Cool Fact: The "FE" engine...
Cool Fact:
The "FE" engine designation stands not for "Ford Engine" but rather "Ford/Edsel." Edsel Ford was Henry Ford's son and protg.
Oftentimes We See People on the trail who spend all of their money trying to keep up with the Joneses. "Me too" Jeep Wranglers with fancy paint jobs and every accessory available get a bit boring, but Phil "Von Chop" Dunievitz has always marched to the beat of a different drummer, and his '75 Ford F-250 reflects that. The Truckee, California, resident is an arborist and uses his truck as a work vehicle for his company, Top's Tree Service. On the weekends, instead of cutting trees he hits Sierra Nevada trails in his chopped pickup.
During the eight years that Von Chop has owned his F-250, he has modified it to suit his needs. He has had plenty of help along the way from friends at 4x4Labs, Blue Collar Customs, and WTO. Custom touches include functional upgrades like 1-ton axles and dual transfer cases, along with little details like the desert camo headliner. Perhaps our favorite feature, though, is the faded, mismatched body panels from years of use and abuse.
The truck was originally a yellow longbed, but the frame was shortened 20 inches and a shortbed was added with 15 inches removed from behind the rear tires. A green F-100 contributed its body panels to replace the dented sheetmetal on the F-250. Von Chop's truck is proof that you don't need to spend thousands of dollars to have a unique, capable truck for the trail. Although a bigger budget never hurts, it is no substitute for hard work and a little imagination.
 Von Chop made the front bumper...  Von Chop made the front bumper himself with a stick welder and advice from Luke Porter of 4x4Labs. The bumper holds a 12,000-pound MileMarker winch. Below, the factory closed-knuckle, drum-brake Dana 44 was ditched for a high-pinion Dana 60 from a '79 F-350. The axle is loaded with Dutchman axleshafts, Tera hubs, 4.56 Yukon gears, an ARB Air Locker, a Dynatrac diff cover, Howe hydraulic-assist steering, and WTO steering arms that place the tie rod behind the axle. |  Power comes from a 390 V-8...  Power comes from a 390 V-8 with oversized valves, a decked head for higher compression, Sanderson headers, a K&N air filter, and a host of parts from Milodon (gear drive, windage tray, and deep sump pan) and Edelbrock (Performer cam, intake manifold, and carburetor). That still leaves plenty of room under the hood for the ARB Air Compressor, Howe power-steering reservoir, and other accessories. |  The stock 19-spline Dana 60...  The stock 19-spline Dana 60 was ditched for a later-model Dana 60 from a UPS van. The new axle did not require the spindles to be bored for the 35-spline chromoly Yukon axleshafts that are used with an ARB Air Locker, 4.56 Yukon gears, and a Dynatrac diff cover. The axle is located by 63-inch-long leaf springs from a Chevy 1500 with Rancho RS 9000 shocks. |
 The rear bumper was custom...  The rear bumper was custom built for ground clearance and holds two D rings and a pintle hitch. The bumper also doubles as an air tank. Above the bumper Von Chop made a custom tire carrier out of old snow poles and below the bumper he added mudflaps made from snowmobile track. |  The interior may not have...  The interior may not have Mastercraft seats or a chromoly cage, but it's full of style. The desert camo headliner, Betty Paige stickers, Mexican blanket on the seat, and silencer shifter are just a few of the classic details inside the truck. | |
Vehcile: '75 Ford F-250
Drivetrain
Engine: Ford 390ci FE V-8
Transmission: NP435 four-speed manual
Transfer Case: NP203 mated to NP205 with ORD adapter
Front Axle: High-pinion Dana 60 with 4.56 gears, ARB Air Locker, Moser 35-spline chromoly axleshafts, and Warn hubs
Rear Axle: Dana 60 with 4.56 gears, ARB Air Locker, and 35-spline Yukon chromoly axleshafts
Suspension
Springs & Such: Front Skyjacker leaf springs and Bilstein 5100 shocks, rear Chevy 1500 leaf springs on custom mounts and Rancho RS9000 shocks
Tires & Wheels: 39.5x13.5x17 Super Swamper IROKs on 17x9 Cragar steel rims
Other Stuff: 12-inch bobSed bed, custom bumpers, sliders, and transfer-case crossmember, Howe hydraulic-assist steering, WTO steering arms with tie rod behind the axle, frame shortened 20 inches to accommodate shortbed box, mudflaps made from old snowmobile track