spine-tingling thrills! Do you have a boat and truck feature that you think deserves a spot in Truckin'? After thumbing through the following pages and getting amped up for summer to return, drop us a line at harley.camilleri@primedia.com and show us your feature in waiting.
Collectively, Stephen Chubbuck and Tom Agerstig know what they're talking about when it comes to trucks and boats-although each leans in different directions. To uphold the adage that two heads are better than one, the pair conspired to create the stunning truck-and-boat combo we affectionately dubbed "Royal Flush" (Vol. 31, No. 12).
The "Royal" pair consists of a king and queen match, starting with a 2004 Chevy HD 2500. Under the highly detailed paint lies a not-so-stock 6.6L Duramax fit with RBP and Edge performance enhancements. Lifting this big rig is a CST and Deaver Spring rise, which lifts the truck to the tune of 15 inches. Forty-inch Toyo tires are squeezed onto 22x11-inch MC Motorsports wheels. One Extreme is the responsible party for the applied hue layout; notice that intertwined in the fiery orgasm is a myriad of fleshless skulls. Finishing touches to the exterior are Pro Comp lighting and a Putco Loudmouth full-face replacement grille assembly.
Inside, Radioactive went A/V wild and there's no shortage of entertainment. A total of six monitors dazzle the eyes, while a neatly organized sound system fills the aural void.
The Queen, so to speak, is the matched and accessorized '05 Dana 27 Offshore. One Extreme also wielded the paint thrower on the Dana, coating the V-hull from stem to stern in a graphic intense environment. Don't think that the boat got any less attention than the Chevrolet. Radioactive fit every available nook and cranny with a musical system that has all the stealth of a kick in the teeth. Blasting at speed requires guts and the power to play. Under the Dana Marine scissor-equipped engine hatch is a beautiful thing. A Chevy-based 582ci sits with a head full of Mooneyham 14-71 blower and 1050 Dominator carburetors twisting the crank to the tune of 900 horses. Roaring through Gibson mufflers and spinning a Bravo XR drive, we start sweating just standing next to it.
A must-have for the season is Cobra's 260 Venom. First in Cobra's lineup as a cat model, this bad boy, when fit with a stock Mercruiser Mag HO motor, will twist the chop to a GPS-verified 75mph. Since nothing stock really twists us up, Cobra owner Jeff Bohn cut loose with a twisted version we titled "Venomous To Your Health" (Vol. 31, No. 4).
To show off the capabilities of his newly tooled cat hull, Jeff went the ludicrous route and stuffed a 565ci Rat motor under the hatch of this unit. Going almost unnoticed (yeah, right) while poking through the hatch, the big block is stiffened a bit with the use of a 14-71 blower and dual quad Dominators. Dispensing with the used and abused gasses are CMI tubular manifolds. All 1,000 Teague-built horsepower is turned loose in the water with an Imco Extreme drive fit with a stand-off box and turning a four-blade, lab-finished Merc prop.
Dave's Marine Interiors stitched together a form-fitting interior capable of actually holding the boat's occupants in place at speed. In case you wondered why that might become a necessity, just know that this boat is capable of numbers in excess of 120mph. This, little children, is not for you. A small amount of musical electronica resides in the boat for some tunes while parked, but absolutely nothing could be heard at those mind-blowing speeds. To combat such communication inadequacies, Jeff had combat-style SWAT headphones installed.
Sitting atop a beautiful Extreme trailer, Jeff's 260 Venom design has taken the boating world by storm. Accolades are aplenty and we are definite fans of such wretched excess.
It's no secret to most that we're fans of horsepower in all forms, but the idea behind the Water Toys section was to show off matching truck-and-boat combinations. This truck and boat combo satisfied both our desires, as an old-school squirt gun is awesome at best and of course, the requisite truck is at hand. This feature was different, though; the tow rig, instead of being designed to haul trophies and gear, was designed to haul the rockers...right off the darn truck. ("Pushed To The Limit," Vol. 31, No. 10)
Chris Midkiff obviously couldn't care less what people deem a tow vehicle, as his '91 Bow Tie shows no outward signs of actually being able to tow anything. By all visual details, this is one cool show truck that couldn't be driven all that regularly. 'Bagged and body dropped to the door, because the rockers are long gone, Chris' truck rolls low on Boze Stinger 5 20-inch billets. For exterior sheetmetal, L&G went welder crazy before PPG colorings were laid to rest. Inside the truck a gutting session ensued with Audio Innovations getting the nod to do the inner duties. A custom metal dash is covered in suede, as is most of the interior, but all was not done before Audio Innovations placed musical beats sporadically around the cabin.
Not 'bagged or body dropped, the Eliminator Liberty still sits low-in the water, that is. As is standard fare for jet boats, this aqua rod has barely any freeboard. A Jack McClure-prepped Berkeley 12JG is turned with the help of the Chevy big-block. A severe-duty 454ci was created and then topped with all the warm fuzziness of a hammer over the head, also known as a blower. Together, the staccato pair puts out 600 horses and moves this Liberty to a top speed of 85mph. Loud pipes save lives we're always told, and this Eliminator's got them. Over the transom, headers belch fire and cooling water at anyone that draws near. The boat carries its original gel, which is definitely laid out in classic style, and the multi-tone vinyl interior shows the class of the 70's how it's done today. All together, Chris is rolling a head-turning crew to his river destination.
On the West Coast, Magic Powerboats is a name synonymous with fun-in-the-sun water guns. Super Duty Party (Vol. 31, No.5) is definitely what the rest of the industry is gearing towards, Part Cats. Air entrapment hulls are all the rage right now, but most models leave little room to enjoy the water with family or friends. The openness of a flat-decked party cat fixes that whole problem.
Magic set us up with a photo shoot in its hometown of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, on the shores of glorious Lake Havasu. The boat of choice was a 28-foot Magic Deck Boat with a stylistic gel scheme that didn't scream for attention. Understated would best describe it. First glance showed us that an easy 10 or so hotties, er...friends, could sit comfortably aboard and have no adverse effect on floor space. Obviously built for entertaining or family interests, the Magic 28 had ample stowage area and room for a head (toilet, for you landlubbers). Even a blender could be added, as well as a stainless sink if desired-perfect amenities for the Truckin' staff to invade a waterway near you. Look out!
Flipping the switch on the covered engine hatch reveals a Chevy-based Merlin powerplant. Five hundred eighty-eight cubic inches of motor-vated V-8 slam pistons around with all the hell that 650hp can provide. Following suit, a 1050 Dominator carburetor perches atop the Holley intake. CMI was chosen for air going out. With an Imco drive swinging off the transom, this deck, up on plane, can run at 90 without breaking a sweat. Don't forget to tell the mother-in-law to hang on...or not.
One of the many features that catches our eye on Magic boats are the fiberglass and gel-matched rear seat panels. Attention to detail and a tight package that bring the crew. We're sold.
We're not tooting our own here, as Steve Warner's truck and boat epitomizes what we like to see as a truck and boat feature. Everything works together to create a fluid picture from front to rear.
Steve Warner may very well run the World's Leading Truck Publication but when the free time is on, he runs to the body of water of his choice and commences to blow out the white collar-induced cobwebs. Putting the smile back on the face of a magazine editor is no easy task unless your garage has toys like these, and these toys consist of a 2004 Chevrolet HD 2500 4x4 and '04 Carrera 290 Effect X (At The Limits, Vol. 31, No. 6).
A CST 6-inch lift and Deaver leafs on the HD clear the way for 20-inch Weld wheels spinning 35-inch Toyo Open Country tires. A smattering of aftermarket pieces enlightens the look of the Chevy yet still retains the factory-esque Bow Tie marquee. L&G paint-matched the Crew Cab's exterior to match the Carrera's candy-flamed gel scheme. Underhood, a complete Banks power upgrade set lightens the 6.6L's fuel mileage with a Six Gun Tuner and 465 stump pulling ponies. Just the ticket for hauling off to remote desert locations for water warfare. Distances like that require some fun before the sun and Audio Innovations and Sony filled Steve's interior with something to watch and something to hear while Classic Soft Trim fit seat covers for something to sit on.
Piggybacking on the Extreme Trailer is toy number 2, Carrera's 290 Effect X liquid blaster. Opting for a different route, per se, under the hatch is a GMPP 572ci crate motor that was originally rated at 620hp. After some creative tweaking on Whipple's engine twister, the bad Chevy motor is now screaming with 980hp. Power flows rearward through an Imco Extreme drive and into said lake. Well enough couldn't be left alone, so Audio Innovations also jammed in audio components from DEI and Kenwood. Just for kicks, a pair of DEI LCD screens emits viewing images below decks for when the sun becomes too intense.