BLUE BEAUTY

A JAW-DROPPING, 700HP ’15 F-450

While everyone appreciates gawking at the sea of custom vehicles that is the SEMA Show, very few know the struggle of creating a high-end project to showcase at the premiere event in the automotive industry. And unfortunately, most of the stories behind these incredible builds go untold. Given the miniscule window of time most builders have to work with, it’s a wonder that half the vehicles at SEMA turn out as polished as they do. Enter Sean O’Hara, owner of Street Diesel Performance in Chaplin, Connecticut and SEMA truck veteran. He’s successfully overseen the buildup of 12 SEMA-bound Super Duty trucks to date and his projects always deliver.

Built in just four weeks’ time, the ’15 F-450 shown here represents the complete package: a fl awless custom paint job, a four-link front suspension, 40-inch mud-terrains on 24-inch wheels, and 700 rwhp. However, it was one long month leading up to its trip out to Las Vegas.

Crunch Time

After wearing a coat of Bronze Fire Metallic for more than a year, the truck was stripped to bare metal mere weeks before the 2015 SEMA Show. And because O’Hara and his team were so pressed for time, the truck actually had to be painted in sections. “The truck was going in two different directions,” he tells us. “We were doing chassis mods at the shop while the truck’s body panels were being hauled to the auto body shop to be painted—then we married it all back together the night before we left for Vegas.”

Attention to Detail

The truck’s metallic custom blue was applied by TJ Ryan of Johnson Auto Body, located in nearby Tolland, Connecticut. TJ would also paint match the Fusion bumpers and customize the truck’s grille, headlights, badging, and tailgate. According to O’Hara, the reworking of minor factory components that make it into all of his SEMA builds has indirectly started a fad in the SEMA build segment. “No one really used to do anything with the OEM badges or grille or emblems,” he says. “We started doing that back in ’12 and created a trend where people are now taking the stock stuff apart—now it’s a thing.”

High-Rise Super Duty

Offering the best of all worlds— optimum articulation, travel, and traction—is a four-link front suspension system developed by Rize Industries. By making use of Fox 2.5 coilover remote shocks, complete with dual-rate Eibach springs, the custom four-link effectively raises the Super Duty’s ride height 14 inches. As for the rear suspension, a pair of custom leaf spring packs from Atlas Suspension grant an extra 12 inches of lift. The added altitude makes clearing 40-inch Toyo Open Country mud terrains mounted on 24-inch American Force Zone wheels a cinch.

Little Fuel, a Little Air— 700 HP

Knowing the 6.7L Power Stroke could handle a 100-percent increase in power without breaking a sweat, the common-rail V8’s internals were left alone. Instead, an extra 350 hp would be found through fuel and air mods. First, the factory turbocharger system was replaced and the Garrett VGT scrapped in favor of a fixed-geometry 67mm S400 and T4 mounting system from Maryland Performance Diesel.

Then, to ensure the rail pressure required to make big horsepower remained consistent, a Bosch CP3 was combined with the factory CP4.2 by way of H&S Motorsports’ dual high-pressure fuel pump kit. The stock injectors and OEM lift pump went untouched, and were onboard when the truck cleared 710 rwhp and 1,320 lb-ft of torque while strapped to Mass Diesel’s chassis dyno.

Perfect Execution

Judging by the stunning curb appeal, well-placed performance parts, and overall versatility built into O’Hara’s F-450, it’s obvious why he’s built a dozen SEMA trucks. Big name companies rely on him to represent them in the best possible light—and on the aftermarket’s biggest stage. By cramming hundreds of hours into a matter of a few weeks, it’s also clear that O’Hara rises to the occasion when under pressure, and his highly motivated crew of Scott Johnson, TJ Ryan, Tyler Brancifort, and Kreg, Ryan, and Lisa O’Hara certainly didn’t let him down on this project.DW

SPECIFICATION

2015 FORD F-450

OWNER: Sean O’Hara
HOMETOWN: Chaplin, Connecticut
ENGINE: 6.7L Power Stroke with Maryland Performance Diesel billet-aluminum oil pan
FUEL: H&S Motorsports Dual High Pressure Fuel kit, 65-gallon Titan replacement tank
AIR: Maryland Performance Diesel T4 turbo mount and intercooler piping kit, BorgWarner S467.7 with billet 67.7mm compressor wheel, 74/83mm turbine wheel and 0.90 A/R exhaust housing, S&B Filters cold air intake
EXHAUST: 5-inch MagnaFlow stainless steel axle dump system with 6-inch polished tip
ELECTRONICS: Edge Insight CTS
TRANSMISSION: Stock 6R140 TorqShift automatic with Mag- Hytec deep pan
HORSEPOWER: 710 hp (chassis dyno)
TORQUE: 1,320 lb-ft (chassis dyno)
TIRES: 40×15.50×24 Toyo Open Country MT WHEELS: 24×8.25-inch American Force Zone
SUSPENSION/STEERING: Rize Industries four-link front suspension with Fox 2.5 remote coilovers and dual-rate Eibach springs, Fox 2.5 remote reservoir shocks (front), 12-inch Atlas Suspension leaf springs, Fox 2.5 remote reservoir shocks (rear), Rize Industries traction bars, WC Motorsports & Off-Road adjustable track bar
AXLES: Dana 60 wide track (front) with 4.30 gears and Mag- Hytec differential cover, Dana S130 (rear) with 4.30 gears