Michael and Millie Van Steenburg have built several ground-up concept vehicles through their business, Automotive Composites, but getting this Excursion ready for the 2007 SEMA show proved to be just as much of an adventure. Beginning in July, the Garden Ridge, Texas, couple started with an '00 Ford Excursion. The goal was to build a vehicle that would garner a lot of attention, which is not an easy feat when you're surrounded by hundreds of other vehicles with the same goal.
Ford never built an '08 Excursion; slow sales caused Ford to halt production in early '07. But, when Michael and Millie saw the new front sheetmetal treatment Ford gave its '08 Super Duty, they knew they'd found a way to raise the bar with their Excursion. The entire front clip, including hood, fenders, grille, and headlights from a Harley Davidson Edition Super Duty were bolted on. The underlying support structure is also different for '08, so there's more than just the bodywork you see, as it actually has the core support from an '08. Bushwacker fender flares, an '08 Super Duty in front, and an '00 Excursion in the rear, added some width, while a Buckstop front bumper and a Mile Marker winch gave the truck a take-no-prisoners look. With all of the sheetmetal in place, Legend Painting in San Antonio, laid down the black and silver paint, as well as the black, red, and silver striping.
With a huge winch in front, it was only logical to lift the truck, so Michael and Millie left the truck in the trusted hands of Maximum Altitude in San Antonio, where an adjustable Kelderman lift kit was installed. Both of the axles ride on four-links that lift the truck between 6 and 12 inches, depending on how much air is in the Kelderman airbags. The additional height gave the Excursion plenty of room for 40-inch Toyo Open Country M/T tires and the 22x11-inch MKW Type 26 wheels. Cross-drilled and slotted TKW rotors were also added to help slow the 3-plus tons of SUV.