FX4- going to a desert race is awesome! Driving in a desert race is something you will never forget and in those 6-20hours you will have stories that will last a lifetime of memories! I use to race, but had to stop for financial reasons, do my bike and quad here and there. Yet I can not wait to get back into a buggy! Just like cliff said, the raptor is meant to be used, abused and but away wet! Give it hell and than some to really enjoy it. I am with cliff though a cage and seats are a must IMO.
Cliff if you don't mind me asking why are you happy you ditched your duramax? I looked at them over the weekend and they are nice. Why not go all out on a luxury pre runner and get the one build for Baldwin? I drool over it once a month lol.

 

Nice looking FX4 Cliffy, and that prerunner is wicked....what a blast that would be!

That is the one concern I have about the Raptor is that I do like to take my rigs up mountain trails as much as I like hitting the desert and dunes. I am sure the Raptor will do okay trailing, but probably not as much fun.

 

A 2008 or later Duramax or even a new Super Duty with the new emssion regulations you'll play hell getting the mileage the 2006-7 models did no matter what anyone tells you. They are choked down,requiring a cold air intake and you have to chip them to see anything CLOSE to 16-17 mpg on the highway. I never did a thing to my Dura and suffered with 13 mpg downhill in neutral.....LOL. Plus the moment you put anything resembling big meat tires on them, you need to recalibrate the speedo, and figure in all that extra friction just sucking cubic $ out of your wallet at the pump with the most expensive fuel there is right now. Plus routine maint. on a diesel pickup is something hardly anyone ever accounts for, its sizable.


As for Baldwin's 'runner I am assuming you are talking the one he had built by Racer which is a buggy, if he had a truck built I didn't know about it. The last word in luxury PreRunners without doubt is Dallas's Leonard Davis's built by Geiser brothers to the tune of 560k. I think the Raptor XT with A/C and that extra travel at 100k is an absolute bargain in the world of hard core prerunners and within reach of mortals like me

My FX4 EB SCREW..........not shedding a single tear over kicking my Duramax to the curb...........it will still haul my PreRunner around with gear and fuel just fine

 

Somewhat true on the emissions of the newer diesels. Yes to get good mileage out of it you need to do deletes, which I plan to do. So recalibrating tire sizes would come with programmer or tuner. Most of the stock intakes flow well enough for 500 horsepower, just doing the deletes and a tune see a huge improvement in MPG and power. The routine maintenance is a few bucks more yet can go twice as long as a 1/2 ton so washes out price. Considering you are doing the work yourself, not rocket science. Than again I wouldn't use it for a DD all the time, just once a week to clean it out, for towing, and some hot rodding, LOL.

I am talking about his f150 that has everything you could think of in it and more. Purely a badass rig yet think it went for $500k.

The raptor XT is a nice rig for the money, (sure might be able to get more for the money in these economic times) yet I am a buggy dork, LOL.

I would get a 1/2 ton, yet for the price a 3/4 ton diesel msrp is a few bucks more and be able to tow my future toys easier. Been going back and fourth lately as to 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton leaning towards the 3/4 ton still.

 

Its hard to argue with the stability of a SuperDuty towing, but thats what my moho is for, that mpg is bad enough. The thing with a lifted SD or Dura with meats on it, is its like driving a barge with a turning radius just as bad. I can zip my F150 into a parking space before a Prius gets it..no problem..........LOL around town and in traffic its a dream. Get a 7700 GVW Eco Screw and take it for a spin, the only thing I am adding is some Timbrens and I think I will be good to go

 

I don't plan to drive it everyday so not too worried about driving it in traffic and I don't park near the front of a store anyways. A truck weighs 6k pounds roughly with a 2k pound flat bed trailer than you are left with 3k pounds before you are at max payload. Figure people in the truck, spares, and a full tank of gas you are close to max payload of the truck. Plus the cost of a diesel msrp is a few bucks more than a 1/2 ton anymore(5-10k). Only live once, LOL!

 

CliffyW has great reasoning for getting the EB FX4, it doesn't help me though since he has a BA prerunner already and could live without a raptor for a while

 

FX for $15-20k you could build your own prerunner, may not be as nice as a raptor, yet way more capable. Than get a EB. Or I am sure a aftermarket off-road company will offer a mid travel kit for the f150 and install that on to the truck. Be about $2500 for the kit, grand for glass and paint, than $2-3k for rims and tires.

 

Good point, either way I go though I still have to make time to get to the desert where I can use either to the full potential I don't have jack around here for off roading except some trails in a river bed that are pretty much garbage.

 

If you have your heart set on the EB and have $5k roughly willing to put towards the truck to make it more capable over factory than I say FX. Or if you want everything to have a "warranty" than get the raptor. From a few dealers I talked to and others I heard from they limit what the can or can't fix depending on the damage done and how it occurred. Just something to keep it mind, yet with what you guys plan to do I doubt you will break anything. Just something to keep in the back of your head.

 

Yea, i doubt I would beat it so hard it broke. A raptor for me would probably be 75% on the road and the other 25% trying to get out for some off road adventures. One thing I would for sure do with a raptor is push it pretty hard at least once or twice in the desert This would have to suffice for my 'baja experience' in the meantime

For certain my mind races daily at all the possibilities. You guys are right about building a prerunner, right about the raptor R, right about the raptor, and right about the FX4... thankfully 2012 ordering won't open up till aug/sep/oct at the earliest. I can think of it two ways; either daily torture or time to make a wise decision...

 

So sounds like you are going to get a raptor and spend way to much money on mods.

 

Your probably right... I need a ford dealer for each truck line so I don't have to be bombarded with everything at once, heavily skewing my decision making process.. A lot for FX4's, a lot for PSD's, and a lot for raptors without seeing the others wishful thinking!

 

I hear you there! I went and looked at new PSD's this past weekend and for some reason had my eyes on some F-150's a few times. I do not know what it is, yet once I got in a superduty of equal trim the 1/2 ton's disappeared from my mind all together once the PSD fired up!

 

I hear you there. Stainless works is possibly going to produce a turbo-back exhaust for the EB, however I don't think it will live up to my standards since I'd like it to sound like a diesel turbo exhaust with the high-pitched, ear-piercing sound of the turbos enunciated. It will probably sound more like a TT audi or something ricer...