FLYING THE FLAG
were Lifted Truck Nationals in Branson, Mo. (Sept. 8-10), XDP Diesel Nationals in Englishtown, NJ (Sept. 16-17), and Rudy’s Fall Truck Jam at Piedmont Dragway in Julian, NC (Oct. 6-7).
O’hara had to go to Lifted Truck National on his own, as SDP was sponsoring a large sled pull event in Connecticut at the same time, and American Force Wheels had called last-minute asking for the F-450 to be at the Missouri event. The event is a relaxed affair on a resort golf course, highlighted by the nightly BBQ get-together at the “cabins”—read high-end golf course houses—on the property.
The Big Idea
At one of these dinners O’hara was chatting with Johnny Ramirez, the owner of Fusion Bumpers. Fusion had a prime vehicle location at SEMA that it was trying to fill, and a plan was quickly hatched to build a truck for SEMA. They needed to create something that would make an impression but could also be built in less than the six weeks left before the show.
This already-impressive F-450 was a perfect starting point, as it was already turning heads and was ready for some key modifications and upgrades. The stars-and-stripes theme was hatched over this dinner. It was sure to get attention, especially on such a large canvas as this lifted, four-door, longbed dually truck.
The time frame was going to be the major obstacle, however, as this truck, in Race Red trim with Code wheels, was still scheduled to be at two more shows all the way up to two weeks before SEMA.
Planning
After verifying with sponsors, who have many international buyers, that the American Flag theme would be okay, O’hara set about making a plan to update this on the crazy-tight schedule he had before him. The first step was getting new wheels fast-tracked from American Force, as most wheels take 6-8 weeks to build.