We hope you've liked what OFF-ROAD magazine has turned into in the past year. In early 2008 (the February 2008 issue to be exact), we took OFF-ROAD and gave it a much more specific direction than it has ever had. We've tried a few different things here and there, but our core direction should have come through loud and clear. If you weren't listening, then let us spell it out for you: we cover fullsize trucks, go-fast off-road vehicles, side-x-sides, daily-driven off-roaders, and the high-performance side of the off-road industry.
Last month the OFF-ROAD staff sat down and deliberated for hours to find the four trucks of 2008 that best represented what we intend this magazine to cover. Well, maybe that's not completely true: we really just found the coolest trucks that we liked the most in the last 12 issues of the magazine. It just happens that they are perfect representations of everything we've been trying to make this magazine represent.
We hope you'll agree with us that these four beauties were worthy of taking a second look at.
Black Diamond 2004 Ford F-150
It should seem obvious why we picked Darrius Thompson's '04 F-150 as one of the top four trucks of 2008. It's not the truck that we could afford, nor is it the one that we'd use the most or would make the most sense for us to own. But it is definitely the truck we all want. How could you not want a fully-caged (chrome-moly by the way) prerunner with all the hardcore parts that make it a venerable truck in the desert, but also something that's comfortable to sit in?
We were able to capture some shots of this blacked-out badass for May 2008's issue of OFF-ROAD, and we've been wanting one for ourselves ever since. Richer Racing built the entire truck, using an F-150 suspension system and keeping the rear bed bars and rear shock supports specifically positioned at the edges of the bed so Darrius could still have a functional truck bed. Not only was the outside of the truck clean and functional, the inside was too. Even the smallest details were given attention to make it known that this was not just some truck thrown together in a garage; this was a masterpiece that could only come out of a shop with the experience and ability to build the best.
| Vehicle: | 2004 Ford F-150 |
| Owner: | Darrius Thompson |
| Chassis: | OEM chassis with full 4130 chrome-moly rollcage |
| Engine: | Factory 5.4L V-8 with Whipple supercharger, JBA headers, larger fuel injectors |
| Drivetrain: | Factory OEM transmission, stock transfer case, JD Fab front CV shafts, Currie 9-inch w/ Detroit Locker and 4.56 gears |
| Front Suspension: | JD Fab long-travel kit with King coilovers and bumpstops |
| Rear Suspension: | Spring-under leaf spring setup with King remote reservoir shocks |
| Steering: | Factory rack and pinion with custom JD Fab tie rods |
| Brakes: | Front and rear disc brakes |
| Tires/wheels: | 37x12.50R17 Toyo Open Country All Terrains on 17-inch Walker beadlocks |
| Interior: | Beard seats, full Richer Racing chrome-moly rollcage with interior over the rollcage |
| Other Parts: | Richer Racing custom bumpers and tire carriers, Lowrance GPS unit, Optima batteries |