Would You Use This Peterbilt Tow Truck From a Fast & Furious Spinoff As Your Daily Driver?

While the saga owes its success mainly to the insane driving stunts, the chemistry between characters, and sentimental, oddly complex storytelling, the cars featured in the films have also been at least as big a draw as the adrenaline-pumping action.

Among the automotive eye candies we've seen on the big screen is this Peterbilt Tow Truck that played a major role in the 2019 film Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. If you haven't seen the franchise's first spinoff, the highly modified tow truck was driven by Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham in their portrayal as Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw, respectively, who use it in the final action-packed sequence of the movie to bring down a Black Hawk attack helicopter from the sky.

Johnson's character Luke Hobbs, a former British special forces soldier turned into polished mercenary, was not the kind of guy to drive flashy cars. Instead, he is mostly seen behind the wheel of striking utility vehicles, some of which are postapocalyptic-looking machines that favor strength over speed.

The Peterbilt Tow Truck is the perfect kind of beast for Hobbs. Based on a 1983 Chevrolet Suburban chassis, the truck was specifically built for the 2019 spinoff and is said to have cost $285,000 USD to build. After filming, the prop truck was used for promotional purposes, and the Rock himself drove it again to the Hobbs & Shaw premiere.

The Chevrolet-based vehicle is fitted with a modified Peterbilt truck body boasting a green and red paint scheme with light green graphics all over and significantly upgraded running gear and drive train. Noteworthy features are the Peterbilt logo grille, faux Turbonetics turbine housings, and chrome exhaust stacks.

Since this is a movie prop, the design is anything but ordinary. For instance, there are no tailights or turn signals on the truck, and the flatbed houses a prop tow rig with a big A-frame, a hand-crank chain drum, and bronze chains that were used to miraculously hook onto the helicopter.

The prop truck is the handiwork of Dennis McCarthy, a master builder with a passion for hot rods and off-road vehicles. The man has been building cars for the Fast & Furious series since Tokyo Drift, and his main responsibility is to create vehicles that may have a classic appearance on the outside but rely on modern, capable underpinnings.

In the case of the Peterbilt Tow Truck, power comes from a 6.2 liter Chevrolet LS3 V8 crate engine capable of outputting 525 hp at 5,900 rpm and 425 lb-ft of torque at 4,600 rpm. It features electronic fuel injection, an alloy radiator, and a dual exhaust system and is coupled to a three-speed automatic transmission, sending power to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential.

If you've browsed the photo gallery, you might have noticed the hefty turbos visible on the sides of the car. We wish those were real, but they are just props. The truck's engine is naturally aspirated, and the actual exhaust system is in its usual place underneath the vehicle.

The truck rides on 8-lug 20" wheels with simulated beadlocks and shod in massive 39.5″ Pit Bull Rocker tires. Due to its intended use as a stunt vehicle, it features King adjustable remote-reservoir coilover shock absorbers on all four corners, power-assisted disc brakes, and a multi-link suspension system.

The interior of the Peterbilt truck is minimalist, fitted with Beard bucket seats with tan vinyl and cloth upholstery, while the door panels, rear bulkhead, and headliner feature diamond-stitched black vinyl. At the front of the cab, there is an alloy dashboard with AutoMeter gauges, a wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel, and a floor-mounted shifter. For safety reasons, the vehicle was built with a roll cage and featured a power cutoff switch.

The five-digit odometer shows 1,900 miles (3,057 km), but this is the mileage since the build was completed. The total mileage, including that of the original Suburban chassis, is not known. The Carfax report indicates a potential odometer rollback from 2002.

After successfully completing its duty as a movie prop and promotional vehicle, the LS-powered Peterbilt Tow Truck eventually got into private hands. The current owner acquired it in 2019 and is now offering it for sale. Interestingly enough, even though it is a prop vehicle, the truck is fully functional, road-legal, and comes with a California title.

Now, please leave everything you know about engineering and the law of physics at the door, check out of reality, and re-watch the final scene of Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw in the video below.