When the big, bad, and tech-rich 2017 Ford Super Duty rolls into dealerships next year, a wave of current-generation Super Duties will have to find other jobs. If they don’t watch out, they might have to compete against this semi-retired Ford F-700. Even though it takes gigs at parades and truck shows these days, it still has what it takes to complete more demanding tasks.
This muscular former Air Force truck, which used to be stationed at the White Sands Missile Range on soil-boring duty, has all-wheel drive and several new parts, including drive shafts, U-joints, brake lines, wheel bearing seals, radiator, heater, and all 10 tires. The power steering piston and front axle have been rebuilt; the frame has been stripped and repainted.
A 361-cubic-inch engine, five-speed transmission, two-speed transfer case, and 10-ton PTO-operated winch can help this rig show Super Dutys how Fords used to get things done back in the Eisenhower era.
If you’d like to employ this Ford yourself, expect to pay it a (negotiable) one-time salary of $28,000. You can check out its resume by hitting the Hemmings link below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.