Project LBZ has been quite the journey, both for us and for the truck itself. If we didn’t have an actual record of events, you’d hardly believe that we’re dealing with the same truck; it’s changed that much. The truck we started with was a well-kept, if unremarkable, 2007 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD LBZ. At the time, it posted a respectable 359.3hp and 638.1 ft/lbs of torque when we put it on the dyno. When we began the build, Diesel Tech Publisher Greg Larsen wanted to unlock his truck’s hidden potential and really make it dependable.
“I rode in the LBZ when it was box stock and it was alright, just what you’d imagine from a typical Chevy diesel,” says Larsen. “The power and ride were just okay and it wasn’t a very pretty truck, either.”
Just seven months later the truck has evolved to where it sits today and the owner couldn’t be happier.
“The powertrain is unreal. Our goal was 650hp and we easily broke that due to the compound turbos by DRP, the Dynomite injectors, the Sinister exhaust, and the custom-built transmission.”
“One of my favorite things that stands out immediately are the N-FAB steps that help you get into the truck and of course the lift by BDS Suspension,” adds the publisher. “That lift kit and the massive FOX shocks have improved the ride so much. It corners well and handles even better. Not only that, but it was so easy to get up into the mountains for the photo shoot, thanks to the Mickey Thompson tires, Mamba Wheels, and Rare Parts accessories, and seeing the rough terrain was dead simple with the Spyder headlights and Assault LED light bars.”
Something else Larsen is happy about is that the truck has kept the same fuel economy all throughout the build, even after everything that has been done to it.
“People don’t realize that you don’t have to sacrifice fuel economy in a built truck if you do it right,” says Larsen. “It’ll increase the horsepower tremendously and keep the same fuel economy, and that’s where we’re at with it, in the 18-20 mpg range.”
After all we’ve done, there were still just a few odds and ends left that would make Project LBZ sing. We really think this truck has turned into something special, something we’re proud to have bear the Diesel Tech name. With that in mind, we decided to make that literally happen.