Pinch me… I gotta be dreamin’ !
An old and dear friend sent me an email recently. The subject line was, “I am so jealous” followed by, “Gale; you have made the perfect gear head life”! My first thought was, “how the hell did I pull that off”?
Well, I think I have turbocharging to thank for that, not to mention my 60 year obsession with speed. Plus my folks, and every friend who lifted me up along the way…They did this! I only wish they were all alive to see where their help has taken me. Just think; it all started in Lynwood, California back in 1956 hot rodding the four banger in my $35, 1931 Model A Ford.
Dateline, 7-5-16, Moraine, Ohio
Gale, you’re not in Kansas any more!
Beginning Friday July 1 and through all of this week, the folks at the Duramax plant will assemble nothing but our Banks special, 866T 3/4 engines! By the end of this week 2086 engines will ship to our warehouse and be crated.
Other than the intake and exhaust manifolds, these specially machined engines are missing everything external including the vibration damper and oil sump. They are feed stock for various Banks engine builds including Marine, Defense and Racing. Engines for the Oshkosh JLTV, the replacement for the HMMWV, being our immediate engine production effort.
All I wanted was the fastest car in town…I never saw this coming. – Gale Banks
July 5, 2016, Banks’ special, 866T base engines come off the line at Dmax in Moraine, Ohio. They will end up at Banks Power in Azusa California to be built into Marine, Military and Racing engines. The Dmax plant started our special blocks on July 1 and will have 518 Banks partial engines done by the end of today’s shift! They’re shooting for 2086 by the end of the week!
Here’s the first days production of the specially machined Banks 866T V8, engine blocks. This is only one days production, the Dmax plant will be machining these for a week. The first 518 of them made it down the line today as well and are now our Banks special 866T partial engines ready to ship. In Azusa, Ca. they will be finished, turbocharged, injected, wired, plumbed, dressed, get a brain, be schooled and pass a test…Dyno test that is.
California here I come! Banks special 866T partial engines loading up in Moraine, Ohio! Final destination Azusa, Ca. It’s not quite Hollywood, but we’re good with that!
Banks 866T turbo diesel marine engines will hit the market in the spring of 2017!
Banks 866T marine intake manifold features tuned ram tubes and an internal cupro-nickel water cooled intercooler. Duramax Diesel truck pullers love this setup!
Banks on Board!
I can’t show you the military Banks 866T engine, but I can show you the truck it goes in. This is a preproduction Oshkosh Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). Its the vehicle that has won the years long competition to replace the HMMWV.
