Corner Office
It's not all about hard work however, and the truck has a luxurious side as well. The interior was done in King Ranch style, using natural leather with perforated green suede inserts, stitched by Joey Amadore from Classic Customs in Medley, Florida. For a personal touch, the four bucket seats and center console were embroidered with the Diesel Wheels crest, and the tan carpet and headliner are a perfect match.
Long trips are more fun with a professional sound system, so Mike and Carlos at Premium Auto provided the stereo, beginning with a Kenwood head unit and a 71/2-inch screen. In addition to GPS navigation, it controls the JL Audio amps hidden under the rear seats that energize the pair of 12-inch subs, four mids, and four tweeters positioned around the cab.
Lots of work was required to create the truck's slammed stance, beginning with new inner fender panels and relocated engine and transmission mounts. Emphasizing the dual nature of the truck, this hard-working turbodiesel got its share of cosmetic upgrades as well as increased turbo boost, a DiabloSport Programmer, and a free-flowing four-inch exhaust. Note the chromed tools mounted on the radiator shroud.
Naturally, as the Diesel Wheels shop truck, rolling stock was an important part of the finished product. All six wheels are Diesel Wheels Premier Series 24x81/4-inch Revenge models wrapped in Nankang 295/35R24 rubber. The wheels are 10-lug versions bolted to Diesel Wheels adapters. The Ford also uses Diesel Wheels adapters out back that accommodates the wide rubber without narrowing the rear axle.
Three-Piece Suit
The most dramatic change to the exterior was the '05 Ford Super Duty clip featuring custom-made Red's grille inserts, cut to fit the multiple openings and then chromed. Lighting upgrades are from Recon Truck Accessories and include HID lights, taillights, side markers, and a center brake light. Side mirrors from an Excursion replace the oversized Super Duty towing mirrors.
Doing double duty as a spare tire and as another form of advertising, the 24-inch Diesel Wheels spare was sunk into the bed sheet metal. A Lund tri-fold tonneau cover is removed when it's time to showcase the product. PPG Emerald Green and Sunburst Copper Pearl paint sets the truck apart from the crowd, sprayed by Emilio Oliveros at Body Tech. He also did the pinstriping and the Diesel Wheels crest.
Power Broker
Under the hood, custom touches include new inner fender panels that were fabricated using trailer fenders that were widened to fit. Painted to match, they are still easily removed. The jack handle and the lug wrench were chromed and mounted above the radiator. The detailed 7.3L Power Stroke diesel benefits from a K&N air filter, Red's redesigned, smaller-diameter turbine wheel for increased boost, upgraded injectors, DiabloSport Programmer, and 4-inch aluminized exhaust with a Flo-Pro muffler. The combination produces 325 horsepower and 680 lb-ft of torque. To ensure all the power gets to the rear wheels, the four-speed automatic transmission was upgraded by Tranny Tech in Hialeah, Florida, using a Sun Coast torque converter and Red's shift kit. Thanks to the 3.73-geared rearend, the truck turns a leisurely 2,000 rpm at 75 miles an hour and pulls the trailer effortlessly.