This 1976 Ford F-250 Is Stout, Stunning, And Built For A Good Cause

This 1976 Ford F-250 looks exceptional from every angle, but it’s more than a clean restoration. It packs a big-block V8 and checks the box as a true Highboy. Built from 1967 to 1977.5, the four-wheel-drive F-250 Highboy was unique, due in part to its divorced transfer case. Today, these trucks are highly sought after.

This Highboy has an interesting and inspiring story. “This was built as a Make-A-Wish project at Superior Auto Pros in Gresham, Oregon, that turned into a full restoration, frame off, full powder coat frame, custom suspension modified to fit the vehicle, interior and all. It came with lots of sponsors that helped within the build. We built this in house, thanks to our great employees and sponsors,” says Superior Auto Pros owner Houston Haskins.

Big-Block Powerhouse, Manual Transmission

Under the hood is a potent 428-cubic-inch big-block V8. It’s topped with a carburetor, and Superior added a set of headers. DTA Fabrication built the exhaust, which features 2.5-inch tubing and a Magnaflow muffler. The engine was painted by Superior while the truck was disassembled.

Keeping the powerplant cool is an aluminum radiator paired with a Flex-A-Lite fan. Behind the engine is an NP435 four-speed manual transmission. Power is sent to the axles through an NP205 transfer case, which spins driveshafts from Driveline Express.

Super Duty Axles

The truck’s axles came from a 2005 Ford F-350, sourced through LKQ. Both ends run aluminum differential covers and factory 3.73:1 gears. Up front, the Dana Super 60’s Super Duty steering is backed by a dual BDS/Fox stabilizer setup. Out back, the Ford 10.5-inch axle is equipped with disc brakes.

Custom Suspension, 37s

A BDS four-link 2005-up Super Duty-application suspension is used up front. The kit includes 4-inch lift coil springs and BDS/Fox shocks. Custom brackets by DTA Fabrication make the system a 100 percent bolt-on for the vintage truck.

Out back, the suspension uses 2022 Super Duty BDS leaf springs. The springs are paired with BDS/Fox shocks that have been outboarded on the frame using custom DTA Fabrication mounts.

Putting power to terra-not-so-firma is a set of 37×12.50R18 Nitto Trail Grappler tires. They are mounted on 9-inch-wide Hostile H139 Dominator wheels, custom painted to match elements of the truck’s paint.

Custom Paint And Stripe Kit

The F-250’s exterior is an eye-grabber and all the original panels were rust-free so they could be reused. The paint is unique and changes color as the sun hits it. It combines Toyota Bronze Mica Metallic and Ford Wimbledon White. There’s also a custom stripe kit by Oregon Design Co. with color-matched metallic accents to tie in with the wheels.

Other exterior upgrades include a Patriot Liner-coated bed, a ProTech toolbox, and Baja Designs lighting. Patriot Liner was also applied underneath the bed, cab, and on the firewall.

Custom Interior Bits

Inside, the truck features several custom touches and upgraded bits. For example, it has an upgraded audio head unit and a CSI Off Road switch pod that controls the lighting and HornBlasters air horn. The seats have been re-covered with LMC Truck covers installed by Superior, and portions of the dash have been painted to match the exterior. Since these photos were taken, the truck has been fitted with Dakota Digital gauges.

A Big Smile And Disbelief

The build was completed by Superior Auto Pros in about six months, and the recipient had no idea the truck would be built to this level. Houston says, “It was a surprise to Taylor Young, our 14-year-old Make-A-Wish teen battling rhabdoid cancer, that his truck was finished and at SEMA 2025. He had no clue that I was there and thought he was going to SEMA to pick out a set of wheels. Superior Auto Pros really made this happen and went above and beyond not just making a wish, but made a dream come true for a teenager going through such a rough patch in his life. Seeing a big smile and the disbelief that it was his truck at the unveiling was incredible.”