Charging down the highway, a rather large object appears in the distance. Bright and vibrant colors appear to cover its exterior. As the object gets closer and closer, it becomes evident that something is following it rather close, and when the ensemble finally reaches a point where its outer makeup is visually clear, a lifted Ford Super Duty on 39.5-inch tires towing an Ultra Shadow Cat powerboat comes into focus.
This attractive matching package is the handiwork of PG Series Trucks and Ultra Boats, both of El Cajon, California. Ultra Boats President John West prides himself on the fact that his company only turns out the highest quality custom powerboats the marine industry has to offer. From 21-foot and 22-foot jet boats, to the 27-foot Shadow Cat you see before you, Ultra builds a quality vessel from swim step to bow eye. Recently, this Whipple-charged 502ci Chevy-powered red, midnight-blue, and white Cat emerged from the mold at Ultra. Once the boat was rigged and placed on a custom Extreme triple-axle trailer, the talented Ultra crew knew it was destined for media hype. Every trick custom boat needs a heavily modified hauler to deliver it to and extract it from the water. Enter PG Series Trucks and owner Kevin Smith, who built the 2000 Ford Super Duty that tows the Ultra Shadow Cat in style. The truck's owner, Matthew Clark of El Cajon, had the truck built as a promotional tool for his business, El Cajon Roofing, and took the project a lot further than he had originally intended.
To create the cloud-scraping stance, which is practically a prerequisite for most water toy haulers these days, the stock F-350 Super Duty was delivered to PG Series. The stock suspension was immediately disassembled, and a 10-inch suspension lift using National Spring leaves with Fox reservoir shocks was put into place. Custom crossover steering was built and chromed for show detail, while custom-built trailing arms keep the rear differential in check. After the truck had been set at a respectable ride height, 20x10-inch Boze Alloys Fatal 8 wheels were wrapped by 39.5x15x20 Interco TrXus tires to cap off the suspension in style. Completion of the lift led to addressing power upgrades to help push this beast around with ease.
The factory Power Stroke turbodiesel was given an additional boost using massaged injectors, a performance intake, a Turbo flywheel, Propane injection, and a power programmer. A Bully Dog Technologies 4-inch exhaust system completes the diesel's roar. In order to help put the power to the pavement and pin passengers in their respective seats, the transmission was fit with a custom shift-improvement kit.
Creating the exterior body attitude of the PG Series-built Super Duty is a billet grille insert up front, along with clear corners and Euro-style headlights. A set of PIAA driving lights were shoehorned behind the grille to provide extra night vision, while Triton Imaging created the perfect graphic treatment using gray vinyl tribal flames and the PG Series logo on the door. The exterior comes alive in a bold visual way and demands respect due to its classy execution.
Moving to the truck's innards, a Pioneer head unit was placed in the dash to deliver tunes to a collection of JL Audio subwoofers mounted in a custom box behind the back seat. Kenwood amplifiers produce crystal-clear harmonies from the audio ensemble. Driving the subwoofers is a 700-watt two-channel Kenwood Excelon amplifier, while an 800-watt four-channel Kenwood Excelon amplifier motivates the sound out of the mids and highs. A host of mids and highs conceal themselves in the A-pillar posts and doors, while a Sega Dreamcast unit with three screens and a Blaupunkt DVD unit provide additional entertainment. The audio amenities are surrounded by custom gray leather and wood grain accents
While PG Series was creating the perfect custom for land, Ultra Boats was busy building the perfect water rocket. This 27-foot Shadow Cat has it all. Nestled between the stringers of this fiery feline is a 502ci big-block Bow Tie engine aided by a polished Whipple supercharger. Helping the boat plane out and reach speeds in the 90-mph range is a Teague Platinum XR outdrive spinning a Lab Finish Bravo I 26-pitch propeller. The 670hp powerhouse definitely goes along well with the wild and outrageous exterior look of the craft. The crew at Ultra was definitely going for broke when this boat was in the gelcoat design stage. Featuring patriotic red, white, and blue hues, the hull is set ablaze with tribal flames spreading from the sponsons to the transom. The talented stitching professionals at D&S Interiors crafted the custom white interior with Ultra logos stitched throughout, while a Gaffrig custom instrument panel and shifter sanitize the dash region. Highlighting the interior in bold billet style is a complete billet accessory package from Dana Marine Products. The fuel supply for the 670hp mill is drawn from a 100-gallon IMCO fuel tank. Although Ultra's 27-foot Shadow Cat is built with many trick standard features, this particular boat was customized further with a custom audio system by Advanced Audio, custom billet seat brackets, a GPS Speedometer, Dana Hydraulic Scissor hatch hinges, and Dana Performance trim tabs. The Whipple-supercharged 502 is not standard but can be included for some extra greenbacks, and it works well in this boat for those high-speed passes.
Once the boat was finished, a suitable trailer was needed to get it to various California and Arizona water playgrounds. Ultra President John West knew Extreme Trailers of Riverside, California, was the only trailer manufacturer for the job. A custom Extreme triple-axle trailer was built to support the weight of the 27-foot Shadow. It was fit with an integrated boarding ladder, cross-hatch-pattern diamond-plate steps, chrome wheels, and custom LED lighting. Coated in a matching red hue, the boat and trailer package complement each other nicely
Since this river rig's completion, it has turned heads and dropped jaws at several local and not-so-local lakes. When you roll into the boat ramp parking lot with a setup like this, it is difficult to go unnoticed. This ensemble is definitely the epitome of style for water and land.