When you grow up around monster trucks, you might just end up building your own as an adult. Like a lot of kids, Brandon Overmyer was exposed to monster trucks at an early age—and now it’s his turn to play with the real thing. “My parents had a leaf spring monster truck in the late 90s,” he told us. “Dad had a 4x4 shop growing up, too, so I traveled around to shows and it got into my blood.” Now with a young son of his own (who is, predictably, into monster trucks), Brandon couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy a proven rolling chassis when it came up for sale. Step 1: test-fit a 12-valve Cummins.


“Mentally, I had it built before I ever bought the truck,” Brandon said, which is a big reason why the old Dodge was up and running just two months after he bought it. Starting with a used, de-compressed 12-valve 5.9L Cummins out of a pulling truck he was parting out, Brandon fire-ringed and studded the head, tossed in a Scheid cam, bolted a 13mm P-pump in place, and installed 5x25 injectors before turning his attention to air and exhaust flow. For adequate drivability, while still supporting a 900hp effort on fuel, a 5-Blade Stainless Diesel S475 with an 87mm turbine wheel got the call. It bolts to one of our T-4 12-valve exhaust manifolds that has been flipped, and forces as much as 60-psi of boost through the truck’s PT2000 air-to-water intercooler.

Despite what many might think, neither starting with a proven roller or being able to swap a Cummins into it were the key selling points behind Brandon’s decision to buy the truck. The deciding factor? There was ample space in the cockpit to mount a passenger seat. You can find Brandon’s 3-year-old son, Hunter, riding shotgun up in the vinyl-wrapped, ’69 Dodge’s cab any time he has an opportunity. “I wouldn’t have bought it if there wasn’t enough room for him in the cab,” Brandon admitted. “He’s got every monster jam truck toy there is, but this is his blue monster truck.” At the conclusion of the truck’s first freestyle competition, where the diesel-powered beast was a huge hit, Brandon and Hunter went back out onto the track that evening and crushed some cars in it together.


The weekend before American Outlaw performed in front of a packed grandstand—while the truck was on display at the 4x4 Jamboree in Indianapolis—Brandon was swamped with monster truck fans of all ages, answering questions and penning his name. “I’ve never signed so many autographs in my life,” he laughed. Expect Brandon and American Outlaw’s celebrity to grow as he continues to show and race it in the greater Indiana area. To keep up with all the news, you can check out Brandon’s YouTube channel, Merica-Tv.