Tesla revealed its outrageous stainless-steel, bulletproof electric Cybertruck in November. Many auto fans thought it was hideous, but its giant dimensions and apocalyptic vibe also earned an immediate following. That includes a Florida car-builder who is now offering this half-done replica—ready to hand off to another Cyberpunk hot-rodder.
Power is not from the expected battery-electric powertrain, but a 454 V-8 equipped with Flowmaster headers and hooked up to a Turbo 400 transmission. The vehicle sits on an old-school 1988 Chevy Silverado 3500 Dually frame. The faux-Cybertruck has a clean Florida title and is being sold “as-is.”
Make a Cyber Statement
Tributes and replica vehicles are built after the vehicle’s actual production. This one will precede Tesla’s production.
The vehicle can be driven. It even has cold air-conditioning. Despite having only a skeletal frame, its body is already immediately recognizable as the Tesla Cybertruck. (Crowds could gather to see it if they aren’t thrown off by the rumbling engine and exhaust.)
The body is framed, and doors have been fabricated, but many panels will have to be made.
The doors have been custom made, but several body panels will need to be fabricated if this thing will look like Tesla’s wild electric truck. Getting that stamped titanium look could be a challenge. Here’s an image from the unveiling of the Cybertruck.
The seller envisions the finished truck as a marketing tool. Park it in front of a business, and it’s undoubtedly going to attract attention. The actual Cybertruck won’t be on the street until late 2021. The first version of Elon Musk’s monster will be the single-motor rear-wheel-drive version. The dual-motor AWD and tri-motor variants are expected in late 2022.
Electric Conversion in Reverse
The vendor claims it is the “only Tesla dually replica in the world. Who could doubt it? The actual Cybertruck starts at $39,900. The bidding on this one is currently low, under $3,000. There is still more than a week to the auction.
The engine is a running 454 V-8 with headers.
In case you’re thinking of taking the plunge, the truck has 37-inch wheels with run-flat tires. The rear rims were custom made for the project, as was the front suspension. The front track is eight feet, four inches—and the back is eight feet, six inches. There is an interior of sorts, featuring two seats, a dashboard with gauges, and a nice wood-rim steering wheel.
This project is the opposite of the new cottage industry that takes drivetrains from crashed Teslas and uses them to re-power all manner of vehicles.
Sam Polyak of Polykup shoehorned a Model S unit into a 2010 Audi S5. Marc Davis of Moment Motors puts Tesla components into vehicles as varied as the BMW 2002 and the DeLorean. And Michael Bream of EV West has converted a stream of VWs, Porsches, and BMWs.
If you need help finishing this project, Chevrolet Silverado 3500 parts are available on eBay. Tesla parts are also supplied.
Building a vehicle that looks like a Tesla but gulps gas instead of electrons? That’s new. A Model S with rear-mounted VW Bug power might be next.
