Senior Project

Performance Firm’s Patriarch Follows a 10-year Plan to Build an ’06 Dodge Ram 3500 That Can Do Anything.

- Bruce W. Smith

MIKE DUNKS SR.’S tow rig/work truck is a sharp-looking, white ’06 Dodge Ram 3500 that runs every bit as well as it looks, thanks to the very healthy 600hp 5.9L Cummins engine beneath its hood.

Several times a month, “Senior,” as he’s known by many, hooks up a trailer loaded with his street-strip Camaro to compete alongside his two sons, Mike Jr. and Eric, at Woodburn, Oregon’s NHRA-sanctioned dragstrip. Senior is also known for rolling his big rig to the line and making a pass or two in it, with the 8,000-pound beast clipping off very respectable 13.40-second (quarter-mile) elapsed times at 101 mph.

Senior says he’s always had a great affection for high-performance vehicles and his Mega Cab Dodge Ram is no exception. “The majority of changes to my truck over the last 10 years were done to make it a better-performing tow rig and work truck,” he says. “I try to keep its looks and performance current with the times. So, this is a revolving build that’s seen several iterations.”

Dependable Tow Mods

For example, exhaust from the truck’s the 5.9L Cummins spins an Industrial Injection PhatShaft 64 turbocharger (with the 14cm 2 housing to maximize the midrange towing power) while Dynomite Diesel Products’ stump-pulling 90hp injectors boost the fuel.

The other engine modifications include an O-ringed cylinder head, ATS Diesel Performance Pulse Flow exhaust manifold, an AFE air-intake setup with Snow Performance water-methanol injection, and an S&B filter system—all mild but dependable changes. Senior also added a 5-inch stainless-steel Magnaflow exhaust. Senior dialed in towing and track performance with an Edge Products Juice with Attitude programmer and companion CTS monitor.