Every project needs a name—a befitting title that captures the vehicle’s common theme—and Warwick Andrews hit the nail on the head with his rat-rod pickup. Ingeniously coined “Chain Smoker,” his ’47 Fargo FL1 is powered by a P-pumped 12-valve and wrapped in welded chain. You might’ve seen his one-of-a-kind creation on display at SEMA 2019 or on Instagram, but Warwick’s contribution to the diesel rat-rod (or as he likes to call it, art-rod) scene is nothing short of masterful. The original Patina-bodied Fargo sports a tube chassis frame underneath, a full roll cage, a beautifully-executed interior, and a well-fueled, compound turbo’d Cummins in the engine bay.
Packaged tightly between the manifold and passenger fender, you’ll find a 5-blade compound turbo system that’s spec’d to spool fast yet pull extremely hard up top. One of our 5-blade S366/74/.91 T-4 units hangs off a polished Stainless manifold and brings things to life quickly. Directly beneath it, an S485 Godfather (the largest S400 we build at Stainless) spec’d with a 96mm turbine wheel and T-6 1.32 A/R exhaust housing serves as the atmosphere charger. Despite the truck’s use of an NV4500 manual transmission, the high-flow manifold and 5-blade S366/S485 arrangement make the old Fargo surprisingly drivable. A custom triple-disc South Bend clutch helps harness the truck’s estimated four-digit horsepower.
Machine work and assembly of the 5.9L took place at CutterupAuto Machine in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, while CPP Diesel, XDP, and FASS all chipped in to help out on the fuel side. A 220-gph FASS system keeps the benched, Hot Street P7100 from CPP supplied with plenty of fuel, while the XDP-sourced competition injectors—equipped with 5 x 0.024-inch nozzles—handle in-cylinder fuel delivery. To fine-tune the Fargo’s drivability, Warwick uses the Adjuster from Attitude Performance Products.
Warwick isn’t exactly finished with the project, though. Soon, he’ll be placing Chain Smoker under the knife once again. This time, it will re-emerge in the spring with a powder coated frame, relocated turbos, dual side-dump exhaust, and a boat load of other changes. Keep an eye out for it on the ‘Gram…and if you find yourself in Vegas next fall, be sure to check it out at SEMA 2021.
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