Chris Lentz, a 55-year-old electrical foreman from Jackson, Michigan, had longed for a jet-powered truck for decades. So he imported a used Czech turbojet engine for $10,000, bought a used 2005 Ford F-150 STX on eBay for $12,000, and set about fabricating his dream.
Lentz’s jet engine was designed in the mid-1950s by the Czechoslovakian company Motorlet to power the L-29 Delfin jet trainer. The powerplant weighs 728 lbs and produces 1962 pounds of thrust at 15,500 rpm.
Unfortunately, according to Automobile Magazine, the truck isn’t fast at all. Without jet assist, Lentz’s 231 hp V8 accelerated its 6600 lbs (truck, jet engine and two occupants) to 60 mph in a sluggish 14.5 seconds, with a top speed of 85 mph. With the thrust of the jet engine, it manages the 0-60 mph run in 8.5 seconds, with a top speed of 140 mph.