I'm back! It's been a while since I posted here. I've been going through a lot of changes in my life, and one of them is that I'm thinking about getting a new truck!  Ford's new V6 F150 looks like a winner.  300HP and 22 MPG's makes it a good option for me. I mostly need a truck to haul basic things without having to worry about messing up the interior... snowboards, furniture, maybe the occasional seadoo.  But what's a truck without mods? There is so much potential.  If I get a new F150, the payment for me will be about $310 per month.  That's stretching my budget, so I've got to be selective about what I can buy.  If I were to dedicate $1,500 to performance and another $1K to style, here's the route I would go:

1. Gotta get an exhaust system. The new 3.7-L V6 sounds sweet when it's tuned, so I might as well open'er up with one of these: http://www.autoanything.com/exhausts-mufflers/20A50080A1.aspx

I'm thinking Magnaflow is the way to go, but Flowmaster has a good reputation too. Which one would you get?

2.  When it comes to air flow, intakes make a world of difference. Cooler air from outside the engine bay is denser than the hot air found under the hood.  More air + more fuel = More POWA!  Gotta hook it up and get the flow moving.  I'd probably go with a Volant, their cheaper and usually come with a sealed enclosure: http://www.autoanything.com/air-intakes/10A50208.aspx

3. The intake and exhaust will probably mess with my Air-Fuel Ratio, so getting a proper tune will help keep the engine dialed in. A dyno tune can easily run 400 clamshells, so I was thinking about getting an off the shelf tuner that will let me program my ECU based on the mods that I have. It'll also let me do things like removed the speed limiter and calibrate for larger tires. Since most of these hand held tuners are less than $500, this makes sense to me: http://www.autoanything.com/performance-chips/10A50207.aspx

4. If you're going to go faster, you need to stop faster. I've always used EBC brake pads and they rule! Low dust, tons of bite... what more can you ask for?  I'd probably go with the Green Stuff pads: http://www.autoanything.com/brakes/61A3070A0A0.aspx

But if I'm feeling saucy, I may choose a different set of pads like the Hawk ceramic or HPS's: http://www.autoanything.com/brake-pads/20A50531A1.aspx

That does if for performance, so how about $1K worth of Style?

1. Trailer hitches are a must for any truck. Don't think this part ad's style? Well it does if you've got the right accessory... like a trailer hitch mounted stripper pole!

Trailer hitches are a cheap and easy way to haul more stuff, and that's why they're at the top of my list: http://www.autoanything.com/towing/20A50737A1.aspx

2. A folding tonneau cover is also a no brainer. It covers the bed, smoothes the lines of your truck and it keeps your ish safe.  They're as cheap as $300, so that goes 2nd on my list of must-have truck accessories: http://www.autoanything.com/tonneau-covers/10A50174.aspx

3. Nerf bars. I'll say it again: nerf bars. It's such a simple addition that really makes a truck look bold. I'd lean towards the chrome 5" bars, people love a truck that has a lot of shiny girth. I like the loos of Lund and Westin truck side bars, but I'm on a budget and Steelcraft's are pretty cheap: http://www.autoanything.com/nerf-bars/10A50172.aspx

4. A bull bar will blend in with the nerf bars and complete the look. Nuff said: http://www.autoanything.com/grille-guards/20A50178A1.aspx

When I'm done, it should look something like this...  (I want fender flares too!)