Jeremy Duffek is no stranger to extremely fast cars. After graduating high school he took a job at Murillo Motorsports. In case that shop name doesn’t ring a bell, Mike Murillo has been one of the fastest Fox Body guys for a number of years. During this tenure with Murillo, Duffek found himself surrounded by extremely fast people, even participating on a national level.
When it came time for Duffek to build his own chassis, he wanted something competitive, but different. He managed to find a Ford Courier in the small town of Itasca, Texas. The Courier shares the same wheelbase as the Fox Body Mustang, but it’s 6-inches narrower from left to right.
He resized Ford Explorer 8.8-inch rearend installed on the now narrowed rear frame rails, all to accomplish the goal of fitting a 10-inch wide wheel. Once that was done, the rearend would go on to receive a four-link with coilovers and a wishbone to keep it all centered.
Duffek chose to build a small-block Ford R4 engine with Yates C3 Heads to power the little truck.
The new engine would prove to provide solid results, but unfortunately required more front end fabrication. The Yates C3 head’s massive physical size would require Duffek to chop off the frame ahead of the firewall to make room. The frame rails were replaced with a complete tube front end. He then swapped in a new K-member, A-arms, and spindle mount front struts from fellow racer, James “Birdman” Finney’s street car.
Now that the chassis was fully addressed and the engine was entering its final form, Duffek could put attention to the rest of the build. Through Alkydiggers, a TBS 6-71 XR1 blower and Enderle three-hole Big and Ugly intake were purchased. Since pump gas was out of the question, a Waterman lil Bertha fuel pump was used to supply the mechanical injection with VP Racing M1 fuel. The R4 Block was stroked to 408 cubic-inch and stuffed with a Sonny Bryant billet crank, gas ported JE Pistons, and billet mains. The concreted engine bypasses any cooling capacities, and the truck is void of any radiator, relying on the alcohol racing fuel to keep temperatures down. To alleviate the engine from swimming in oil, a Johnson Oil Pumps five-stage dry-sump system was installed.
The new engine combination would result in 35 psi entering the engine that results in it producing an estimated 2000 horsepower. While the timing is still pretty soft, the truck has already seen bottom 5-second pass on a non-prepped surface. The entire time the Hoosier D06 tires could be heard screaming trying to keep the truck’s power planted to the ground.
A fully concreted engine with no coolant would have even the most professional tuners worried at times, but Brandon Sult of AfterWorks Tuning still thinks the truck has room to grow, and Sult and Duffek are confident that the truck will make a high 4-second pass on decent concrete.
Resource: FordMuscle.com
About The Author
Growing up, my father always believed that every family needed a truck—there’s just something about having a vehicle capable of hauling anything at a moment’s notice. That philosophy stuck with me, and it’s been the foundation of my lifelong passion for Ford trucks.
While I’m best known for my work with Ford Rangers, I’ve owned a wide variety of Ford trucks over the years—including F-150s, F-250s, F-350s, and even larger rigs like the Ford Excursion, Ford Expedition, and a 1982 Ford Econoline Sportsmobile camper van. I’ve used these vehicles for everything from family transportation to towing car trailers and campers, and each one has fueled my love for Ford’s versatility and durability.
I especially enjoy the styling of 1970s and 1980s Ford trucks—the bold designs, rugged presence, and classic charm are timeless. Sharing my passion for Ford trucks, vans, and SUVs with other enthusiasts online brings me a great deal of joy, and it’s why I created Blue Oval Trucks.
This website is dedicated to helping Ford truck enthusiasts explore, learn about, and celebrate these incredible vehicles. While I share my expertise and experiences here, Blue Oval Trucks is an independent enthusiast site and is not affiliated with Ford Motor Company.
