Only beautiful and fast classics from the past are suitable for restomods? Velocity Restoration has a completely different opinion and revamps an old pick-up truck - and gives the old Ford F-250 a sports car engine at the same time.
Anyone who has worked hard all their life can enjoy their well-deserved retirement. This applies to people as well as to cars. And the representatives of which category of vehicle will be abused harder than pick-ups throughout their lives - especially those in the super and heavy-duty categories? So now Velocity Restorations is launching a wellness program for Ford's fifth-generation F-Series to breathe new life into the pickup truck, which is no longer defined by hard work but by enjoyable excursions.
The company, which is appropriately based in Florida, the US pensioners' paradise, is presenting a Ford F-250 from the model year 1970 as part of the Restomod project V8 engine, it gives way to the Coyote V8 from Ford's crate engine shelf during the conversion. This is the five-liter V8 petrol engine that will be used in the current and future Mustang GT. Velocity does not reveal which data the pick-up is granted. In the US Mustang, the engine delivers 456 hp and a maximum torque of 556 Newton meters. He should also put similar values on paper in the pick-up classic car.
Some tailor-made components
Individual components in the powertrain and exhaust system are custom-made by Velocity for the restomod Ford. These include the V-ribbed belt, the manifolds and the exhaust system, for which the technicians use Magnaflow silencers. The Americans manufacture the fuel tank from stainless steel. The power is distributed by the AOD automatic transmission that Ford used in many models in the 1980s and 1990s and whose fourth gear is designed as an overdrive gear.
As far as originality is concerned, Americans don't always see things that closely when it comes to car restoration - especially when it comes to restomodden. Velocity also has no problem exchanging the chassis of the original pick-up for a counterpart from the Roadster Shop, which specializes in it. The Floridians integrate new Dana axles (front 44, rear 60) including differentials, a coilover suspension with stabilizers front and rear and a modern disc brake system from Baer.
Two colors and lots of chrome
Of course, Velocity will give the body an all-round restoration and a new two-tone paint job with Glasurit colors. Velocity replaces the discs and seals as well as the headlights, which now use LED technology. The team pulls 33-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tires on the matching 18-inch steel rims.The line that separates the two color areas is covered with a new chrome strip. All of the other chrome parts have also moved to the body in a new form, including the additional lights on the driver's cab, the door handles, the emblems and the rear lights.
At the same time, the aged pick-up gets a completely new interior. The seat covers Velocity with a combination of leather and artistically woven fabric. The dashboard is made of high-quality leather, as is the headlining. The Americans manufacture the door panels specifically according to customer requirements, and new carpets and floor mats are also installed. Of course, things are now also more digital in the F-250 cockpit: there are additional Dakota instruments as well as a new sound system and modern air conditioning. The three-spoke steering wheel looks classic but is also new.
It starts at $285,000
Velocity Restorations offers its Restomod pickup in two versions. The "cheapest" entry is for customers who order an old Ford F-250 in the Signature Series. This slightly slimmed-down variant, which includes, for example, only a single-tone paint job, a Ford rear axle and a less extensively redesigned interior, starts at $285,000 (currently the equivalent of just under 290,000 euros). All of the above plus a little more (powered entry aids, color-matched engine bay, heated and cooled seats, and more) are available with the Heritage Edition Package for at least $325,000.
Conclusion
These are of course hefty prices for a pick-up truck. This car category is traded as a new car in the USA at rather low prices; After all, these are everyday and commercial vehicles. But Velocity Restorations proves with its Restomod conversion of the fifth generation Ford F-Series that even former workhorses can mutate into collector's cars. And such classics usually cost a lot of money.
