Jay Leno Drives A Custom 1966 Chevrolet K30 Restomod: Video
14
Sponsored Links
One of the more interesting custom vehicles we featured on the site this year was the R-Tech Fabrications Ponderosa. Essentially a restomod 1966 Chevrolet K30, the Ponderosa features a custom crew cab body and repurposed chassis cab frame, along with a modern-day Cummins diesel engine.
R-Tech Fabrications was recently invited to bring the Ponderosa by Jay Leno’s Garage, along with its Duke custom truck, which is based on a 1972 Chevrolet K50. Like the Ponderosa, the Duke started off as a standard cab truck and was streteched into a Crew Cab by R-Tech Fabrications.
Both of the trucks are powered by a 5.9-liter Cummins diesel engine. The Ponderosa’s Cummins is complete with an aftermarket turbo, Mahle pistons, a Competition Cams camshaft, Flowmaster four-inch exhaust, aftermarket injectors and a K&N intake, among more. The company claims the engine is good for about 550 horsepower and about 1,400 pound-feet of torque. It sends power to the rather large 37-inch Nitto Mud Grappler Tires via a New Venture 4500 five-speed manual transmission.
Like the exterior, the interior of the trucks follows a vintage theme, though they are complete with modern-day amenities like a Bluetooth compatible radio headset, a navigation system, new heating and A/C and a Kenwood audio system.
While R-Tech Fabrications’ trucks are quite nice looking, they certainly aren’t cheap. The company charges $150,000 USD for a base Ponderosa or Duke and with any number of optional extras available for the fully custom trucks, the price could go up quite easily from there. It’s not clear if that includes the price of the Chevrolet K30 or K50 donor truck, however.
Hear what Jay Leno though about R-Tech Fabrications’ trucks in the video embedded below.
Subscribe to GM Authority as we bring you the latest Chevrolet Silverado news, Chevrolet news, GMC Sierra news, GMC news, and ongoing GM news coverage.
Sponsored Links
Awesome!
I hate you Jay.
Just kidding. What a lucky man.
I don’t believe in Heaven or Hell. But if I did, I would say Jay is in Heaven ?
BTW-Don’t judge. I believe in a continual flow of plus and minus. And, the reason I try to stay on the plus side is…
“Karma never sleeps.”
-KPA
Check out my book, Sugar & S on Amazon or, Barnes & Noble websites. Type in my full name, Keith Paul Alderson if interested. ?
So I can’t say the “S” word or my message won’t be allowed. What are we, 5?
Trying again.
Awesome!
I hate you Jay.
Just kidding. What a lucky man.
I don’t believe in Heaven or Hell. But if I did, I would say Jay is in Heaven ?
BTW-Don’t judge. I believe in a continual flow of plus and minus. And, the reason I try to stay on the plus side is…
“Karma never sleeps.”
-KPA
Check out my book, Sugar & S on Amazon or, Barnes & Noble websites. Type in my full name, Keith Paul Alderson if interested. ?
This is stupid. I hate it SOOOOOO MUCH when people put other brand powertrains or engines in cars. If its a Chevy, put a Chevy engine in it!! Same goes for other brands!
I agree they should have put a duramax in them
Hate to disagree boys but for 18 glorious years I drove an 82 C30 Crewcab L/B with a Cummins in it and will go to my grave saying it was my best vehicle ever – because of the motor.
Would have been an awesome truck in this!!!!! NOT COOL IN THE CHEVY!!!! Sorry…..
https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars/1952/dodge/power_wagon/101191860
I also hate when people put chevy engines in other vehicles. This on the other hand is pathetic! Why ruin this classic chevy truck with another engine in it.
The Duramax would have a proper choice for this truck!
Isuzu I guess that’s Amercan now. I fixed a blown head gasket in a first year model of the S10 Chevrolet truck. It must have been leftover engine from the Chevy Luv truck that nobody loved. It was an overhead cam 4 cylinder that I didn’t know anything about. I didn’t have a book to tell me how to do it and Google wasn’t on my rotary phone 25 years ago. So I used my common sense mechanical abilities and lined up some Mark’s on the cam gears and checked for top dead center then I took it apart. I bought the truck for $50. A friend of mine Terry (Goober) Baker that passed away last month from one of the very mean cancers towed it home for $25 . I spent $12 on a new head gasket put it back together without a torque wrench or specs just tightened it 3 times from the center of the head out. Put some RTV on the old valve cover gasket. Then I sold it a few days later for $150. to the first person that answered the add in the paper. Luckily it was gone before any of my friends knew I even touched a foreign engine that would have been hard to live down back then. A few years later 1991 I bought a 1989 S10 with a 2.5 4cyl 5 speed. It was a throttle body fuel injection version of the Great Pontiac Iron Duke that was a great truck. Worked that truck to death but it would not die. Skwealed the tires 1st,2nd, and 3rd every time it moved. Hauled over a half ton of gravel more than once. Towed at least 10cars with a dolly. Hauled 50ton to scrap for peanuts. Bounced out of 3 ditches when we used to have a winter, because there is nothing like 2nd gear.exspecialy when I decided to go whale balls crossing the start line in the the tuff truck competition at the county fair to take 7th place out of 60 when it was still my daily driver. The first Duramax diesel dually we had at work my boss bought in August after they started production didn’t make it back home from Scottsdale it made it a 100 miles east of Albaquerky ,because the injectors were all cracked. Yet I rode in one a few months ago that had a super charger and it did burnouts until the tires blew. Then it blew a bunch more.
Custom is cool
Custom is cool it’s what I live to do. Original restorations are great to preserve what was. Custom retro rods and rides are what is you as a builder, designer or just a lucky owner.
Who gives a $hit what goes in what. Most ford restro mods cars and trucks built in the 50′ have GM drive trains.
If someone is have fun in a well put together ride that’s all that matters….
NOT YOUR OPINIONS…..
imho…
???
Vintage cars are the most attractive to purchase near the racers therefore people tend to buy these cars. You can have research proposal on topics mill web. I like the blue one which is amazing to see and thinking to take a ride on that car.
People with little minds are always worried about what other people are doing. When you accomplish something great it makes the weak minded jealous. Whoever is buying these trucks will pay more for them than most weak minded people make in a year, so Cummins in a Chevy…. absolutely
For 18 wonderful years I had an 82 C30 3+3 with a 12 valve, built T400 with Allison TQ and a Gear Vendor under/over. Worked the tar out of her and she always came back foe more! Can’t wait for the EV truck scene to get worked out as I don’t miss the stink.