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I can’t tell you how badly I wish this website were a magazine. It’s not that I don’t love The Drive Dot Com—I do—but there are certain times when I don’t believe a computer screen can do a story justice. This is one of those times, and not because you’re about to read some journalistic opus. Instead, I say that because a truck like this jacked-up 2026 Ford F-450 really deserves to live on the glossy pages of a monthly mag like the ’80s and ’90s show trucks that came before it.
Practically everything about this rig, built by Truman Motors in SoCal, is textbook. For starters, it’s red. We need more red trucks, don’t you agree? And secondly, it’s a single-cab with a short bed, which just feels right. It rides on 44-inch super singles wrapped around 20-inch wheels instead of garish rubber bands stretched across a set of 30s; its wheelbase has been trimmed to 122 inches; and it has a thumping 7.3-liter Godzilla V8 under the hood.
I’m not here to debate whether or not these mods are tasteful. I don’t even think that’s the point. Rather, I’m simply stoked to see a Ford that leans all the way into the show truck aesthetic that brought us some of the most memorable builds ever. It might not have four shock absorbers at every corner (what a time that was), but the vibe is very much the same. It’s like if the same shops built new trucks in the current decade.
Peep the Instagram embed below for a comparison. See what I’m saying? Truman Motors
I spoke with Fred and Ben from Truman Motors about the project, and they’re especially proud of it. They both elaborated on the vision to make this a true California-style truck, complete with a surfboard rack where you might have found a KC light bar in another era. (Rest assured, it still offers plenty of lumens thanks to the Baja Designs light package.)
They spent a lot of time discussing the frame shortening and the suspension, in particular. The build actually started as a chassis cab with a 145-inch wheelbase. Knowing their plans for the truck, they promptly cut that down by two feet and sourced an OEM Super Duty short bed to drop on top of it. That was absolutely crucial in achieving the tall and stubby stance, as was the two-inch suspension lift. It’s still wild to me that you can fit 44s without anything more than that.
The suspension was always going to be important, too, considering this is a heavy-duty pickup. The guys at Truman wanted to retain its high work capacity while improving its off-road abilities to boot. Some 2.5-inch HD Fox Shocks do the trick, providing a way better ride than the factory setup that really doesn’t comply unless you have a few thousand pounds in the bed or a 10-ton trailer hitched on the back.
Sure, diesels are great. But this one deserves to have a pushrod big-block like the 7.3-liter. Truman Motors
Finally, topping off the aesthetics are some tough upgrades that serve a purpose. I already mentioned the Baja Designs light package, and then there are the color-matched bumpers front and rear, as well as a pair—that’s right, two—Warn winches with 16,500 pounds of pulling power each. I’m a big fan of the mounting solution out back, as the Factor 55 hook sits pretty above the sky-high trailer hitch.
Truman Motors plans to offer trucks like the Shorty alongside its bread-and-butter four-door Super Duty pickups. Currently posted on the shop’s website with a starting price of $175,000 including the truck itself, Fred and Ben told me the hope is to build and deliver rigs like the one you see here in 12 to 16 weeks. It’s a different flavor than most others you’ll find being built and sold to the public, and you can argue that’s half the reason for buying one.
It’s a real beast of a rig, and if you wanna stand out amongst all the F-150 Raptors nearby, this is one way to do it.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
