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I’m still not sure we’ve seen a better street truck than the Ford F-150 Lightning. The old body style first-gen wowed the masses with a V8 pavement pounder at a time when pickups were mostly meant for working. But what if Ford had taken it a step further by selling a pumped-up diesel version of the Lightning? That question was probably far from Blue Oval executives’ minds, but it’s one we finally have an answer to thanks to the fellas at Complete Performance and Edge Products. This is one slick truck.
I spoke to Chris Rutledge, the owner, on the phone this week after spying the F-250 on Facebook. Turns out, it’s more than a pretty face, and I’ll talk more about the engine mods here in a second. But first, we have to run through what he did to recreate the iconic Lightning look.
Via Chris Rutledge
The truck was stock with 127,444 miles when Rutledge bought it. And before you criticize him for modifying such a clean example, just know that Chris and his brother Paul Rutledge have preserved some absolutely cherry OBS Fords. They have a knack for finding them like no one I’ve ever seen, and when you’ve done your share to keep factory-condition trucks around, I’d say you’re allowed to turn one up—just for the heck of it.
With that argument preemptively dealt with, back to this pickup. It was a clean slate to start with, and Rutledge sent it off for paint-matching. As you’d see on an actual Lightning pickup, the grille and headlight bezels have been sprayed to match the body, with no chrome front or rear. A lower lip spoiler really completes it from a head-on POV, and even the rear bumper with its diamond plate deck has been sprayed the same shade of red.
Via Chris Rutledge
The “Lightning 7.3L” decals are a nice touch, but by far the most interesting styling element is the custom eight-lug wheel design. It almost perfectly replicates the original Lightning wheel, although those were only made in a five-lug pattern. Rutledge gave major kudos to John at Trinity Wheel Company for buying a legit Lightning wheel, 3D-scanning it, and recreating it in CAD. Apparently, Trinity hopes to offer this design for sale, but even before that was the plan, they still crafted the wheels for this build.
“It’s one of those things that if you don’t know a lot about the trucks, you’re going to walk by that and go, ‘Man, that’s a really cool Lightning.’ And most people will never really notice that it’s not [original]. But the guy who knows is going to be like, ‘Interesting. How the heck did you do that?’”
Via Chris Rutledge
As I mentioned before, Rutledge didn’t forget about speed. He partnered with Jacob White at Edge Products to make the 7.3-liter way faster than Ford ever intended. Arguably, this truck’s flagship engine mod is the KC Turbos Gen 3 Stage 3 whirler. It sports a later Super Duty-style pedestal and collector, while still utilizing a factory T3 mount instead of the typical T4 conversion. The result is a stupid-quick spool, and paired with Full Force Diesel injectors and custom PHP Hydra tunes, it makes something like 600 horsepower to the wheels.
“This turbocharger is designed for a Power Stroke,” Rutledge explained. Not only is it well-suited to the 7.3-liter’s powerband, but it also allows you to run other platform-specific equipment like a Banks Power intercooler kit with no excessive modification to make it fit. It’s nice knowing you aren’t dooming your truck to be incompatible with other, readily available parts in case you have a problem.
Not pictured: A DieselSite Adrenaline high-pressure oil pump. Via Chris Rutledge
Rutledge has an upgraded E4OD automatic transmission ready to install in the F-250. Brian’s Truck Shop built it to handle far more power than this project makes, so it should be a good fit. When I asked if he was enticed to swap in a 5R110 or a 6R140, Rutledge mostly shrugged it off, saying those transmissions don’t really offer an improved overdrive. However, when I mentioned a 10-speed swap that I saw recently, I swore I heard his heart rate pick up. (OK, maybe not, but he did admit it’s a cool idea.)
While 600 hp is way above the stock output, it’s a daily-drivable amount that Rutledge feels good about running on the streets. If he gets his way, he’ll also run it in the National Hot Rod Diesel Association’s Sportsman class. Whether he’s going wheel-to-wheel with a 5.0-liter Mustang or a Cummins on the drag strip, the F-250 Lightning clone sounds more than capable of holding its own.
Via Chris Rutledge
It’s a just-right mix of show and go, if you ask me. I’d have a hard time saying no if anyone ever offered it to me as a gift. Of course, I’d never ask Chris to do that. But my wife? I might ask her if it ever pops up for sale.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
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From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
