Tearing It Up In The Dunes

Tearing It Up In The Dunes 1450 Truck Jumping

It’s not every day that you spot a race truck out in the dirt, unless of course you’re down in Baja. Lucky for us, Jeff Angeleri was in the dunes for a chance spotting while out shooting one day. After chasing him through the dunes for a few minutes, we were able to catch up with him and check out his awesome ’94 Ford F-250 1450 race truck. Jeff built this truck to compete in the MDR 1450 class series, but he ended up on crutches about a year into the build after breaking his hip during a local motocross race. Not one to give up, Jeff continued building his race truck at home outside in the dirt, despite having to use crutches, and even painted it himself in his own backyard.

Tearing It Up In The Dunes 1450 Truck Jumping Off Dune

This truck originally started life as a diesel F-250 longbed truck but has since morphed into one heck of a cool truck. Jeff has held the longest-jump record for Pismo Huckfest at 125 feet since the inaugural competition. He also used to race the truck competitively in the old MDR 1450 class. He raced his way to a podium finish of third place at the 2009 MDR Stoddard 250, but the truck hasn’t seen contingency or a racecourse since. Instead, the old 1450 Ford has turned into a play toy for Jeff. And we think that’s almost a better life for a truck. While there is glory to be had in racing, it takes quite a toll on the vehicle. A simple life of play will keep this Ford healthy and available for years of more exploration off the beaten path.

There’s no denying the sleek looks of this Ford. Jeff built the whole truck in his backyard, even while sidelined from racing after a motocross injury. The F-250 sports a set of Hannemann fiberglass fenders and hood, as well as a set of Trailer Products fiberglass bedsides to finish off its sleek look. He also painted the F-250 in his own backyard in gloss-black paint from Central City Auto Body & Paint. We were really impressed with the quality of work on the truck, especially the deep glossy paint finish.
There’s no denying the sleek looks of this Ford. Jeff built the whole truck in his backyar
Jeff built the Stix Racing 1-ton equal-length I-beam front suspension that uses a Howe hydraulic assist ram with crossover steering and 2.5x16-inch-stroke FOX Racing coilovers with 2.5x16-inch-stroke FOX Racing two-tube bypass shocks and King 2.5-inch hydraulic bumpstops that deliver an incredibly smooth 24 inches of wheel travel.
Jeff built the Stix Racing 1-ton equal-length I-beam front suspension that uses a Howe hyd
Jeff also built the Stix Racing plated extended radius arms with Heim joints and Grade 8 hardware on the ends to handle the stresses associated with race duties. He also routed the brake lines around the suspension to allow it to fully cycle through its 24 inches of wheel travel without fear of ripping a brake line in the middle of a race.
Jeff also built the Stix Racing plated extended radius arms with Heim joints and Grade 8 h

The Stix Racing four-link rear suspension features a set of Dixon Brothers Racing 4130 trailing arms that have massive FK rod ends in the rear and polyurethane bushings in the front. Jeff tells us the rear suspension is strapped at 26 inches of wheel travel.
The Stix Racing four-link rear suspension features a set of Dixon Brothers Racing 4130 tra
Under the hood lives a 383ci stroker Chevy V-8 that pumps out a healthy 475 horsepower and 500 lb-ft of torque. The engine was set 11 inches farther back than stock for better weight distribution to improve handling. The perfectly thought-out engine cage is built out of 1.75-inch chromoly and is tied into the frame as well as the rest of the truck’s cage. A giant C&R Double Pass NASCAR-style radiator/engine oil heat exchanger keeps this small-block from losing its cool out in the desert, even on the hottest race days. A 750-cfm Holley Double Pumper carburetor and a Holley Blue electric fuel pump keep the thirsty small-block fed with enough fuel to roast the competition at any moment.
Under the hood lives a 383ci stroker Chevy V-8 that pumps out a healthy 475 horsepower and
It wouldn’t be a very good desert truck let alone a 1450 race truck without two fullsize spares onboard within easy reach as well as an aluminum floor jack secured to the cage. A pair of Fluidyne oil coolers ensures the Turbo 400 can withstand the grueling life of desert racing.
It wouldn’t be a very good desert truck let alone a 1450 race truck without two fullsize s

A set of 37-inch Goodyear Wrangler MTRs gives this former race truck plenty of traction in hard-pack dirt as well as the soft sand of Pismo. A set of 17-inch Walker Evans Racing polished bead lock wheels ensures Jeff doesn’t lose a bead when running single-digit air pressures.
A set of 37-inch Goodyear Wrangler MTRs gives this former race truck plenty of traction in
The rear suspension uses 3x14-inch-stroke FOA coilovers as well as 2.5x16-inch-stroke FOX Racing four-tube bypass shocks to soak up even the largest of whoops in the dirt. A set of King 2.5-inch hydraulic bumpstops helps smooth out harsh landings after getting airborne.
The rear suspension uses 3x14-inch-stroke FOA coilovers as well as 2.5x16-inch-stroke FOX
We were impressed to find that the four Hella Rallye 4000 HIDs were mounted on an electronically actuated retractable lightbar. All it takes is the flick of a switch and the four lights rise up from behind the cab to light up the night.
We were impressed to find that the four Hella Rallye 4000 HIDs were mounted on an electron

A trussed Currie 9-inch rear is stuffed with a spool as well as Currie 35-spline chromoly axles and 5.00 gears to keep the Ford moving through any environment. A set of Wilwood two-piston calipers provides plenty of stopping power while the 32-gallon fuel cell and 16-gallon gravity-fed reserve cell allow this F-250 to race with a total fuel capacity of 48 gallons for long races or pre-run sessions.
A trussed Currie 9-inch rear is stuffed with a spool as well as Currie 35-spline chromoly
It’s not a real race truck if you don’t have window nets!
The stock dash is filled with Auto Meter gauges to help monitor engine vitals while a Winters gated shifter allows Jeff to manually shift the built Turbo 400 with precise shifts. A Lowrance Baja 540C allows him to successfully navigate through the desert while a Rugged Radios Intercom radio allows both the driver and co-driver to keep in contact, even over the loud stroker motor. A simple 13-inch Grant steering wheel finishes out the all-business interior.
The stock dash is filled with Auto Meter gauges to help monitor engine vitals while a Wint

A set of Giant Motorsports suspension seats keeps the occupants comfortable, even at race speeds through torn-up racecourses, while a pair of RJS five-point harnesses keeps them from bouncing around after hard landings when catching major air. Jeff also upholstered the interior himself in matching gray tweed.
A set of Giant Motorsports suspension seats keeps the occupants comfortable, even at race
As the first winner of the inaugural Pismo Huckfest, Jeff’s no stranger to launching his F-250. He still holds the longest-jump record for the Pismo Huckfest that currently stands at 125 feet. Just to give you an idea, the yellow sand rail that broke its accelerator pedal earlier this year at Pismo Huckfest jumped for a distance of 116 feet—nine feet less than Jeff’s record-winning huck.
As the first winner of the inaugural Pismo Huckfest, Jeff’s no stranger to launching his F

Tearing It Up In The Dunes 1450 Truck Heading Down Dune

Specs
Vehicle: 1994 Ford F-250
Owner: Jeff Angeleri

Chassis: Plated framerails with full rollcage front to rear built out of 1.75-inch chromoly

Engine: 383ci stroker Chevy V-8, four-bolt main caps with ARP bolts and stainless windage tray, AFR 195 CC fully ported CNC heads, Eagle forged crank that was internally balanced, Eagle H-beam connecting rods, JE flat top pistons, Comp Cams, Melling high-volume oil pump, C&R NASCAR double-pass radiator with -12 AN heat exchanger for engine oil, Crown Victoria two-speed electric fan with factory shroud and recovery tank, Weiand aluminum water pump, Hooker Comp headers, 3-inch Dynatech oval race mufflers, Holley 750-cfm Double Pumper carburetor with custom overflow return system, Holley Blue electric fuel pump with -8 AN braided stainless-steel hoses, Accel Header spark plugs, MSD 6AL ignition, MSD billet distributor

Drivetrain: Turbo 400 automatic transmission with Red Alto clutches and steels built by Anthony Fernandez, larger sprag gear, custom shift kit built by Anthony Fernandez, Boss Hog 3,500-rpm stall torque converter, dual Fluidyne transmission coolers, Currie 9-inch rear with 35-spline axles, full spool, 5.00 gears, two-piece driveshaft built by Santa Maria Drive Line

Suspension: Custom-made 1-ton equal-length I-beams with crossover steering with billet aluminum MW 2.5 hubs, 16-inch stroke FOX Racing 2.5-inch coilovers, 2.5-inch FOX Racing two-tube bypass shocks, King 2.5-inch hydraulic bumpstops, Stix Racing radius arms, Stix Racing trailing arm four-link suspension in rear, 14-inch-stroke FOA 3-inch coilovers with 16-inch-stroke FOX Racing 2.5-inch four-tube bypass shocks, King 2.5-inch hydraulic bumpstops

Steering: Stix Racing crossover steering with the proper Ackermann, Grant steering wheel, Howe hydraulic assist ram and box

Brakes: Wilwood four-Piston front calipers, Wilwood two-piston rear calipers, dual CNC master cylinders, -4 AN braided stainless-steel brake lines

Tires/wheels: 37x12.5R17 Goodyear Wrangler MTRs on 17x9 Walker Evans Racing polished bead locks

Interior: Stock dash with Auto Meter gauges, Giant Motorsports suspension seats, homemade custom tweed panels, cheap CD player, Rugged Radios intercom, Lowrance Baja 540C

Other Parts: Hannemann front fiberglass fenders and hood, Trailer Products rear fiberglass bedsides, custom 2-inch tube bumpers, Hella Rallye 4000 lights with HID conversion mounted on a custom electronically retractable lightbar powered by an actuator, late-model 150-amp alternator

Favorite Off-Road Area: Pismo sand dunes