Switch To Power Stroke, Never Go Back

December 2017 Power of Pink, PowerStroke, Feature Austa Cook

Erin Honken’s love of diesels all began when she and her husband, Justin, first started a business doing property preservation work under the name Keegan Construction.

“We work all over the metro area near Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.,” Erin explains. “We needed a truck and trailer, so my husband ended up trading his motorcycle for the down payment and we got a 1500 Dodge Ram Rumble Bee Addition. After six months of pulling an 18-foot trailer loaded with debris, we knew we needed something else.”

Erin can’t help but laugh when she thinks back on their dilemma.

“Don’t get me wrong, the Dodge did her job, but very slowly,” she ruefully admitted. “It was just not working out well, so we contacted Becky Spinnler from Automotive Concepts in New Hope, Minn.”

Becky introduced the Honkens to a striking black 2006 F250 Lariat Super Duty she had ready and waiting for them at the lot. Needless to say, Erin was eager to take the 6.0L home and poke around under the hood. It was sturdily built, but the couple decided to take on some modifications that would turn this truck into a rough-and-ready build that could keep up with the physical demands of the day job.

Erin enlisted her husband’s help and came up with a game plan for the F250. The Honkens exclusively go to Cutting Edge Auto in Forest Lake, Minn., for their diesel work, because as Erin puts it, “Owners Josh and Jory are some of the best in the business and have never let us down.”

Getting Started

First up, the Honkens decided to install an S&B air intake, an upgraded oil cooler, a Stage 3 Barder turbo, and ARP head studs. Erin also opted for adding a leveling kit in front and a leaf in the rear. The SCT Livewire TS with Innovative tunes promised improved towing and fuel efficiency thanks to a more refined blend of horsepower and torque. BDS shocks were then joined by aggressive 20-inch Helo wheels wrapped in 35-inch Mickey Thompson tires.

Of course, not all the upgrades were purely work-minded. Erin had a little fun with this truck and also purchased a Pioneer 5800 head unit with a Kicker 600-watt amp and 12-inch Kicker CompR subwoofer with a custom-tuned box. She’s working on taking all the chrome off to murder out the truck, and a pink LED Ford grille badge adds a personal feminine touch to the front.

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The Payoff

You could say these changes have all amounted to a great success, but it would be an understatement.

“It’s been a great truck and made us a lot of money. She has about 220 thousand hard-working miles on her and still doesn’t let us down,” Erin praises. “With all the miles I’ve put on it in the past two years, I think she’s done a great job of keeping up…but she’s tired. I work her to death!”

All In The Family

The F250 was far from the end of the line for the Honkens, however. Since purchasing the black 6.0L, Erin and Justin have added a white 6.4L, a red 6.0L, a 2000 F350, a 2001 F250, and a 2004 F250 to their lineup. The funny thing is, the first 6.0L was originally going to be Justin’s when they bought the red 6.0L for Erin—but that plan quietly changed.

“When I first drove the black 2006 after about a month of buying it, I gradually took it over without Justin realizing it until it was too late for him,” Erin laughs.

Of course, there are no hard feelings. Justin was grateful to be driving the red lifted 2004 F250 when someone hit him head-on in a terrible accident. To this day, Justin is adamant that the truck saved his life.

In fact, when we asked if Erin has any near-future modification plans in mind, she quipped back, “A 6-inch lift, cause lifted trucks save lives.”

Dump Trailer Pulling Lady

Through the shuffling of trucks and tackling of modifications, Erin has always appreciated Justin’s encouragement and advice as her love of diesels has grown. Justin likes to say with a laugh, “I’ve turned my wife into a diesel lover and a great dump trailer pulling lady.”

With all the exciting comings-and-goings at Keegan Construction, Erin is always grateful for the excellent build she relies on in order to do her job, supplemented by the diesels they’ve taken under their wing since. After all, as she likes to put it, “We will forever be the company that only runs Power Strokes.”