Courtesy of Engine Builder.

Where did your truck come from? Many of the folks we talk to usually have an interesting story to tell when it comes to the origins of their diesel machine. Maybe it’s an old Chevy that’s been in the family for generations or perhaps it was a rare junkyard find. Justin Courts of Modern Diesel Legion may be one of the only people who can say that he found his race truck underwater.

Now it might be somewhat of a stretch to say he found it underwater, but not entirely. Before Courts got his 2006 F-250 King Ranch the truck belonged to a single owner, but it was stolen in 2017 during the destructive hurricane Harvey that ravaged much of Texas. In a four-day period, many areas received more than 40 inches of rain and in some cases, as much as 60 inches.

In the chaos, the stolen truck was left to the elements, where it was soon flooded. Later, Courts bought the truck from the insurance company who had taken it. He only paid $4,500, but the truck had no wheels or tires, the brakes were seized up, the motor and transmission had water in them, and much of the frame was missing.

“We got it running after a while, but I drove it for about six months and then had a head gasket failure,” he said.