It seems like it was just yesterday that our first Block-esque Raptor debuted on the web. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that just over 2 years ago, we began a project that would forever change the way we looked at trucks & off-road modifications, let alone set the bar for what many Raptor owners & aspiring fans wish to achieve with their own builds. A simple confluence of wrap material, custom graphics, and specialty equipment helped form the mold for what has turned into a “signature” of sorts for us, and ultimately created one of our most sought-after vehicles from the stickers to the full setup. A week doesn’t pass where we don’t get an inquiry about it! So, as anyone could imagine, when the call came in about tackling another monster Raptor build, we were more than ready to attack.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Even though this particular truck would be receiving a borderline identical treatment as the last one, there was exponentially more work to be done. Back in 2011, we were a little unsure about our ability to handle the equipment installation ourselves, so we just stuck with wrapping it up & applying some fresh vinyl graphics. This time around though, we spearheaded the beast from the start, and took the truck from bone stock to urban assault in just a few weeks time!
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Not all Raptor builds are created equal, and without a doubt this one is sure to stand out from the truck that inspired it all. While our first Raptor had some pretty cheeky sticker additions & a crazy set of reflective custom graphics, Dempsey had but one request for his personal beast: All. Black. Everything. No chrome, no bling to speak of what so ever, no reflective graphics necessary. This truck would be taking Stealth Mode to a new level, and that would require a bit of vinyl sorcery & tracking down some equally murderous hardware to fit all the new off-road goodies.
Since Clint had a few weeks to get familiar with the Raptor in its stock state, the truck was looking pretty ripe when we picked her up. As with all of our projects, we kicked the Ford off with a thorough 24-step hand wash to make sure it would be ready for breakdown & completely prepped for the full coverage Xpel Stealth satin paint protection package.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Once Myron had finished washing the truck up, the striptease began. Before any of the wrap film could be placed, we had to pull all of the factory lighting equipment, door panels, exterior bumpers, trim & badges, fender flares, grill… the list goes on. Basically every part that could come off of the Raptor had to be removed. Then, and only then we could begin test fitting all of the military-grade equipment that was ordered custom from Addictive Desert Designs. For anyone reading this & wondering, if you’re in need of some high quality off-road gear for your own personal rig, we are now a distributor of all the awesome that A.D.D. Off-Road has to offer, so feel free to hit us up. A.D.D Off-Road has a pretty strong reputation in the 4×4 industry, and some of the builds they’ve been a part of are by far and away the craziest around both in appearance & setup!
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Beyond all of the supplementary LED lighting equipment that would be going on the truck, we also ordered up a set of custom headlamps with HID projectors, “angel eye” running lights, and blacked out blinkers. By comparison, the new lamps have considerably smaller corner reflectors, a clean, vented style housing with no F-150 marker, and a much more exposed projector.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Before Ivan & Joe from AudioVisionz could start working their magic on the wench & upgraded front bumper, our wrap installer Tim had to fit some of the smaller & more intricate pieces of Xpel Stealth just below the headlights & grill.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
With the smaller strips film installed, Ivan & Joe wired up the winch and began mounting the new custom front bumper & light bars.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Since most of the trickier pieces had been placed & the truck was nearly stripped, Tim began adhering some of the larger pieces of satin paint protection to the Raptor’s flatter surfaces.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
We’re not positive there’s anything different about the black paint on the 2011 Raptor vs. the Tuxedo Black from the newer model, but one thing is for sure: the gold & rainbow flake in the sunlight is pretty high up there on a scale of 1-to-bass boat. It’s almost overboard, but with a thick layer of Stealth over the top of it, everything evens out to a nice, subdued satin finish.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
As things progressed, Blake & Tim did their best to get every last inch of paintwork wrapped up with Xpel before starting in on accent pieces, trims, and refinishing all the hardware.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
When we say “all black everything,” we mean it. Even the factory shocks were pulled to be wrapped up with brushed black vinyl!
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Coinciding with the refinished shocks, the whole front grill was also painted black, and to keep the tough, industrial vibe rolling, the Ford logotype in the grill received the same brushed black treatment. We also pieced in some brushed black for the small filler pieces behind the SVT cut-outs.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Back up front, Ivan had finished wiring up the lights and began with the final stages of soldering & installation. With a fresh set of hyper-black Fuel Hostage wheels, refinished hardware & blacked out jewelry, Blake began carefully reassembling the wheel faces & torquing everything down tight.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Once most of the heavy lifting was done, we stood back and fired up the new Rigid Industries lighting & checked out the custom headlamps to make sure everything was functioning properly.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
The build was nearing completion, but there was still a few more steps to take before the beast would be bested. No murdered out urban assault vehicle is complete without the proper tint package! As Friday began, our guy Carlos was ready for action with plenty of Prestige Film Technologies Spectra PhotoSync – 75 up front for plenty of outbound visibility, and 35 all around to maintain a bit more privacy against any prying eyes. PhotoSync is the highest tier of tint offerings here at NWAS, and with a crazy solar adaptive coating, unmatched TSER & UV/IR protection, it’s the obvious choice when creating a top-of-the-line truck with no expense spared.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
With all the Xpel Stealth in place, the Tuxedo Black is much less disco & way more dangerous. The flake adds a nice bit of depth underneath the finish of the Stealth film, and if anything, gives the truck bit of a pearlescent sheen instead of a completely crushed flat black exterior.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
As the delivery deadline got closer & closer, it was time to start adding the finishing touches & get the monster prepared for some time in the cyclorama. While the guys wiped down the truck, Ivan attached the new glossy black muffler tips, and we adorned the rear window with a small badge to seal the deal!
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
In the studio, the Ford Raptor’s new Stealth aesthetic really comes alive. The subtle differences between the satin paint protection & the matte wrapped fender flares adds a nice bit of tonal contrast amongst the darkness.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Trust us, this truck is so black, staring at it too long might cause dark spots in your vision. You can Google it all you want, too, but chances are you won’t find another set of Fuel Hostage wheels that are this murdered out.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
We imagine after this build makes its way around the web, Fuel is going to receive so many requests for all-black wheels with all-black hardware they’re going to wonder why they didn’t just make them in the first place!
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Up front, the custom ADD Off-Road bumper really sets the Raptor off. Sure, it’s a pretty aggressive truck from the factory, but something about a pre-runner style front end with plenty of LEDs and beefy wench just makes it that much more intense. Besides the good looks from the heavy duty hardware, the angel eyes on the upgraded headlamps put out an amber hue that’s a perfect match to the stock running lights on the grill & corner markers. It looks good enough to be a factory option! Perhaps as it becomes more of a staple for buyers, we’ll be seeing an official “black out” specification to set up a Raptor with factory equipment like this in the future.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Tailgaters beware: this monster of a truck is fully equipped with some rear-facing stadium-grade blinders that are wired to both the reverse lights & a handy toggle switch on the center console. Get too close, and you might find yourself staring down a million candle power double barrel surprise. Rest assured though, it’s for your safety – the ballistic rear bumper supplied by Addictive Desert Designs would probably do considerable damage to any vehicle caught up in fender bender territory. Word to the wise, if those back-up lights come on, it might be time to pump the breaks or get out of the way!
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
To further push the all black envelope, we superheated some vinyl over the rear Ford oval to give it a beautiful relief-like effect. Even though the vinyl gets a little stressed, the texture produced looks a bit like worn leather, and feels right at home on such a rugged rig.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
We also worked in a bit of an “orange delete” on the mirrors, by incorporating black reflective vinyl inserts over the top of the factory mirror markers. The change is so subtle most people don’t even notice it that it’s gone, but once a little light hits the material it’s even brighter than the stock reflectors.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Similar to the Zombie Hunter Raptor we built back in 2011, all the badges are blacked out, but instead of leaving the bright red SVT behind the side vents, we hid it to the same brushed black treatment that is visible on the grill.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Like we mentioned before, the stock shocks were pulled off and wrapped with brushed black as well. The factory caps were left blue to add a little pop of color on the truck, and the “peek-a-boo” is actually a nice effect behind the blacked out wheels.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
We couldn’t help but smoke out the rear tails & cabin light too!
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Luckily enough, we managed to get most of the build together almost a day ahead of schedule, so we stayed late until the fog rolled in and fired up all the new lighting equipment for one final field test.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
It seems a little silly to think of an inanimate object as “frightening,” but this is one Ford Raptor we wouldn’t want to tangle with. It might not be too heavily modified in the power department, but on in terms of being OEM+, this Raptor breaks barriers. It’s got everything a guy could want in terms of “truck,” and looks like something a paramilitary force would use in crowd control operations.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
When it came time to say goodbye, we took one last long look at our newest creation, and then rolled out for a home-bound delivery.
Clint Dempsey Ford Wraptor ADD OffRoad XPEL Stealth paint protection
It’s always tough to let go of a build that has absorbed so much time & effort, but it’s an incredible feeling to drop off the type of truck that dreams are made of. Maybe if we manage to create a few more of these monsters, we’ll get a courtesy Raptor of our own on the fleet for all of our clients who like to take the scenic route home!
Interested in creating a Stealth Mode Raptor of your own, or just want to talk truck builds? We can help. Contact us today for more information about wrap & film options, customization, personalization, and Addictive Desert Design off-road equipment you could desire.
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