After a bit of wandering around into Bronco or Luxury Pre-Runner territory, Solomon Lunger (the host of the “Ford Era” channel on YouTube) is back to his greatest love. So, for the latest installment in the “What The Truck” series, a fifth-generation F-Series is posing for the camera.
The affable host of this laid-back Blue Oval fan channel probably felt he needed a trifecta with the 1966 to 1972 F-Series. He previously showcased a 1969 Ford F-100 Ranger that hid a lot of cool muscle car tricks under the patina look, as well as an equally vintage F-250 that made odd Cummins sounds from under the hood.
It seems the workhorse truck owners favor the diesel-swap for these all-rounder vehicles. And this latest (an F-350) one comes to attest the belief, after traveling no less than 1,000 miles (around 1,600 km) from Southern Cali to Arizona. As far as we can tell, the summer road trip was undertaken to attend a show (there’s a glimpse of the premises during the ride-along at the 4:44 mark).
But, more importantly, this is a DIY engine-swapped and chassis-enhanced truck that had no problem going on for no less than 13 hours without pause to make it there. Kudos to the owner as well as his “master fabricator” father-in-law as they were the only ones who undertook the enhancement process.
So, at first glance, we are dealing with a turquoise-painted F-350 that has shiny contrasting chrome bits and a partially white-painted cab. The lift could certainly hint that something is amiss, but more importantly, the engine sound gives it all away. The characteristic 12-valve Cummins soundtrack is easy to recognize if you’re a fan of diesel mills.
But that’s not all, as the little details show this rig – built for working around the farm, gooseneck trailering, family summer road trips (the daughter is in the back, along with the luggage), and other adventures – has more than it meets the eye going for it. Chief among the modifications would be the switch to a Dana 60 front and Dana 80 rear axle setup, while the main idea behind the ‘94 Cummins engine was to get inexpensive off-the-shelf replacement parts at a moment’s notice.
Even the interior hides a couple of neat little details. One would be the third-generation front seats, the other is the new dashboard – which now makes use of F-600 gauges and some modern creature comforts. And there are plans for more of the latter... so probably even lengthier road trips are just around the corner.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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