gasgas19

Newbie here<br><br>I was wondering what the best setup would be to start off with for a dodge cummins &quot;street sleeper&quot; setup.<br>I heard the 5.9 cummins is the best for modding. i dont want to spend a ton of money. I just want something that will appear stock, but be able to smoke the tires off anywhere, blow by people on the road, pull low 13 sec 1/4 mile etc. (if its possible w/o draining my bank account)<br><br>im thinkin 95,96 2500 or somethin (cant spend a whole lot)<br>which is better? auto or stick?<br>does ex cab make much a diff in performance?<br>This will be my dd

wannadiesel

A 2nd gen 12 valve truck (95 - early 98) will probably give you the most for your money. If you want a quick drag truck, get a 4x4 with an automatic. The automatic is quicker shifting, and you need the 4wd to get traction for the 900 or so ft/lbs of torque you need to make. You WILL need to get the trans redone by ATS or DTT if you want it to live. I don't think the extended cab will make much difference in the weight, but less weight is always better when you're racing. Definitely stick with a 2500 for this reason as well. Your big expense will be getting the trans done, the motor mods are surprisingly affordable.

HeberRam

gasgas19...I don't know what you consisder a ton of money, however, to achieve the goals you outlinned above, you will need: Upgraded turbo, injectors, fuel pump, fueling box, air- filteration system, trans/ clutch, exhaust system etc. to the tune of $5000 + to start.

Steve

gasgas19

Well now that I know which truck to start off with i can start looking. Well 5000 is a lil more then id like to spend. I guess 13s might not happen. I actually wont be goin to the track seeing as how there are none in my area. I just want somethin quick from light to light. I was thinkin about 3k in mods or so

Stamey

3K, . I thought the same thing when I started. I put over 4K in the tranny ALONE.<br>Think more like 7-8K before you are done. Just remember, if you go auto, once the tranny's done, you'll have much cheaper mods and you can add them a little at a time. I have a box and a tranny now, then I will get injectors, then turbo, then....<br>The bad thing about a manual and racing is you lose all of your boost when you shift gears, and this is a big thing to overcome in a short race. Not saying it can't be done, but it's hard.<br><br>Chris

HOHN

I would say a 12V truck would be what you want. This, coming from a 24V guy.<br><br>The reason being the P7100 pump, plain and simple. There's just no way to get a 24V truck anywhere near the fueling levels that a 12V is capable of. A modified P7100 can produce more fuel than even 120 psi of boost can burn!<br><br>A 12V will need more boost to make the same cool power as a 24V, since the 12V doesn't move air as well.<br><br>Also, the mechanical lift pump is far better.<br><br>So do yourself right, and look for a standard cab 2500 from 1996 or 1997. Trans is your choice, just be aware that the auto will needs lots of $$, and the 5-speed isn't that strong at the upper power levels.<br><br>HOHN