THE ULTIMATE BUILD 2018 F-250 Platinum

LIGMA Makes Its Mark

WHEN YOU HEAR THE NAME “ULTIMATE AUTO,” YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT WHATEVER IS IN THE WORKS IS GOING TO BE TRULY SPECTACULAR. But when you hear the name Ultimate Auto paired with Tim Dunaway (Dunaway Garage | DG) it stops you in your tracks. This duo is sure to turn out some groundbreaking next-level builds, so when they partnered up for building the ultimate lifted truck for SEMA, they had everyone tuned in to see exactly what they had in store for all of us.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter

Ultimate Auto is no stranger to high-end custom builds and custom rides, and they have been turning them out on the East Coast for decades. Tim Dunaway is also no stranger to high-end builds as his creations have adorned more covers than we can count. Each year when the SEMA whispers begin to circulate, everyone knows Tim is up to something wild, and industry folk are eager to see what visions he brings to life. He continually tops his previous builds year after year.

For this 2018 F-250 Platinum, now known as LIGMA, Tim had something extra special in mind when he approached the team at Ultimate Auto with his KEG Media concept in hand. His truck would be the first ever to run the massive 30×16-inch American Forces, but the tricks definitely didn’t stop there. After working up the plan of attack with Joe at Ultimate Auto, the team decided that they would build “The Ultimate Lifted Truck,” topping all other builds to date. To do so, they teamed up with Plan B Fab and SORD to build a custom 18-24-inch adjustable lift, leaving the F-250 towering well above the huge 30-inch wheels at full height. Anyone that knows much about suspension knows just how difficult this build became. Steering, sway bars, full frame-off custom crossmembers and supports, all to a brand-new Platinum Ford straight off the dealer lot!

And if that wasn’t enough, every nut, bolt, line and factory part was blown down and either powdered, polished, chromed or painted. No stone was left unturned—and that was just the suspension/chassis side of things. Underneath is so clean you could easily set up for dinner and eat right off the beautifully crafted underlinings. Partnering with the best of the best, the suspension features custom goodies from Hornblasters, powered by fully polished billet Flo Airride air tanks and compressors, and all set up through the Ride Controller app to control the adjustable SORD coilovers, lighting, horns and accessories.

Moving onto the body of this beast, the crew opted for a wider stance to balance the massive proportions on the 30x16s, so McNeil Racing 6-inch front fenders and bedsides were upfitted along with Road Armor Identity series front and rear bumpers. Before the team at Ultimate Auto sprayed its custom BASF Ford Grabber Blue with blue pearl dress, the rest of the bodywork was smoothed out and finished to create a truly stunning exterior. It’s hard to put into words just how majestic this build is from top to bottom. It’s definitely one of those that has to be seen in person to really grasp all of the beauty, design and details throughout. Every inch has been carefully tended to and every form has equal amount of function to provide not just a badass SEMA paperweight, but a fully functional build that can actually be driven. Which is where the handcrafted interior upgrades come into play.

90 DAYS FROM FORD LOT TO SEMA LOT! INSANE TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT PAIRING DG WITH ULTIMATE AUTO, WE HONESTLY WOULDN’T EXPECT ANYTHING LESS.

The interior cabin features full custom distressed Alea leather, a host of gizmos and gadgets to include a killer sound system. The tunes come way of Morel components paired with huge JL bass. NavLink and modules provide much more than the factory intended but allows for the factory integration necessary and Stinger sound deadening and wiring help wrap up the loose ends. Overall the sheer amount of work seen throughout this build would have anyone’s head spinning with the timelines that it would take to build a truck of this caliber. Realistically it should take around two years to complete such a high-end build with this much custom work inside and out—but that’s the stunning thing when you have such a badass crew. Ultimate Auto knocked this one out of the park in just three months’ time. That’s right, 90 days from Ford lot to SEMA lot! Insane to say the least, but pairing DG with Ultimate Auto, we honestly wouldn’t expect anything less. Can’t wait to see what Tim and his group of automotive misfits have in store for us for this year.

TRUCK SPECS

OWNER
Tim Dunaway
2018 Ford F-250 Platinum
Woodlands, Texas

ENGINE

6.7 Powerstroke turbo diesel
Torqueshift heavy duty sixspeed auto
FLOpro fully polished exhaust
SB Filters intake
PPEI Tuning with EZ Lynk
Nitro 4:30 gears with MagHytec diff covers

BRAKES

SSBC eight piston with custom drilled rotors

SUSPENSION & CHASSIS

Custom Plan B Fab radium arm setup
SORD hydraulic coilover shocks
Truck is fully adjustable from 18-24 inches of lift
Custom heim and high steer crossover steering with dual steering stabilizers
1.75-inch custom sway bars front and rear
Full custom double stainless overlays fully polished
Flo Airride billet and polished air tanks and compressors
Hornblasters custom painted setup
Ride controller module to control adjustable SORD shocks, all lighting and accessories
Derale transmission cooler with dual fans

WHEELS & TIRES