Alaska-Bred 1975 Ford F-250 Is So Loaded Not Even the Autobots Seem Capable to Stop It

Ford's F-Series trucks are among the most cherished on the entire American continent. For the past 46 years or so the examples of this family have dominated the market, selling from 1977 until 2022 more examples than any of its competitors.

The king of the range is of course the half-ton F-150, a truck that can easily double as a daily. Yet it was only together with the Heavy Duties that it was capable of becoming an unstoppable force over the years. And not only when it comes to new vehicles, but when we're talking about customs as well.

The truck we're here to drool over now is not a half-ton, but an F-250. It also was not born during the golden period of the family I mentioned above, but two years prior. Even so, especially in this form, it will work wonders in propagating the F-Series story.

The truck is described as a frame-off custom build, and that's not something we usually stumble upon when talking about workhorses of its class. That is, if you will, the memorable trait number 1 of the project.

Trait number 2 probably has to do with the truck's rarity. It rolled off the Ford assembly lines in 1957 as one of just a little over 2,100 crew cab short beds made that year. We don't know where it lived its life in stock form, but we do know for what kind of region it was put together: the coldness of Alaska.

The truck as you see is the result of its unnamed owner's vision, realized with the help of custom crews spread across the country. And also realized in such a potent way that not even the Autobots seem capable of stopping it from getting the job done.

Why the Autobots? That's easy. Beneath the aggressive, no-nonsense, ready-for-anything exterior hides an interior dotted with symbols that reference the Transformers from the other side of the fence, the Decepticons. Check out the gallery and you'll see what I mean.

The truck was built on a boxed frame, and features incredible hardware all around: Dana front and rear axles, Warn hubs, and ARB lockers, just to name a few.

Up on the frame a Cummins turbo diesel engine was installed. It's 5.9 liters in displacement and uses six cylinders, two Diesel Power Source turbos, and a South Bend twin-disc clutch.

The powerplant draws fuel from one of two custom-made tanks of undisclosed capacity (one of them was made to act as a transfer tank if need be). No numbers are provided to give us an idea of the engine's capabilities as it burns through the fuel, but really, do we need those?

It's obvious as soon as the eyes fall upon it what the truck was meant for. Rather small Fuel wheels (exact size undisclosed) are almost completely eclipsed by the absolutely vicious BF Goodrich all-terrain tires that wrap around them.

Because of them, but also on account of the leaf springs it was equipped with, the truck's body is kept safely very high off the ground. And they're not just any leaf springs, but specifically made for Ford: the ones at the front come from a 2001 F-350, while the ones on the back were sourced from a 2020 F-450.

If you go around the F-250 trying to see what it was equipped for, it immediately becomes clear it was specced for survival. For towing needs, for instance, there is a SuperTruss hitch at the rear and B&W one at the opposite end.

Both of the custom fenders have been equipped with Smittybilt winches, each capable of pulling with the force of 12,000 pounds. If rapid and firm stopping power is needed, Hydro-Boost brakes spring into action.

The interior, the place where the Decepticon references can be mostly seen, was kept simple and effective. The dashboard holds Dakota Digital gauges, the cabin boasts seats borrowed from a 2008 Ford F-150, and there's a Vintage air system to keep the occupants cool or hot. For kicks, a HornBlasters Outlaw train horn was installed.

The truck as you see it is known to its close ones as the Wheelie, and as far as we can tell, this is the first time it shows up for sale during an auction. It will go under the hammer in early November, when auction house Mecum will try to find a new home for it during an event in Las Vegas.

There is no mention as to how much the owner expects to get for it but, as usual, we'll keep a close eye on the Wheelie to see how good it is at impressing people in the market for a cool custom.