The Evolution of Extreme
Story by Dan Fritter
There's an old saying in the hot rod world that is oftentimes true: you're never done! Regardless of how much money, time, blood, and sweat you pour into your ride of choice, there are always those extra couple of things you'd like to try, be it to eke out a tenth in the quarter mile or get that one elusive trophy into the showcase at home. this truck is the prime candidate for that school of thought... and then some.
Beginning as a regular old F-350, this truck has become 360 Fabrication's poster child. Rolling into their shop before they even had a shop, shop co-owner Rick and his cohorts started work on the Super Duty pickup in Rick's driveway. Initially billed with the task of widening the rear flares by 2.25 inches, 360 Fabrication simultaneously tightened the flare in the surrounding areas, and remoulded the rear wheel arches to fit the 24-inch Alcoa big rig wheels before coating the acres of sheet metal in the candy green and charcoal scheme that continues to this day.
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But, like so many others before him, this truck owner wasn't content to leave his rig alone. So, the F-350 rolled back to 360 for some interior work, this time colour-matching the interior trim to the truck's flamboyant exterior. The stock leather upholstery got the heave-ho, replaced with a luxurious suede interior, replete with aftermarket navigation system, iPod integration, and a custom centre console. Rear view cameras were wired as well, although the addition of a Banks High Rise intercooler, power programmer, and five-inch Bully Dog exhaust system meant nothing stayed in view very long.
As it currently sits, what started as an F-350 Lariat (originally in 360's shop with just 37 kilometers on the clock!) is no longer. Although the Peterbuilt badging may confuse, to say nothing of the spare rear axle, the only Ford components remaining are the frame and powerplant. Sufficiently modified with bolt-ons, 360 took the Powerstroke diesel to the next step by running a centrifugal compressor off the belt drive assembly (no small feat if you've ever seen a Powerstroke's accessory belt) to supply the air ride system with up to 180 psi at all times, although they've plumbed in a pair of ten-pound air tanks fed directly by the air compressor to maintain enough air capacity to lift the truck to its driving height, should the compressor fail. The tandem rear axle conversion was another recent addition, requiring lenghtening the box by four feet before they could stuff the 16,000-pound shortened dump truck axle underneath the Ford's frame rails. To keep the installation as smooth as possible, 360 built the longer box out of entirely new parts, sectioning it to maintain a look that's as close to factory as possible, both inside and out. Although a hand-made tonneau cover keeps their handiwork hidden from prying eyes, the truck's bed looks like the spitting image of an F-350 box, complete with double wheel wells. Outside, the new fender flares had to be remoulded again to fit the new axle.
Rolling down the road (which is something this truck does almost daily), the propert DOT-approved assortment of semi-truck LED lights do their best to confuse other drivers as to what it is that they just saw.
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But again, this truck owner wasn't done. Although the Ford may again be in the shop for some extensive cab modifications (think longer), he had turned his attention to another toy: a 30-foot Campion Chase 910 powerboat. Looking to take his truck project in a new direction, he brought the boat by 360's shop to have it essentially totally rebuilt to match his truck. So, the hull got sanded down and repainted to match the truck, while the stock interior got thrown out in favour of the same luxury treatment as the Ford. Any metal fixtrues were either polished or chromed, and the stock rear sundeck was replaced by a pair of hand-molded ram-air assemblies to feed both of the supercharged 496 big-block V8s. Capable of 88 miles per hour, the Chase also benefitted from the installation of an on-board power generator, thanks to the massive aftermarket stereo that was capable of draining the battery in just 20 minutes! Of course, you can't throw a boat like that on any old trailer, so a new trailer was built from scratch, with fenders molded to match the truck's before being bolted to the suspension, so the 24-inch Alcoa wheels always look as tucked as they do here. Sixty-four semi-truck LEDs were wired in (wouldn't you want to be seen if you were towing this?) before finally being finished off with a hand-built 1/8-inch deck swathed in polished checker plate.
When you add up all these parts, the entire unit measures an incredible sixty feet long, a number that is going to grow in the very near future. It is a project that continues to grow and morph the constantly-changing look of a once run-of-the-mill Super Duty. Not only does the truck turn the heads of passers-by, but also those of the hot rod community - as it seems to show up looking markedly different every time it's shown in public.
Article from the Summer 2008 issue of Trucks Plus.
