Classic Lines And 600 HP

An Old School Ford with Modern Day Upgrades.

- Mike McGlothlin

The 7.3L faithful are just about as dyed-in-the-wool as they come. Even with a complex, vastly outdated injection system and plenty of other engine options to make easy horsepower, they’ve chosen to stick it out with the 444ci, HEUI V8. To these die-hards, the only power plant that matters is Ford’s first Power Stroke. For Mike Satkowski, the 7.3L addiction started before he even had a driver’s license. At the age of 15, he purchased the ’97 F-250 you see here for just $1,500 and got to work making it his own. Eight years later, the truck’s horsepower rating has been tripled and it makes frequent 12-second trips through the quarter-mile.

Built for Battle

But getting the truck to its current 600hp state didn’t happen quickly, or easily. While some 7.3L owners get by with pushing big power through the stock, forged-rod bottom end for a while, Satkowski wasn’t so fortunate. Back when the truck sported 250/100 injectors, the engine met its fate shortly after seeing what kind of power a new, “max effort” tune could lay down on a dyno. “I made 601 hp and then those rods came knocking,” he told us. “The engine lasted one more week.”