Sometimes a little idea just keeps getting bigger.
Matt Johnson, a mechanical engineer who used to do pipeline integrity throughout the country, started restoring older 4x4s at his home in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He also has a small auto repair shop down the valley.
Just for fun, he had the idea to put a modern Ford engine into a small classic off-roader.
He took his idea to Ford Racing Parts, where Ford Customization Specialist Olivia Cin and Ford Racing Product Manager Michael Goodwin suggested a bigger engine. Matt came right back suggesting a bigger truck.
It all turned into one huge idea: What if Ford had made an F-Series high-performance off-roader back in 1985?
That’s what Matt’s been building in his garage at Doc Johnson Restorations, pulling in hundreds of thousands of social media followers along the way.
The big reveal is coming up at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. We asked Matt to tell us how all this came together.
How did this all start?
I called Ford Racing Parts with a question about a performance tuner package. The little 2.3-liter EcoBoost — not a lot of people get excited about those, but I do. I think they’re really cool. And I have these Toyota FJ40 Land Cruisers.
So, I just mentioned, “Do you think Ford would ever be interested in a project with one of those Land Cruisers and an EcoBoost?”
This guy goes, “Hey, email this person.”
I got a response that same day.
That was Olivia. She kind of made all this happen. She said, “Hey, we have an upcoming meeting about this year’s projects, deciding what grassroots builds we’re going to get involved in. I’ll let you know”
It was a month or two later that I got an email.
“Would you like to pivot and do a different project? Would you like to put a Heritage motor in that Land Cruiser?”
I said, “Yeah, absolutely!”
How did you go from the Land Cruiser to an F-250?
I had a meeting with the Ford team.
They were talking about the Land Cruiser, and to me, the little EcoBoost motor in the Land Cruiser is a perfect match. But a rowdy small-block, like a Heritage engine — that needs to go in a Ford.
So, I said, “Let me just stop you right there on the Land Cruiser idea because there’s a couple of cool Ford trucks I have behind the shop.”
My main idea was to do the ‘85 F-250, and Ford liked that … The second I showed the picture of that ‘85, Michael said, “That’s it. That’s the one. The bullnose!”
Why the 1985 F-250?
I have my own history with them. I drove one daily for a few years. It was a $500 truck, and that was what I could afford. I drove it to college, I drove it to work, and I took my now-wife to the beach in it and proposed to her.
I think they have just the coolest look to them, very period ‘80s.
What’s the story with the truck you have now?
It was just an abandoned ranch truck that had been sitting in a field and getting rained on for years.
I bought it for $800. I was going to use it as a shop truck, and I wanted another bullnose based on the truck I’d had before.
I thought it was going to be perfect, and then it immediately started overheating. It blew the radiator up; it Yellowstoned on me! Just a full geyser out of the radiator. That motor was toast.
After that it just sat behind the shop for a few months. It’s just one of those things where you never know what’s around the corner.
What engine did you decide to go with?
It’s the Ford Racing 460-cube small block. I thought it would be a really fun, super-hot little motor. You know, 575 horsepower, 575 foot-pounds of torque.
I had no plan for it other than to just start slapping a truck together and having some fun.
How did that simple idea turn into the build it ultimately became?
A buddy of mine introduced me to John Carrick of Carrick Customs. They specialize in a highly reengineered version of this truck’s Twin Traction-Beam (TTB) suspension.
So, I call John. I went and met him to see if he’d want to become involved in this project, and John said, “I’ll do it!”
So, how did you end up at the Ford SEMA booth?
Ford reached out about 11 or 12 days into the project. I had 40 days until the Carlisle Ford Nationals, which was where the build was originally slated to be shown. Come to find out, the factory was talking about this truck in Detroit, and this was the water cooler talk at Ford in Dearborn. I was like, “Oh my God!”
So, they asked, “Hey, we are thinking we want to transition this to a showstopper. Can we make this project into a real SEMA contender?”
Now, it’s like, okay, I’m going to need way more than 40 days!
What kinds of challenges did you face?
Most of the time, I’m working alone in my home shop, although many friends have stepped in to help, which has been amazing.
I now have a couple of lifts and an old forklift. It helps a lot, but it’s a 1984 model, so I have to add hydraulic oil every time I use it.
We’re in a small, isolated town with few resources nearby. The truck had to be transported elsewhere for paint and bodywork, but a friend stepped in to help get it done. He’s a hobby painter, but he’s very talented and did an awesome job.
What’s really cool about this project is how little fabrication it required. It retains the original chassis and combines top-quality aftermarket components with a drop-in Ford engine — all put together tastefully.
How has this whole experience been for you?
Honestly, it’s a crazy story, and I feel blessed to be part of it.
The truck — and the project itself — took on a life of its own. In many ways, I’m just along for the ride.
When I started this project, it was just six months or so after opening my shop down in town.
I was feeling so burnt out, and I was like, maybe this isn’t for me. Maybe I should just go back to natural gas pipeline work. Starting this project up at my house felt overwhelming, like … Why did I get myself into this situation?
But on my first day back in my home garage, it clicked: “Oh yeah — I love this!”
It was as if I had forgotten how much I truly enjoy it.
Peter Valdes-Dapena is a writer who covers automotive industry and culture.
Editor’s note: This interview has been edited and condensed.
The 1985 F-250 is a specialty modified concept vehicle that will not be offered for sale by Ford. The vehicle includes third-party components and modifications that may affect compliance with federal safety standards and other federal, state, or local laws.