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Hemmings' Overlanding Concept Brought to Life
Project Artemis is truly a one of a kind truck. With the collaboration of Hemmings, KTL Restorations, Complete Performance and others, an epic OBS overlanding vehicle was born.
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The F-250 That's Built to Overland
There's no question that the OBS Ford was the workhorse of it's time. The 7.3 had a reputation of reliability in terms of it's towing capacity and longevity. With that being said, the concept of an overlanding rig as we know it today was overshadowed by utility.The term overlanding has been coined in today's world as the ability to explore off-road in various terrains with the anticipation to be 100% self reliant. It's not just a day on muddy trails, but a complete off-road excursion. What you need to eat, drink, and sleep in are all carried within your vehicle. Any malfunctions or setbacks on your journey are to be overcome using the tools and supplies you carry along the way. Overlanders expect to experience difficult trails and rough terrain. This was not the design of Ford's F-Series trucks during the 90s. However, the experts at Hemmings wanted to put that to the test.
Hemmings says, "The concept has intrigued us for some time, so when conversations began with insiders at Ford Performance Parts about collaborating on an engine swap with one of its new retrofit 'Godzilla' V-8 crate engines, it seemed like the perfect excuse to build an overlanding rig of our own...we wanted to use something with vintage Ford truck style, yet we also needed plenty of interior space and decent cargo capacity." They eventually settled on a 1997 F-250 crew cab 4x4 to attempt this unique build.
To bring this vision to life, Hemmings reached out to the restoration experts at KTL Restorations in Danville, Virginia. With their award winning team, Kurt and Crystal Lawrance went above and beyond expectations to construct what is known as Project Artemis.
 
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This unique, one of a kind build has made its way around the country, even featured at SEMA in Las Vegas. We were able to see Artemis in person at the annual Lone Star Throwdown in Conroe Texas. The team at Complete Performance was fortunate enough to sign as the title sponsor for this project and supplied several parts seen in and out of the truck. When I finally saw Artemis in person, the first thing I noticed was the sound of the Godzilla, which is very different from the 7.3 liter Powerstroke. This is probably from the efficiency promoting design of the 4.22 inch bores on the engine block, aluminum cylinder heads, and other design features that this V-8 offers. All in all, it's rated at 430 HP and 475 lb-ft of torque. The next thing that caught my attention was the spectacular interior. When I opened the driver's door, my eyes went straight to the Holley EFI 12.3" Dash display, a completely digital dash with loads of capabilities like GPS, quick tuning, datalog playback, and more. The cab was full of modern upgrades from custom leather seats to billet handles and trims to surround sound audio communication. The exterior was outfitted with a Leitner rooftop tent and bed rack, a Warn 12,000 pound pull capacity winch, a RYD suspension system, and several other components that made it the perfect overlanding rig.
For more information about Artemis and KTL, check out their website here.
