A TravelAll That Doesn’t Just Look Like a Million Bucks!

WE’VE FEATURED SOME PRETTY CRAZY RIDES IN OUR 20-PLUS YEARS, BUT WE CAN’T RECALL EVER HAVING FEATURED AN INTERNATIONAL TRAVELALL LIKE THIS. Yet, here we are, 21st century style, smashing that invisible “like” button all over this ’72, which has been dubbed the InterRaptor. As you’ve probably already noticed, this International wears a set of factory 17-inch Ford Raptor wheels, so the name makes sense. Yeah, yeah, it might be a stretch to name an old SUV after the wheels it has bolted on it, but you have to admit that they’re nice wheels!

Oh wait, it also has a Raptor steering wheel. And a Raptor dashboard. Oh, and the center console is from a Raptor. Then there are the seats. Has it earned the name InterRaptor yet? OK, some of you are giving it a pass, while we see some of you guys in the back shaking your heads “no.” That’s fine. Now take a look at the pics and notice what’s really going on. Think you’re done? Keep looking!

DASH PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JENA CRAWFORD.

This isn’t some mild resto with a few Ford bolt-ons. At first you might think you’re ahead of the game and guess that this TravelAll has a Ford Raptor engine swap in it, and you’d be right. Kinda. In fact, this is more of a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” kind of deal, and that actually doesn’t completely cover what’s going on here either.

When Bob and Bobbie Mowry decided they wanted to resuscitate the family’s old International, they showed up at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff in Escondido, California, to see what ideas they might have. After mulling over some possibilities with Randy Clark and crew (when it was also discovered that Bob owned a Ford Raptor), someone suggested something to the effect of, “Why don’t we tear apart your Raptor and put it underneath your International?” Luckily, that guy (who shall remain nameless) wasn’t fired, but the basic idea had some merit. Numbers were crunched, a budget was discussed (and quickly thrown in the trash), and the HR&CS team had itself a new project that would consume the next 31 months for a total of 5,000 hours of shop time.

But before you go thinking that this was all as easy as swapping an S-10 chassis under a Chevy AD or throwing a Crown Vic subframe under an F-100, don’t even go there. Think of the InterRaptor as more of a melding of two awesome trucks, where one blends into the other seamlessly, truly becoming one.

For example, the body and doors were lengthened 14 inches to perfectly match the Raptor chassis’ wheelbase, and the wheel arches were reshaped with custom flares. The bumpers are also stock International units but have been modified to match the widened body. Raptor fender vents were installed, and custom International/SVT badges were created. All of the glass was custom made and flush-fit to the body, and even the Raptor’s door handles were used. Speaking of doors, everything on the truck opens and shuts like a brand new truck, which is really a mind trip when you’re expecting typical old truck noises. Oh yeah, the whole thing was sprayed Ford Magnetic Gray and Ingot Silver by Andy Meeh using PPG products for even more Raptor flair.

And although the chassis is mostly factory Ford, a few upgrades were made in the name of utility and comfort. A custom skid plate was fabricated, as was a new trailer hitch setup. Power AMP Research running boards were fit, and the suspension received Icon Vehicle Dynamics upper control arms, Deaver leaf springs and a Ridetech helper bag setup to keep things level when the 6.2L Raptor V-8 is under load.

THE INTERRAPTOR IS MORE RAPTOR THAN INTERNATIONAL IN MANY WAYS, ESPECIALLY IN THE POWER DEPARTMENT. A 411-HORSEPOWER FORD V-8, BACKED BY A 6-SPEED AUTOMATIC, MAKES DRIVING THIS SUV EFFORTLESS.

Inside, you’ll find the aforementioned Raptor stuff, but take note that everything looks, feels and works as a new truck should, down to all of the electronics. The lengthened Raptor door panels, and every other panel for that matter, was restitched by Old Town Upholstery with genuine leather, and custom third row seating was installed to take full advantage of the available cabin room.

So, by now, we think you’ll agree that Bob and Bobbie’s TravelAll has earned its InterRaptor name, but this is a ride that must be experienced in person to fully comprehend the extent of its awesomeness. Well, we take that back. We actually have experienced it, and we still can’t wrap our heads around it! We’re just glad that the Mowrys have it back in their hands and can lay claim to owning the baddest International around!

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