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This 1973 Ford F-250 Highboy Packs 7.3L IDI Diesel Power

JIM ALLEN . August 14, 2026 . F Series Builders Guide
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IDI Ford-Powered ’73 F-250 Highboy

Ben Fluke’s first truck was a ’75 F-250 Highboy and when it was gone, he missed it. After all, Highboys are a Fluke family tradition. Down the road, he found another and decided to give it the full resto-mod treatment. With the help of his father, Andy, the Fluke family’s Highboy patriarch, they undertook a three-year frame-off resto of the truck. Fortunately, it was a very nice truck already but the Flukes did all the work themselves.

1973 Ford F-250 Highboy
Many people think the ’73-77 Ford Highboys are among the most attractive Ford 4x4s out there. The Highboy moniker came from the tall stance necessary because of the divorced transfer case. Ben Fluke’s F-250 4×4 looks ready to work or play. It will probably get a lot of both. It’s got the Ranger XLT trim, with a few deletions for style and personal taste.

1973 Ford F-250 Highboy

Being a diesel guy, a diesel powerplant was a certainty but Ben wanted something vintage and not the usual Cummins. He didn’t have to contemplate long because Ben is also an early Ford diesel nut. The choice became pretty clear… it was going to be a 6.9 or 7.3L IDI Ford. The exact engine ended up being a 7.3L IDI with a second generation Banks kit. That’s around 250 hp worth of vintage V-8 diesel.

1973 Ford F-250 Highboy
The interior is a mix of Ranger and Ranger XLT trim. The simple utility of the rubber floor mats is both stylish and practical. Not too much fancy in here right now but Ben will likely adds some stuff as time passes.
One of the few serious mods needed to fit the engine can be seen here, the notch in the front crossmember. The IDI is a little longer and about 200 pounds heavier. The married trans and transfer case also made a much simpler mounting than the divorced setup with its mile-long front driveshaft.

The engine fit well in the ’73 engine bay, replacing one of those monstrous 360-cid Ford FE big blocks. Fluke dispensed with the original divorced transfer case concept and went with a married NP435, NP205 combo from a later Ford. He retained front Dana 44 and rear Dana 60 axles with the original 4.10 gearing. To fit the BFG 345/75R-16 KM-Z tires and MT 16×7 wheels, he made up a 4-inch spring lift. He didn’t want lift blocks in the back so the springs themselves do all the lifting.

The truck made its debut at the 2013 Ford IDI Weekend, where the IDI Ford trucks and engines are celebrated. The ’73 made a big splash with a bunch of Ford nuts, as you can imagine, but since Ben opted to swap in an ID, well, the group was about ready to build a shrine.

1973 Ford F-250 Highboy
Looks more or less like it came this way. The 7.3L IDI isn’t much bigger than the old Ford FE V-8, so it fits nicely. Besides the Banks kit, a second-generation unit with the non-wastegated turbo, the engine is stock, though Fluke fitted a 3-inch exhaust system. Banks rated these engines at 250 hp @ 3,300 rpm and 550 lb/ft @ 1,800 rpm. That’s not monster power in today’s world, but was certainly that in the ’80s. This engine delivers better performance than the gas engine once mounted here and considerably better fuel economy.
1973 Ford F-250 Highboy
Luke was looking for simple elegance. Nothing is too overdone nor too plain. The mods fit the style of truck and the red is a knockout on the vintage curves. The ’60s-70s Fords were famous for those nifty tool stowage boxes available on the 8-foot Styleside bed.

Ben doesn’t intend to let the grass grow under the truck and also doesn’t intend to let it go this time. His only regret is not having installed a five-speed, though that can be done later. The other problem is others in the Fluke family now want Andy and Ben to build them a Highboy or two. “Dang,” says the elder Fluke, “these trucks don’t grow on trees anymore. And we only got so many hours in the day!” UDBG

 

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