Garage - Buford
Behemoth
March 29, 2014
3
0
Vehicle nickname:
Buford
State:
WA
Dealership name:
N/A
Insurance provider:
American Collector
Driving Environment:
suburban
Transmission:
auto
2WD/4WD:
4WD
Highway / City %:
30
Tracking started on:
0000-00-00 00:00:00
Tell the world a little bit about your vehicle
I bought Buford about 7 years ago, as I've wanted a supercab 4x4 since they came out in 1978. It only took me 30 years to get one, but I found him in Spokane, WA. He was a little rough, but pretty straight overall. I bought him for probably more than I should have, but I really wanted the truck, and when I noticed the "Trailer Special" emblem, that just sealed the deal (and I think the previous owner knew it). I got him home, stood back, and thought, "Man, that's one big, ugly Ford".....then it hit me.....Big Ugly Ford....B U Ford.....Buford. It's been his name ever since, but his full name is "Buford the Behemoth".
I wanted to just paint the beast and call it good, but I wanted a GOOD, black paintjob, which as most know, is a costly endeavor. One day, the body shop doing the work called, and said, "Hey, we had to take the cab off the frame". I asked why, to which they replied, "Well, some repairs are just easier that way". I figured that was ok, but then they said, "So, if you want to take the chassis home to clean it up, now is the time". They didn't know they were talking to a mild obsessive/compulsive, and that's where things went horribly awry.
I took Buford apart to the bolt, and started what would turn out to be a six year project, building him the way I wanted him to be. This project wasn't only my hobby, but as my uncle who had passed away too early in life also had a 1978 F150 4x4, it was also kind of my weird way of keeping his memory alive. I spent entirely too much money on the project, but as I tell people, it has an eight foot bed, so it can fit my coffin.
So, now that Buford is built, I take him out in the summer to shows and cruises, and just generally enjoy the heck out of him. The only thing really "ugly" about Buford anymore is just his attitude, but that suits me fine. I'm sure I'll think of a few more modifications for him, but I think he came out pretty well for my first truck build.
Engine/Drivetrain Modifications:
ENGINE (504 horsepower/544 ft/lbs torque:
- 400 Stroker (434 cubic inch), with forged internals, 4-bolt main caps, block and machine work, courtesy of Tim Meyer, Inc.
- Cylinder Head Innovations (CHI) 2V cylinder heads
- Custom Comp cam
- Full roller retrofit with Lunati tie-bar lifters, double roller, 'straight up' timing chain and gear set
- Scorpion Roller Rocker arms
- Weiand intake manifold, powdercoated "lollipop blue"
- Aluminum water pump by Edelbrock
- Fluidampr harmonic balancer
- Heddman ceramic coated headers running into a dual-in, dual-out Magnaflow muffler
- MSD Off road ignition and distributor
- Ford Racing chromed aluminum valve covers
- Demon 750 carburetor with annular boosters
- Ford oval air cleaner
- Milodon oil pan
- Dress up "V8" bolt kit by Gardner-Westcott
DRIVETRAIN:
- C6 Transmission built by Thurston County Transmission, with shift kit and 2200 rpm torque converter
- Rebuilt NP205 transfer case
- Gear Vendors Overdrive auxiliary transmission
- Custom front and rear drivelines
- Front Dana 44 and Rear Dana 60 axles with aluminum finned covers and rock guards from Purple Cranium Products
Suspension Modifications:
STEERING/SUSPENSION:
- Re-arc'ed leave springs, powdercoated, insulated, and reassembled
- Pro-Comp shock absorbers and steering stabilizer
- Polyurethane bushings by Energy Suspension
- Drop pitman arm and new drag link
- Collapsible steering shaft by Flaming River
- Rebuilt steering box by Red Head Steering
- Delphi style high volume power steering pump and bracket for Ford 400 by Wild Horses 4x4
Wheels/Tires Modifications:
WHEELS/TIRES:
- Toyo Mud Terrain 315/75R16 tires
- 16X10" Centerline Wilderness Series Scout Wheels
Interior/Exterior Modifications:
ELECTRICAL
- Powermaster 140amp alternator
- Power cabling built from 0 gauge Stinger audio wire, with terminals crimped and heatshrunk for weatherproofing
- Dual Optima blue top deep cycle / starting batteries
- Battery trays from Custom Optima Trays
- Battery Isolator/switch from Hellroaring Technologies
- Complete rewire with harness supplied by Centech
- High power headlight harness conversion
- Stereo head unit by Custom Autosound
- 1300 Watt 500 Watt amplifiers by Phoenix Gold
- Dual 10" subwoofers by Memphis Audio
- 5 1/4" Boston SPZ Speakers
ACCESSORIES/ADD-ONS:
- On board 200PSI air compressor by VIAIR, 5 gallon tank, regulated air chuck, 42 inch air horn, provided by Air Horns of Texas.
- Integrated fog/driving lights in front bumper by LMC Truck
- MAXBRAKE hydraulic trailer brake controller
- Custom marine grade welded aluminum bed toolchest by Highway Products
- Custom spare tire carrier by Tim McAvoy (yup, I came up with that)
- Custom 40-20-40 seats by Discount Van and Truck
- Class V towing hitch by Curt
PAINT/TRIM:
- Body/paint by Capitol Collision, Olympia, WA
- NOS Ford grille shell
- Bumpers by LMC Truck
- Trim pieces from Dennis Carpenter
- Emblems from LMC Truck and Dennis Carpenter
- Interior dash trim from Dennis Carpenter
- Door panels from Dennis Carpenter
- All powdercoating, which was considerable, by CT Specialties in Tumwater, WA
Future Modifications:
Probable serpentine conversion with the addition of air conditioning.......when the mood strikes me. We rarely truly need air conditioning up here, but being a black truck with a black leather interior, the 'need' has been amplified just a bit. We'll see what the future holds. Read more ยป
Buford
State:
WA
Dealership name:
N/A
Insurance provider:
American Collector
Driving Environment:
suburban
Transmission:
auto
2WD/4WD:
4WD
Highway / City %:
30
Tracking started on:
0000-00-00 00:00:00
Tell the world a little bit about your vehicle
I bought Buford about 7 years ago, as I've wanted a supercab 4x4 since they came out in 1978. It only took me 30 years to get one, but I found him in Spokane, WA. He was a little rough, but pretty straight overall. I bought him for probably more than I should have, but I really wanted the truck, and when I noticed the "Trailer Special" emblem, that just sealed the deal (and I think the previous owner knew it). I got him home, stood back, and thought, "Man, that's one big, ugly Ford".....then it hit me.....Big Ugly Ford....B U Ford.....Buford. It's been his name ever since, but his full name is "Buford the Behemoth".
I wanted to just paint the beast and call it good, but I wanted a GOOD, black paintjob, which as most know, is a costly endeavor. One day, the body shop doing the work called, and said, "Hey, we had to take the cab off the frame". I asked why, to which they replied, "Well, some repairs are just easier that way". I figured that was ok, but then they said, "So, if you want to take the chassis home to clean it up, now is the time". They didn't know they were talking to a mild obsessive/compulsive, and that's where things went horribly awry.
I took Buford apart to the bolt, and started what would turn out to be a six year project, building him the way I wanted him to be. This project wasn't only my hobby, but as my uncle who had passed away too early in life also had a 1978 F150 4x4, it was also kind of my weird way of keeping his memory alive. I spent entirely too much money on the project, but as I tell people, it has an eight foot bed, so it can fit my coffin.
So, now that Buford is built, I take him out in the summer to shows and cruises, and just generally enjoy the heck out of him. The only thing really "ugly" about Buford anymore is just his attitude, but that suits me fine. I'm sure I'll think of a few more modifications for him, but I think he came out pretty well for my first truck build.
Engine/Drivetrain Modifications:
ENGINE (504 horsepower/544 ft/lbs torque:
- 400 Stroker (434 cubic inch), with forged internals, 4-bolt main caps, block and machine work, courtesy of Tim Meyer, Inc.
- Cylinder Head Innovations (CHI) 2V cylinder heads
- Custom Comp cam
- Full roller retrofit with Lunati tie-bar lifters, double roller, 'straight up' timing chain and gear set
- Scorpion Roller Rocker arms
- Weiand intake manifold, powdercoated "lollipop blue"
- Aluminum water pump by Edelbrock
- Fluidampr harmonic balancer
- Heddman ceramic coated headers running into a dual-in, dual-out Magnaflow muffler
- MSD Off road ignition and distributor
- Ford Racing chromed aluminum valve covers
- Demon 750 carburetor with annular boosters
- Ford oval air cleaner
- Milodon oil pan
- Dress up "V8" bolt kit by Gardner-Westcott
DRIVETRAIN:
- C6 Transmission built by Thurston County Transmission, with shift kit and 2200 rpm torque converter
- Rebuilt NP205 transfer case
- Gear Vendors Overdrive auxiliary transmission
- Custom front and rear drivelines
- Front Dana 44 and Rear Dana 60 axles with aluminum finned covers and rock guards from Purple Cranium Products
Suspension Modifications:
STEERING/SUSPENSION:
- Re-arc'ed leave springs, powdercoated, insulated, and reassembled
- Pro-Comp shock absorbers and steering stabilizer
- Polyurethane bushings by Energy Suspension
- Drop pitman arm and new drag link
- Collapsible steering shaft by Flaming River
- Rebuilt steering box by Red Head Steering
- Delphi style high volume power steering pump and bracket for Ford 400 by Wild Horses 4x4
Wheels/Tires Modifications:
WHEELS/TIRES:
- Toyo Mud Terrain 315/75R16 tires
- 16X10" Centerline Wilderness Series Scout Wheels
Interior/Exterior Modifications:
ELECTRICAL
- Powermaster 140amp alternator
- Power cabling built from 0 gauge Stinger audio wire, with terminals crimped and heatshrunk for weatherproofing
- Dual Optima blue top deep cycle / starting batteries
- Battery trays from Custom Optima Trays
- Battery Isolator/switch from Hellroaring Technologies
- Complete rewire with harness supplied by Centech
- High power headlight harness conversion
- Stereo head unit by Custom Autosound
- 1300 Watt 500 Watt amplifiers by Phoenix Gold
- Dual 10" subwoofers by Memphis Audio
- 5 1/4" Boston SPZ Speakers
ACCESSORIES/ADD-ONS:
- On board 200PSI air compressor by VIAIR, 5 gallon tank, regulated air chuck, 42 inch air horn, provided by Air Horns of Texas.
- Integrated fog/driving lights in front bumper by LMC Truck
- MAXBRAKE hydraulic trailer brake controller
- Custom marine grade welded aluminum bed toolchest by Highway Products
- Custom spare tire carrier by Tim McAvoy (yup, I came up with that)
- Custom 40-20-40 seats by Discount Van and Truck
- Class V towing hitch by Curt
PAINT/TRIM:
- Body/paint by Capitol Collision, Olympia, WA
- NOS Ford grille shell
- Bumpers by LMC Truck
- Trim pieces from Dennis Carpenter
- Emblems from LMC Truck and Dennis Carpenter
- Interior dash trim from Dennis Carpenter
- Door panels from Dennis Carpenter
- All powdercoating, which was considerable, by CT Specialties in Tumwater, WA
Future Modifications:
Probable serpentine conversion with the addition of air conditioning.......when the mood strikes me. We rarely truly need air conditioning up here, but being a black truck with a black leather interior, the 'need' has been amplified just a bit. We'll see what the future holds. Read more ยป