This Ginormous F-650 Has to Be Seen to Be Believed (photos)
This insane build isn't just a show queen, it's a real work truck.
1. 2007 F-650 'Super Truck'
This insane truck you see before you isn't exactly your average F-650 if there even is such a thing. The six-door Ford, built by Super Truck in Augusta, Georgia, is a stretched out mega truck almost as long as a bus. But lest you think that the gigantic ride was built merely for show, think again. It's actually owned (and used) by a general contractor by the name of Joe Dipola out of St. Cloud, Florida. And Dipola's "work truck" was recently the deserving subject of a Truck Trend feature.
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2. Perks of the Job
Dipola's job as a general contractor requires a truck that can do a lot of things. That includes hauling heavy loads, towing a massive double axle trailer, shuttling his crew between job sites, and just flat out looking cool while doing all that. Obviously, he could have gone with a number of other, less flashy options that would get the job done. But what fun is that?
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3. The Best of Both Worlds
Dipola needed a truck that can haul/tow massive loads but wanted one that would do so in absolute comfort. So this mega truck has numerous suspension upgrades including Bilstein dual-action shocks, Eaton sway bars, and 18-wheeler sourced airbags on the rear axle. Rolling stock consists of 22.5" Alcoa wheels and Michelin XZL 445/65R tires, designed for concrete trucks, that are balanced with free rolling beads inside. The result of all that? Joe says the truck rides and handles "like a dream."
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4. The Flashy Side of Things
Of course, when you have a truck this over-the-top, you have to adorn it with a wild paint job. Joe hooked up with Chris Cruz, a well-known airbrush artist, who lent his talents to the exterior. Chris laid down the blue tribal flames and the more traditional green fire beneath it. The finishing touch is a tailgate mural that pays homage to Joe's father and son.
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5. Function With the Form
One of the coolest things about Joe's F-650 is the bed, which can slide back or lift itself onto the ground, all via a handy remote control. Plus, the built-in lifting arm has a 7,000 pound capacity, so you can easily hoist your ATV or motorcycle up there once the bed is off. Up front, the massive bumper contains a 15,000 pound Warn winch, good enough to get just about anybody out of a jam.
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6. One Exotic Interior
As you would imagine, the interior of the truck is just as wild as the exterior. The Eldorado bucket seats and rear bench feature crocodile inserts so that up to seven people can ride in exotic style. There's enough audio and visual equipment to keep them all entertained as well. All six doors hold component speakers, and there are four subwoofers and multiple amps behind and under the rear seat. Throw in some gaming consoles and a couple of refrigerators, and you've got everything you need for long road trips.
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7. Powering the Beast
Joe's Super Truck uses a mostly stock 350hp Caterpillar engine for power, with smaller pulleys and a 3.5" Flowmaster exhaust providing a little extra oomph. It's a very big rig like set up, with a big rig like 6-speed Allison transmission behind it. And amazingly enough, this show quality rig gets a lot of use, too. Joe racked up 30,000 miles last year alone, hauling his trailer and plenty of other loads. So not only is this one of the coolest trucks we've ever seen, it's probably the coolest work truck on the planet.
>>Join the conversation about This Ginormous F-650 right here in the Ford Trucks Forum!
For help with service on your truck, check out the how to section of Ford-Trucks.com