Shelby Just Built an F250 You Can Actually BuyThe Diesel Podcast · Jun 17, 2026
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Car
Shelby Super Baja
The Shelby Super Baja is a special Shelby version of a Ford big truck. It’s built for desert/off-road vibes and, in this case, it uses a 6.7-liter diesel that’s tuned for strong power and towing.
The Ford F-250 is a heavy-duty Ford truck. In this segment, it’s the foundation for the Shelby Super Baja, mainly because it’s designed to tow and handle big loads.
“Super Duty” is Ford’s heavy-duty truck setup. It’s built for tougher jobs—especially towing—so the truck can handle heavier loads than a regular pickup.
This means the truck uses a 6.7-liter diesel that’s tuned to make more power than the basic version. The goal is stronger pulling power and better response when you’re towing.
Car
Shelby F-150
The host mentions driving a Shelby F-150 as a comparison point to the Shelby Super Baja. The point is size and presence: moving from an F-150 to a Super Duty–based truck makes the F-150 feel smaller, reinforcing that this is a big, heavy-duty build.
A “lifted look” means the truck sits higher than stock. It usually comes from suspension changes so there’s more ground clearance and a tougher appearance.
Car
Raptor R
The Raptor R is a more extreme, performance-oriented version of the Ford Raptor. The host brings it up to compare how popular these truck builds are versus Shelby’s Mustang cars.
The F-150 is Ford’s big pickup truck model. It can be used for work or everyday driving, and some versions are made for off-road driving. The podcast mentions Raptor and Raptor R to point out the more performance-focused F-150 options.
This truck is running very large tires—37 inches tall. That usually helps off-road clearance and grip, but it can also change how the truck rides and steers on regular roads.
This means the truck has bigger wheels than stock—20 inches across. Bigger wheels can make the ride feel different and are usually paired with specific tire sizes to match the look.
King’s suspension means the truck uses upgraded suspension parts from King. They’re saying those parts help the truck ride better and handle more confidently, especially over rough roads.
Stabilizers are parts that help control how much the truck leans and bounces when you drive. They’re saying King’s stabilizers make the ride feel steadier and reduce the harshness/noise from the road.
Road noise is the sound you hear from the tires and suspension as the truck rolls over pavement. The host is saying the suspension setup helps reduce that unwanted sound.
A modification process is how people customize a vehicle after they buy it. It usually means picking parts, finding someone to install them, and figuring out whether it will work the way you expect.
Baja California is a place in Mexico known for rough off-road driving and racing. When someone brings it up, they mean “real off-road, tough conditions,” not just normal commuting.
“Off road” describes driving on unpaved surfaces like dirt, rocks, sand, or snow where traction and suspension travel matter more than on-road grip. The host uses it to explain why this truck platform is appealing: it’s built to handle rougher conditions.
MSRP is the official “starting” price listed by the manufacturer for a car or truck. It’s not the final amount you pay, but it’s a common reference point for pricing.
Here, “extreme customization” means you can heavily personalize how the truck looks. The host is saying the newer model year offers more choices than before.
Mud-terrain tires are made for driving on messy, slippery ground like mud. They have a more aggressive tread pattern to grip and help push mud out of the tire.
All-terrain tires are a compromise tire for both street driving and light off-road use. They’re built to handle dirt and gravel better than regular road tires.
When someone says a truck is “completely redesigned,” they mean it’s not just a facelift. It’s been reworked in a major way, with lots of parts changed.
A light bar is a long strip of bright lights mounted on the truck. It helps you see farther down a trail, especially when you’re driving off-road at night.
A chase rack is an off-road/utility accessory mounted at the rear of a truck that often holds additional lights and sometimes recovery gear. It’s commonly used on Baja-style builds to add rearward visibility and make the vehicle more capable for night driving and off-road conditions.
Grill marker lights are small extra lights placed around the front grille. They add more light and help the truck be more visible, especially on custom/off-road setups.
LED lights are bright lights made with small electronic chips. They usually last a long time and are efficient, which is why they’re common on off-road trucks.
Term
replacement
Here, “full replacement” means they’re swapping out big parts of the truck, not just adding small accessories. It’s a more complete custom build.
“Cobra” is a performance name that people recognize. The logo is basically a badge that tells you the truck is meant to look and feel more performance-oriented.
King suspension refers to King Off-Road, a well-known aftermarket suspension brand. When a build is “partnered with” King suspension, it usually means the truck’s suspension components (like shocks and related hardware) are upgraded for better ride quality and off-road control.
A CSM number refers to a Carroll Shelby Motors (CSM) identifier used to track Shelby vehicles. It functions like a serial number tied to a specific build, and it’s referenced here as being recorded in the Shelby registry.
The Shelby registry is an official database/record of Shelby vehicles. It helps prove exactly which build you have and keeps the car’s history organized.
Think of the “raw chassis” as the truck’s bare bones—its main frame and base setup—before all the final options and add-ons are installed. Shelby starts with that and then builds the finished version.
A “Lariat package” is a specific equipment level on a Ford truck. It’s basically the starting set of features the truck comes with before Shelby modifies it.
“Decontent” just means stripping out some of the factory stuff. Shelby removes certain factory parts so they can swap in their own parts for the final build.
This means you can only buy these trucks from a Ford-approved dealer. It’s not something you typically order straight from Shelby or an independent shop.
“Add-ons” are extra options you can choose to put on a vehicle. In this case, they’re talking about which extras—like wheels or tires—people actually want.
The aftermarket means parts and accessories made by other companies, not the car’s original manufacturer. They’re saying there are tons of aftermarket choices, but they have to narrow that down into options they can build efficiently.
“Productionized” means making something custom into a repeatable, factory-ready option. They’re explaining that they can’t build every possible aftermarket setup, so they pick the popular ones and offer them in a way the plant can build consistently.
Barrett-Jackson is a big car auction event where enthusiasts and collectors show up. They’re saying Shelby goes to events like this to hear what people want from real owners and fans.
GM is a big car company that also makes trucks. Here it’s mentioned as another brand that the host can’t think of having a similar partnership to Shelby’s with Ford.
The transmission is the part that sends power from the engine to the wheels and controls the gears. If a truck gets a new transmission, it can help it handle more stress and stay reliable.
Ram is the name used for Dodge’s full-size pickup trucks. These trucks are built to carry loads and tow things. The podcast brings it up as part of a discussion about truck brands and how they’re set up.
A factory warranty is the official warranty that comes with the vehicle from the maker. It means you’re not just buying a modified truck—you still have coverage if something goes wrong.
ISO 9001:2015 is a quality standard that companies follow to make sure their processes are consistent. If an engine builder is certified to it, it usually means they have tighter quality control.
They’re talking about testing the rebuilt engine to make sure it meets their standards. The goal is to catch problems early so it’s less likely to fail soon after you install it.
These are special pistons made for diesel engines. Pistons help control how the engine burns fuel, and a better piston design can help the engine last longer and run more efficiently.
The valve train is what controls when the engine’s valves open and close. Upgrades usually mean stronger or better parts that help the engine breathe and make more power.
It’s an add-on fuel system for a diesel that cleans the fuel before it goes to the engine. The goal is to keep water and tiny particles out so the truck runs better and lasts longer.
Ford Motor Company is the company that makes Ford vehicles. In racing history, Ford has been involved in big competition efforts, including the Shelby-era performance story mentioned here.
Carroll Shelby was a famous racing person who helped build and develop fast cars. He’s a big name in American motorsports and is strongly linked with Ford’s performance history.
GT3 is a type of race car category. Cars built to GT3 rules are designed for road-racing events, and the host is using it to talk about Shelby’s connection to Ford’s racing and production history.
The Shelby GT500 is a very high-performance version of the Ford Mustang. It’s made by Shelby, using the Mustang as the base but with stronger performance parts. The podcast mentions it to show that these were real cars you could buy, not just prototypes.
The GT350 is a Shelby Mustang performance model. In this part, the host is saying the newer GT350s (2025 and 2026) are built at the Shelby facility.
Car
Ford Gt350
Here, “Ford” is referring to the company behind the Mustang GT350. The GT350 is a high-performance version of the Mustang. The episode mentions it to explain why that model is well known.
A break-in period is the early stage after you buy a new (or freshly modified) vehicle where you follow special driving rules. The idea is to let parts settle in correctly instead of beating on it right away.
A V8 is an engine with eight cylinders arranged in a V shape. In simple terms, it’s a common engine type people associate with strong power, and this segment is about choosing a supercharged version for extra punch.
A turbo is a device that helps the engine make more power by forcing in extra air. A “secondary turbo” means there’s an extra one, and the host is saying this Shelby setup isn’t just adding that kind of hardware to make more power.
“Emissions” are the exhaust pollutants a diesel engine produces. When you modify a diesel truck, you have to consider how it affects the systems that keep the exhaust within legal limits.
Towing capacity is the maximum weight a vehicle is rated to tow safely under specified conditions. The host says the Shelby package keeps towing capacity essentially the same as the factory rating, but customers want it for real-world towing of heavier items like trailers, side-by-sides, or horses.
Term
700 pounds
They mention the package adds about “700 pounds.” That’s a specific number related to what the truck can tow or handle, and it’s the kind of detail people care about when shopping for towing capability.
A build and price tool is a configurator on a manufacturer or brand website that lets customers choose options and generate a specific vehicle request. In this segment, it’s the entry point that routes a customer’s request to a local strategist.
A market strategist is a person on the brand’s side who helps you figure out what to buy and connects you with the right dealership. Think of it like guided help through the ordering and buying steps.
LIVE
Welcome to the diesel podcast presented by DFC diesel.
Mike, welcome back to the diesel podcast wasn't that long ago
that we were chatting about some really cool stuff,
which was like yourself and working in the auto industry
and different pathways that people can find to it.
But, you know, when we were first talking,
you mentioned Shelby and Shelby has an F-250
and now I see one behind you and you're at a dealership.
I thought it'd be really cool to talk about
a brand new truck and that whole process.
So welcome back to the podcast.
Look forward to jumping into the details on the truck behind you.
Yeah. Yeah. Thanks for having me back on for sure.
Where do we start?
Where do we start?
I think when you'd mentioned Shelby to me,
the first thing that popped in my mind is like I'm a truck guy,
but I'm an auto enthusiast, too.
We're like Shelby Mustangs.
I'd always heard about that.
You're like, oh, we have this F-250 and it just kind of it took me by surprise
because I didn't know that Shelby had an F-250.
And so I wanted to start like at the at the ground floor like what?
What like what truck is it?
What's done to it?
Does it have a power stroke?
Like what are the details on it?
Yeah. OK. So yeah.
So sit behind me is the Shelby Super Baja
that's that's based off the Super Duty platform from Ford, the F-250.
It's it's a diesel engine, the 6.7 liter high output.
It is I like to say it's a beast, man.
It is, you know, they use the word Baja, which is, you know,
some of the listeners are going to know, you know, Baja is is
is from the with the Baja race series out in California, the desert, right?
And so I think it means like desert racing.
And and so this is a it's a beast.
It's huge. And I drive a Shelby F-150.
And every time I get into this, it makes the F-150 look so small
and it feels that way, too.
And this is a truck, man. It's a big truck.
And how it came about was that the Shelby buyers
that were buying the F-150s were requesting, hey, we need something bigger.
We can tow, we can tow our Mustang or Shelby Mustang or whatever they're towing.
And so they wanted the towing power,
which is kind of how this kind of came about a few years back.
So it's one of the most popular trucks, the Super Duty platform
in general for work and options and power
and in the high output torque and power.
Yeah, yeah, people love it.
And what is like the Shelby edition?
What what's done to it?
Like, I can tell it's sitting a little bit higher.
It's got some different wheels and tires.
Yeah, I see the Shelby on the grill of some other things like what goes into them?
OK, so, you know, what we can even back up even further is
I think it's exactly 10 years ago.
So I think it was 2016 is where Shelby
made their first F-150 and and, you know,
and I drive an up one Shelby F-150 and every time I'm driving it,
every few weeks, someone will pull me over a gas station or a parking lot.
And they'll say, I didn't know Shelby made trucks.
Yeah. And and that it still blows me away because
we've been making trucks for 10 years and we sell a heck of a lot more trucks
than we do Mustangs like we might make a couple hundred Mustangs a year
if the trucks will make a couple thousand, because we've got, you know,
we've got the lifted look and we lift it.
F-150, the lower the super snake, we call it.
We have a two door lowered super snake called the super snake sport.
We have a Raptor. We got the Raptor R.
So all combined, when we could couple thousand of those,
whereas Mustangs will just make a couple hundred a year.
So there's just just more and more demand, you know,
obviously for the for the truck and for the F-150.
And yeah, so the Shelby make trucks
and behind me is the super bar and it's it's massive.
It's it's it's, you know, it's a 20 inch wheels and 37 inch tires.
It's we use King's suspension, which is another champion in the industry.
So it's, you know, it sits higher.
It it's it's just it handles that.
That's really the thing that I've noticed is the way it handles.
Just drive it down now.
The majority of people are not taking this bond, right?
They're going to drive on the road in the way it handles.
It handles more to me, in my opinion, more like an F-150, which is smooth,
you know, not not as shaky because the King stabilizers really, really,
you know, get rid of a lot of that road noise.
And so it really impressed me just the way it handles,
because I went out driving with it the other day with one of the sales guys here.
Speaking of here, this is where I'm sitting.
It's not at my house. This is at a dealership.
So I actually live in in Akron, Ohio.
I cover five states.
Me and two other guys were a team and we cover five states.
Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee.
And I live in the Akron, Ohio area.
And I'm at Sarshawn Ford, which is in Randolph, which is a suburb of Akron.
And they're my local Shelby dealer.
And so they stock, they've got Shelby champions here, you know,
like specialists that deal with these vehicles.
And so I came here today.
It's kind of my hometown Shelby dealer.
And, you know, on the ground, they've got three of these in stock,
as well as other Mustangs and F-150s.
And so that's kind of, yeah, that's kind of how it works with with a stocking Shelby dealer.
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That's so cool.
I think, I think with like a, the buyer of one of these trucks,
like sometimes you just want to get it, you might not necessarily want to buy an F-250
and then go through the modification process yourself with finding a shop,
finding an installer, which parts do you use?
Are you going to like it?
Like what's the process warranty like?
You just want to get something direct from a manufacturer that already looks how
you want, it already has a stance that you want, has some of the accessories that you
want. And that's where I think a truck like this really, really fits in.
Because yeah, well, you might not be taking it to Baja California and using it
like that. You might take it off road.
You might go different places.
Yeah.
You might just like how it looks, you know, different aspects to it.
You might want a nicer ride.
You might need some more capability out of it.
So I love how that gets infused into like the top selling truck platform in the world,
which is for trucks.
Yes. Yeah. The F-series.
Correct. You're right.
You're right. Yeah.
And this, and it, you would hope, I would hope that someone would take it off road
because it's built for that, right?
Or at least in the snow when it snows around here or something.
But it's just, it's a fun truck.
So you mentioned it's kind of like for the person that, you know, and I know we're going
to have hundreds of listeners of yours that are going to talk about, oh, I could build
that myself at this price, right?
Because it's $160,000 roughly right around there, MSRP.
And this is not for the DIY, you know, this is a different buyer that sees the value
and really is a champion of the brand, right?
Really is a believer in the Shelby, which is an iconic brand in the industry,
in the performance automotive industry.
And so they want it, they know the name, quality, and they're just going to buy it, right?
They're not going to, they don't want to build it themselves.
And so that's really who the buyer is, who just, you know, probably has a Mustang or
Shelby F-150 and just wants this to be a part of their collection.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, it makes perfect sense.
And I think, I think it's really important to touch on because there's so many different parts
of being like a truck enthusiast, like some people and, you know, they love to be hands
on, they want to do it themselves.
They want to source it, and there's value in that, not just monetarily, but they like,
they're mechanically inclined, they like to get their hands on every single part.
But there's also that other crowd where you just, you want it because of the brand itself.
And you think of combining Ford with Shelby, and here's this brand new truck.
Yeah. Yeah.
And you get it, you drive it home, you know, it's, it's just all ready to go.
So I think that was a really good point that you brought up is who this is designed for.
Just kind of like the F-150s and the Mustangs as well.
Like they have their own crowd, their own enthusiast, it's, it's own thing, separate of.
Correct.
Of, you know, let's say the F-150 in general.
Yeah. Yeah. And these are very limited.
We're going to build up to 250 this model year for 2026.
And what kind of makes a difference from the previous model years is that this is like
extreme customization.
And what I mean by that is you can choose one of the nine colors,
exterior colors that Ford has, and then you've got six strike color options.
And you can choose the color of the Shelby letters that are on the grill.
So in theory, someone could possibly have a one of one color combination,
which is kind of cool because we've never had the Shelby letters
where you can customize, you know, with the color.
And so we're seeing some out there that are ordered that are really unique,
you know, color combination, and it could be a one on one or one on two.
I mean, easily.
So that's what that's what we like about really being customized this year.
And besides that, there's not there's only another option of having either mud
terrain or all terrain tires.
And that's it.
And then there's speaking of tires, since it's a Baja,
it's got two full size spares in the back of the bed
that are mounted a little differently this year.
They're kind of mounted up towards the front, towards the sides,
so they can so the owner could use that bed space, really utilize it,
you know, put put things in there, haul things around.
In the previous years, there were a little stuck out
and it was just hard to use some of the bed space.
So yeah, so that's kind of what what makes this.
But it's a completely redesigned truck from last year.
Like every part on here is a brand new part.
And it might just be changed a little bit
because it looks pretty similar to the previous model years.
But but it's a it's a brand new truck.
And they literally just started hitting lots two weeks ago.
So this is a brand new vehicle
where excited, excited to get just to get it launched.
Yes. What goes into the like the package itself?
Like I can see the bumper.
I see. Yeah. Oh, yeah.
Like what what is what what goes into to customize it?
Yeah. Well, I would say definitely what stands out to me is is all the lights.
I mean, there's and the the the viewers can watch
on the Shelby website and on social media.
There's there's a video of it.
And I'll even send you that to a nighttime.
You know, you've got this huge light bar in the front.
Got these drive lights here.
You've got the grill marker lights that there's a chase rack on the back.
You know, with a light bar, I think it's nine.
Lights up there, LED lights.
And then you got, you know, in the rear, you got there.
There's so many lights on this thing.
So it's it's definitely for, you know, off road,
Baja, where you can light up the, you know, the the road that you're riding on.
And like I said, the suspension, you got the tires.
And they're just a whole list of things.
You know, we got full just like we said, full replacement, right?
Front and rear bumpers.
And then we've got, you know, we've got the Cobra logo on the side,
which you can see in the video that I'll send you.
And it's it's really it is it's it's performance, right?
It's it's style and it's it's luxury.
It's which is kind of unique.
You got this like off road monster looking truck, this luxury,
which is kind of cool.
And that's kind of the buyers.
That's what they want.
They want the high end thing.
Oh, it's on a very trip level.
Sorry about the the I don't know if you hear that.
They just they just lit up a performance vehicle behind me.
You hear that or no, a little bit.
Well, it just adds that's the authenticity of being at a dealership, right?
Like I would say that I'm sitting at the service area of a dealership.
But yeah, they're all laughing back there at me.
But yeah.
And what's different this year, too, is that that shall be partnered with King suspension.
And so that that's been fun.
And you'll you'll see through the video.
It just it makes a bold statement when you look underneath the wheels under,
you know, right above the tire, you can see it stands out, looks awesome.
And
obviously, if you can, I don't know if you can see it now,
it's got a full replacement induction hood,
which really kind of gives it more of a of a, I don't know,
a little bit of an aggressive look this year compared to last year,
which is one of the changes in a highlight personally.
And and then inside, you know, we, you know, we've got some really unique
leather that kind of goes along with the theme of our other Shelby vehicles.
And then you've got Shelby embroidered floor mats.
You've got the CSM number, which was the Carroll Shelby manufacturer.
It's like a serial number, you know, it'll have exactly which number yours is.
And which is in the Shelby registry.
And in these, here's here's a really cool fact.
These are made in our brand new facility in Bristol, Indiana.
So in January, Shelby opened up their own truck factory
in Bristol, which is outside of South Bend.
And that's been so fun for us, for the whole Shelby team to watch this go from
literally a blank warehouse to a full blown, you know, custom, custom factory
that's built in all of our Shelby trucks.
And so this, this is the first Shelby vehicle to come off the factory
floor like three weeks ago, which is really cool to see.
How long does that take to put the truck together?
Like from the time it arrives, and it's say like a standard F 250
to where it looks like it does right behind you.
What's that time?
Great question.
So, so we, we, we order these from Ford, right?
From what we call the raw chassis, right?
We order this, the standard Lariat package.
It arrives at our facility.
And then once a dealer places an order against that chassis, and once it goes
into production, it's about two weeks ish, just depends on so many, there's so
many different factors, but about two weeks to take it from the raw, you know,
stock unit to a, to the full Shelby package, about two weeks.
Yeah.
And so we will bring it in, decontent it, right?
Remove a lot of the stock stuff off.
We will paint some of the parts, already have parts painted, and then just build
it all up in about a two week period.
Yeah, great question.
And then, and then it might sit, wait, wait, waiting for transportation for a few
days or a week, and then it'll ship to the dealer.
Yeah.
So you have to, you could only buy these through an authorized Ford dealership.
I was going to ask you that part next, because I, they said, I've seen Shelby
vehicles before, but I never knew where people got them.
I never know.
Like, I don't know.
Maybe there is one local in Denver.
I don't know, but I haven't, I haven't seen it.
So that was going to be my next question is like, if you were interested in one
of these trucks, like how do you, where do you find one of these dealers?
So, so I would say if, if, if there, if there's not a stocking Shelby dealer near,
you know, where you reside, you get online and you're going to see, you know, in
the country, there's probably, I don't know, I'm going to say, you know,
roughly a 10000 plus dealerships, right, that stock these, you
can find them online and you can also go to the Shelby website, shelby.com.
There's a build and price tool.
This is also a great feature.
We have a build and price tool.
You can go on, choose the color, choose the stripe, choose your option for
bills and then submit that and that'll go to one of the market strats, the
Shelby market strategies in, in your area and they can actually assist the buyer.
So if a lead comes in to Michigan or Ohio or I am, I get that lead and then I
reach out to the customer and then match them up with the dealership.
Like, so if they said, Hey, I want, I wanted a argon blue with black stripe.
I could, I could look and see if anybody has one.
If not, we can easily order.
That makes sense.
That's, that's pretty, yeah, pretty streamlined.
It is, it's, it's really, it really is a simple, a simple process.
And that's how we try to make it.
Yeah.
How many options are there like for the interior?
You mentioned the leather being different and being, there's no options on the
interior.
Yeah.
The, the only option is stripe color and wheels.
You want one train or all train.
That's it.
That's it on the super bah, the F-150, there's going to be maybe a couple more
options and then with the Mustangs, there's a couple options as well.
But it's, yeah, we, we, we, we definitely don't want too many options out there.
You know, but we want a little bit of customization for the buyer though.
Now, how do you, like when it comes to the, the add-ons, accessories, the
things that are different, how do you guys get feedback from enthusiasts or, you
know, owners or potential owners of this truck to say, Hey, we really, they
really want this option for, for wheels.
They really want this for tires or they really like this.
Like I think of just the aftermarket and tons of different options that are out
there.
I was curious how that gets funneled down a bit to a point that it can be
productionized in a truck facility and you can jump on the building price and
see, you know, what's out there.
Yeah, that's funny you say that.
Cause, you know, we, I hear everybody wants to give me their opinion.
And so, so if I'm at a local car show or, or a, or a Shelby event, like a Shelby
bash or Barrett Jackson, like Shelby goes to all these different, you know,
enthusiast shows and events and, and we definitely get a lot, you know, face to
face feedback.
Hey, I wish he, I wish this, I wish there was a different color.
I wish you guys had more color options on this.
I wish, I wish the badge was here.
I wish the badge was smaller, bigger.
So I've heard it over the years.
I've been doing this.
Uh, I've been in this job role for seven years and I hear it all the time.
Summer, I would say are, are, uh, really, you know, good, good ideas and options.
Summer, you know, just crazy of them.
But, uh, but in some of that, it does get down to, to me and then I might share
that, you know, with, with one of my team members, you know, one of the
engineers or the designers, um, and, or the marketing guy and, and, and share
that with them and we will make changes.
Cause we definitely want to hear it, right?
Um, and we get emails and, you know, social media, all the, all the, uh, you
know, the responses that people put in there and, and feedback.
So we definitely, we definitely listen to it.
Um, and some of it we do, some of it goes in and we'll get changed based off
of customers, just, you know, expressing their, their opinions.
So how, how, how unique is this in the auto industry?
Cause my, I'm such, I meant such a niche part of it in the sense of I focus
just on diesel trucks and most of the time I'm talking about reliability
or there's new transmission in this one, are they up the power numbers or like,
how do you keep your truck, you know, reliable, all that, all that sort of
stuff, but I can't think of Ram or GM being able to get, I can't think
of partnerships that they have like this, like Shelby has with Ford to be
able to get this brand new truck with a factory warranty and all this put
together into something that's not the run of the mill.
Cause like if I went to a Ford dealer, they're going to have however
many white ones, however many silver, I'm already black.
It's just, they all kind of look the same after a while.
And you want something a little bit different, right?
That, that's, yeah, that's unique to you.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, it, uh, it's definitely, right?
It's definitely unique.
Um, there, there are other players out in the industry, right?
Other outfit companies, but, uh, um, and, and I always look at it.
I think all the other companies and comp, you know, I don't call them competitors
man, they're, cause there's, it's such a unique niche market.
And there are people that are just driven and excited about the Shelby brand.
And so I don't, we don't really worry about some of the other ones, but,
but they are, uh, you're, you're right.
It sets it apart.
It's not, it's not just that stock unit, right?
It's, um, it's unique and it's, and it's Shelby is what it is, man.
And, uh, and so, um, yeah, just, it's a, it's a great, great opportunity
for someone, you know, to get a really unique, right?
Custom vehicle in a way, uh, that stands out from every other vehicle out there.
I mean, she, you, you know, when you see a Shelby vehicle or Shelby truck rolling
down the street, it stands out compared, you know, more than any other vehicle
out there and, and I drive it and I hear it all the time, all the time.
People are, you know, pulling me over or waving me down or at a, at a, that's
really the fun part that, that, that, uh, that people don't, don't realize is,
is the, the, the fun of owning and driving one because it's a conversation piece.
Like I, I have friends and acquaintances, um, you know, and I built relationships
just because someone, you know, like in a parking lot, I started talking to
when they're, and they seem like a good genuine guy and all of a sudden now
we're sharing information and, you know, and either they're coming to buy one or
they just want to, you know, hang out and go to events or something like that.
So it's really, it's, it's such a unique, um, unique experience that you get
from owning one that has built relationships for me.
And I, and I'm blessed to work for the company and to, to, to do the role,
the job role, you know, I'm a, a sales person, right?
A market strategist is the, is the name we, if we, we call it and it's such a
blessing and such a fun thing to do.
And, and then, you know, my other job with ASC, so I'm always connected to
the students and boy, is that a great combination.
Because the students love it, man, and it gets them excited into the industry
as well.
So, I'm so blessed.
I love that point that you brought up because it, I didn't think of our
conversation kind of go in this direction, but I think it ties in with Shelby,
with the truck that's behind you.
And that's how, like some people look at a truck, it's a tool.
It's pointing to point B or it performs, it performs a job, allows them to make
money, but then it's also for another segment.
It's that appreciation for a brand, an iconic brand, and it starts a conversation.
And there's so many other things that are out there that do that, like watches can
do it, you know, there's other things that are out there where, yeah, your phone
will tell time, but you really like this watch brand.
And when you're someplace, it starts a conversation with somebody.
And I think with vehicles, like that's what it's built on.
It's built around, well, the enthusiast part, it's built around those shows,
those get-togethers, races, whether it's at a track or off-road.
And someone who is interested in this truck is looking for that.
They're looking for not just a standard F-250 or, you know, a high output F-250
that they're going to use for work.
It's something where their lifestyle, their interests put them in that circle where
somebody sees that and they go, that's not a regular F-250.
Why does it say Shelby on the grill?
Let's have a conversation, man.
Let's talk about it, you know.
And I think that's really, that's really, really special.
Yeah, like the word of use tool, that's how I look at this.
Like these are tools, and for me, it's a tool to build relationships.
And I know the Shelby owners because of their vehicle are, even if they're not going to events
or car shows or races, just having in their hometown, driving around, they are going to build
relationships.
So it's so much more, it really is, than a piece of metal, right?
It's a piece of metal with an iconic brand that is a tool to really just bring people together
and have good conversation is what it is.
It's kind of funny.
And so I look at it in my specific position that I am in the automotive industry,
that it really does help me.
It's a tool to connect the youth, get them excited about it.
I bring it, you know, I bring my Shelby truck every chance I can to high school automotive
classes.
And then at the same time, I also connect though with the buyers.
Like I've got relationships with some of these buyers and will go to their house,
bring them stuff.
They always ask me for, you know, do you have any Shelby apparel?
And so I do, right?
I carry it around.
I go by and meet up with them and just try to help them with the experience.
And it's fun and it's so cool.
It really is, man.
It's such a cool thing.
Common question we get from you guys a lot is, Hey, I need a diesel engine.
I either, you know, I can't wait this long to get one or normal place.
I get stuff from it.
It just takes too long or I don't, they don't have the parts in it that I need.
Maybe my truck's not stock or I tow heavy with it.
I don't want to go back with just a stock engine.
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And, you know, the other thing with that is, you know, sometimes the options that are out
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You want a little bit more.
You don't want to have the same failure.
Again, so there's a bunch of different series of engines that they have from core street,
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Also, they're working with speed of air pistons,
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And there's a lot of really cool technology behind it.
So you can add that into your build and be able to get better fuel economy,
you know, increased power, increased torque, and better engine life out of it.
You know, some of the most common engine applications or series of engines that they have
with that lead time, a lot of them are in stock or they have really short lead times.
So you can check your favorite retailer or go to dfcdiesel.com,
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I wanted to, I thought I skipped something because it's just like,
it's common knowledge for me, but just because it is for me doesn't mean it is for everyone else.
Talk to me about Shelby as the brand, like the history of the brand, because I think,
I know you're going to bring up like the high points of it and like how it started
and how that name becomes synonymous with automotive enthusiasts in the United States
and outside of it.
But somebody might be newer, younger, they might not know the history of it.
Yeah, the very first thing I'll say is, have you seen the movie Ford versus Ferrari?
Have you seen it?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, I've seen it.
Okay. All right. All right. That's the first question.
First question. Have you seen the movie Ford versus Ferrari?
And then if they say no, I'm like, you got to go watch the movie.
Yeah.
Because that movie, now obviously it's a movie, right?
But it's pretty close to accurate is from what I hear.
That movie will teach you about like Ford Motor Company,
about Carroll Shelby himself, about the brand, how it started, the Le Mans race,
like it goes over all that.
And it's a history movie is what I say.
And not only a history movie, but a great movie, great acting.
And so that really tells the whole story, paints the whole picture perfectly, I think,
in my opinion.
And yeah, so really that movie will sum it all up for someone that hasn't seen it.
I've seen it too many times.
You know, it was really interesting about that 15 times.
What's interesting about that movie is I had heard of Shelby
and just consuming automotive content when I was younger.
But that movie did something for me watching it.
It gave me insight and admiration for both Ford Motor Company and Shelby
to be able to see the ingenuity and the competition and the passion that fueled
a change in racing and took on the norm or the status quo.
And it just, I don't know, it just, it made a huge impression on me.
And I think that in the context of doing this episode and learning about Shelby
and this truck and speaking with you, I was like, you get a piece of that in this truck
or in that F-150 or in the Mustang or any of the Shelby vehicles that are out there.
You got to go back to the foundation and start of it and what tremendous things
that brand accomplished in its partnerships and on the track.
Yeah, yeah.
A question that I hear all the time is Shelby part of Ford Motor Company.
Is Ford Motor Company part of Shelby?
Like I hear that often, like weekly.
And Shelby and Ford are separate companies, right?
Separate entities.
They've just had a really, really good solid relationship over many, many decades.
And, but they're separate.
And, you know, over the years, they built vehicles together.
Ford has built some of our, like the GT3, the older GT350 and GT500 were actually Ford
production vehicles that came out of the Ford factory that had the Shelby name.
The new GT350, the 2025 and this year, 26 are actually, they come out of the,
out of the Shelby facility.
And so, so they're Shelby and Ford are separate companies.
Just always had a great working relationship.
Have designed stuff together, worked together.
So they're separate, but they've got a great partnership.
That's really interesting.
Yeah, I think that was maybe my first introduction, like in daily life,
was that GT500 is seeing those or knowing someone that had one.
And you see the badging on it, you know, what's different versus a regular Mustang with it.
And yeah, yeah.
It was just so unique to, I don't know, it's just,
I think of buying a vehicle and it's like building price or,
I'm just at this point in my like ownership or enthusiasm for vehicles,
where I just don't want a standard white, silver, red, black, gray one,
that there's hundreds of thousands of them out there on the road.
Because I'm looking for something more.
Like I'm not using it as a tool to make money, per se.
I'm not using it to run a business.
But I look for that conversation and the relationships between people and other enthusiasts.
Because that's what keeps me going.
Like doing a podcast, talking about stuff is like the relationships and the learning.
And so this would be a great conversation piece.
Well, it also accomplishes things like the payload, the towing capacity,
the torque that that truck makes, like it has all the capability there.
But now I'm adding a conversation piece that I might build a relationship with
a person, a company and enthusiast as well.
Yeah, totally.
Totally.
Yeah.
You know what I love?
I love seeing our vehicles, our trucks that are,
that might have a company logo on them.
And that happens occasionally.
So the individual bought it and they're going to use it maybe as their contractor
and they're going to use that as their daily drive around and they put their logo on it.
That's so cool because my gosh is that impressive, right?
That impressive for a customer to see that pull up or whatever.
And it doesn't happen often, but I've seen it driving around with company logos on them.
And again, that can just build the relationships with some of their customers too,
just because of their truck, you know?
Yeah.
Something I'm curious about since you're at a dealership and you work closely with them,
what kind of feedback did they give you from people who walk into the dealership?
Like, if I think of when I've done it, I walk in and, you know,
or maybe I'm making an appointment ahead of time and the salesperson knows I'm interested in,
you know, a three-quarter ton diesel truck and they'll kind of get me into the trim
and what color and I go there and there's like 15, there's 15 white ones,
there's 15 four-door four-wheel drive, you know, short beds or whatever it is I'm interested in.
Yeah.
But I imagine you walk down that line and then you see that truck.
Yeah.
What do they, what feedback do you get from the dealership level when people see that
or questions that they ask or how it goes one-on-one with a potential?
From what I hear working with these dealerships and salespeople is that a lot of these customers
already know what they want.
They've seen it online.
They're enthusiasts.
They're not usually randomly just coming in and fall upon it, you know, like Stumbula,
walk down and CCC and all of a sudden, oh my gosh, what's this?
No, they kind of come in specifically for the, or they make the phone call or the email
because I get those leads as well.
They come to me and they already, it's, this is what's really surprised me over the years.
I really don't get that many specific questions like they already kind of know and that just,
that's because probably of the world we live in now, right?
Like we're just in a world of information that it's at everybody's fingertips and so they already
have done their research and they're already well informed and well educated on the vehicle.
I get very few questions and I'm going to, I'm going to guess that's probably how it is with
the salespeople.
They already kind of know the ins and outs of it, of the engine of the horsepower torque.
And so there's not that, they already kind of know it.
There might be some little things that they, but overall, you know, no one's
stumbling usually across these, they're coming in specifically for that because they saw it online.
I think that's a testament to the enthusiast and what you talked about before the conversation
piece being, owning something from an iconic brand because you understand the history and
everything like that, where you know that's exactly what you want and it's not like,
it's not like when you're unsure, well, do I really want this?
Do I really, you know, do I really want this set up on the truck?
Like you spent the time you've done the research, you know, you want, it's just,
and now it's just connecting and finding where you get it.
It is. So just like two weeks ago, I got an email
from a guy, a gentleman that was retiring from Ford Marta Company after 35 years.
He's known for years, this is going to be his gift when he retires.
And so he already, it was a Mustang, it wasn't the truck, it was a GT350.
And to me, that's really cool. This guy's known it for years and he already knew the color and
everything. And so to me, actually, it brought joy to me. I was like, oh, that's so cool.
Man, this guy wants it. He's getting this dream car and he's been waiting
for years, you know, he's obviously a Ford employee and wanted to stay into the Ford family.
And so he chose that. So that's not, I mean, I hear that a few times a year,
I get emails or texts like that from people.
With the warranty, like how, I think somebody might have a question about that.
Like, yeah, it's brand new. So you're going to have the Ford, you know, the Ford warranty on it.
But then with the, the additions that Shelby does, how does that work?
It's exact same as the Ford warranty. It mirrors it. So 336 on the Shelby package.
Yep. So it gives peace of mind driving it for, for three years that you've got the
chassis, you know, the Ford warranty as well as the Shelby warranty. Yeah. Yeah.
But you just got to make sure that you follow the guidelines, right? Because there's guidelines
on here. When you get it, if it's supercharged, now that the diesel is not, but if it's a F 150,
you know, you got to, there's a break in period and, and, you know, in the right fuel to put in
on the supercharged one and stuff like that. But in this regular maintenance too, you know,
there's, there's going to be regular maintenance in addition to the Ford maintenance, you know,
you know, that it depends if it's supercharged or the diesel, but there is maintenance that,
that we want, that we want people to do so we can then offer that warranty, you know, that they're
not, you know, just beating it up and not taking care of it because you get any vehicle you got
to maintain. So I wanted to ask you that part next. You connected to two different parts of
this for me. You mentioned before that people who buy this truck, they're going to tow, you know,
their, their Mustang or something else, or it fits into a family of vehicles that they have,
right? Yeah. And when I think of, if I was in the market for a half ton gas truck,
and I think the, I think the market is, it switched to where people are wanting V8s again,
right? And you're thinking, I just don't want a regular V8. I want a supercharged V8. And
you want the performance, horsepower and the torque increases that come with it and
how it comes on a package from an iconic brand like Shelby. How it's a bit different on the diesel
side because it's not just, you know, bolting a secondary turbo on it's not, it's not altering
the power level of the truck. And I know there's other things that go into that with emissions and
all that stuff. But yeah, and that's not the focus of my question. But how does, how does the Shelby
package fit into having that collection of Shelby vehicles in the sense of, you know,
are people wanting to tow, have, have the capability of a diesel truck of a three quarter
ton diesel truck in the context of the other ways they use them, you know, maybe towing another
vehicle, maybe towing a trailer, maybe, you know, being able to use it in their lifestyle,
that's the, the part I'm really curious about is in your experience with talking with customers,
like is that why they're saying that they want this F 250 is to fit into
a family of their collection. They're wanting it to complement other things that they have,
but they need a little bit more capability. They can't, they're not going to tow what they need
to tow with their F 150. They need this high output. Yeah, it's, it, from my understanding,
right? It's not, not every Shelby owner has a collection, right? So, but some of the ones
that we've heard the feedback was that we, we wanted to tow something and they needed to tow
something heavier or it was destroying us on an F 150. And because the towing power, like
it's basically the same as the factory says it is, you know, our package adds, I think an engineer
told me like this maybe adds 700 pounds or something to it. So the towing capacity is
going to be the same, almost the same as, as a stock one, but they just want to tow it. They
have horses or they have, you know, side by side or whatever it is, or even a covered trailer for
work or something. They just wanted more of that towing capacity. And so that's why they were asking
for it. But, but yeah, but I've seen some of the, I've gone to some of their houses, some of the
buyers and they've got, you know, you know, multiple vehicles, multiple Shelby's, you know,
are they going to, you know, and they are towing their vehicle occasionally. But, but yeah, you
know, but, but in general, I, you know, I don't think too many people are really going to tell
with this, but, but we do have the ones that want to tell, you know, and even in the bed, you could
stick, you know, you could stick a motorbike or, you know, a dirt bike or whatever. There's some
room in there, you know, for the payload for that to be able to do that.
Was that where the, the start of offering this truck came from was people saying, well, I need
to tow a little bit more or I need to tow it. Yeah, but, but also it's the F series, right? It's
like the number one, the built, you know, the number one truck in the world kind of, you know,
the F series, F250, F150. And so it kind of made sense actually. It did, in my opinion, you know,
we had the, it's like, why not build it on the 250? People, people ask us, hey, we're going to do a
350 or 450 or duly, right? I'm not going to say no, I'm not, I'm not, you know, the engineer,
designer, something like that. But hey, I wouldn't see, I wouldn't be too surprised someday maybe,
but, but, you know, we, last year we did the Raptor R, you know, that was a new addition for
us, you know, that's a, now that's, and we're doing that again this year, that's a thousand horsepower,
you know, Raptor, which is, is insane, which is awesome. It's incredible.
So who knows where it's going to go? That's kind of the fun part too, because even this year we're
bringing out some new things with our F150, some new special things. And I'm not going to say any
more than that, but in the near future, we're going to, we're going to reveal some really cool
things. And I wouldn't be surprised in the near future too, if we did something with the, with
with the super duty, with, you know, something in addition to this. Yeah.
That's so cool. Yeah, I love, I love the whole lineup. And I was really looking forward to doing
this podcast because, like I said, I saw that movie and I spent, you know, some time on my own
just researching to learn. And I think that the aftermarket side of automotive was really driven
way back then. And it was, it was part of the idea that you just don't buy a vehicle and then
you leave it stock the whole time you own it, like you can, you can customize it, you can have
more, more fun. And I think being able to have the quality and the history infused into
any one of the vehicles you mentioned, whether it's a Mustang or an F150 or now this F250.
Yeah, it's so, it's so different than anything I come across because I said most of the time
I'm talking about how to maintain it, or it's just, it's an individual, it's a DIY or doing
the work or maybe it's a repair shop or a performance shop that's doing it. It's not
something straight from an assembly line at an OEM level that's being put together. That's very
unique. Yeah. And some people, I've had the sales people that have told me that their buyers will
actually customize these, they'll take them and they want to add more to it. Yeah. And
when now that voids the warranty, right? So if you're cutting into it, right,
working, doing some electrical upgrades or the stereo, right, system,
you know, that's going to avoid the warranty, but they do some, some, some take it and they want to,
you know, make it bigger, better and stronger or something. And it's crazy, but they do it,
you know, but, but in general, no, no one's going to touch it after this.
I like to be able to connect like our guests to people out there who are interested in
anything that we might be, might be talking about. If there's somebody out there that is
interested in this truck or, you know what, maybe, maybe they're already set up on their diesel
truck. It's already exactly what they want, but they want a supercharged F-150 or they want a
Mustang, maybe they want something else in the Shelby lineup. How do they connect with someone
like you or connect with the brand to be able to find exactly what it is that they, they want to
purchase? Yeah. So if they go to the Shelby website and they go to the build and price tool
and they submit a request and when they put their zip code and stayed in, then that, that,
that request or that submission will go to the market strategist in that area. And then that's
how they can get connected with someone like me that can help walk them through the process
and explain and partner up with them and help them. Cause that's my job role is to really help
the customers, help them get into the dealership, build a relationship with the dealership.
And so I'm glad you asked that. So that, that go to the Shelby website, get it in there,
put their information in and they will be connected with a market strategist like myself.
That's very, that's very cool. I, I appreciate you taking the time and scheduling this and being
able to be there, have the truck behind you. I spent some time after our first podcast,
I was on the Shelby website and I was on the, the build and price for the F-250 and I was playing
around with the colors and stuff and it was, it was really, really cool. Yeah. It's wake. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. So yeah. Well, great, man. I really appreciate having me on here. I hope it's been fun for
you. It's been fun for me and, and really excited about this truck and, and what's happened in this
year with Shelby. So don't forget diesel fans, make sure and head on over to kershaw.kaiusa.com.
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us on social media. We appreciate all your support here in your 10 of the diesel podcast
and look forward to bringing you more of the content that you want to hear in 2026.
Till next time, keep the shiny side up.
About this episode
Shelby’s Super Baja F-250 gets the spotlight: a 6.7L high-output diesel on Ford’s Super Duty F-250 platform, built with a focused stance setup (20-inch wheels, 37-inch tires) and a King’s suspension. Pricing lands around $160,000 MSRP, with up to 250 units planned for 2026 and a color menu of nine exteriors plus six strike options. The hosts also walk through the Bristol, Indiana factory, a roughly two-week build timeline, and how buyers order via Shelby’s build-and-price tool through authorized channels.
We’ve all heard of Shelby and the iconic history and performance of the
brand. We were shocked to learn they are building F250’s! We chatted
with them about build options and the inspiration behind the build for
the F250 Super Baja.
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