The Ford F-250 has a great reputation as a dependable, long-lasting truck. That is unless you take into account the rust-prone years of the late ‘70s. Although the F-series trucks boasted a very reliable drivetrain that would handle anything the owner could dish out, the metal-treatment process utilized didn’t help keep rust at bay, some claim it even gave a boost. Basically, it’s tough to find a late ‘70s truck that still has its original sheetmetal.

The Cummins 12-valve is a great engine, an easy swap, and nothing you typically find under the hood of a ’77 F-250.

Luckily, Chris Backshaw of New Vernon, New Jersey did find one that would lend itself to a very cool upgrade. In 1977, the F-250 was available with the 300 cubic-inch inline-six, the 351M, or a 400. While these were all good choices for a truck of the day, Chris had no aspirations of building a “truck of the day”. In other words, there were no plans to restore this hauler. He wanted something special. His truck needed to be something that could haul or tow anything he wanted. Basically, he wanted a truck that was not available in 1977, a diesel-powered F-250.

To build the truck of his dreams, he enlisted the help of the crew at Big Time Kustomz in Randolph, New Jersey. Sorry Ford purists, but this ’77 F-250 Camper Special is fitted with a 12-valve Cummins swap. When you want to do a diesel swap, the 12-valve is such a simple transplant into any vehicle that it makes sense.

httv://bigtimekustomz.com/

When I first laid eye on the truck at the Big Time Kustomz booth at the 2022 4-Wheel Jamboree in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, I actually wondered why it was at the show. At first glance, it was too “stock appearing” to be at the show. Then I thought it must have a Power Stroke between the fenders. Then I peeked under the hood.

I was told the Cummins-swap project started when a 1996 Ram was located as a doner. Having a donor truck assures a complete package to install (the 12-valve engine is backed by an NV4500 transmission). It definitely makes the swap much easier. A custom driveshaft was built to mate to the stock rearend. While the shop could have built a wild engine to power the truck, reliability, and functionality were key factors in how it went together. The engine simply features the typical performance bolt-ons. After a simple resealing of all gaskets, head studs, a Banks Power intake, and a Super B turbo from BD Diesel were thrown into the mix.

I wasn’t able to get much more information about this Cummins swap truck, but it definitely turned out to be one cool hauler. Since there are not many 1977 Ford Camper Specials still looking this good, I am very confident in saying it will take a long time to find another that is this cool.

Do you want to see more Reader’s Rigs? So do I. This is a new column DieselArmy.com will be putting together and I need your help. If you would like to share yours, I want to hear about it — I can never get enough. If you want to see more trucks built by you the readers, send a few pictures of your rig showing the engine, interior, and exterior, along with all of the pertinent information, and I’ll make you internet famous. You can send your submissions to [email protected].