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Stroked Lightning

Big Performance in a Small Package

By Carl Calvert
photographer: Carl Calvert

 2004 Ford F250 Super Duty Rear Drivers Side View
Click here for more photos and story!

Take a good look at the Super Duty that graces these pages. Although it started life as a single-cab longbed, it's obvious that something has changed in the F-250's makeup. Rolling Big Power, the owner of this fiery Ford, has taken some liberties with this stock Super Duty, and the result is a gutsy little powerhouse on wheels, nicknamed Stroked Lightning by the company.

Rolling Big Power (RBP), located in Corona, California, is famous for taking stock diesel trucks and turning them into customized performance warriors. Naturally, the '04 Super Duty you see here is no exception. Built as a promotional show vehicle and rolling advertisement for RBP's shop, the Ford sports a number of performance upgrades, body enhancements, and interior refinement to make any diesel enthusiast sit up and take notice.

 2004 Ford F250 Super Duty Front Passengers Side View
The modification that makes this F-250 unique is that it has been shortened and outfitted with a short bed.

The first thing you'll notice about the bright-red Ford is its shortened stature. The frame of this standard-cab longbed has been cut down to fighting size, and it has been fitted with a short (or regular) bed, creating an unusual and eye-catching custom configuration. As if this wasn't enough, RBP planned out an aftermarket regiment for the red fireball that would turn it from stock to shock in a few short months. These eye-catching modifications included some flawless bodywork and paint, a suspension reduction, a hard-hitting array of performance upgrades, some interior refinement, and much, much more.

 2004 Ford F250 Super Duty Exhaust Tip
A Rolling Big Power stainless exhaust produces better exhaling abilities and adds a few extra ponies to the mix.

Since RBP's main shop emphasis is performance, the company wanted this Super Duty to realize its full potential. To that end, RBP's crew started the performance process by bolting on one of the company's stainless steel exhaust systems that gave the Ford some more versatile exhaling abilities, freeing up some additional horsepower. Also joining the power team is a 160hp computer module and a Volant air intake system, both installed at RBP's headquarters, and a transmission upgrade, courtesy of John Wood Automotive, in Holtville, California.

 2004 Ford F250 Super Duty Interior A Pillar Gauge Pod
An RBP-installed gauge pod includes a pyrometer, boost, and transmission temperature gauges.

However, the power enhancers didn't stop there. RBP also performed a ceramic-coating process on the exhaust system, turbo and intercooler lines, and to keep track of the Ford's newfound performance, the company installed a triple gauge pod, with pyrometer, boost, and transmission temperature readouts. The result of these careful ministrations is that the Super Duty now puts an impressive total of 474 hp to the ground.


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