The lineage of Ford’s Power Stroke has emerged as one of the most recognizable and appealing truck brands in the country. Big, strong, and beefy, these trucks and their eponymous motors were born of Ford’s desire to make its pickups the most desirable and highest-selling in the land. Arguably, Ford has succeeded in this endeavor, and looks to continue the Power Stroke legacy for years to come.

In the meantime, we have a strong liking to some of the current and past models. From the mighty 7.3-liter built by International, to the high-tech 6.7-liter built by the Blue Oval, each of these motors has its character strengths and flaws that we’ve come to appreciate, and we appreciate it all the more when an owner takes good care of his vehicle.

Wherever owner Bryan Godinez goes, fellow diesel enthusiasts can’t help but notice the niceness and edge put into the rig. During a recent visit to the folks over at Maximum Diesels in San Jacinto, California, we had the opportunity to do a shop tour as owner Russ Kennell gave us the lowdown on the business, customers, work, and the joy he gets from it all. Little did we know that a certain vehicle belonging to one of Russ’ employees, Bryan, would catch our eye. The vehicle in question was, of course, a 2007 F-250 with a fine degree of quality and care.

The Truck

One thing you can say about a lot of American car owners is that they bring their personality to the vehicle. For those who have pride in their cars and trucks, interpretations take wild and varying forms, from in-your-face, to reserved and demure. There are times and places for each, and this just happened to be one of those times for the latter.

Bryan, 29 years old, and a veteran worker of all things automobile-related, told us that he got into diesel just after high school.

“I started working at Lake Chevrolet in Lake Elsinore as it was a few miles away,” he said. “So, naturally, the first diesels I worked on were Duramaxes, and I took a pretty quick liking to them.”

Inspired by his boss’ love of diesels as well as his “green machine” a 1995 12-valve Cummins turned into a full-blown race truck — Bryan purchased the truck in 2014 for $2,500. “I really liked it, but it seemed a little too extreme for me,” he said. “I didn’t want something that fast, just something with some power and could also be a daily driver. And anyway, when you work at a diesel shop, you have to drive a diesel.”

The truck was literally a non-starter, as its 6.0-liter had grenaded from a previous owner’s misuse. Bryan set to work rebuilding the motor, pulling together his years of experience and healthy dose of determination to get the truck running once more.

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Some of the mods to the engine included ARP head studs and an EGR delete kit, as well as a Garrett Turbocharger and custom tuning thanks to an SCT LiveWire. He also installed Ford's Blue Spring kit, to keep the fuel injectors working more reliably over the life of the vehicle.

This was where Bryan decided he needed to go through the steps of bulletproofing the motor. The steps involved are not for the faint of heart, but once done, the results speak for themselves as the engine can go through a lot more stress without breakdown. Head studs, EGR coolers, and oiling systems are just a few of the problem areas where it concerns the 6.0-liter Power Strokes, and Bryan took care of such problems as they cropped up with things and EGR delete kit, ARP head studs, and so on. He was thankful to have the help of his coworkers, too.

Supporting the added power are Hamilton valve springs, as well as the famous Blue Spring kit offered by Ford. This kit and improves fuel pressure by a small amount by putting more tension on the oil pressure regulator. It may seem unnoticeable, but it is enough to where it makes the injectors happy and constantly working. The blue-painted spring gave the kit its name, and usually comes with a new gasket to put on the pressure regulator cover.

Boost is naturally a big part of owning diesels today, as turbochargers come standard across all makes and models. Bryan went with a Garrett PowerMax turbocharger, which would support up to another 175 horsepower thanks to its large 72.5 mm turbine and 88 mm compressor wheel.

With the motor completed, Bryan turned his attention to the interior, which had some wear and tear that the man just couldn’t stand for. The seats went through reupholstery to give them a two-tone black and gray look. We thought this was a cool touch to mesh with the outside white color, keeping the aesthetics on a muted scale.

Building It Up

The mods that followed fit well with Bryan’s aim: daily driver with some added kick. He went with an SCT LiveWire, which became his favorite modification for all of the control and capability it brought along. The device could track over a dozen PIDs, and its wide range of packaged tunes gave Bryan a lot of choices when it came time to do some towing, off-roading or just cruise around the streets of Southern California. He could even clear trouble codes when, and if, they came up.

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Bryan's suspension is a six-inch lift kit from Fabtech, which allowed him to squeeze in the large, 35-inch Hercules Trail Digger M/Ts and 17-inch KMC Addict wheels.

For suspension, Bryan went with a six-inch lift kit from Fabtech. The kit provided Bryan with a great deal more clearance to mount bigger tires, which was his main desire with its installation. The front section received radius arm and I-beam drop brackets, a drop pitman arm, and coil springs, while the rear got lift blocks and U-bolts to stay tied to the leaf springs.

The tires are 35-inch Hercules Trail Digger M/Ts. Research showed the tires were touted for the staggered tread blocks and notched shoulder lugs, which made them great for off-roading. In the brief drive out to a photo shoot location, we thought they were quite reasonable for a mud terrain tire in terms of noise, and they certainly looked great on Bryan’s lifted pickup. The tires wrapped around a set of 17-inch Addict wheels, part of the XD Series by KMC Wheels. The faux beadlock studs were a cool contrast with the black paint, we thought.

All told, Bryan has spent close to $7,000 on the truck, for a total investment of $9,500. He started with the blown motor, rebuilt it, then moved on to the upholstery, stereo, tint, and then the lower-half stuff, including lift, wheels, and tires. We think he’s done a terrific job so far, and can’t wait to see where he takes it next.

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A main point of pride for Bryan is the result of his efforts on the interior. It went from crummy, worn-out, and ripped to a nice two-tone using a black and gray palate.

What do you like best about this big, white Super Duty? What would you have done differently? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned for more great truck features in the near future.