If you’re anything like us, you have likely watched countless videos of 1,000-plus horsepower sandrails doing power wheelies at insane speeds. A toy like that needs a power plant that is reliable, durable, and completely sorted. Enter Wegner Automotive, known for producing dependable engine packages that make more power than most people will ever need. Wegner’s latest engine offering specifically for sandrails is no different.

The Wegner sandrail engine package is similar to its other engine offerings for street cars and racing applications with a few changes that make it suitable for being mounted in the rear of a sandrail. The Wegner motto is “We Don’t Build. We Engineer” and that approach is part of what makes its engine packages reliable at four-digit power levels. A meticulous attention to detail and the use of top-tier components results in an engine package that can handle the rigorous environment of the dunes.

Wegner starts with a Dart SHP Pro Iron block as the foundation and fills it with a strong rotating assembly consisting of a Callies Compstar eight-counterweight forged crankshaft with a four-inch stroke, Oliver billet connecting rods, and Mahle supercharger pistons featuring an anodized top ring groove. This combination results in 427 cubic inches of LS muscle. Clevite H Series Calico Coated bearings are used for the rods and mains to keep everything spinning freely. A hydraulic roller camshaft designed by Wegner for its supercharger packages controls the valvetrain.

A pair of LS3 cylinder heads are CNC ported by Wegner and then Manley Nextek dual valve springs are installed with titanium retainers. GM LS3 rocker bodies are used with a CHE trunnion upgrade along with HD heavy wall pushrods. Additionally, ARP fasteners are used throughout the engine to keep everything held in place. Because these engines are mounted in the rear of sandrails a Moroso front sump oil pan is used to ensure there is no oil starvation.

The eye candy of a Wegner-built LS engine is typically the accessory drive and signature valve covers. While the sandrail engine package has those components, the attention will surely be on the big 3.8L Whipple supercharger sitting atop this beast. For the sandrail engine package, Wegner custom specs a reverse inlet version of the Whipple supercharger that uses a huge 130mm Nick Williams throttle body to ingest heaps of air. Inlet air temps are kept in check out on the hot dunes with an air-to-water intercooler located beneath the blower.

To control the engine, Wegner chose a Holley Terminator X Max ECU with 1650cc matched-rate fuel injectors from Fuel Injector Clinic providing plenty of juice to feed this monster. The Wegner sandrail engine package is possibly the easiest way to bolt in big horsepower that will provide hours upon hours of trouble-free fun. On Wegner’s dyno, this package produces over 1,300 horsepower and 1,100 lb-ft of torque. More than enough to make even hardcore sand car enthusiasts giggle. For more information on this engine package as well as the other combinations Wegner Automotive offers visit their site here.