Have you dreamed of finding a well-used, vintage 4×4 that you could wrench back to life? Well, here’s the story of a 1978 Ford F-250 that was rescued from likely demise and revitalized. And in a twist, the owners retained its time-honed, ultra-cool exterior patina. The end result is a one-of-a-kind truck with a unique interior, potent engine, and stout drivetrain.

Found In The Rural Arizona Desert

The F-250 was found in in the rural Arizona desert, in less than desirable condition. It had been used as a ranch/work truck, and its transmission couldn’t hold Third gear. Time hadn’t been kind to the truck’s floors, either. In fact, they were rusted out. However, the truck had good “bones,” so the decision was made to restore it. But this build was never intended to create a truck that looked like it just rolled off the showroom floor. Instead, the plan was to extensively upgrade areas like the engine, driveline, and interior, while leaving the time-honed exterior as original as possible.

Big-Block Power, Dana 60s, 35s

Danny’s Vintage Fords in Phoenix completed the mechanical upgrades. The F-250’s original engine was discarded, in favor of a 460ci V8. The big-block engine’s upgrades include an Edelbrock EFI system, which is fed by a Boyd fuel cell. To help the engine exhale better, a custom exhaust was installed. Also, the truck’s entire factory electrical system was replaced with an American Autowire system.

An automatic transmission routes power to the truck’s original, but rebuilt, NP205 transfer case. The T-case splits the power to a pair of axles that were pirated from a 2022 Ford Super Duty. Additionally, Battle Born Brakes were installed at each axle end to improve braking. Other axle mods include new shock brackets, and they help retain the lower end of each Fox shock. New springs were installed front and rear, and this suspension helps create room for a set of 35×12.50R17 Toyo Open Country A/Ts. The tires are mounted to a set of black Method Race Wheels 305 wheels. Pointing the 35s is easy, thanks to power steering that includes new RedHead steering gears, along with all the ancillary hoses and fittings.

Interior Thermal And Acoustic Insulation, Leather, And More

The goal of the F-250’s build was to blend classic design with modern innovation, while retaining the spirit of the truck’s discovery in the Arizona desert. Hence, the team at Fat Fender Garage installed a rich, bright interior that includes the “rustic” colors of Arizona. The interior is “rugged and quietly luxurious,” with high-quality materials. But prior to the interior upgrades, SoundShield material was installed to provide thermal and acoustic insulation. Interior upgrades include Saddle Brown distressed Italian leather, which is from Apex Leather’s upcoming Infinity Series. Fun fact: The F-250 is one of the first vehicles in the world to showcase the material. Other upholstery includes Pendleton Grand Canyon fabric inserts on the bench seat, door panels, and sun visors. Additionally, interior mods include custom burl walnut wood inserts that match the original glovebox. Furthermore, there’s billet aluminum window cranks and CNC-cut door and kick panels.

A Tribute To Desert Trucks

The truck’s build was commissioned by collectors Avery Sly and Harrison Woodruff. “Arizona inspired us to restore a vehicle just as majestic and rugged as the desert landscapes where we found it basking there in the sun,” says Woodruff. “This truck is a tribute to desert trucks and a celebration of the absolutely spectacular Grand Canyon region where we restored it and brought the vehicle back to life. What we found so interesting in restoring this truck is that the exterior and interior express two different sides of the same story of its life out on a ranch in the Arizona badlands, not far from the Grand Canyon. We preserved the original patina and beautiful textures of the exterior earned over decades of work, while completely reimagining the interior for modern day driving.”

Decades Of Exterior Patina

Regarding the F-250’s build, Avery Sly says, “We wanted to honor its rugged past, so we chose custom interiors and touchpoints with that Arizona desert history in mind while leaving the exterior as original as possible. This included leaving the exterior patina that the truck developed over decades untouched in honor and memory of its impressive run as a ranch truck that truly stood the test of time. My vision was to build a truck that pays tribute to the state I’ve called home for over a decade and that it has called home for its entire 46-year life.”

Debuted At The 2024 SEMA Show

After the teams completed all the work on the F-250, the truck made its grand reveal at the 2024 SEMA show, where Toyo Tires displayed it at Treadpass. In the end, the truck went from working on a desert ranch to the glitz of SEMA. That’s a cool story for a cool truck.