Why Have Diamonds When You Could Have A Diesel?

With her parents so heavily involved in the automotive industry, it was only a matter of time before Candice Waldeck got curious about diesels. Born and raised in Australia, Candice grew up alongside Wendy and Gary La Budda as they owned and operated an exhaust manufacturing company. School holidays and weekends passed by with familiar tasks like stocking gaskets, labeling parts, and going to races and shows. Years later, Gary and Wendy sold their company and purchased an American powder coating franchise. Since the head office was in the U.S., the Australians found themselves visiting America at least yearly—and that’s where Candice clapped eyes on her first lifted truck.

“It was like a scene from a movie where the heavens open up and you see the most amazing thing ever,” she laughs.

Growing up in Australia, Candice had only seen the street-legal 2-inch lifts with 33-inch tires, “So I had never seen anything like what drives around the streets here,” says Candice. The Aussies may have lamingtons but we have lifts, and that’s got to count for something.

First Real Truck

It was obviously an impression that made a mark on Candice. In 2008, she moved to the states and got her first truck, a stock Dakota. Later she swapped to a Nissan Titan with a 6-inch lift on 35s, and then finally upgraded to her first “real truck”—an F250 with a 10-inch lift on 38s.  

“It was the best day ever and I was hooked for life!” recalls Candice.

Now her husband drives the original F250 and Candice has settled on her 2003 F250 6.0L Power Stroke. The deciding factor was the turbo whistle.

“I love the way the Fords look, but the sound and power of the 6.0L is what made it the winner for me,” she says.

A Needed Visit

Candice renamed her crew cab Wildflower and went straight to Triple C Diesel Performance, her friend Cliff Hutton’s diesel shop. With both heads cracked and nothing done under the hood, this trip was a must.

The truck was already modified with three 10-inch kickers and a kicker amp all mounted behind the rear seats—as you can imagine, the seats had been moved and re-welded to fit. Its 5-inch turbo back exhaust was also customized with an 8-inch tip dumped over the axle.

Candice got new heads and ARP head studs and an S&B intake installed. She also went with Rough Country shocks and 20- by 12-inch Fuel Hostage Wheels. And without her AMP Research power steps with 2-inch extensions, it would be a feat of gymnastics to climb into the lifted truck now.

With her Livewire TS tuner, Candice was able to cash in on improved fuel economy, hefty power gains in torque and horsepower, and a better throttle response.

Big Ride Precautions

With the addition of a rocker panel guard, the truck’s sides were more safely preserved from airborne rocks and other notorious paint-chippers that are flung into the air by her new 40-inch Toyo tires. Fender flares further protect the truck body and give it an added modern edge.

“It doesn’t matter if anyone else likes your truck or what you do with it. Someone is always going to be hating on you, so just do what makes you happy.”

On the entertainment side of the coin, Candice added a Pioneer 7-inch touch screen display. To go for the finishing touch, she cracked her knuckles and got her creative energies to work customizing and applying the pink and silver flower graphics at Sticka Hog, her home vinyl decal/graphics business. Now Wildflower really fits its name and with the 12-inch lift, this makes for an awesome play on natural strength and the power of delicate fine-tuning.

Family-Friendly

Since Wildflower’s latest modifications, one thing Candice has used her truck for is the face of the Southern Heights Truck Club (SHTC), especially at shows and events. The current members, including her husband, banded together to create a family-friendly club themselves. While still establishing who wanted to join and who would lead it, Candice had to slip out to show a client the pigs on their farm, the L and W Farm and Petting Zoo. By the time she returned an hour later, it was decided: The Southern Heights Truck Club would be born and Candice would be their president.

“I tried to decline, but they said I was the one they wanted so I decided I’d give it a try—and I’m so glad I did,” Candice says.

Now she and her husband, who is the vice president, lead the SHTC group in charity events, fund raisers, and truck events like pulls and show and shines. This past Christmas, their truck club donated tons of canned foods at a Christmas charity event. They also gave a single mother of five a Christmas tree, decorations and gifts. You can see they’re already hitting their stride.

Home On The Farm

In addition to being the public face of SHTC, Candice’s truck is also entered into local show and shines. At home, however, Wildflower is put to good use as a dependable work truck on the Waldeck’s farm and petting zoo, where they raise mini pigs, potbelly pigs, and full-size hogs. They’ve also branched out to include animals such as a zebra and a monkey, as well as a lot of other exotics. Candice uses the truck to haul her horse trailer and move hay and feed—obviously there would be a lot to haul. It also serves as the family ride for the Waldecks and their two kids.

Owning a beautiful lifted truck like Wildflower has led to some fun moments so far. Whenever she pulls up to a guy in traffic and sees his face when her truck is bigger, the moment is priceless. The thumbs-ups she gets from strangers is another thing that always provokes a smile.

Wildflower’s not out of the woods yet, though—Candice is looking to install some aftermarket injectors, 2-inch wheel spacers, and a Wicked wheel for that bigger boost and throttle response. She also has it in her plans to complete a 6.7 front end conversion.

Her advice for other women?

“Just be yourself,” Candice points out. “It doesn’t matter if anyone else likes your truck or what you do with it. Someone is always going to be hating on you, so just do what makes you happy.”

This comes straight from the heart of the Aussie girl who firmly states, “Anyone who says diamonds are a girl’s best friend never owned a diesel.”

Photography by Just Shoot Me Photography, Candice Waldeck and Zackary Jones 

WANT TO SEE YOUR TRUCK FEATURED IN THE MAGAZINE? GO HERE!