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Editor's note: This is part of a series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semitrucks — email ddewey@ksl.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration. SALT LAKE CITY — Curtis Jones grew up like many young boys, with dreams of owning a truck unlike any other, and his 1999 Ford F-350 gives new meaning to the words "shock and awe."
When his first truck, a 1987 Dodge D50, was totaled in an accident, Jones ended up with the F-350 that would later become known as Redzilla.
Modifications started almost immediately after purchase of the truck, and through the years, Redzilla has gone through many transformations.
Starting off its aftermarket life with a suspension leveling kit and 35-inch BFG Mud-Terrain rubber on all four corners, the truck already had a look that would leave most people feeling content, but Jones had other ideas.
With the installation of a 10-inch lift, along with a set of 38-inch tall Swamper TSL tires, Jones’ thirst for modifying would not be quenched for nearly four years. These mods, accompanied by a long day of snowmobiling, would mark the day Redzilla officially came to life. The name came courtesy of Jones’ friend Shannon Peatross.
After years of being tossed around inside the cab, Jones wanted the truck to ride smoother while still being as tall as a lifted semitruck. So he contacted the boys over at Kelderman, a well-known air suspension company.
On their way back from the SEMA car show in Vegas, some of the guys at Kelderman made a special stop in Utah to pick up Redzilla and take it back to Iowa for the installation of a very tricky set of air-ride suspension to help alleviate Jones of some back pain. To top it all off, they transported the truck completely free of charge.
A 14-inch adjustable suspension kit, along with all new arms and custom brackets were installed on the truck. New shocks and a set of Firestone airbags were thrown on at the same time to give it an even softer ride. Twin 5-gallon air tanks and an XD3000 air compressor made by Oasis help supply the massive amount of air this truck needs to lift up at a moment’s notice.
The brand new lift set the truck apart, and a custom set of 20-inch weld wheels and 44-inch tall tires seemed to have finished the look. But they didn’t. The wheels and tires were swapped out for a very special set of 20-inch wheels made by a company called USA 6x6.
These custom-made wheels are a three piece construction and have an outer bead lock that actually clamps down on the sealing edge of the tire to help it seat against the wheel and keep it from spinning on the rim.
Forty-four inches of rubber meeting the road would be more than enough for almost anyone, but not for Redzilla. A set of Michelin 52-inch XZL tires were what made it onto the truck. That is roughly 7 inches taller than the average mail box.
To give the truck a few extra horses, a TS Performance chip and a 5-inch Magnaflow exhaust were installed to help turn the new mammoth sized tires. A propane injection system from Bully Dog that runs in conjunction with a water-methanol injection system supplied by Snow Performance helps cool the hot compressed air going into the engine from the turbocharger. But even with those performance mods, Jones had a couple more ideas to help the truck get its new found horsepower to the ground.
A Trans Commander built by Banks helps the transmission in dealing with all of the torque that is produced by the engine and a change in gear ratio in the front and rear differentials was in order.
The factory 3.73 gears were swapped out for a set of 5.13s, which help the truck turn the tall tires and utilize its power even better as it cruises down the road.
With all of the time and unique custom parts put into Jones’ truck, it is pretty easy to see why it's called Redzilla.
