David's First Build

So there won't be any firsts in here for most of you, but for me, this is my first truck, and the first vehicle that I've ever modified from stock in any way

Like everyone, I have a vague vision for where I want the truck to end up, but I'm starting small.

So far:

• LED interior lights (from Diode Dynamics)
• Black plasti-dip emblems
• Black "Small Perf" mesh grill from CustomCarGrills
• Bakflip G2 (installed 2016-10-30)
• MBRP cat-back (installed 2017-04-07)
• Softopper (installed 2017-05-13)
• Fox 2.5 front, 2.0 rear, Icon UCA w/ delta joint, Icon add-a-leaf (installed 2018-08-09)

Up and Coming:

Wishlist:

• SCS F5
• Leer 100xr

 

And this one

 

This will probably be where I run out of money

 

Okay, so it's payday, help me spend some money!

With the days getting shorter I've been driving in the dark more and am really getting sick of the stock halogen low beams. It seems to me like there are two popular choices: Morimoto HID, or LED (Morimoto or OPT7)

I'm leaning towards the Morimoto LED, the only thing putting me off is the tight fit. Should I just go for it?

 

Great Start on a great Truck! keep on saving.

 

Thanks! I got some Morimoto HIDs in a couple of weeks ago, still need to take some pictures and write it up.

 

Looking forward to seeing more on this build.

 

Id skip the hid and go led. My brother has hid's in his car and the cold weather gives him problems

 

Sounds good on the HIDs, I have morimotos as well and they are pretty robust. How much money are you looking to get in for your mods? Suspension is always a concern for many on here.

Coot

 

I went HID. It's warm enough in NorCal that I don't think it's gonna be a problem.

 

Yeah the definitely seem like a well put together package. I'm not experience any of the shaking ther people mentioned, and the output is great.

I'm sure I'll be in the 3-5k range eventually, but right now I'm focusing on mods for convenience and aesthetics. Supspension will be a way down the road - I want to make sure I do it right

 

Agree on that, my last truck I was so eager to get the suspension done that I put a drop bracket lift on before knowing about offroad forums. Man was I bummed out when I realized I cut the front cross member and couldn't go back. Def worth taking your time with suspension as some prefer to build in stages with swapping stuff, others just throw it big boy style the first time around. Suspension for me is hands down my most expensive investment in my truck from my mods. At the same time though, damn I love the ride.

Coot

 

Finally getting round to some updates after a few months and a couple of additions. First thing was the MBRP cat-back.



Sound is great, particularly on cold start, and it's great around 2-3k RPM. Definitely sounds pretty weak around 4k+. The biggest thing I noticed about the drone is that it can be worse at lower RPM (e.g. cruising in 6th), so sometimes I'll kick into S5 to keep try and reduce the droning.

 

Any change in performance?

 

Two weeks ago I participated in my first even TW group buy, and got a Softopper. Shipping was super quick, and the topper itself is great. The installation is pretty easy, but I did end up re-installing the clamps holding the rail to the bed after putting the topper up for the first time. The rails really seem to flex and lean inward under the pressure of the clamps, and it I was a little worried it might cause problems. I've been driving around for the past week at 65mph+ and not had any problems. I think most of the flex is related to the factory plastic bedrail caps.

With the long-bed, I'm looking forward to getting out and camping in the back of the truck once the snow starts melting in the Sierras!

 

Not enough that my butt dyno can tell. I spun the tires a couple of times after I installed it, but I'm not sure if that was a power thing, or just me trying to use more throttle to see how things were sounding.

 

Does a soft topper seal out water/dust from getting into the bed?

 

It's not rained since I installed it, and don't really drive anywhere dusty. The seal around the sides and front of the bed is pretty good (I put the snap screws into the front of the bed). The rear could be better - you can velcro it to the outside of the tailgate, but I didn't want to do that.