American forged 20-inch rims...
American forged 20-inch rims seem like 15s when they're wrapped by mahoosive 40-inch Toyo Open Country MTs.
The 5R shop is no stranger to 8-Lug magazine. Regular readers will remember its '08 Ford F-250 long cab that made the cut in the August '09 issue. The same gnarly lift and ebullient paintjob with billet-style logo that caught our eye has also captured the attention of a few locals around the Denver, Colorado, area.
"He just saw our truck driving down the road and gave us a call the next day," said 5R proprietor TJ in reference to the immediacy of Ramon's request. "A few days later, we had his truck torn down and got started on the conversion."
The conversion he is referring to is that of the body. While this may look like an '08 F-250, it is actually a '99, cleverly reskinned.
"With the economy like it was at the time, it made more sense to keep his older truck and modify it rather than spend the money on a brand-new truck," said TJ.
 |  The modifications to this...  The modifications to this fearsome F-250 are nothing if not extensive and completely transforming. For starters, both bumpers and the front clip have been replaced. The front fenders have also been replaced with '08 pieces, and a different hood now shuts over the motor. It took a bit of fettling to achieve this makeover. The 5R crew had to move the fabrication brackets and the windshield wipers, in addition to cutting out the headlight brackets. The windshield cowl also had to be changed and the mirrors had to be rewired to make the turn signal work. |  The motor has barely been...  The motor has barely been breathed on. An AFE Stage II intake system, along with an Edge Evolution, ensures the F-250 has a slight edge over motors of the same vintage. Having it rechipped didn't hurt, either. Horsepower increase is an estimated 40 hp more than stock. |
The first thing the 5R crew completed was the body conversion. This involved cutting out the headlight brackets and moving the windshield wipers, as well as moving the fabrication brackets.
After the body was fitted, it was taken off to the spray booth where the guys at 5R got rid of the two-tone. Then, they took the truck north-of the ground that is-with an 8-inch lift.
At this point, they ran into an obstacle. Jake, who runs 5R with his brother TJ, fell off a ride at a local amusement park and couldn't help with the rest of the buildup. In an agonizing twist of irony, TJ-who went to see if The Wild Chipmunk was really that dangerous-fell off the very same ride.
 The interior is from a '99...  The interior is from a '99 Ford Lariat of the same vintage, but slightly changed. |  The rear stance is sky-high...  The rear stance is sky-high thanks to an 8-inch lift from CST. Fabtech hangers (3 1/2 inches) also contribute to the stance, with Fox remote reservoirs helping keep the shocks cool. Other subtle touches that can be seen from the rear include handles painted to match the body, and painted mirrors. And now that we're on the subject of the rear-check out those LED taillights. They light up the night like a multi-pointed demon fire. |  |
With both men in casts, the build crawled to a snail's pace. But as we all know, time heals all wounds and the fellas eventually got back in the swing of things. Once they were strong enough to lift the tires and wheels, they put them on and completed the build by sprucing up the motor.
A '99 F-250 with 170,000 miles might seem like a slouch on paper, but put 5R's mad truck building skills and $8,500 together, and you get a rig worthy of accolades...and ink in 8-Lug.