Mike Racke is no newcomer when it comes to building clean-looking, powerful vehicles. He built an immaculate Duramaxpowered Chevelle back in 2007 that was featured in Diesel Power and Popular Hot Rodding—it even made the cover of Hot Rod. While the Chevelle made a big splash, Mike still needed something to haul classic parts, pieces, engines, and transmissions around. With that goal in mind, he went about building the ultimate Duramaxpowered hauler.
Although Mike liked trucks, he already had a pickup, and the enclosed cargo space of a van really appealed to him. Since the classic Chevelle was a hit, Mike decided to go the oldschool route again. He owned a ’55 Chevrolet 3800 panel truck, but the chassis, steering, and suspension were ridiculously outdated. Since it needed a drivetrain,…