AS SEEN IN OUR F-Series Builders Guide Summer 2026 ISSUE – Buy Now!
Clean, Classy & Cool Camper Special
Meet Allan, a Crystal Bay local, and his gorgeous 1971 Ford F-250 Camper Special in a beautiful original Seafoam and Boxwood Green color code from Ford Motor Company. Van Sant Collision in Pella, Iowa, expertly applied the colors. Don’t let this clean and beautiful ride fool you though; it is jam-packed with some of the finest parts on the market to bring it to life as a true classic with a modern touch. With just over two hundred thousand dollars invested into this beauty, it took the course just over 10 months to build.
Starting at the exterior front, there are perfect Scott Drake Ford headlights to illuminate the roads and showroom floors. Covering that front end is a Ford original design Dennis Carpenter front bumper, keeping with a clean original 1970s look. Sliding up under this rig, its entire underbody and inside of the bed are coated with a Raptor bedliner. Packing the punch in this ‘71 Ford is a 2023 7.3L Godzilla crate motor with Ford control packs, a PRD Design Godzilla Highboy engine mount kit, a Holley serpentine system, a low-profile Ford intake, and custom 1.75-inch mid-length headers attached to a PRD Design custom exhaust to let the Godzilla motor roar. All of these modifications were done by PRD Designs.
Keeping the power pushing is a 2023 Ford 10R140 transmission, also done by PRD Design. This shop is top-notch when it comes to this type of work. Paired with the NP205 is a set of custom driveshafts from Fast Shaft with 14.10 and 13.50 U-joints. Synced to those driveshafts is a Ford Dana 44 and a Dana 60 rear axle. Hopping into the front axle is a Yukon Dura Grip differential, 4.10 gears, and a limited slip diff. In the Dana 60 rear, you will find a matching Yukon Dura Grip diff cover, 4.10 gears, and a limited slip differential locker. Sitting on the outside of these axles are the party halters—a front PRD Halt brake upgrade kit and a rear Halt drum-to-disc conversion kit paired to a Rad Rides iBooster master cylinder and custom stainless brake lines all around.
This rig is lifted very tastefully—not too tall but not stock, which is the perfect look for this setup. The suspension system consists of a set of Fox shocks and Eaton springs up front and a matching set of shocks and springs at the rear. This rig has some slight frame modifications to enable a 4×4 conversion, which PRD Designs was also happy to tackle. Steering this classic around the roads of Crystal Bay is a Ford Red-Head steering box and Fox stabilizer. Connecting the machine to the road is a set of Toyo M/T Open Country tires in a 255/85/16 size to really make this ‘71 pop. That rubber is wrapped around original Ford 16×6 steelies with the original Ford backspacing.
Hopping into the cab of this beast, you can feel the comfort in that bench seat with factory-style SMS upholstery in a classy green to match the aesthetic of this truck. Reading the vehicle’s temps and speed is just as important as seeing the road when you are driving. What’s better than a Dakota Digital RTX gauge cluster to assist with staying in the loop? To keep this Ford really feeling like you are cruising back in 1971, you can still find the original paint, door panels, dash pad, and a little modernizing with custom cupholders. A full JBL and JL Audio sound system was assembled because listening to good tunes when cruising is always a must!
We thank Allan for allowing us to capture and feature this beautiful ride. And like always, we will be watching for more on this build and other future projects that will keep F-Series lovers wanting more. Until the next one, tread on!