KC’s Paint Shop Gives 1974 F-250 Shop Truck a Godzilla Swap

It would have been easy to simply buy a new truck, but that’s not the style KC’s Paint Shop is famous for.

Fans of the now defunct TV series Fast ‘N Loud undoubtedly remember KC Mathieu, the original, highly talented painter on the series depicting the many overly-dramatized antics of Gas Monkey Garage. Mathieu shockingly left the series to start his own business – KC’s Paint Shop – and hasn’t looked back since, routinely cranking out amazing rides – many of which consist of old Ford trucks. Recently, Mathieu decided to give his trusty 1975 Ford F-250 shop truck a bit of a makeover, at least in terms of power, and the results are undoubtedly amazing.

While it’s cool enough that KC’s Paint Shop utilizes a vintage Blue Oval pickup to do its dirty work rather than take the easy route and purchase something brand new, Mathieu wanted to ensure that it was both powerful and reliable enough to haul around his show vehicles. That meant sourcing a 7.3-liter Godzilla V8 that’s present in brand new Super Duty pickups, which is mated to the same 10R140 transmission.

But while most would be satisfied with this engine’s stock ratings of 430 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque in a shop truck, Mathieu isn’t in the business of sticking with stock. Instead, he treated his workhorse to a Harrop Engineering supercharger, a Ford Performance control pack, and an HP Tuners PCM that helps him keep tabs on things, and also make adjustments as needed. Try doing that with an old carbureted dinosaur of a powerplant.

Mathieu hasn’t revealed how much power this revamped mill is churning out, nor do we even know if he’s had it on a dyno. Regardless, given how well the Godzilla responds to modifications, we imagine that it’s a healthy number. At the very least, enough to make this work truck into a sleeper of sorts, the kind of vehicle that you don’t want to take lightly at the stoplight, particularly when KC himself is behind the wheel, looking to have a little fun at “work.”

Photos: KC’s Paint Shop

Join the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forums now!

Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.