IncorpoRatedX
Explorer
The Hyena. Part 1.
1984 Dodge D50 2.3 liter turbo diesel, 2wd, 5 speed
Moving to the desert takes some adjusting, wildlife is some of it. Though I didn't expect to find some snaggle-toothed beast feeding off the scraps of the desert. I parted ways with my 96 SR on 37's when I left the splendor of Lake Michigan's eastern shores. I figured I would find a lot of rust free cars in the southwest. I didn't expect to be smacked in the face with every single example of a Mitsubishi I've ever wanted to own. From cars to trucks and everything between, I ended up feeling like a kid in a candy store. After a short list of vehicles came and went, the diesel showed up. Before moving I planned to do a mighty max build of some kind using gen 2 parts, but I expected to be a year out before that would start. As things work out, I'm just hitting the year mark next month. The diesel was formerly owned by an older couple in southern california, then later moved to southern Arizona, it came clean as a whistle, loaded with all the options, AC, cruise control, tachometer, digital clock, wastegated turbo, and every bit of fuel mileage you could ever want and has been my daily driver for the last few months. In it's current phase it looks more like "Gramps fishin truck" than a carcass-devouring filthy mutt, but that's all set to change...
There's been a lot of Mitsubishi work going on under the shadow of the Superstition Mountains, near the outskirts of the Tonto National Forest and out to the west, they're everywhere and they're all getting chopped up and modified heavily. A 4x4 chassis is being prepared for the Hyena, it came from an 82 that was running a 2.6 gas engine and 3 speed a904 trans, 8" rear with 3.90 open diffs, the rolling chassis is now equipped with 4.625 front and rear with an LSD out back, all new steering parts, v6 torsion bars, a 4 speed AW03-72L and an NP231 transfer case. Most of which were scraps from builds around the valley. The 4D55 from the truck will be powering the chassis and it will be equipped with Western Wheels 15x10 cyclone II's and 33" tires with tube fenders for it's initial phase. The little diesel is being built in three phases. In the next phase it will be upgrading to a 4D56 that's on an engine stand for thorough inspection and cleaning, it's also going to an 8" front with lunchbox, 9.5" rear with locker, 4.90's, gen 2 front suspension and 35's.
Stay tuned...
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