At a glance, this 1970 Ford F-250 4×4 appears to be a finely restored vintage truck. It certainly is, but there is far more to this classic than its envy-inducing good looks. Beneath the rig sits a custom Roadster Shop RS4 chassis and 7.3-liter Godzilla V8 that produces 625 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. It’s the kind of combination truck and 4×4 enthusiasts dream of, and it comes with a fascinating backstory filled with surprises.
Born From A Decrepit 2WD Idaho Truck
Nicknamed Teton, this truck was built by Bennett Lisenby of Project 15, a full-service restoration shop. In 2020, Bennett left college to launch the company with a clear goal: carry the soul and Americana of vintage trucks into the modern era.
The build kicked off when Bennett found a two-wheel-drive donor on Facebook Marketplace. Located in Idaho, it had a clean, rust-free body but was derelict and not drivable. He bought it and sent it to a local body shop, where the chassis was stripped and discarded. The body was then fully refinished in Cactus Grey and Wimbledon White before being loaded onto a dolly and shipped to Project 15’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia.
At the same time, Bennett sourced a High-Boy chassis from a sixth-generation F-250 and shipped it to Roadster Shop in Mundelein, Illinois. There, the frame was scanned to create a bespoke RS4 chassis.
With both foundations complete, Bennett got to work on the arduous, but rewarding task of creating this incredible truck.
Godzilla Power
Under the hood is a 7.3-liter Ford Godzilla V8 with an unexpected backstory. It is one of eight engines Bennett sourced from Canada after being removed from Ford E-350 vans slated for electric conversion. But there’s more.
When Bennett first developed the Teton concept in 2021, camshaft upgrades for the Godzilla platform did not exist. To unlock more power, he teamed up with Brian Wolfe of Willis Performance Enterprises to develop a custom camshaft. Brian, a former Director of Ford Racing, also had a hand in the original development of the Godzilla engine.
That collaboration produced a camshaft now offered through Mast Motorsports, and it lives inside this engine. Working with additional upgrades, it delivers a significant jump in horsepower and torque. Supporting mods include a Holley intake, front drive system, and oil pan. There’s also a dual exhaust system that includes 2.5-inch-diameter tubing. Cooling duties are handled by a Griffin radiator backed by dual Spal electric fans. There’s also a custom, hidden air box and it contributes to the goal of keeping the engine bay sanitary and serviceable.
Bennett says, “The 7.3 Godzilla is a wonderful engine for these old trucks. The torque comes early, and the powerband is predictable, yet stout. These engines really wake up around 2,200 rpm with a mild camshaft and can get you into the 600 horsepower range with ease.”
Power flows through a Gearstar 4R100 four-speed automatic transmission and into an Advance Adapters Atlas 2 transfer case, operated by Advance Adapters shifters.
Coilover Suspension, 35s
Up front, the F-250 runs a Currie 44 axle, while a Currie 60 resides out back. Both axles are fitted with Eaton Detroit Truetrac limited-slip differentials and 4.11:1 gears.
Suspension duties are handled by Fox 2.5 Factory Series coilovers, which lift the truck roughly 3 inches over stock. The front coilovers provide 10 inches of travel, while the rears deliver 12 inches. Suspension geometry consists of a parallel four-link up front and a triangulated four-link in the rear. All link bars are adjustable and fitted with RockJock Johnny Joints.
At the corners are 35×12.50R18 BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 tires wrapped around 9-inch-wide Detroit Steel Wheel Co. D-Town Smoothie wheels.
Details Continue Inside And Out
The attention to detail carries straight through the exterior and interior. Outside, the truck wears a 1968-model grille, and the bed stake pockets have been shaved and filled. The radio antenna hole and original fuel fill neck were also filled. Fuel is now routed through a filler neck inside the bed that feeds a relocated rear-mounted tank. Steele Rubber Products weather stripping is used throughout. Fun fact: Steele sponsored the truck in the 2025 SEMA Battle of the Builders Young Guns competition, where it finished in the top ten.
Inside, the truck is finished with a full Morgan’s Auto Trim interior to include a bench seat, door panels, dash pad, headliner, and sunvisors. Highlights include a Restomod Air A/C system with a custom vent valance, a custom center console, and a billet gauge cluster. A trio of buttons controls the A/C system, joined by a Holley Terminator X display, a quartet of accessory switches, and an IDIDIT tilt steering column. Audio duties are handled by a Kenwood head unit feeding five speakers.
The Bottom Line
Bennett sums up the truck by saying, “Teton was designed as a flagship vehicle for our company and our venture into being a one stop shop for modern engine swap solutions for classic trucks. It is an embodiment of our five years of growth, and its rather subtle colors give a wonderful canvas for our quality of work to speak for itself. It also served as a proof of concept for our how we will standardize our Godzilla engine swap package for future 1967-1979 Fords.”
Photos: Spencer Goetz Jr. and Ken Brubaker
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