The MegaRaptor sounds like something you’d find in a 1960’s Japanese science-fiction movie, but it’s very real. It’s also very large, riding on 20-inch wheels with 46-inch tires that require significant custom bodywork for proper clearance. This sinister off-roader is built from a Ford F-250 Super Duty and is the brainchild of Jeremy Dixon, the man with the plan at Tuscon, Arizona-based F250R.com.
The build starts with a run-of-the-mill F-250. It doesn’t have to be a new truck – F250R.com will make a MegaRaptor out of Ford Super Duty pickups as far back as 2005. The hood and fenders are removed and replaced with custom fiberglass panels that include whopping big fenders and an aggressive hood. Dixon bolts it all up to a forward-opening steel frame, allowing the entire front clip open like the big rig it is for easy access to the engine and front suspension bits. Meanwhile, the bed is retained but modified with its own pair of massive fiberglass fender flares, then bolted back to the frame.
Underneath, the F-250 gets a suspension makeover that includes a 4.5-inch lift kit from ICON Vehicle Dynamics. Bilstein shocks are used to provide a slightly softer ride, and the front axle is moved forward for better clearance. Custom 10-lug military-spec hubs are added to ensure the truck can handle the dynamics of off-roading with massively heavy 20-inch wheels turning 46-inch tires.
The result is a truck with significantly more ground clearance, yet it retains a low-ish center of gravity for better stability when rock crawling or blasting down trails at speed. Beyond the conversion, F250R.com offers all kinds of optional add-ons like tuned exhaust systems, cold air intakes, custom bumpers, bed-mount spare tire carriers, lighting systems, leather interiors, and side steps to help people climb into this beast.
The cost for all this pomp and circumstance? F250R.com will convert your existing F-250 into a MegaRaptor for $28,000. If that’s a bit too much, the company also offers a $22,000 SuperRaptor conversion which runs smaller 40-inch tires on 17-inch wheels, utilizing stock F-250 hubs. Considering a new F-150 Raptor costs around $50,000, one could start with a nice, used F-250 for $20,000 and build a diesel-powered MegaRaptor for around the same price. A more apples-to-apples comparison would be a new F-250, which would be closer to $80,000 when all is said and done.
It’s not cheap, but for those who want the Raptor’s off-road prowess with diesel power and more machismo than all The Expendables movies combined, your truck is ready and waiting in Tuscon.
Source: F250R.com, The Fast Lane Truck
Gallery: Ford F-250 MegaRaptor
