
Thanks to its arid nature, Arizona’s climate has a special ability to preserve vehicles. And while the weather may prevent rust and corrosion, Arizona’s sun is known to eventually eat away at automobiles’ paint jobs. Being based southeast of Phoenix in Gilbert, the crew at Fat Fender Garage is acutely aware of how the Arizona weather effects cars. For the shop’s latest restomod project, it’s taken a ’78 F-250 Highboy, and rather than painting over a donor’s sun-faded paintwork, Fat Fender has opted to highlight and celebrate the desert and its weather’s impact on automotive paint.

The Basics
Created for this year’s recently-wrapped SEMA Show where it was on display at the TOYO Tires Treadpass booth, this F-250 project was created with the aim of updating the nearly-half-century-old truck’s performance while retaining much of its original appearance — and spirit and DNA. As such, the truck’s outward appearance has largely been left alone. Under the surface, however, it’s been brought into the 21st century thanks to a host of modern aftermarket bits.
The Exterior
Starting life as a 1978 Ford F-250 Ranger, the donor proudly wears it original paint — granted that paint work has spent the better part of the last half century baking under the hot Arizona sun. As a result, the finish is completely faded on all horizontal surfaces, and is still pretty weathered on the vertical ones. This ultimately give the truck a special patina and charm, plus, aside from a new set of Method Race Wheels, the outside of the truck hasn’t been altered in any way. There are no fender flares, custom bumpers, or any other modern elements whatsoever — aside from some contemporary suspension bits poking out from beneath the truck.

Modern Componentry
To help modernize the ‘70s era donor’s performance, the Fat Fender team treated the Ford to a host of contemporary components. This includes a set of Dana 60 axles, fore and aft — items plucked from a late model Super Duty truck — plus FOX shocks, contemporary braking hardware, and a completely overhauled electrical system. The truck’s stock fuel cell has also been jettisoned in favor of a Boyd tank.
Under The Hood
Powering this less-is-more-style restomod is a rebuilt Lincoln-sourced 7.5-liter V8. Making a little under 250hp, the engine has also been fitted with a rebuilt transfer case and full custom exhaust system.
Moving Inside
The Ford’s doors open to reveal a custom-worked cabin that puts a unique spin on the donor’s factory interior layout. The whole thing is trimmed in brown leather, from the dash to the door panels to the seats. Further complementing the interior are a Gen-5 Vintage Air HVAC system, custom square-weave carpets, billet aluminum window cranks, and a bespoke burl walnut trim package. For the cabin’s finishing touch, the truck’s seats were outfitted with Pendleton Sunbrella Grand Canyon Park wool upholstery fabric inserts.

Spec Sheet
Class: Pickup Restomod
Model Year: 1978
Brand: Fat Fender Garage
Donor: 1978 Ford F-250
Engine: 7.5L V8
Power: 245HP
Pricing & Availability
Fat Fender Garage is currently accepting commissions for custom builds, with pricing for this Ford F-250 restomod starting at $95,000.
Recap
1978 Ford F-250 By Fat Fender Garage
Fat Fender Garage celebrates the Arizona desert and the climates impact on cars with this sun-kissed ‘70s era F-250 restomod that modernizes the donor’s performance while maintaining its patina-rich, period appearance.
