2021 has been quite an exciting year for the Blue Oval brand. With the growing popularity of SUVs, crossovers, and pickup trucks, Ford’s newly revamped product portfolio focuses on the brand’s high-riding models. This year, Ford introduced the third installment of its Raptor nameplate, and the automotive industry patiently awaits the arrival of Ford’s V8-equipped Raptor R pickup, which is scheduled to make its debut sometime next year.

As much as we love OEM models, it is always exciting to see someone’s project come to life and their labor of love be rewarded. AutotopiaLA is one of the most prolific automotive YouTube channels in the world, and for one of its most recent webisodes, the channel covered a unique Ford Ranger luxury prerunner.

The striking pickup truck is powered by a big block motor and comes with a $350,000 price tag. Even though the truck’s owner, Rob, owns the Hesperia-based custom car workshop RJ Fabrication, the project took almost five years to complete.

The project started life as a bog-standard Ford Ranger, which Rob received from his brother-in-law as a gift. Rob decided to swap the stock powerplant for a Mark IV Iron big block Chevy motor. Rob claims that the motor was dyno-tested and produces around 680 HP of maximum power.

Rob’s Ranger comes equipped with Summer Brothers axles and runs a Fox shock absorber system, which gets coilovers and bypasses. The truck offers 20 inches of suspension travel at the front and whopping 28 inches at the rear. The new suspension and the formidable Big Block motor make this Ranger one of the most extreme off-roaders in existence.