2014 Fishmouth Fab/Rage 4th Ultra4 - Dream Chaser - Masterpiece In Metal

After two successful seasons behind the wheel of a PSC Motorsports Ultra4, Tom Allen, owner of PSC, had decided to pull the plug on the off-road program in order to invest more time in his son’s motocross career. As a family man himself, Scherer understood the circumstances, but still wanted to finish the season with a bang. He did exactly that by winning the last race of the Nitto Tire National Championship in Congress, Arizona. The victory had many on Scherer’s side convinced that the Northern Californian native needed to come back even stronger in 2014 by building his own Ultra4. However, tragedy struck late in 2013 when Scherer lost his mother and almost gave up racing altogether.

“Unfortunately, the circumstances changed when my mom tragically passed away back in November,” recalled Scherer. “I went through the whole grieving process and then I realized you’re given one life, and you need to live it to the fullest. I wasn’t completely sure building an Ultra4 car would have been a good decision, but the tragedy gave me a focus in life and allowed to me chase a dream. Plus, my kids are young. So, if I was going to chase this dream, I needed to do it now before my kids got older.” And just like that, Scherer and his team went to work to produce what you see here.

Before tubes could be notched, bent and welded, careful consideration was put into the safety of the new Ultra4 design. “If you were to do a side-by-side comparison of my old buggy and this one, you might not notice a lot of changes. However, a lot of work was done to improve the design,” assured Scherer. “Back in 2008, we had built a car out of 1.5-inch chromoly because we rarely reached speeds over 100 miles-per-hour. Now, we’re going in excess of that. As speeds increase, so does the need for safety. As much fun as we’re having racing, we still want to go home to our families at the end of the day. We also wanted to have a more reliable car, and I think we were able to accomplish that.”

Once Fishmouth Fab finished up the design and construction of the chassis, it was sent over to Scherer as a roller. Immediately, Scherer and the Rage 4th team worked tirelessly to assemble this buggy in only four weeks—at night, after work. The countless long nights piecing together this Ultra4 were worth it, and Scherer will once again start chasing down his dream.

Build Sheet
2014 Fishmouth Fab/Rage 4Th Ultra4
Powertrain
Engine: 427 cubic-inch Chevrolet LS7 V8
Builder: Pacific Fabrication
Max Horsepower: 735 horsepower 
Max Torque: 655 lbs-ft


Modifications: AFR 245-cfm custom heads, FAST intake manifold, Wiseco high-compression piston, Callies rotating assembly, ARE dry sump
Induction: Pacific Fabrication fuel injection, FAST injectors and rails, Weldon fuel pump, Fuel Labs regulator
Transmission: Reid Racing TH400 case and Reid Powerglide Shorty built by Harrison Race Cars

Suspension
Front: Tim and Dallas Lund designed dual A-arm with 20 inches of wheel travel, Fox 3.5 five-tube bypass and 2.5 coilovers
Rear: Tim and Dallas Lund four-link with 30 inches of wheel travel, Fox 3.5 seven-tube bypass and 2.5 coilovers

Cooling
EFE Fans

Wiring
Doug Kennedy

Brakes
Front: Spidertrax Pro Series 14-inch rotors with Jamar x six-piston calipers 
Rear: Spidertrax Pro Series 14-inch rotors with Jamar x six-piston calipers


Wheels/Tires
Wheels: Method 101 17-inch beadlocks 
Tires: 40-inch Nitto Trail Grappler

Exterior
Bodywork: Jeep grille originally narrowed by Jason Paule and hood custom built by Dan Trout

Interior Rugged Radios communication system, race radio and intercom, SPEK programmable gauges, Schroth harnesses, Mastercraft window nets, Beard seat, Aluminos steering wheel, roll chart

General
Chassis: Fishmouth Fab chassis
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 117 inches
Overall Length: 168 inches
Overall Height: 67 inches 
Track Width: 93 inches
Overall Weight: 3,890 lbs.