Transforming a Totaled 2011 F-150 into a 2017 Raptor

It seems like an impossible task, but one of our determined forum members is in the process of completing that unique build.

The 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor is the best-performing truck ever from the Motor Company, but the 450hp off-road machine is expensive. Rather than dealing with the purchase price of a new Raptor, forum member Jayson David decided to build one and the basis for this project was a totaled 2011 Ford F-150.

It might sound crazy for someone to create a 2017 Raptor out of a badly wrecked 2011 F-150, but that is exactly what the OP has done and the result is pretty cool.

The Donor Truck

The basis for this 2017 Raptor conversion project was a 2011 Ford F-150 Platinum SuperCrew with four-wheel drive and the 3.5L EcoBoost V6. As you can see in the picture below, the truck hit something hard with the left front corner, doing serious damage to the driver’s side front frame rail and the front suspension setup. Before beginning the transformation into a 2017 Raptor, the owner had to replace the suspension components and the bent frame rail, and in order to make sure that the frame was properly aligned, he also had to all of the original body parts before beginning the transformation into a Raptor.

The OP included images of the F-150 as the frame was being repaired, with the bent rail removed and the new piece welded into place.

Once the suspension was fixed and the new frame portion was installed, it was time for the good stuff to begin.

The Raptor Look

The 2011 F-150 looks nothing like the 2017 Raptor, so the owner had to change pretty much everything on the outside to make this older truck look like a newer truck.

The process began by ordering the following parts from Fiberwerx:

04-14 Ford F-150 Fenders Conversion To 17+ Raptor Style – 4″ Bulge
04-14 Ford F-150 Fender Extensions For 4″ 17+ Raptor Conversion Fenders
04-14 Ford F-150 to 17+ Raptor Conversion Hood
04-14 Ford F-150 To 17+ Raptor F150 Conversion Bedsides
04-14 to 17+ Raptor tailgate skin

Unfortunately, the OP found that the Fiberwerx parts didn’t fit all that well, so in addition to cutting away the factory panels, there was a ton of time spent making the Raptor parts fit the 2011 chassis. As a result, the fiberglass Raptor panels and the prep work needed to make them fit cost the owner roughly $7,500.

To complete the exterior, he added the new factory-style headlights and taillights, the FORD Raptor grille, a 2017 Raptor-style front bumper and they bolted the stock rear bumper back up.

Raptor Performance

The 2017 Raptor is far more than an appearance package, so the OP knew that he needed to improve the performance of his 2011 F-150-turned-Raptor. To afford this F-150 comparable power to the new Raptor, he added a set of Full Race GT turbochargers and the long list of goodies below:

AEM Charge Pipes
AEM Stage 2
Intake160 degree thermostat
Wagner intercooler and turbosmart blow off valve
Kooks catless down pipes
Rear 02 eliminators
Full Race performance fuel pump, drop tank wire in fuel pump

When all said and done, this custom Raptor should be packing somewhere in the area of 600 horsepower, but that isn’t the end of the build. The OP is also adding a 6-inch Rough Country lift kit with rear N2 shocks and Bilstein dampers up front along with a set of 20×10 tires wrapped in Yokohama Geolander A/T tires.

As you can see in the images here, there is lots left to do with this F-150 Raptor transformation, but you can track the progress and check out hundreds of pictures in the build thread.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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