Every year in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, we see our share of amazing trucks. But when Brian Costira's massive, bright-orange 78 F-250 caught our eye, we knew there was something special about this fullsize American rig. One look under the hood confirmed our suspicions a Ford 429 Cobra Jet engine capable of producing nearly 600 horses. Combine that kind of power output with a 15-inch lift kit, Dana 60 axles, and 44-inch Swampers, and you have one helluva mean machine. Brian calls his beast the Big Show, but to us, Big Time sounds much more appropriate.
For starters, Brian bored the big-block powerhouse 0.30 inches and provided it with a compression ratio of 11.25:1, thanks to a set of TRW pistons. The engine buildup also included a Lunati cam, Lunati springs, and Crane Gold rocker arms. Fuel and air are mixed through two 600-cfm Holleys sitting on top of a Weiand tunnel-ram intake manifold. Nasty fumes exit via L&L headers with 3-inch turndowns, and ACCEL electrical components make the sparks fly.
The frame sits on a 15-inch National Spring lift front and rear, and the suspension system features three Skyjacker shocks on each corner. Two Skyjacker stabilizers, a Skyjacker drop pitman arm, and a custom steering stabilizer do their best to keep things in control. The lift allows the trucks bodywork to clear 44-inch Swampers screwed to 16.5x12 Weld Roadhawks; a 4-inch homemade aluminum body lift pitches in to help clear the meats.
In addition to his self-made body lift, Brian also made new crossmembers, and he boxed, filled, and smoothed the frame. Bodywork is courtesy of John Chub Bertoti, who did an excellent job of preparing this beasts sheetmetal for the flashy, Dupont Vista Orange exterior spray job and its frame for a coating of Dupont titanium-colored paint. Inside, a host of gauges, mostly by Auto Meter, are custom-mounted in the dash. An RCI Racing Seat with a five-point harness keeps the driver secure, while a Grant steering wheel provides Brian with a firm grip on things.
This fullsize Ford is definitely one of the finest examples of a clean, not-so-flashy show truck we've ever seen. And after seeing Brian twist it up for our cameras, we're convinced hes not afraid of locking in the hubs for some hard-core wheelin to boot.