Builds and project vehicles are what keep the automotive hobby artistically and practically intriguing. The car guys have Chip Foose and Bodie Stroud, and we truck guys have our icons, too. One of them is Doug Paddock of DEFCO Trucks in Denver, Colorado.

We first heard of Doug while cruising through Instagram one day. A snapshot of a 2017 Super Duty with a Raptor front end caught our eye, but that wasn’t the whole picture. As we talked with him, we learned that he was working on something big – literally and figuratively.

That something is this: the BA-350 (you can probably guess what “BA” stands for). Built off of a 2017 F-350, the BA-350 promises to be the most radical and practical interpretation of a Super Duty ever seen. It was Doug’s brainchild, and one that stuck with him after witnessing a Mega Raptor at the SEMA Show one year.

“I asked about it and installed the kit on one of my Super Duties,” said Doug. “Right away, I saw a bunch of flaws. The guy who made the kits didn’t want to hear it. Anyway, I wanted to put a set of Unimog-sized Continental tires on the truck, and I called several fiberglass shops to see if they could make some fenders that would fit the tires.”

Of the 11 shops that Doug called, only one – Advanced Fiberglass in Costa Mesa, California – showed consistent interest. “I went out to meet them,” said Doug. “I told them my vision and the owner, Tim, liked it. We left it on a handshake deal and I left my 2017 Super Duty for them to take apart and do their work on.”

Suspension was another story. For this part, Doug went with Chris Lewis at Lewis Built in San Jacinto, California. “He’s 28 years old, but he’s been fabricating since he was 14,” explained Doug. “A lot of shops use him for design work.”

What Chris fashioned up was better than Doug expected: 12 of wheel travel up front, and 17 inches out back. “Chris made all of his own suspension pieces for this build,” said Doug. “It’s got a crazy amount of work done, and shocks and springs from King and Atlas. I can’t wait to get the truck finished and take it out for some fun.”

All in all, the BA-350 looks to be a badass beast. Doug hopes to make them available as a dealership option in the near future, once the prototype has proven itself. We expect to see more of this truck once we get to to the SEMA Show. Stay tuned for more soon!