Jeremy Mattos and His F-250 Killer

There’s a lot of lifted diesel F-250s out there. That means two things: first, the aftermarket is rife with every accessory you could ever want, and second, you’ve got to step up your game if you want to stand out from the seemingly endless crowd. For Jeremy Mattos, of Hanford, California, that sounded like something he wanted to tackle. Challenge accepted.

All lifted trucks have to sit on a solid foundation, and Jeremy’s F-250 is no exception. Working with the quality components that Ford put in place, Jeremy decided to keep the axles stock (minus an Eaton locker and 3.73:1 gears) and build on that platform. Out back, 12-inch rear leaf springs, chrome link bars, Rize Industries traction bars and dual shock mounts with King Shocks get the back end up to a reasonable altitude, and for the  front, a Rize Industries 4-link with King Shocks make it all sit level. The rolling stock had to be killer as well, so on went four 22×14 KMC XDs, teamed with 35×14.5×22 Super Swamper Iroks. It’s tall enough to put Jeremy in the upper deck, while still being manageable on the road.

“SURE, THERE ARE TRUCKS THAT ARE BIGGER, AND SOME THAT MAY HAVE MORE COLORS IN THEIR PAINT, BUT JEREMY’S IS A CLEAN EXAMPLE OF A TRUCK THAT’S FUN TO DRIVE AND SHOW OFF, MAKING IT THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. ”

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Let’s talk about the bodywork, because even though people lift their Fords all day long, often the sheet metal is left stock with nary a custom mod to be found. Jeremy decided that he wanted to up the game by installing some brand-new hardware direct from Ford, so the stock 2007 fenders, hood, bumper, grille and headlights were tossed in the recycle bin and replaced with the front clip from a ’08 F-250. But this is no bolt-on mod by any stretch of the imagination. Getting those parts to work on an ’07 isn’t easy, and there was a lot of fabrication involved to make it look like it rolled out of the factory that way, but it was well worth the time. Then came the subtler mods, such as the shaved tailgate, billet grille, 1997 F-150 clear taillights and color-matched mirrors and door handles. And just like that, his truck stood out from the pack.

At this point, Jeremy had a very respectable ride that most people would kill for, and yet it needed something more to make him happy. The answer? Paint. Miranda’s Kustoms in Tulare, California laid down House of Kolor Silver, Blue and Green to create a two-tone paint job with a green tribal graphic separating the two halves. An understated orange pinstripe applied by Pinstriping by Ruben provided the finishing touch and completed the sheet metal work. Now that the body looked awesome, he wanted the suspension to match. So off came all of the important stuff, and everything was either powder coated orange or green to match the paint, or chromed to match the wheels. That chromed link setup and driveshaft combined with the multi-hued components will sear your retinas for sure.

With the exterior completed, it was time to move to the inside of the truck, where Jeremy kept things simple: silver leather on the seats, a custom center console and rear buckets from a Chevy round out the major mods, then toss in some color-matched armrests, dashboard parts and accessories, throw in a few shiny billet parts and you’re good to go. The stereo isn’t too shabby either, with a 7-inch monitor mounted in the dash, more than 1,500 watts of Arc Audio powering four JL 12W6s paired with Focal mids and highs, all done by Lee’s Stereo in Visalia, California.

In a sea of similar rides, Jeremy’s crew cab is a cut above the pack. Sure, there are trucks that are bigger, and some that may have more colors in their paint, but Jeremy’s is a clean example of a truck that’s fun to drive and show off, making it the best of both worlds. Challenge completed and won. ST

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TRUCK SPECS

OWNERS

Jeremy Mattos
2007 Ford F-250
Hanford, CA

ENGINE

• 6.0l Power Stroke diesel
• P.P.E. Performance Xcelerator programmer
• Factory turbo
• K&N air filter
• Banks intercooler
• 4-inch exhaust with 7-inch chrome tip

SUSPENSION

• 12-inch rear springs
• Rize Industries traction bars on rear
• Rize Industries 4-link front suspension
• Factory 2007 Ford F-250 rearend
• King shocks
• Chromed differential cover
• 3.73:1 gears
• Eaton locker
• Dual shock mounts
• Powder coated and chromed suspension components
• Steel brake lines

WHEELS & TIRES

• 22×14 KMC XD Diesel
• 35×14.5×22 Super Swamper Irok

BODY & PAINT

• Shop: Miranda’s Kustoms in Tulare, CA
• Cowl hood for 2008 Ford F-250
• 2008 Ford F-250 front fenders, bumper, headlights and grille
• Billet grille insert
• Color matched door handles
• 1997 F-150 clear taillights
• Shaved tailgate
• House of Kolor Silver, Blue and Green paint with a tribal design
• Orange pinstriping by Pinstriping by Ruben

INTERIOR

• Gray and silver leather
• Chevrolet rear bucket seats
• Painted dashboard, handles and door panel inserts by Miranda’s Kustoms in Tulare, CA
• Stereo installed by Lee’s Stereo in Visalia, CA
• Billet iron cross rearview mirror
• 7-inch monitor in head unit
• Arc Audio two-channel, 1,500-watt amp
• Focal mids and highs
• 4 JL Audio 12w6 subwoofers

Special Thanks From Owner: Thanks to all my friends who helped, and to Miranda’s Kustoms for the help and paint job. A special thanks to my parents: I love you, mom and dad.

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