The '08 Ford sports a Harley logo on the tailgate, airbrushed by Al Capone, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. If you look closely at the graphics on the side, you will see a Harley chopper rolling at full tilt. The subtle bike mural was sprayed by Anthony Rhodes, of Rhodes Auto Works in Sanford, Florida, using the Harley-Davidson Anniversary colors of black and silver with copper accents. The final touch was a replica of Bill's tattoos sprayed as graphics under the hood. The big Harley 4x4 is equipped with strobe lights front and rear, along with special lowered headlight and taillight brackets that make the truck street-legal. The original orange cab lights were replaced with smoked versions for a subtle styling touch. Inside, the truck features a plush interior with a list of options usually found only in high-end luxury cars. Automatic dual-zone climate control, heated power bucket seats swathed in leather, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power telescoping and folding, heated exterior mirrors, power adjustable pedals, an overhead console, and Sirius satellite radio are just a few of the creature comforts that coddle driver and passengers. From the driver's seat, Bill uses a monitor in the rearview mirror that's connected to the tailgate-mounted, color camera. It's a big help when maneuvering the monster Ford. Plans are already under way for an elaborate audiovisual system with multiple TVs and a DVD player, along with custom-embroidered upholstery.
The 6.4L twin-turbo V-8, with its five-speed automatic and custom MBRP exhaust, puts out plenty of power. Although, knowing Bill, horsepower upgrades will probably occur in the very near future. The truck is almost a year old with only 1,800 miles but has already won a considerable stack of First-place trophies.
Asking the obvious question, we wondered about the motivation behind building such a sky-scrapin' rig. "First," says Bill, "sorta like climbing Mt. Everest, we did it because we could! But more importantly, this is both our bad habit and our creative outlet." You might think that "his and hers" monster trucks would be enough for any family, but Bill and Vicki are already planning a third, ultra-high, lifted truck. So far, the details are secret-but don't worry, we'll keep our cameras ready! DP