Images Courtesy of Evox

As a boy, it’s hard not to look at the trucks you play with and want them real, physical, and ready to drive. As an adult, however, you have the means and knowledge to get that project done; that’s why it rocks to be older.

But we digress. What’s up here today is this Ford F-250 which Kevin Bloomfield, vice president of product development at Tonka, commissioned to have resemble a typical Tonka truck, complete with the stance and livery befitting the style seen on the popular children’s toys. It’s called the “Tonka T-Rex.”

There were a lot of moving parts to the build, as Bloomfield explained. “The truck, work rack and graphic wrap design were completed here, in-house at Funrise Toys. The suspension and undercarriage were handled by the guys at Tim Nicolau Designs, the custom work rack at Highway Products, all of the Banks equipment at their headquarters, and finally, all the finishing work at Galpin Auto Sports.”

Reflecting a similar theme to the famous Mighty Dump Truck, the F-250 seen here was refashioned from the axles up to be the ultimate Tonka Truck. As shown in the video above, each team went all-out on the project, modifying the truck in several stages.

By the end of it all, T-Rex was sitting pretty with a Kelderman 8-10″ air-ride suspension system, American Force wheels and Toyo tires, Fab Fours bumpers, a beefy lumber rack, storage boxes, and a stylized yellow wrap covering the entire body.

When it came time to upgrade the drivetrain, Banks had a field day inserting some of their state-of-the-art products. An AutoMind programmer, Monster exhaust system, ram air intake, iQ tuner, and Straight-Shot water-methanol system were installed, giving the truck the muscle to match its larger-than-life appearance.

The interior was revamped as well, with a Tonka theme visible everywhere: floor mats, painted vents, black and yellow leather upholstery and accents. It really puts the finishing touch on the whole project.

As a finished product, the truck is something to behold. And if you live in the Chandler, Arizona area, be on the lookout as the T-Rex makes it way over for display during the upcoming Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series, which Tonka supports with their own Pro-2 truck team. For more information on the T-Rex, check out the full feature we ran, and also be sure to look at Tonka’s website and Facebook page, where photos and announcements are updated regularly.