Ford F-150 with an EcoBoost V6 appears to be stuck at first, but on the second run, it powers through to dry land.
The Ford F-150 is one of the most capable trucks sold in America today, but an average half-ton F-Series pickup would surely struggle in the mud hole in the video above. This quick clip was captured at the Hardrock Off-Road Parkin Ocala, Florida by the R C YouTube channeland it shows an EcoBoost’d Ford truck battling a mud hole that would swallow up an average truck, but this F-150 has been upgraded just enough to clear the obstacle.
High-Riding Ford F-150
There are few details about this Ford F-150, but we know that it is from the 2016 model year, we know that it is an XLT model with an EcoBoost engine and we know that it has aftermarket wheels and tires. It looks as though a mild lift kit has been added to make room for the 35-inch mud tires on aftermarket wheels. The truck also has an aftermarket grille, but when it is digging its way out of the mud, the exhaust note is quiet enough to suggest that it is stock. If the exhaust is stock, we would imagine that there haven’t been any engine performance upgrades, but it could be tuned without sounding different.
Also, we don’t know which EcoBoost engine is under the hood, as trucks with both the 2.7- and 3.5-liter EcoBoost engineshare the same badges on the doors. Based on how well it digs out of the mud, we are guessing that it is the 3.5-liter V6 with 365 twin turbocharged horsepower, but it could be the smaller mill.
All we know is that this F-150 packs enough power to push a whole lot of mud through the pit.
Attacking the Deep, Thick Pit
The video begins with the F-150 easing into the deep, thick mud pit. We can immediately see that the slop in this deep hole is treacherous, being thick enough to move but not thin enough to easy drive through. As a result, the mud moves as a giant mass in front of the truck and after a few seconds, the loose footing and the mass of mud has stopped the truck in its tracks.
However, the driver backs up in the muck and attacks the moving mound of soft mud a second time, this time pushing forward to the other side, making good use of all of that EcoBoost power.
"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.
