Striking Gold... (December 2024 Newsletter)

     Howdy! To all our followers out there, this is our first monthly newsletter highlighting what new builds, ideas, and things we have going on in the shop! December brought with it many exciting gifts, including multiple new donors and two new builds: Gold Rush and a yet-to-be-named R. We also took on 3 new shop trucks, including an Avalanche Gray Raptor R, A SuperCab 2013 Raptor, and a 2022 Lariat F350 7.3L.

     Most people tend to overlook our chassis selection process. We purchase wrecked/totaled pickups from auction, and then restore them to a fully-functional, factory-condition truck before any custom work is performed. This allows potential clients to drive the truck they will have underpinning their new rig and get a feel for exactly what it will drive like. This also lets us filter some rigs out to be used as potential shop trucks or resell them as they are. 

     On the topic of rebuilding, let's get into what it looks like in our shop. Every truck is looked over front to back, fluids are changed, any electrical issues are resolved and any damaged parts are replaced with OEM pieces. On full restorations, this can mean anything from a fender and headlight to as far as replacing every module, wire, connector, and even axles and whole cabs. Our new Raptor R and our '13 Supercab Raptor are both great examples of this. The R ended up needing all-new front suspension components on the drivers side including both upper and lower control arms, inner and outer tie rods, a cv axle, and a new knuckle. Topped off with a new fender and headlight, and now she's as good as new. Our '13 was a saltwater flood victim, and ended up loosing much of the wiring and every module below the dash. We re-wired every single connector, replaced almost every module in the cab, and with some extensive re-programming brought a once dead forever truck back to life. Followed up with fluid changes, brake/axle work and some replacement belt pulleys, this raptor now operates as a strong shop truck for running around and towing!

   Now for the reason you opened this letter: The Builds. 

     1st on our chopping block this month was a 2024 F350. This truck was a base-model, crew-cab long-bed land-yacht. We stripped the cab off the frame immediately, then went to work swapping axles in search of a better gear ratio. The frame was shortened roughly 9 inches to accommodate the new 1976 Crew Cab body, and now we are working on mounts, plumbing and wiring to bring this 7.3 Godzilla-powered workhorse to life!

     Our 2nd current build this month is a cross between a 2023 Raptor R and a 1965 Crew Cab F250. Much of it is stilling in teardown and planning, so more will be revealed in next months newsletter and on our Instagram!

     December marked a milestone for the shop in terms of efficiency and was a fantastic end to a great year! We are super excited to se what will come in 2025! Happy Holidays!

-Jack'd Up Trucks