Next up, J.D. addressed the stock E4OD automatic transmission, which he knew would never hold up to heavy towing on a regular basis. So he took the truck to John Wood Automotive to have it rebuilt and beefed up. Then, with the transmission ready for the long haul, J.D. decided to add more power with a chip from DP-Tuner.
Although the truck was black when J.D. bought it, it was obvious the paint had seen better days. So he stripped the paint himself, took it to a local shop, and had it painted silver. This lasted two weeks. After getting the truck back and noticing a lot of overspray and a poor finish, he had the truck repainted, and obviously, went back to black.
Inside the cab, the first thing you notice is that the factory center console was replaced with one out of an '08 Super Duty. Because he runs his own business, J.D. is all about practicality. So, the smaller factory unit was ditched for a larger, more convenient version. Also an upgrade, the front factory captain's chairs were replaced with a pair of seats from MasterCraft.
J.D. has an '00 Super Duty outfitted with equal go-fast parts, albeit newer, and with more lift-but still prefers to drive his reliable old Ford workhorse on a daily basis. "In a race and to use for work, I'll take the '97 any day." We'd say the fact that it's a one-of-a-kind, solid-axle-equipped '97 doesn't hurt matters either. DP
 J.D. also went with an externally...  J.D. also went with an externally wastegated Aurora 2000 turbo from ATS Diesel to force more air into the old Power Stroke. |  The factory center console...  The factory center console was replaced with this unit out of an '08 Super Duty, thanks to eBay. The larger cupholders and additional power outlet in the newer console make J.D.'s time on the road much more convenient and enjoyable. |  Common in any aging vehicle,...  Common in any aging vehicle, the factory captain's chairs were worn out, so J.D. purchased these MasterCraft Baja RS seats from his local 4 Wheel Parts dealer. |
 Going with the Mag-Hytec differential...  Going with the Mag-Hytec differential covers really sets the truck off, and further draws your attention to the front axle. After performing this swap, J.D. told us he'd done three subsequent Dana 60 swaps for other old-body-style F-250 owners. |  With the interior as clean...  With the interior as clean as it is, you wouldn't think J.D. spent much time behind the wheel. Typically, the leather-wrapped steering wheels in these old trucks wear and come apart rather quickly, which was not the case here. However, he did have to replace the door panels, which proved to be quite a treasure hunt, being that Ford discontinued them years ago. |  Turning up the truck electronically...  Turning up the truck electronically is this F5 chip from DP-Tuner. Without a trailer behind it, the truck spends its time in a 120hp race tune, but once the boat or toy hauler is hooked up, an 80hp setting gets the job done. |