Daystar Bootlegger 1941 Dodge Power Wagon with 720 horsepower

Daystar wanted to build a truck in short order to go “whiskey & wheeling” on an episode of Xtreme 4×4.

So what better theme than a “bootlegger” truck?

“Bootlegger,” a 1941 Dodge Power Wagon, is not your ordinary SEMA build. It was built entirely by Daystar employees over a 50-day period, and introduced this morning at the 2016 SEMA Show. Its outside is adorned in beautiful copper bodywork, and it’s powered by an Edelbrock GM LS 416-cubic-inch E-Force Supercharged Crate Engine that makes 720 horsepower.

Summit Racing helped with the build, providing the engine, wiring, fuel lines, and more (check out the unique vehicle sponsors list etched into the truck’s fender in the photo gallery below).

Bootlegger also features a Hughes 4L80E transmission, wooden bed provided by Bed Wood, a Dakota Digital dash, and three layers of Dynamat in the interior, among many other parts. But the copper tends to get most of the attention.

“It actually wasn’t that hard to roll,” said Kelly Herring, Daystar’s regional sales manager. “We have a good guy in our shop that’s great with fab work.

“But it wasn’t cheap.”

Bootlegger’s air intake is made up of 4-inch, 90-degree solid copper bends. Each cost $100.

The Daystar crew finished Bootlegger in August, and immediately took it wheeling in the back woods of Tennessee. It participated in Xtreme Offroad Adventure 48 hours after it was finished, then made a trip to Alaska to explore its natural habitat. Finally, Bootlegger arrived at SEMA, where the public got the chance to see it for the first time today.

See more pictures of Bootlegger in our photo gallery below, and check out the video introducing the Bootlegger project to the world.

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Author: Sean Cutright

Sean Cutright is the OnAllCylinders.com Managing Editor.