Truck-To-Pickup Conversion Kit

Truck-To-Pickup Conversion Kit PICKUPS Accessories 19-2-40 Our new conversion kit lets you convert a 1995 Ford F-700 or F-800 truck into the heaviest-built pickup on the market. It gives you the power of a heavy-duty truck with the comfort and convenience of a pickup," says Tom Burgess, Titan Custom Trucks, Geneva, Ill., who unveiled the new kit at the recent National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kent. The kit includes a box (with frame rails specially formed to accomodate it), heavy-duty rear bumper, mud flaps, running boards, and mounting hardware. The conversion can be done either by Titan or by Ford dealers. "It gives you a 21,000- to 25,000-lb. GVW pickup with more pulling power and hauling capacity than any pickup ever built," says Burgess. "You order the truck from Ford with just a cab and chassis, and then add our special-designed components. "We saw a need for a truck like this because trailers keep getting bigger, yet no one offers a heavy-duty pickup big enough to handle them. The engines in today's pickups are bigger than they were a few years ago, but the engine doesn't make the pickup - it takes a complete package. If you have an inadequate transmission you'll have problems. "The F-700 has a gas engine and the F-800 a diesel. We chose the Ford F-700 and F-800 series trucks because they come with a lot of different options designed for heavy pulling jobs, allowing you to custom build a truck tailored to your needs. Ford offers 13 different diesel engines ranging from 160 to 300 hp for the trucks and 2 gas engines ranging from 216 to 240 hp. Top torque for the gas engine model is 360 lbs.; 850 lbs. for the diesel model. Three different automatic transmissions are offered - 4, 5, or 6-speed - and manual transmissions ranging from 5 to 13 speeds. All of the automatic transmissions are Allisons which we think are the best on the market. Other options include air suspensions, air brakes, and an air-suspended driver's seat. "We think a popular package for farmers will be an F-800 equipped with a 10-liter, 230 hp diesel engine (605 lbs. torque), a 5-speed automatic Allison transmission, and air suspension. "At the show we had an F-700 equipped with a 7-liter, 429 cu. in., 236 hp gas engine. It has 360 lbs. of torque, 6 tons of working weight, and a GVW of 21,000 lbs. It can haul 12 times as much as a Ford F-150 1/2-ton pickup and six times as much as a Ford F-350 1-ton pickup. "We plan to also convert some GM trucks this spring." The conversion kit sells for $3,900, or about $36,000 for the diesel setup described above. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tom Burgess, Titan Custom Trucks, 537 N. First St., Geneva, Ill. 60134 (ph 800 328-4826 or 708 208-8209).

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