Our new desert toy.
Illustration by Todd Emmons
Here's the plan: Take an '04 F-150 that no one in the aftermarket has ever seen before and build it into a capable go-fast off-road truck in under 11 weeks for the SEMA show in Las Vegas. But don't worry, our stress is your excitement as this truck will be built to rock--even if it never crawls on them. Of course, by the time you read this the SEMA show may have come and gone, but the project will have only just begun as this new F-150 could prove to be our gateway into the desert race scene that we've been away from for the last few years. We'll let you, the readers, decide if you want to see more.
We've already lined up JD Fabrication in San Marcos, California, to brew up a max-travel independent front suspension that will let us keep the truck four-wheel drive--even with double-digit suspension travel. The next step will be some custom bodywork and paint to set our Ford apart, followed by some interior upgrades that will keep us safe and comfortable, no matter how far off the road we get.
This month we'll get started by showing you what we've got to work with and give you some clues about where we're headed. Check in next month to see how we're making out, but read fast 'cause this project is going to move quick. Try to keep up!
There are three different cab combinations to choose from with the new F-150--regular cab, SuperCab, and SuperCrew. Initially we thought we were going to get a SuperCrew for the extra interior space and 138 1/2-inch wheelbase--hence the four-door in the artist's rendering. Early availability dictated that we go with this FX4 SuperCab with a 144.4-inch wheelbase instead. Our truck showed up with the Flareside bed that's still growing on us, and running boards that we've already ditched, but we dig the interior and no-chrome look. | 
When we showed the truck to Jesse Nelson and Dave Dinsmore of JD Fabrication they told us we would need to have new bulged fenders made to cover the tires with the wide-track front suspension they had planned. We made a call over to Glassworks Unlimited in Huntington Beach and Tim Gerwatosky (pictured) asked us to bring the truck down right away so he could pull the fenders off to mock up the new pieces. We got a lot of looks from other truck owners while driving the new F-150 already, and now we get even more without the fenders on it! | 
We plan on replacing the rear 9 3/4-inch Visteon axle with a wider Dana 60 for strength and parts availability. We've retained Dynatrac to build the axle because it's the only company that we know of that can adapt a rear-wheel speed sensor onto the differential. Just in case it caught your eye, no, that trick polished 3-inch stainless steel exhaust isn't factory. It's a prototype system that Magnaflow used our truck to fabricate. |
The new 300hp 5.4L three-valve engine is based on the previous engine of the same displacement, but the new intake manifold and electronic throttle control nixed every existing speed part we could think of for the engine. We have plans for an intercooled supercharger by the end of the year because we hear a few companies are already working on it. | 
Looking at the stock dyno numbers that Magnaflow recorded for us, we're going to need more power for what we want to do with this truck. | |