Growing up, the love of cars circulated in my family. I was highly influenced by my older brothers and whether it is my car or one of my brothers’ cars, diving into any vehicle project is just as fulfilling.
The 1984 Ford F250 XLT Lariat “Monster Truck” project didn’t come about right away when my youngest brother, Bob, purchased it right after college. It was already a solid truck. It came with its original 460 CI engine and 4-speed transmission. It was his daily driver for many years, navigating through the Colorado mountains and especially being reliable during the snow season.
Now, vehicles don’t usually last forever without customizations. This F250 was no exception. Bob had always wanted a monster truck, and so it was then that the transformation began. Over the course of two years, we completed the project together.
Bob had a local Colorado shop handle the suspension work, which included 14-inches of strictly spring lift, dual shocks on all four corners, 44-inch Super Swamper tires, and 4.88 gears in both the front and rear Dana 60 axles. We installed a fresh 460 CI engine that our other brother, Tom, and I had rebuilt.
Now, it was time to complete the bodywork. I removed all the chrome side trim and welded the holes shut. The task of painting such a tall truck meant that it wasn’t going to fit in just any standard garage. Luckily, my brother-in-law’s garage was just what I needed. It was the only place that the truck could get inside. I started with building a baker’s scaffolding for better access around the truck. Taking a full 8-hours, I applied four coats of Nissan blue paint and three coats of clear. About the same time, Bob purchased a fiberglass GT500 hood, which we fitted to the truck. While the aftermarket hood was made for the F250, rarely do these parts fit perfectly off the shelf. To complete the fitment, we had to trim fiberglass from certain areas and add some to other areas to ensure correct and consistent gaps. Once the fitment was complete, we painted the hood gloss black. You might wonder if we had any running boards or steps for this monster truck. Well, Bob is 6’7” and he didn’t need them!
When the monster truck project was complete, Bob kept the truck for several years. It often made the round trip from Colorado to Nebraska for family camping trips. Plus – it came in especially handy for pulling everyone else out of the soft sand!
Looking back at this monster truck project, I’ll never forget seeing Bob’s excitement at every stage. This was priceless. You see, ever since Bob was a little boy he always wanted a monster truck and seeing his dream come true was the ultimate reward. The quality time we spent together working on this project is simply irreplaceable.
By Jim Ochs
