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2004 Ford Harley-Davidson F-250 Super Duty
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| Two American families come together |
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| Updated |
Jun 10, 2004 22:25:54 |
| Rating |
 1459 ( -147 -10.07% ) | | Author | Sue Mead |
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Description:
2004 Ford Harley-Davidson F-series Super Duty
Writer's Notes
2004 Ford Harley-Davidson F-series Super Duty specifications
Base price: $40,690 (including destination/delivery charges)
Engine: 6.8-liter V10 (310-hp @4,250-rpm, 425-lb.-ft. @3,250-rpm) or 6-liter diesel V8 (325-hp @3,300-rpm, 560-lb.-ft. @1,600-rpm)
Transmission: 4-speed automatic with overdrive (6.8-liter V10) or 5-speed automatic with overdrive (6-liter diesel V8)
2004 F-250 4X4 Crew Cab with 6.75-ft. box
Wheelbase: 156.2 in.
Length: 245.8 in.
Width: 79.9 in.
Inside Box Height: 20 in.
Head/hip/legroom: front: 41.4/67.4/40.7 in.; rear: 41/67.3/41.3 in.
Base curb weight, lbs.: 6270
Fuel capacity (gal): 29, 38 gallon tanks available
Fuel economy: N/A
Safety equipment: Dual front airbags; height-adjustable front safety belts; ABS; four-wheel disc brakes
5 questions about the 2004 Ford Harley-Davidson F-series Super Duty
How long have Ford and Harley been teamed up? These giants in the motoring industry released the first Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 SuperCab in 2000. Originally powered by Ford's 5.4-liter Triton V8, the truck produced 260-hp. and was only available in black paint with orange pin-striping. By 2003, its power had climbed to 340-hp. and 425-lb.-ft. of torque at 3,250-rpm thanks to a supercharger. Also available was a two-tone black over silver paint job. For 2004, Ford shifts the Harley-Davidson logos to the existing F-250 or F-350 4X4 models.
When will the new F-150 Harley Davidson be available? Ford plans to offer the new smaller H-D F-150, based on the all-new 2004 F-150 within the year.
What is the new Ford F-250 Harley Davidson's towing capacity? An F-250 with the V10 and 3.73:1 gears tows up to 11,200-lbs. Higher gears (4.10:1) raise capacity to 14,200-lbs. Tow rating with the diesel engine is between 13- and 14,000-lbs. with both gear ratios. All H-D edition Super Duty trucks get towing kits as standard equipment. Hauling is also supported electronically via a driver-activated transmission mode that modifies the shift schedule, when needed.
How does it handle? Like Ford's Super Duty trucks, the new special edition Harley Davidson comes with a powerful and smooth, comfortable and competent ride. With throttle note tuning designed to attract enthusiasts behind the wheel as well as curb-side, it offers a fun-to-drive look, feel and symphony on the road.
Any complaints? This truck doesn't go slowly into the night-it's not designed to! What this means is it's attention-getting, and is Big and Tall Boy proportioned. On the other hand, its ergonomics fit this short-proportioned tester quite well.
Comments or suggestions about this review? Send an e-mail to: editor@autobytel.com
Autobytel Inc. operates the popular automotive websites Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, and Autosite.com.
xxx
Two family-based companies
On any given summer day in the year 1900, 19-year old Arthur Davidson and 20-year old Bill Harley could be found riding their bicycles to their favorite fishing hole. The boys loved the lake but were annoyed by the muddy, rough terrain that led to the water and realized they would rather spend their time fishing than pedaling.
Their solution was to design and build a 'motor-bicycle' that would make their expeditions faster and more enjoyable, and in 1903 the boys founded the Harley-Davidson Motor Company and set up shop in a 10- by 15-foot shed in Davidson's backyard. The legendary company was born and today remains the only major motorcycle manufacturer in the United States. Customers are extremely loyal and enthusiastic, meeting in Sturgis, South Dakota each summer for a week-long rally.
By coincidence, the Ford Motor Company was also born in 1903. Henry Ford spent years playing with engines and parts, hoping to build an affordable 'horseless carriage.' Ford's Model T was introduced in 1908 and took advantage of assembly line efficiency and consistency to make it a low-cost and useable product.
Like Harley-Davidson, Ford has benefited enormously from highly loyal customers. The F-series pickup, introduced in 1948, has been the best selling pickup truck in America for the past quarter century. In 2002 alone, over 800,000 trucks were sold.
The giants meet
To the delight of customers committed to both enterprises, the companies announced a Ford Harley-Davidson F-150 SuperCab in 1999 to be released as a 2000 model. Originally powered by Ford's 5.4-liter Triton V8, the truck produced 260-hp. and was only available in black paint with orange pin-striping. By 2003, its power had climbed to 340-hp. and 425-lb.-ft. of torque at 3,250-rpm thanks to a supercharger. Also available was a two-tone black over silver paint job.
Only F-250 and F-350 SuperCab and Crew Cab 4X4s are available with the Harley-Davidson treatment, but both the short (6.75-ft.) and long (8-ft.) boxes can be ordered.
For 2004, Ford shifts the Harley-Davidson logos to the existing F-250 or F-350 4X4 models, a transition that has occurred for several reasons. First, customers asked for more power, and higher towing and hauling capacities. They also favored 4X4s (possibly to find the best fishing spots) over 2WD trucks. Next, the F-150 was completely reworked for 2004, and is only available in five standard trim models. Special edition models like the Harley-Davidson and SVT Lightning will join the squad over the next year or two. Finally, the two companies are celebrating a five-year alliance, and are doing so by building a larger, limited-edition truck.
Exterior flair
Like its predecessors, the 2004 Ford Harley-Davidson Super Duty is offered with a Black Monotone paint job or a two-tone, Black/Gray splash. New for 2004, is an available Black over Competition Orange scheme. The monotone version gets a body color grille while the two-tone look is emphasized with a black grille over a colored valance. Harley-Davidson logos appear on front fender and tailgate badges, chrome tubular step-bars, the rubber bed mat, and a special vanity license plate. Even the windshield gets a dot patterned Bar and Shield. Other exterior features include front tow-hooks, tie-down hooks, and an exhaust tip all finished in chrome. Standard are18-inch forged aluminum wheels with custom center caps.
Interior name recognition
Stepping inside reveals even more Harley-Davidson badging, as special rubber floor mats, serialization plates, keys, and a special Owner's Guide are included. The enthusiast chooses between two seating arrangements: either four Black Leather Captains Chairs or front chairs and a rear bench. All seats are embossed with Harley-Davidson logos. Standard equipment includes power adjustable pedals, 4-wheel ABS, tilt, speed control, and power doors, windows, and locks.
Towing capacity
Two engine/transmission combinations are offered in the Super Duty. A 6.8-liter EFI Triton V10 is backed by a 4-speed automatic transmission and is capable of 310-hp. at 4,250-rpm and 425-lb.-ft. of torque at 3,250-rpm. Also offered is a 6-liter Power Stroke Diesel V8, matched to a 5-speed automatic transmission that makes 325-hp. at 3,300-rpm and a massive 560-lb.-ft. of torque at 1,600-rpm. An F-250 with the V10 and 3.73:1 gears tows up to 11,200-lbs. Higher gears (4.10:1) raise capacity to 14,200-lbs. Tow rating with the diesel engine is between 13- and 14,000-lbs. with both gear ratios. All H-D edition Super Duty trucks get towing kits as standard equipment. Hauling is also supported electronically via a driver-activated transmission mode that modifies the shift schedule, when needed.
Different configurations
Only F-250 and F-350 SuperCab and Crew Cab 4X4s are available with the Harley-Davidson treatment, but both the short (6.75-ft.) and long (8-ft.) boxes can be ordered. Ford plans on building 8,000 '04 F-series Super Duty units with Harley stripes, down from the 12,000 F-150 SuperCrews built for 2003. The first 1000 people who pay for the Black/Competition Orange finish will be entered to win a similarly painted 2004 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy motorcycle. With an incentive like that, look for more and more of these trucks to speckle highways nationwide. Just watch out for herds of them in South Dakota.
--Photos Courtesy of Ford North America
--Story by Sue Mead
Sue Mead works as a photojournalist and features writer for more than two dozen publications. She has written for Parade, Popular Science, Open Road, the Road & Track Buyers Guide, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics and Diversion and she has worked as an auto editor for CNN/fn. Sue has co-driven in two of the world's toughest off-road races, the Baja 1000 and the Paris-Dakar Raid. She attended four Camel Trophy adventures for Land Rover North America and has participated in several long-distance adventure drives. She recently completed her first book, "Monster Trucks and Tractors" published by Chelsea House. Sue lives in New England. |
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