Turbo Charged Down Range
When most soldiers are deployed over seas, also known as being down range, they try and find anything to help occupy their time. Typical past times include working out, reading, and watching movies. Then, you have guys from the 7th Engineer Dive Team. Their idea of a good time is to take a completely wrecked vehicle and turn it into a turbo charged work truck, or more importantly, a stress reliever.
What started out as just a couple of guys getting together on Friday nights, sitting around drinking coffee, and sharing their personal experiences regarding ways in which they were successful in making their cars faster soon grew into something more. One thing led to another, and casual conversation turned into serious brainstorming of ways to perfect and execute their new ideas, "the need for speed" or need for hilarious overkill as they liked to call it. In a short period of time, the Friday night crew of four motor heads, grew to six or eight guys. Some of the guys didn't even know what a turbo charger was, yet were interested in getting involved as a way to deal with the down time. Being a Diver did give them all an advanced knowledge of airflow and pressure. The crowds interests varied. There was a Jeep guy, a few sports car guys, and a few bike guys. However, everyone was shooting for one common goal, the lust for gross displays of power.
After several nights of tossing back and forth hypotheticals, the guys felt it was time to stop talking the talk and start walking the walk. They were bound and determined to turbo charge a truck, while stuck in
Kuwait and in between combat missions. Initially, the crew questioned their ability to obtain the materials they needed, as well as a location in which they could work. However, where there's a will, there's a way, and with the extreme boredom from which most deployed soldiers are familiar, anything was possible.
One of the guys was able to locate two DRMO (Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service), Land Cruisers from another base. The dream started to progress slowly, but surely. Getting the proper authority and permission to work on the vehicle was painless, for three reasons. First, everyone wanted to see if the team could really put a turbo charge on a FJ Land Cruisers that could barely stay together. Second, the trucks could be used for dive operations on base instead of wasting away in a lot. Finally, all of the work was done during personal time, not affecting the soldiers' work schedules. The crew got together and dug up two flat bed trucks, which were used to retrieve their "toys". As promised, one early military morning, the crew went down to the DRMO lot, strapped the trucks on, and headed back to base. When the two trucks rolled in, the reactions of the crew varied. Some saw two piles of gold, and others saw two piles of "$%@^"; mostly they just laughed. The Cruisers were military work vehicles used in the nineties, and they definitely looked the part.
Although the these were not exactly the vehicles the crew had envisioned as a high performance speed demon, they were still eager to get started and see what they could accomplish. One of the FJ's was used for spare parts. The other (affectionally named Divers Radical Death Machine 2), which was in some sort running condition, was going to be the "Turbo Charged Truck". The plan launched off to a slow start. The inside of the less intact truck was gutted. Parts from the other truck that needed to be replaced or modified were also removed.
Surprisingly, there are no speed shops or hot rod garages in the Middle East (shocking I know). So the Dive Team had to resort to some; shall we say unorthodox engineering methods. The piping was planned out using manila folders and duct tape; and the oil send and return lines were sealed with high quality JB Weld. Hilarity ensued.
The crew began welding and bending parts in order to get the Volvo turbo charger installed properly. Properly being a loosely defined term; the crew decided that the mechanical prowess was just to good to hide; so the hood was promptly cut to allow for their unique over the top configuration.
There were periods in which the job was put on hold, due to the fact some or all of the crew was called to duty for various missions. Those called to duty, were sent on dive missions to all parts of the middle east, including Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. The guys left in the rear continued to do little odd jobs on the truck, in order to keep progress moving forward. The guys on missions remained in contact via email, to see if anything had changed, regarding the status of the truck. However, when the guys returned from their missions and the team was back together, they worked on all six cylinders so to speak.
Following several months filled with endless cups of coffee and a lot of laughs, the truck was finished. The FJ was ready for its first turbo charged test of torque and throttle responsiveness. The real fun for the 7th Dive team had finally come. Out on an empty lot used for storage or LCAC ( Landing Craft, Air Cushion) landings for unloading the Marines and their gear, the FJ took off. Everyone got their turn to put the pedal to the metal and hear that turbo roar. The pavement was covered in burnt rubber.
After the everyone had a chance to conduct gross displays of power, the jeep guys got a hold of it. Like most jeep guys, they looked for ways to get it dirty or stuck. The turbo charged FJ became an off road vehicle, headed straight for the beach of Kuwait. They ventured up and down the dunes, through the water and into the soft sand. The guys quickly learned that even the extra torque had limits. The FJ was stuck on the beach, unable to 4x4 its way out. Another jeep was needed to help free the project truck from the grips of the soft sandy beach.
Creation of the FJ was not just a way to keep the crew busy in times of boredom. It was a true success, proving that with enough determination, persistence, and team work, anything is possible. The truck is now used recreationally, as well as for the day to day diving operations for the 7th Dive Team. As they redeploy back home, the keys to their weekend project are being handed over to the new team.
7th Dive looks forward to seeing what new visions and modifications can be done to the project truck, that was so instrumental in passing the time and relieving stress, while away from home and loved ones. As the crew handed over the keys to the new team, they realized that although they themselves will be leaving the middle east, leaving that FJ will leave behind a piece of them forever; maybe literally - there was some scarring involved.
Marty Lott
