Is it a Crime?

I really like the graphics on the Hot Wheels 2009 Ford F-150, but a question remains.  Is it criminal to load up some Matchbox wheels underneath?  If so I'm guilty as charged, but she sure is a beauty.

Look Down On Your Prey with a Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Lift Kit

I have been wanting to lift the Matchbox Ford F-150 SVT Raptor for quite some time now.  Thanks to my recent experience making the Z bars for my drift cars I had an idea.  In the past my 'lift kits' had consisted of multi-piece chassis that frequently involved more than a bit of cutting and grinding to accomplish.  Another down side with that technique is that it is very hard to find a donor that has wheels that align properly with the wheel-wells on the new truck.  Even then, you may think you have it right only to find that you have just spent an hour grinding away on something destine for the junkyard.

Now that I was almost certain that my Raptor would not end up in the junkyard I set to work.  I carefully drilled the pilot holes in the posts, taking extra care to not break through the plastic floor of the truck bed.  Once I had Dremelled through the mushrooms and cleaned up the posts I set to work making Z bars from .032 brass rod that would accommodate the massive tires I planned on stuffing under the Raptor.

The only modification that I had to make on the chassis was to file some channels for the Z bar to rest in so they would not float about. This was done using a triangular file.  Once the Z bars were mounted I pinched the chassis and the interior together to keep the axles from moving as I mounted the wheels using the .031 crimp tubes I had picked up from the craft store.  This time around I added the slightest drop of super glue gel to help hold the crimp tubes in place.  In mounting the full size spare I did have to do a bit of grinding and drilling but I figured that the results had been so good that I had no problem committing to finish the overall look of the truck.

F-150 Redemption

After my deflating fail with my new 1997 Ford F-150 I decided that I had to put the custom axles I had just made to good use.  That could only mean one thing.  I needed to find another truck with the same track width.  As it happens I had one more F-150 lying around from a graffiti 5-pack.  Well, I am happy to report that this time things went smoothly.  Let me know what you think.

Epic Fail : F-150 Tapout

It is with a heavy heart that I begin to write this post.  Not long before, I was happily preparing my shiny new 5-pack Ford F-150 for some Matchbox bead-lock wheels.  As I neared completion, disaster struck.  My plug tap broke.  My tap not only broke but it broke in the worst possible way, stuck in the front post of my new F-150.  Now I have to chuck the whole casting as there is no way that I know of to get the remnant of the plug tap out.  Bummer.  Cheesy bummer.

Follow the red arrow to the source of my discontent.

Raptor Attack!

Fords in-house performance specialists decided to give off-road enthusiasts something to cheer about in 2010. Enter the F-150 Raptor, the purpose built Baja pre-runner designed by the team at SVT.  Matchbox welcomes the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor in the 2010 Desert Endurance Series.

The Raptor is just bristling with appealing features. The bright orange paint and graphics package immediately catch the eye. For those that prefer a more subtle look the deep blue paint will be the way to go. No matter which paint job is to your liking, rest assured that both can be easily spotted in the wilderness.

Once the paint catches your eye the louder than life brick wall FORD grill tells everyone you mean business. Flared fenders help to draw attention to the trucks wide stance and both the fender flares and the running boards offer protection from any debris that gets turned up by the 35 inch tires.

 

The hood is marred by ultra aggressive air extractors, massive vents designed to allow hot air to escape from under the hood, keeping vital engine components cool in extreme conditions. While equipped with a full-size spare under the truck, the MBX model also features a second full-size spare mounted in the bed, this truck is ready for anything. There is even a tow hitch to haul your other toys park.

In closing, like the 1:1, the MBX Ford F-150 SVT Raptor has really captured my imagination. Having the vision to produce a purpose-built off-road performance truck has garnished a lot of respect for Ford and SVT from me personally. I have never been a fan of the "muscle-truck", high performance trucks built for the street. For me pavement has always belonged to the cars, but it is the truck that owns everything else. I really like everything about the Raptor, from the aggressive tone carried throughout, to the borderline flamboyant grill. Even the graphics look to me like the truck has just been viscerally torn asunder by a dinosaur bearing the same name. I think this one is a real winner. That is probably why, dis-spite owning several already, I still have a hard time not purchasing another when I find one at the store.

The Sandblaster

The Hot Wheels 2010 model year sees the introduction of a brilliant pre-runner style off-road truck: the Sandblaster!  Based on the 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, HW designer Jun Imai has taken the Raptor to the next level.

Immediatly you'll notice the upgraded off-road tires, wheels, and lifted suspension, offering improved ground clearance for extreme wheeling. Ground clearance has been improved from 2mm on the MBX Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, to 3mm on the Sandblaster.

The next thing that really caught my attention was the pre-runner style bumper, the fiberglass fenders and bedsides, and instead of a bed you'll find a rear cage protecting the sizable fuel cell and a tank of compressed air or nitrogen. Topping all this off is a whopping total of seven HID lights to chase away the darkness. 

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor is a really exciting truck and I have to tip my hat to Jun Imai for making the beautiful pre-runner rendition that is the Sandblaster. In fairness, to offer some criticism, I would have liked to see a spare tire, as I don't think I would leave home without one. As with any die-cast truck with large wheels bent axles seem to be the rule and not the exception, so it is likely I will upgrade my Sandblaster with more sturdy axles in the not-so-distant future.

I am looking forward to seeing even more exciting off-road vehicles coming out of El Segundo. So before your next big race, be it the Baja 1000 or the Backyard 100, be sure you check out this capable pre-runner.