If you’re brave enough anything can be made into a racecar, and the drag racers of Australia live by that idea. GSL Fabrications decided the world needed a Toyota Land Cruiser drag vehicle, one powered by a twin turbo V8 diesel engine. They took that concept even further by chopping the Toyota up, adding a flatbed, and created a nine-second contraption known as the Frankenmule.
GSL Fabrications is known for building some amazing diesel-powered vehicles and doing some heavy-duty performance work in Australia. For the general population, when you talk about diesel performance images of trucks, towing heavy loads or pulling massive amounts of weight comes to mind, but GSL Fabrications wanted to build something different. The result is a truck and SUV hybrid that has a whole lot going on in all the right places for those who enjoy drag racing.
Powering the Fankenmule is a Toyota 1VDJ 79 Series V8 diesel engine that uses a common rail fuel injection setup. Controlling the diesel madness is an M150 MoTech ECU that has to account for boost from a Precision and BorgWarner turbo combination. A PWR dry ice intercooler helps keep the air cool, while a shot of nitrous oxide adds some extra fun to the equation. Gazzard Brothers built the fabricated 9-inch rearend and Kade Fabrication built the Frankenmule’s roll cage.
Trying to put down over 1,000 horsepower of angry diesel power is not an easy task so that makes driving the Frankenmule a challenge at the track. Check out the videos from A4S Media and Drag Videos Australia as they provide a very accurate portrayal of just how rowdy and Australian the Frankenmule is when it’s going 9.30 at 142 mph.