Wild 1948 Ford 8N Tractor Packs Twin-Turbo Power Stroke V8 Power
This 1948 Ford 8N tractor is a family heirloom that’s been transformed into an over-the-top SEMA star.
Tractors are some of the most purpose-built, utilitarian vehicles on the planet, designed for work and little else. Though some of us grew up riding around on tractors, these machines are in their element fertilizing or harvesting crops, playing a critical role in everyone’s lives. However, that isn’t the case with this vintage 1948 Ford 8N tractor built and owned by Brian Rogers of Firewire LEDs in Mooresville, Indiana.
Nicknamed “Stroked-N,” this 1948 Ford 8N tractor was built to be a SEMA showcase for his company, and as such, it’s more than a bit over-the-top. Amazingly, it has also been in his family since his great-grandfather bought it new, though it’s a far cry from the stock tractor that it was way back then. The vintage Blue Oval machine was still putting in work at the family farm when Rogers decided that he wanted to build himself a SEMA rig, but things got a little crazy from there.
Rogers knew he had to go big to attract attention at SEMA, which is famous for its over-the-top builds. Thus, he came up with the idea of stuffing a 7.3-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel in the old rig, which he capped off with a pair of turbos for extra power and a bit more insanity. As one might imagine, this old tractor is ludicrously fast – a far cry from what most of us expect from these notoriously slow machines.
Fitting the oil burner in the tractor wasn’t an easy task, however, and Rogers had to extend the hood 10 inches to make it work, along with developing a custom frame. The rest of the drivetrain was apparently up to the task of handling the tremendous amount of torque that the Powerstroke pumps out, because it remains stock. However, that can’t be said of this 8N’s appearances.
Rogers swapped out the factory rolling stock for a set of 20×10-inch wheels wrapped with Toyo tires in the front and TIS 28×16-inch wheels in the rear that are fitted with massive Interco Boggers 48-inch tires. Capped off with a shiny black paint job, it’s safe to say that this tractor is unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and we can only imagine what Rogers’ great-grandfather would think if he could see it today.
Photos: Firewire LEDs
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