Obsession

Back in 2000, Rick and Jill Swanson, proprietors of Obsession Racing, decided to go small with a new Ford F-250 Super Duty. You might be wondering why we say they went small. Well, the Swansons regularly campaign a highly successful Monster truck at events from coast to coast throughout the year. In comparison with their regular car-crushing ride, the Super Duty is small potatoes. That's not to say that we don't dig it; we do. The Swanson's Super Duty is a go-anywhere, do-it-all machine that Ford Motor Company thought highly enough of to place in its booth at the 2000 SEMA convention.

The idea behind the '00 four-door behemoth was to make it functional in every way possible. As part of Ford's "Power Professional" theme for the SEMA convention, the Swansons had the dubious task of creating a rig that could not only navigate the often treacherous terrain found throughout many popular U.S. recreational off-road venues, but to also give the truck the tools required for in-the-field reapairs. Fortifying the suspension of the truck with a Superlift 8-inch suspension lift kit was the first point. The straight-axle front suspension received new leaf-spring packs, as well as 2-inch spring hanger relocation brackets. The rear suspension also benefited from a new set of leaf springs and a pair of 3-inch pinion angle-correction lift blocks. Each corner of the new suspension was then damped by a pair of Superlift shocks, which were mounted on dual shock hoops. With a set of 39-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Radial tires and 16x10-inch MT wheels on board, the truck was almost ready for the dirt. Still, the chassis required a few upgrades to protect it from the elements. Go Rhino skidplates were attached to the framerails and both differential housings were treated to aluminum covers by Conn-Fer.

Putting a Super Duty such as this up in the air adds some heft to the overall weight of the vehicle, which obviously slows it down. The Swansons made sure their truck would have no problem in the get-up-and-go department. The healthy Triton V-10 engine was topped off with a Whipple Supercharger. The stock exhaust system was scrapped in favor of a large-diameter system from Borla. Superchips provides the right computer programming to keep the V-10 operating at peak levels, and dual batteries from Optima supply the necessary juice.

Rick and Jill's second prerequisite was to outfit their Super Duty with the right tools to perform trail-side repairs. The bed of their truck was redesigned as a tool chest fit for a king. The inside of the bed was then sprayed with a new Line X bedliner and topped off with a Go Rhino chromed ladder rack. Inside the bed, a diamond-tread toolbox contains most of the truck's tools, with the exception of the Lincoln Electric combination generator/welder residing inside the bed. The generator has plenty of power, while the welder makes fixing mangled suspension parts a snap. The last upgrade in the tool department was to install a rear-mounted Ramsey 9000-series winch to the trailer hitch. With the hitch in place, the Swansons are also able to pull their truck free from sticky situations while on the trail.

This Super Duty pulls triple duty as a SEMA display vehicle, weekend playtoy, and Obsession Racing's pit truck, so the Swansons felt compelled to make it look every bit as good as it performed. The exterior of the truck was sprayed with PPG Bright Yellow paint before a phat load of goodies was dumped onto the body of the truck. APC provided the euro lighting found at all corners of the truck and Reaper Racing supplied the bottom door covers and front bumper. Pro Comp Explorer driving lights are found within the custom front bumper. The visual onslaught of custom paint and accessories are tied together by a Stull billet grille and tinted windows.

Make no mistake about it: This Super Duty is driven hard and often. To ease the miles of rough road this truck routinely encounters, the stock seating was replaced with leather seats from Katzkin. A custom center console is accompanied by a TV and VCR unit. Dash Design also upgraded the stock plastic dashboard with faux-wood grain, while Trenz added billet accessories to the door panels. This interior is a truly comfortable and inviting environment from which to command this powerhouse Ford.

We've watched from the sidelines as Obsession Racing has created several unique show trucks for the annual SEMA convention, but this one is the best yet. We can only sit and wait impatiently to see what Rick and Jill come up with next. It's sure to be something special.

How many times have you busted...        read full caption How many times have you busted a four-link mount or control arm during a thrash session in the dirt? Imagine how nice it would have been to have a welder handy to repair the damage and keep on truckin'. Our favorite part of this yellow hauler is the bed-mounted welder/generator from Lincoln Electric.

Superlift Suspensions made...        read full caption Superlift Suspensions made it possible for this F-250 to easily tower above a set of 39-inch Mickey Thompson Baja Radial tires and wheels. The lift puts 8-inch leaf springs and 2-inch shackles beneath the frontend of the truck, while a matching set of springs and 3-inch blocks are found out back. A total of 10 dampers control the suspension when the truck is on the go.

The rearend is locked in place...        read full caption The rearend is locked in place not only by the Superlift springs but also by a trick set of ladder bars built by Off-Road Unlimited. The bars pivot on rod ends, while a truss, built by Go Rhino, stiffens the axle tubes. The Boyz Shop in Menifee, California, performed all the machine work.

Not all tough trucks have...        read full caption Not all tough trucks have such a soft side. The plush interior is maximized with Katzkin seating and billet accents courtesy of Trenz Inc.