Hi all just curious to see if anyone has pushed 500+ hp through their pickup with any kind of motor and just any tips or tricks or things you learned would be great. I plan on swapping a built dart 400 into my 94 pickup this summer that will push about 540 hp and torque on pump gas this summer.

 

You will get real good at changing Transmissions , differentials , axles , and driveshafts

There is always going to be a weak link.

Unless the plan is to upgrade all these parts at the time of engine swap.

Then the carnage is just more expensive.

Then you have the normal swap issues like merging the harnesses the exhaust and fuel delivery

 

Oh yea it'll be getting mounted to a turbo 400 trans the motor will be carbed for now so I'm pretty much pulling out all the electronics and the axles are getting replaced with full width Chevy axles. I'm thinking 4wd with 4 paddle tires and she should be one heck of a contender in the sand drags

 

completely possible to achieve. I've come across several high HP v8 swaps on Toyota pickups - look at sites like toyotaminis, minitruckin' etc and other sites catered to the on-road vehicles. Also remember all the racing Toyota trucks being used in various applications, such as NASCAR - of course nothing is stock on these, but well over 500hp.
Also, I know people stick engines like a 2jz in toyota pickups and that engine is capable of putting out more than 500hp - somehow Supra's don't self destruct with all this HP.

FOFF Toyota sounds like a fun project and so does a street monster pickup....but if you're serious about hill climbing this beast, engine choice is only a tiny part of the equation - you're basically going to have to rebuild a whole custom vehicle if you want to lighten it up enough for real uphill speed runs.

 

Yea it will be a mostly custom project. The entire drivetrain and suspensio. Is getting replaced so the only things original will be the body, interior, and frame

 

here's some inspiration for you - not purposed for hill climbing, but very project done on a Tacoma -- http://engineeredtoslide.com/
it's a tacoma body on a custom chassis that uses an S15 Nissan Silva running gear

 

Depends if It's a two or four wheel! Two wheel I'm building a 400 hp turbo blow thur 22R I converted the rear leaf springs to the old chevy style tubular trailing arm, Coilover suspension. The carb I had C&S Carburetor's build me a 390 CFM Holley double pumper. It's an aerosol style spray, it's pretty cool but kinda spendy. As long as you do the running gear and install some type of roll-cage to stiffen the chassis it should be a fun little project.