A Mighty D100 Earns Its Stripes
Jeff Dunlap likes to boogie. No, not in the disco kind of way, although we guess we can’t rule that out for certain. He likes to race through road courses as quickly as possible, which is how we prefer to use the term “boogie” in our neck of the woods.
With some good ol’ autocross on the brain, Jeff wanted to make sure that whatever he built would stand out on the track. After all, when you’re racing at popular events like Goodguys that also happen to be huge friggin’ truck/car shows, you’d better show up with something unique.
As co-owner of Scot Rods Garage, this was especially important to Jeff and the rest of the SRG crew. Having a ready and willing group of guys to help churn out a project like this was part luck and part design, as Jeff and partner Scot McMillan have surrounded themselves with a truly talented staff throughout the years.
Jeff told us that things got underway pretty quickly once he’d decided what kind of truck to get. In fact, it had been staring him in the face for quite a while. “The truck started out as a long-bed with a Dodge 360 engine from a school bus. It had been sitting in a ditch across from the original Scot Rods Garage. The truck kinda ran and drove, so I offered the owner a ridiculously low amount of money and he took it. Next thing you know, I did a one-tire burnout at our shop, and then tore it down to the frame for a complete rebuild,” Jeff told us.
The truck, a ’71 Dodge D-100, was in dire need of some help, but that’s what Scot Rods Garage specializes in, so it was right up Jeff’s alley. One of the first things they took care of was cutting the frame down and slapping on a shorty bed. There’s nothing wrong with a long bed, but the shorter the wheelbase, the better on those tight and technical autocross courses.
With the chassis 14 inches shorter, there was still a ton of work to do. There was no way that the factory suspension would handle well, and really, it wasn’t even worth trying to modify it just to get ho-hum performance out of it. The SRG crew was already used to fitting Ford Crown Victoria front sub-frames to old Blue Ovals, so they decided to give it a go on the ol’ Dodge. And you know what? It worked out beautifully, especially with its new RideTech coil-overs.
Out back, keeping some sort of live axle was considered for a short time, but the idea was tossed when someone suggested a newer Dodge Challenger IRS with another pair of RideTech coil-overs. A pair of stout SRT8 half shafts was used to turn the 20-inch Niche Milan wheels and sticky Nitto NT05 tires, which were now set up to take maximum advantage of the truck’s new, modern suspension.
Although the tired 360 could have been rebuilt, Jeff was looking for relatively cheap, easy horsepower that wouldn’t require a special order when it came to replacement parts. So, you guessed it, LS time. More specifically, a 6.0L, which is mostly stock internally but has some mods aimed at reliability. A major change that you’ll notice is that the engine has been converted to carburetion, with a dual plane intake manifold and Quickfuel 780-cfm carburetor. It also sports billet aluminum Frankenstein Engine Dynamics heads for improved flow. Boasting 500 hp and backed by a TREMEC T56, heading down the track at record pace shouldn’t be a problem.
The rest of the truck is just as much all business as the chassis and drivetrain—no frills, but plenty of thrills! The interior is pretty spartan, with 2013 Mustang buckets, Auto Meter gauges and Dynamat to keep excessive heat and noise out of the cab. The exterior is essentially stock (sans the shortening), but the front end wears a custom valance and splitter for increased downforce. Nothing fancy with the paint, either, Rust-Oleum’s finest adorns the sheet metal for a classic, worry-free finish.
With the truck finished and ready for action, Jeff and the Scot Rods Garage guys have been tearing things up at various Goodguys autocross events, and they’ll have probably beaten the tar out of it at other road course events by the time you read this. It’s awesome to see such an oddball truck as the D-100 handle some business.
Tech Specs:Owner: Jeff DunlapScot Rods Garage1971 Dodge D-100Southlake, TX
EngineGM 6.0L LS engine Work performed by Scot Rods Garage and Dederichs MotorsportsFrankenstein Engine Dynamics aluminum headsGM Performance hydraulic roller liftersGM LSX/LS3 dual plane intake manifoldQuickfuel 780-cfm carburetorCadillac-style air cleanerLSA exhaust manifoldsStainless Works 2.5-inch exhaust1979 Bronco radiatorFord Mark VIII cooling fansMSD ignitionPainless Performance wiring harnessTREMEC T56 manual transmissionMcLeod clutchAmerican Drivetrain driveshaft
Chassis & SuspensionWork performed by Scot Rods GarageChassis shortened2005 Ford Crown Victoria front sub-frame2013 Chevrolet front brakes with Brembo rotorsWilwood master cylinder2010 Dodge Challenger IRSSRT8 35-spline half shaftsRideTech coil-oversAddco front sway barEibach rear sway bar1967 Mustang fuel tank
Wheels & Tires20×8.5 and 20×10 Niche Milan wheels255/35ZR20 and 315/35ZR20 Nitto NT05 tires
Body & PaintWork performed by Jeff and Scott at Scot Rods GarageShort-bed swapBed cut out for suspensionCustom valance with splitterFactory grille powder-coated wrinkle blackClear taillightsRust-Oleum semi-gloss black paint
Interior & StereoWork performed by Scot Rods GarageDynamat sound-deadening material2013 Ford Mustang bucket seatsAuto Meter gaugesCustom aluminum door panelsWood inlay tri-spoke steering wheelBillet steering columnOptima battery
Special Thanks From the Owner: “I would like to give thanks to my family first. Next, I would like to thank everyone that has and still works at Scot Rods Garage. There have been many sleepless nights trying to get the truck together for some events. I thank all the automotive vendors that make such awesome products, such as RideTech, GM Performance and Dederichs Motorsports.”
A carbureted 6.0L GM engine might seem counterintuitive at first since they come fuel injected, but Jeff wanted to keep things simple. It’s nothing to scoff at, either: 500 horses on tap get this Dodge down the track at breakneck speeds.
Although Crown Vic front sub-frame swaps are becoming quite popular with the F-100 crowd, Jeff decided to go into uncharted territory and install one on his D-100.
Aside from being eye candy, the Dodge Challenger independent rear suspension does a great job of keeping the Nitto tires stuck to the pavement. Custom mounts secure a set of RideTech coil-overs.