The 7.3L-Powered Pumpkin: A Highboy’s Second Life

Ray Mariolle’s Diesel-Powered Ford F-250

Believe it or not, Ray Mariolle has owned this F-250 since the mid-1980s. That’s a long time to own a vehicle, let alone still be enthusiastic about rebuilding it. While he wasn’t asking for too much of it, Ray just felt his family had grown out of the truck over the years. His only wish was to see his Highboy transformed just enough to hit the sweet spot of it fitting back into his everyday lifestyle. Of course, Ray had something special in mind for the overhaul to help rekindle his level of interest in the project.

“I originally bought ‘the pumpkin’ just after I got married in the ’80s,” Ray recalls. “It became affectionately known as the pumpkin because of its bright orange color, which is actually an original Ford paint code called Mexicali Red. This truck has pretty much been my companion through decades of working and taking many family trips.”

Ray’s recollection of decades’ worth of good times with his F-250 explains why he has held onto it all these years. With so much sentimental value tied into the truck, there was no way he could ever think about letting it go. Looking back on his memories spent with the Ford drove Ray to want to tell its story, and to ultimately plan for its rejuvenation.

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“Back when the truck had a camper, we used to go on so many camping trips, drives out to the snow, and lots of other vacations,” Ray explains. “Back when we were much younger, my wife, our two little boys, and I all rode together in the cab. After years of work and play, the original engine tired itself out, which was the main reason why the truck didn’t get driven very often. Even though I did what I could to keep it going, I missed the sound and performance of the 7.3L diesel engine that was in my old F-350. Luckily, I knew just who to call to combine my love of both trucks.”

Ray has built a great working relationship with Cody Fordahl of Fordahl Bilt through the years. Cody has worked on several of Ray’s hot rods in the past, and in that time, worked on other impressionable customer projects—including numerous diesel conversion projects. Ray figured it would be worth a shot to ask if Cody would be interested in transplanting a 7.3L Ford diesel engine into his F-250. Of course, the two quickly came to an agreement, and an understanding of the best method of importing a much newer, non-gasoline power plant into pumpkin’s engine bay.

While the main call for the truck’s rehab revolved around the diesel conversion, there were plenty more upgrades in store to renew Ray’s love affair with his old family road trip vehicle.

“The complete front end of the truck was torn down, as well as the interior,” Ray says. “We started with a bead-rolled panel to do a half shave of the firewall and added some fresh paint to clean up the bay. Most of the chassis was then cleaned, wire-wheeled, and painted. All the plumbing, including the exhaust, intake, intercooler, and radiator hoses, was done in-house from stainless steel. We even outfitted the truck with a Vintage Air climate control system, and all heater/AC lines were routed and tucked away inside the inner fender to keep the engine bay nice and tidy.”

The diesel conversion worked out beautifully—even more so than the guys had anticipated.

“[The] 7.3s are a great option for these trucks,” Ray happily reports. “They fit very well—like they are meant to be there. Most of the under-hood wiring was also tucked away, and the Fordahl Bilt standalone harness looks like it came that way from the factory. Even the PCM is mounted to the firewall like it would be straight from the plant.”

In fact, one of Ray’s most important styling inspirations was to keep his truck looking true to its era—with some minor tweaks, of course. The exterior appears as streamlined as possible, with the only obvious modern feature coming in the way of the Raceline wheel and Toyo tire combination. The same vintage aesthetic was embraced inside the cab as well. From the stock-looking Vintage Air panel to the Alpine tape deck, the OEM 1979 steering wheel, Dakota Digital gauge cluster, and carpeting and assembly by Fordahl Bilt, the in-cab experience remains largely like it was years ago.

While the F-250 doesn’t escort Ray and his family on camping trips like it once did, it still stands proudly as a loyal member of the Mariolle crew. Its latest round of restoration now allows it to serve as a daily source of transportation if need be. With the way things are looking, it should at least have the opportunity to provide a lift during the occasional weekend getaway. Ray’s once reliable pumpkin-colored Highboy is now back in action, and more capable than ever before. With a fresh dose of diesel and plenty of great upgrades in creature comforts, there’s no limit to where it will roam.