06/03/2026
$800 FB Marketplace find F-250 becomes a 1985 Ford Raptor.
looked at an old Bullnose and saw a modern-day Raptor. The challenged himself to build in 40 days.
After more than 340 labor hours squeezed between a full-time job and raising three kids, the project is finally starting to look like the vision. The truck isn’t finished yet, but for the first time, the concept is real: a 1985 Ford Raptor built from a Bullnose Ford.
The build started as a rough old F-250 and evolved into a long-travel, big-horsepower desert truck with modern running gear underneath:
• 460ci Ford Racing small block making 575 hp and 575 lb-ft
• Powertrain Reman-built 6R80 automatic transmission
• Performance Adapters conversion kit
• US Shift Quick 6 controller
• Advance Adapters Atlas transfer case with 3:1 gearing
• Carrick Customs 4-inch long-travel TTB suspension
• Yukon Gear 4.56 gears and Sterling 10.25 Zip Locker
• ARB Dana 50 Air Locker (coming soon)
• Mickey Thompson 37x12.50R17 Baja Boss MTs
• US Wheel 17-inch Rat Rod steel wheels
The best part may be that it wasn’t built in a shop with unlimited resources. It was built nights, weekends, and whenever time could be found between work, family, and life.
The truck isn’t done yet.
But seeing a Bullnose Ford transformed into something that looks like a factory-built 1985 Raptor is enough to stop just about any truck guy in his tracks.
Send a congratulations to for a successful challenge.