Steve Darnell's '28 Dodge Bros. sedan is quite an attention getter. While rat rods are nothing new, Steve's 693-rwhp, Cummins turbodiesel-powered rat rod is indeed something different. All that power isn't for show, either, as the 3,800-pound rat has run 11.69 at 118 mph in the quarter, limited by gearing (out of rpm by 800 feet) and traction (2.24 60-foot). Another shocker is that this project went from a bunch of steel and a rusted shell to a running rod in just three and a half months, although Steve estimates a good 1,000 hours of labor were put in during that time.
In addition to the diesel, Steve's rod also dares to be different with an agricultural theme. The front axle was lifted from a coal mine truck, and John Deere green is seen throughout the vehicle. What's more, Steve drives the thing everywhere-in fact, the six-cylinder diesel has been a great asset in fuel mileage, as the Dodge has achieved an incredible 25 mpg on freeway jaunts. What's next? Well, the 'cage is SCTA-legal for Bonneville. As soon as Steve finds another gear, and with the addition of a transbrake and some taller slicks, 10-second passes should be no problem. Oh, and that's without the extra 300 to 500 hp available from the progressive NX nitrous system. Whether it's at his home track in Billings, Montana, or cruising the Strip in Las Vegas, this one-of-a-kind rod always draws a crowd.