Forget the cool weathered sheetmetal for a minute. The primary attraction for diesel fans in Tony Salokas’ 1939 Chevy rat rod lives beneath the hood, where a built 12-valve Cummins churns out 700 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque. Stuffing that much diesel muscle into a vintage Chevy would be enough to earn attention on its own, but Tony and his father, Anthony, didn’t stop there. They backed the engine with stout running gear and packed the truck with handcrafted details that make every walk around reveal something new.
Not The Duo’s First Build
The project began in 2016 after Tony rescued a neglected frame and cab from a friend’s property. While this became the father-and-son team’s first rat rod, they were already experienced diesel builders. One of their previous projects featured a compound-turbo 12-valve Cummins.
A Built 12-Valve Cummins Was The Only Choice
The engine started life as a Facebook Marketplace find from Connecticut, but the buy quickly turned into a complete rebuild. Miller’s Machine Shop in Lincoln University, Pennsylvania, transformed the tired Cummins into a serious performer capable of embarrassing plenty of modern performance cars.
Feeding the six-cylinder is a side-draft intake, Forced Inductions S472 turbocharger, Steed Speed intake manifold, and Haley Speed Innovations 5x.016 injectors. Additionally, a Farrell Diesel Service 160-horsepower injection pump, 188/220 Industrial Injection camshaft, and a Power Driven Diesel mechanical lift pump. Charge-air temperatures are controlled by an air-to-water intercooler, while a Wizard Cooling aluminum radiator and dual 16-inch brushless fans keep both the engine and transmission temps in check. Exhaust exits through four-inch flex tubing and a vertical stack.
The result is a Cummins that delivers an impressive 700 horsepower and 1,200 pound-feet of torque.
Super Duty Components Handle Every Pound-Foot
Building horsepower is only half the equation. Putting four-digit torque to the pavement requires a drivetrain that can survive the abuse.
Tony selected a Ford Super Duty 4R100 automatic transmission professionally built to Stage 4 specifications by Sam Wyse. A custom transmission crossmember fabricated from a Toyota hitch receiver supports the gearbox before power reaches a Ford NP273 transfer case.
Both axles came from a 2006 Ford Super Duty donor. A Dana 60 handles duties up front, while a 10.25-inch rear axle equipped with an Eaton Detroit Truetrac resides out back. Both axles spin 3.73 gears. Additional Super Duty hardware includes a steering box, sway bar, and track bar.
Modified 1949 Ford F6 Chassis, Link Suspension, Coilovers
The truck’s frame started life under a 1949 Ford F6, but little of it remains untouched. It now features extensive Z- and C-notch modifications, along with a three-link front suspension and four-link rear suspension. The front suspension uses custom 2-inch-diameter, 0.250-inch-wall DOM control arms fabricated by Phil Buonforte. They’re mounted to brackets built by Tony. Fox 2.5 remote-reservoir coilovers manage front suspension movement.
The rear suspension includes a Panhard bar and QA1 coilovers. Every link is built from the same heavy-duty DOM tubing as the front control arms, and all pivot on stout 1.250-inch Heim joints.
Completing the package are 12-inch-wide Cali Off-Road Summit wheels wrapped with 305/45R22 Nitto Recon Grappler tires.
Patina Preserved, History Intact
While the diesel drivetrain is thoroughly modernized, the truck’s appearance intentionally celebrates its history.
The body combines a 1939 Chevy cab with a 1940 bed that Tony located in North Dakota. Instead of erasing decades of use, the pair preserved the old cracks, brazing repairs, and rough farmer welds that tell the truck’s story.
The bed was shortened 16 inches, and after experimenting with several rear fender designs, it was decided that the truck looked best without them.
Handbuilt Details Everywhere You Look
The truck is packed with clever details, including a rototiller trench-depth handle repurposed as a cup holder, road signs used as floor coverings, and removable brass knuckles that double as the handle for the modified Super Duty-sourced parking brake system.
Super Duty King Ranch saddle bags are now integrated into the door panels alongside power-heated seats. Furthermore, there are Auto Meter and Omega Kustom Instruments gauges and an ididit tilt steering column. John Kessler crafted the wood bed floor, and the metal bed strips are from LMC Truck. A passenger-side-mounted saw blade creates the illusion that it’s cutting through the bed’s wood floor.
Diesel Power Was Meant To Be Driven
We met Tony, Anthony, and the rat rod at the 2026 Summer 4-Wheel Jamboree. Here’s a fun fact: This truck is not a trailered-everywhere showpiece. In fact, Tony has driven the Cummins-powered beast more than 15,000 miles since its completion. That’s about as rad as the truck itself.
Photos by Ken Brubaker and Tony Salokas
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