Farmers are masters of ingenuity and mechanical know-how. They can fix almost anything, and creativity is ingrained in their thought process. So it’s no surprise that Mark McIntire, a farmer from Argos, Indiana, used his everyday skills to build this beast—a Cummins turbodiesel-powered 1968 Ford F-250. The truck blends Mark’s favorite Ford body style with the legendary 5.9-liter Cummins inline-six. And as we found at the 2025 Fall 4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals in Danville, Indiana, there’s a lot more to this rig than meets the eye.

Part 2WD Ford, Part 4WD Dodge

To create his truck, Mark began by purchasing a two-wheel-drive 1968 Ford F-250 regular-cab shortbed pickup. The body was in pretty good shape because it had spent most of its life baking in the dry climate of the western U.S. He also acquired a Cummins-powered 1998 Dodge 2500 shortbed extended-cab four-wheel-drive truck. This gave him the major components needed to combine the Ford body with the Dodge chassis. To compensate for the longer Dodge chassis, Mark snagged a longbed from a fifth-generation Ford truck. He says the bed was sourced locally but was also from the western U.S. To marry the body and chassis, Mark fabbed new cab and bed mounts.

Beastly Twin-Turbo 5.9-Liter Cummins

Mark could’ve left the 5.9-liter Cummins turbodiesel alone—but that’s not his style. He cranked things up with a Hamilton cylinder head and camshaft, marine-application pistons, and a twin-turbo setup. A Fluidampr harmonic balancer keeps it all smooth.

Space up front was tight. There was room for the air-to-air intercooler and A/C condenser, but not the radiator. Mark’s fix? Mount it in the bed. A 12-volt pump helps circulate coolant, while a pair of Flex-A-Lite electric fans keep the air moving.

Beefed 47RH Transmission, NP241 Transfer Case

Engine power is transferred through a heavily modified 47RH four-speed automatic transmission. Its features include a RevMax triple-disc torque converter, as well as a billet input shaft, flexplate, and pan from ATS Diesel Performance. An NP241 two-speed transfer case is responsible for sending power to the axles.

Dana 60 Up Front, Stout 14-Bolt Out Back

Mark rebuilt the Dana 60 front axle and, while he was at it, dropped in a Yukon Grizzly locker for extra bite. He also ditched the unreliable factory vacuum-actuated central axle disconnect in favor of a cable-actuated 4×4 Posi-Lok. Out back, a GM 14-bolt axle with a Yukon Grizzly locker and disc brakes takes care of business. Both axles spin 4.11:1 gears.

6-Inch Lift, 38s, And More

The suspension setup is all BDS—a 6-inch long-arm lift up front and BDS rear leaf springs and shocks out back. L&L Products ladder traction bars keep wheel hop in check.

Rolling stock includes LT395/70R16 Mickey Thompson Baja MTZ tires wrapped around 12-inch-wide Mickey Thompson wheels.

Interior Reminiscent Of The Truck’s Era, But With Upfits

Inside, the F-250 keeps its old-school vibe but packs a few upgrades. The stock gauges are gone, replaced by digital readouts and a triple-gauge pod to track transmission temp, turbo boost, and EGTs. A floor-mounted B&M shifter puts gear control right at Mark’s fingertips. Mark retained the majority of the truck’s factory interior features including the steering wheel and plaid seats.

The Bottom Line

Here’s a fun fact: the incredible brown and gold exterior paint was applied in Mark’s farm shop by an experienced painter. Mark reports that all the truck’s body panels are OE, which is a testament to the Ford’s original condition.

Mark, handcrafted his 1968 Ford F-250 in about a year and it’s a rolling example of his skills and creativity, combined with 40 years of off-road experience.