In the
world of diesel, the extent to which trucks are modified varies so widely that
it often boggles the mind. Take for instance SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market
Association): a favorite for many diesel enthusiasts. Sweet customizations,
mile-high horsepower numbers and earth-twisting torque gains are the name of
the game.
At the end
of the day, though, if you want to do something compared to the extent of the
typical flagship SEMA truck, you could be looking at a hefty bill when you
calculate parts and labor.
Jared
Venz, the marketing manager at Edge Products, wanted to go a different
direction with their next project truck to showcase their new applications for
the 2011 Ford diesels. But instead of having it be outrageously done, Edge
decided they wanted to build a truck that the average person could do by himself
on a modest budget.
"With doing the every day bolt-on stuff we can
get every day consumers to ask us, `What is this part?'" says Venz. "With some
of these show queens that are so nice you get customers that come over and
think that it's cool, but they don't generate that into their own daily
driver."
First Step
The
project started with a 2011 Ford F-250 Super Duty and was brought over to Elite
Customs in Ogden, Utah, to have the work done on it. One of
the marketing manager's favorite parts about the truck was putting the Edge
Evolution CTS on it. As he put it, that addition gave it more "manly power."
To the
suspension they installed a Pro Comp 6-inch Stage II lift kit to give it a more
commanding appearance on the road. To the body, one of the most noticeable
changes was the addition of the Fusion bumpers in front and back along with the
Bushwacker fender flares.
In
addition to the Edge Evolution CTS, the engine is boosted with an Injen air
intake and a 4-inch MBRP exhaust. Those modifications equaled out to an
increase of 82hp in peak-to-peak gains at the rear wheels when put on the dyno.
Ahead Of The
Curve
The
biggest difficulty or challenge that Edge came across with the truck was the
fact that everything was so new. The 2011 Ford Super Duty had just been released
when they first started the project, so there were several parts that were hard
to come by.
Another
issue they had to deal with involved the bumpers. Because the bumpers that they
used were a powder coat finish, Elite Customs, who also did the body and paint
work on the truck, had to paint them with a tri-coat finish to match it with
the rest of the truck.
The truck
is being used right now as a daily driver within the company. Venz said that it
is being used for several things including hunting, towing and city driving.
The current person driving the truck is into motocross and according to Venz, when
he takes it around to races it gathers a lot of attention. It has become a
great marking tool for them to show that the truck is as good a daily driver as
it is a hardcore diesel truck.
Extra
Attention
Venz
believes that combination is why the reception to 2011 Ford has been so
positive.
"It's
pretty cool seeing people taking pictures of the truck and getting their
picture next to it as well," says Venz.
When the
truck gets driven around town, he notices people leaning out their windows
desperate just to get a picture of the truck. He also mentioned that when
people see the custom paint job on the back, they love it.
For the
paint job, they wanted something that incorporated their logo and products, but
at the same time was different and unique. They went to Elite Customs with an idea
and the finished result turned out to be amazing.
"They put
our flagship product that the truck is running between these fingers like it is
being ripped apart by a demon-looking guy," says Venz.
They
finished off the design with a tribal look on the outside to fill more of the
tailgate. In order to make it a flat tailgate, they cut out the indent for the
old Ford logo and replaced it with a new piece to smooth out the middle.
"Overall
the truck is tight," says Venz. "It just looks gorgeous."
Because
this truck is being used to showcase some of Edge's products they are using it to
help advertise the company. The truck was showcased at SEMA in 2011 and Venz
says they are considering plans to bring it to the upcoming SEMA show in
November. They will also be bringing it around to several events in the
mountain west.
Source
Edge
Products
1080 South Depot Drive
Ogden, Utah 84404
888-360-3343
www.edgeproducts.com