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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: 6.5L DIESELSITE 2011-2016 Ford 6.7L Fuel Filter / Water Separator

July 11, 2023

Roadsters have an appeal that’s hard to beat—especially ’32s. No matter where you go, they’re all the rage. It’s not just the hand-built one-offs we’re talking about either; it’s real street roadsters that scream at the heart of cool. For instance, take a close look at Chris Boutilier’s slick ’32. Chris has managed to blend the past with the present, while adding his own pizzazz. His roadster not only looks right, but it also drives like a dream and easily wins awards when he chooses to show it off.

High Speed Med Machine

Starting from the ground up, Chamberlain and his good friend Owen Hopes created a new chassis for the truck using 2X4 boxed steel tubing. Since he was intrigued with the Pro Street look, Chamberlain located some of the widest street legal tires made at the time, knowing they would set the tone for the rest of the project. Almost fat enough to qualify for separate zip codes, the 21-inch wide Mickey Thompson tires were rolled into position and Chamberlain began adjusting everything until they fit.

Inferno

Builders Joe Keenum and Dan Ehle are best friends and business partners. Initially drawn together by their love for classic cars and trucks, the two have created a number of super rods and classic trucks over the years out of their shop in Leighton, Alabama. Keenum and Company has built trucks that compete with the best of the top-name builders in the country. Producing upwards of a dozen custom vehicles a year, the duo decided it was time to go it a bit further and build a radical shop truck that would showcase the expert craftsmanship the shop is capable of producing.

After running across this 1972 Chevrolet 1/2-ton pickup in early 2006, they felt this was the classic truck that would make the ideal candidate for the project they had in mind. 0nce Keenum and Ehle acquired the truck, they began the extensive build. The truck was a nice driver, and the previous owner performed a rather simple hot rod restoration, leaving the truck on the frame and updating a few of the components here and there. However, Keenum and Company had other plans for this classic.

Spotlighter

Easy Out

Adding a MagnaFlow After-Cat Exhaust System Will Provide Good Looks and a Boost in Power

In this day and age, getting the most power out of your late-model truck or SUV is both difficult and easy. Now that we have covered ourselves technically, we will give you the reasoning behind this convoluted theory. New vehicles are hard to work on but easy to upgrade. See? That was easy.

Author

Matt Emery

Story & Photography

Differences Between New and Vintage Vehicles

New vehicles are so different than those we affectionately call vintage trucks, and the major differences lie with the chassis and drivetrain. Smog laws have made it tough on the aftermarket performance parts sellers, but the sellers figured out how these vehicles could actually work with their re-engineered smog-friendly products. With SEMA’s help, they have been able to create and manufacture many great parts that continue to increase and improve upon the stock horsepower that comes from the factories.

The Importance of After-Cat Exhaust Systems

One of those areas of improvement is the after-cat exhaust system such as this one from MagnaFlow. A number of aftermarket companies make such systems for a variety of cars and trucks, since the factory systems simply leave a lot to be desired in terms of performance and sound. The OEs had to make the government happy, so their stock mufflers were as efficient and cost-effective as possible to make and employ. In their efforts to make these components quiet and cheap, they were too restrictive, power output was negatively impacted and they sound horrible. Well, a stock exhaust doesn’t have much of a resounding note to it. Also, the exhaust tips leave lots to be desired in most cases, and on most truck applications there are no snazzy tips at all—just a treated tailpipe hanging down from below the chassis. That doesn’t exactly look like a performance statement, either.

Advantages of the MagnaFlow System

With the MagnaFlow system, however, you can be sure that you are getting both the best power that your engine is capable of and a high-quality stainless steel exhaust system that is not comparable to the stock-treated, mild-steel systems that come from the factory. In fact, MagnaFlow was awarded an ISO-9001 certificate from the International Organization for Standardization, and the ISO-9001 has 20 specific designs, materials and process requirements that a company must meet or exceed before it can be awarded such certification. This was no chore for MagnaFlow; it has been building exhaust components for more than 20 years, so it knows what it’s doing and what should be done.

Installing the MagnaFlow System on a Ford Expedition

We were on hand to follow along as the MagnaFlow installation crew made short work of this Ford Expedition. We wanted to see what would be involved for this simple upgrade. And as we expected, they had the job done in no time, the results were easily recognizable and the Ford had achieved more power and a better sound (if you want to hear it, check out the MagnaFlow website—the site has sound recordings of MagnaFlow-equipped vehicles). Follow along as they did the job on this Ford, and see if such a system would not make sense on the truck you and your family drive to work, school, and the automotive parts store.