Supercharged 850-HP Ford Econoline Van Is A Hot Rod Spectacle

Jul. 01, 2023 6:02 AM ET byCesar Miguel Video /1 Comment

It was built by a popular father-and-son duo in 90 days.

The humble-looking Ford Econoline, the predecessor of theTransit, is a cool workhorse - cool enough to be featured in theMCU version of Ant-Man. But this one built by the DeBerti father-and-son duo is arguably the most impressive of the existing Econolines on the road.

For those unaware, these guys are the mechanical wizards behind DeBerti Design, the same car modification company featured in the Discovery TV seriesTwin Turbos.

Featured inAutotopiaLA, the modified 1961 Econoline gets a supercharged 5.8-liter Coyote V8 engine and a complete race chassis to handle all 850 horses. It also features an air suspension system like theEvel Knievel Bel Air tribute carwe've seen before.

DeBerti/Instagram

AutotopiaLA/Youtube

A Ford 9-inch rear axle, a Reid S80 automatic transmission, and a Gibson exhaust system complete the mechanical bits of this fantastic build.

The interior sports a nice custom cabin, most of which was handmade. Amazingly, the duo built this thing in 90 days as a rush job for a TV episode.

Curiously, this is a right-hand-drive van. The builders initially wanted a center-mounted steering wheel, but the duo didn't like the idea. The video above showed owners taking their hot-rod Econoline with the presenter in tow on the road. They rigged up a rear seat complete with harnesses to accomplish this.

AutotopiaLA/Youtube

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While it ran, you'd hear its supercharger whine and the engine roar as it made a couple of passes. The beast also got to show how much pull it has, with Brad giving it the beans while in second gear. At the DeBertis' parking lot, they also performed burnouts and a couple of donuts which the van accomplished effortlessly.

This Econoline burnout machine is described as oodles of lighthearted fun. Thanks to its fantastic paint job with hidden smiley faces, it even looks the part. Even better, it perfectly contrasts that mean-looking and intimidatingsix-wheeler Chevy C10that the DeBertis duo also built.