Mil-Spec Ford F-150 has all the rough and tough goods
Known for its boss Hummer H1 creations, the Detroit-based company tackled the F-150 with pretty stellar results.
Mil-Spec Automotive is best known for some incredible Hummer H1 builds, but the young Detroit-based company was ready for a new challenge. What better truck to tackle than the best-selling vehicle in the US for decades on end?
The Ford F-150 underwent the Mil-Spec treatment, and the results are what you see here. I think they're pretty great. Aside from the obvious things Mil-Spec decided to change, like the heavy-duty steel front and rear bumpers, the company went ahead and made this a bit like an F-150 Raptor on steroids.
There's a tuned 5.0-liter V8 engine under the hood that makes 500 horsepower. Mil-Spec says it's applied a performance tune that requires 91 octane to achieve the power increase, but there's no forced induction here. A new electric power-assisted steering system is meant to improve the driving experience and includes a new steering wheel with paddle shifters, too.
But what this kind of truck is really about is the off-road driving experience. Mil-Spec, of course, delivered. Imagined as a "tactical" alternative to the Raptor, there's a Baja Performance Suspension package that includes plenty of Fox Racing bits. Included is a long-travel suspension that will take bounces and move 11 inches if needed. The setup also created a truck with 13.5 inches more worth of track width than a stock F-150. Overall, the truck's 7 inches wider than a Raptor and as tall as an F-250 . Yeah, it's a big thing.
Buyers can add another suspension package that installs a fully adjustable coilover and shock kit. It includes 3-inch diameter bypass shocks and Eibach springs for the front and rear suspension as well. Mil-Spec even powder-coats this gear black to complement the truck's overall look. As for the rubber, the company fits 37-inch Nitto Ridge Grappler tires that wrap 20-inch wheels designed in-house.
In keeping with tradition, Mil-Spec offers quite the list of optional equipment. Fans in need of this kind of rig can add a 39-inch LED light bar, a Baja roof rack and a spare tire carrier that'll fit an oversize off-road tire. Inside, the changes are rather minimal, but some aluminum coats various knobs and every model gets leather upholstery. Mil-Spec slaps a number plaque on the center console to bolster exclusivity as well.
Where the company probably has a winner is with the price. Mil-Spec noted that trucks like this often fetch $150,000, but this F-150 starts at $85,000. That includes the donor truck even. But, all the extras will add up. For example, the fully adjustable coilover and shock kit costs an extra $6,000, and a bundle of the exterior goodies run $8,600.
Mil-Spec should start building the trucks soon, though the coronavirus outbreak may delay things a tad. Before the builds commence, that should give you time to decide one thing: Mil-Spec's F-150 comes in agate black, magnetic gray, lead foot gray and Oxford white.