Michael Accardi 
Meet Project LokJaw, the tetanus-inducing 1966 Chevy C2 3/4-ton pickup designed and built by Banks Power. The project was designed to show off the company’s freshly minted supercharged L5P Duramax diesel crate engine at the 2021 SEMA Show.
The star of the show is the new Banks D886S power package, a 6.6L Whipple supercharged L5P Duramax diesel crate engine that Banks has invested thousands of hours into research and development work. Based on GM’s supercharged L5P Duramax diesel used in both Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD models, Banks then heavily modifies the engine for performance use.
Based on an L5P Duramax as shipped from Moraine, Ohio, the entire top end and accessory drive of the engine is stripped before Banks gets to work. There’s a new .500 lift cam from Comp Cams which joins new valve springs, also from Comp, and pushrods from Trend with a larger diameter and wall thickness. The valve train also benefits from an improved rocker arm design.
The engine is crowned by a dual-inlet Whipple gen-5 3.8L supercharger which flows an obscene amount of air. Then, in order to capitalize on the increased intake volume, there’s a new set of S&S 50+ psi fuel injectors. The kit breathers through a custom set of headersdesigned specifically to play nice within the tight confines of the C20’s engine bay. Controlling the engine is a MoTeC M142 ECM featuring a custom tune, power is then routed through an ATS-Diesel custom Allison 1000 transmission through a 3.2-inch QA1 carbon fiber driveshaft capable of withstanding up to 2,000-horsepower.
Onto the chassis. Banks ditched the C20’s old and tired original chassis and turned to the folks at the Roadster Shop to source a beefed-up chassis that could accommodate the size difference between the new Duramax-based engine and the truck’s original 350 small-block.
There are custom front spindles from KibbeTech, with beefy 8-lug hubs. The rear gets a custom Strange Engineering 9-inch rear end with an Eaton Detroit Truetrac limited-slip differential and 8-lug hubs. The chassis rides on a Ridetech airbags suspension system.
Project LokJaw rides on a set of Black Rhino wheels, 22-inch in the front, and 24-inches in the rear. Front and back wheels are wrapped in Nitto Invo tires. Braking is handled by Wilwood TX6R 16-inch disc brakes.
On the inside of LokJaw, Banks has totally rejuvinated the C20’s interior with TMI’ Product’s automotive-grade vinyl material using contrasting suede inserts and matching door panels. The dash has a a digital binnacle with critical and ancilliary readouts digitized as well.
The exterior feature’s classic patina, a custom bed floor, with Gale Banks Forced Induction Racing Engines handlettered on the doors.
