Excuses are like butts: Everyone has one and not everyone's is worth one's while. The excuse of "Oh this is a show truck; we don't use it" doesn't cut it around Off-Road Unlimited in Burbank, California. Built to drive, built to crawl, and built to show accurately describe this '04 F-150 owned by Mike Duval of Simi Valley, California.
Assembled in only 5 weeks, the crew at Off-Road Unlimited used every available resource to create a reputable truck from stock scratch. Beginning with the suspension, the crew at ORU bolted on a CST lift kit raising the Ford 7 inches. Bilstein 9100 two-stage shocks keep the bumps smooth, and Atlas leaves in the rear, along with overload 'bags, allow the bed to house all sorts of heavy-duty gear. Rolling stock for the purpose-built truck consists of 17x8-inch Budnik billets wrapped in Mickey Thompson Baja Claw tires measuring 35x12.50R17.
Adding to the truck's custom flair, the crew at ORU created custom 2-inch bumper guards, front and rear, and added Stillen fender flares. With the addition of the APM fiberglass hood, the team at M&M Auto Art in Sun Valley, California, applied the orange paint to the side of the F-150, and Bob Iverson striped the truck with bright-green liquid. Inside and under the bed, the metal surfaces are protected by Line-X coatings. ORU took the liberty to transform the bed into a utility chest. Within the back wall and tailgate lie a spare wheel/tire combo, a portable Warn hitch, a Powertank emergency air-supply unit, a toolbox, and a mountain bike rack. These extras just add to the functionality of the off-road rockcrawler and also add style points at the shows. And in case you missed it, the crew at ORU also added a slick motocross rack for the rear hitch that fits the KTM 525 perfectly.
Moving inside the cabin, Classic Soft Trim in Huntington Beach, California, wrapped the seats in black and gray leather with orange stitching, and Ricky Ross added the Pioneer DVD/navigation head unit with a SAVV rearview mirror monitor to the truck. Stuffed in the seats are massage units designed to keep passengers relaxed on the long haul. Performance enhancements were minimal, with a front and rear gear swap to 4.56 Precision Gears with Mag Hy-Tech covers. A Borla exhaust provides the 5.4L V-8 an exit through the rear fender and generates an authoritative note.
Five weeks and plenty of coffee later, the team at Off-Road Unlimited had an F-150 ready to rumble with the big boys. No hurdles too big for a truck worthy of the dirt and the show circuit.