ebay..

It's only 82.00 with free shipping and mine came in within 2 days I think. Hardest part is putting them on lol. Take your time!!

 

Just got some more parts in..



New tailgate emblem. The old one was looking pretty bad. Had UV damage to the top and started to bubble just like the front grill one. Children do not try this at home lol! Taped off the area around it with 3 layers of green 3M and started working it..

Tools needed: Fishing line, guitar string, thin needle nose, hook tool (or bent thin flat head), box of band-aids, and someone to remind you there are kids playing across the street and to watch your mouth.

Or..tape it off and use a thin wide putty knife and about 2 minutes later it pops off lol



Painted the pipes from the highest bend to the weld on the tips. The ugly plain pipes were just not looking right and I got a few tips on how to paint them and there you go. Taped it really good (really good!!) and slowing started building layers using rust-oleum gloss black engine enamel (500 deg). Did 4-5 in most areas and it just adds a new look and makes the tips stand out.



Cowl! Pain in the a** faded, warped, missing end pieces pos lol. Popped them on in about 15 minutes and of course rubbed them down with the ultimate black with UV protectant lol.

PS> The cowl is the only replacement part that I put on that I would only notice. Sort of regret wasting the money but I am on a mission to restore and upgrade it..had to happen



(dirty engine bay..)

Last adventure was the CAI. Was running the gotts mod for a while and was really happy with it. Just wanted to throw a real one in and see what happened. Found one on amazon for 225.00 with free 2 day shipping with prime trial..so hey

Simple install and looks good. Do not like the way the mass air sensor connector is now exposed and isn't 'clean' the way I like it but I will work on that The truth..a little difference. Mainly a touch of extra torque in the lower RPMs. Hoping that when I get the tuner it will do a bit better. But is a tad quieter than the gotts mod..hmmmm

That's all for now, but stay tuned for more. I have a large box here with something I have been wanting to do but it hit 102 today and is suppose to be 107 tomorrow..might have to wait a few more days to install :P

 

^ Flow Through Console??

 

lol wish! Would have to put in a electronic 4x shifter and a ton more. Don't know if I want to do all that. But would like to convert the shifter to the OEM button tho! Can't seem to find much info on how.

 

The shifter to the OEM button? Kinda confused by that one...

 

I just bought an 06 Silver XLT 4x4. If ya don't mind me askin, where did you get your chrome door handles and towing mirrors? I have a lot of the same mods you've done in mind.

 

I have the 4x floor shifter. Would have to find a way of getting it out of the floor for the flow through.

 

Handles are Grippin Billet. I think new they are 160 for he driver/passenger. I found a set new in the packaging on ebay for 85 I think.

Buckets for the handles I got somewhere. Pretty cheap set of smooth handles and I just took out the spring and pin from my old OEM handles and had them painted by a local shop.

I think all in the handles on the front and rear were around 200ish and I installed them. The paint shop is the trick. He sprayed mine quick because he was spraying a focus bumper the same day. Got a deal.

The mirrors can be found on ebay or other online stores. Prices are all over the map. A local tint/accessory shop had mine in stock (was a impulse buy).

 

Truck has come a long way!! Looks really good

 

Ok, I gotcha. Yeeeeah, that might be just a wee bit too much modding lol

Truck is looking great, man. Keep it up

 

If you are interested in swapping your OEM air intake for a CAI, here is a look at the Volant.



Truck: 06 F150 STX 4.6L 4x4 (20k miles completely original under the hood)
Exhaust: Flowmaster 40 set right in front of rear axle with quad 3.5 inch tips

History: Prior to installing the Volant 19646 CAI I was running the gotts mod with the silencer removed and a K&N factory replacement filter.

The gotts mod improved throttle response and seemed to make my exhaust really feel at home. Just more free flowing.

So the brilliant idea...lets install a real CAI. After checking different sites and several reviews, the Volant was the choice (plus was on sale on amazon for only 225.00 with free 2 day shipping). Packaging and shipping were good..blah blah (as far as I care about that).

So, the install is super easy and Volant really took the time, R&D and made it right. The only issue was the mass air flow sensor. There were no predrilled holes for it to mount. That was complicated and a hassle because I had to use a screw driver and turn these screws at least 10 times until they were tight (thats called smart ***). But seriously, incredibly easy install. Perfect.

Alright, now reconnect the battery and lets go on a drive to reset everything. And....wow, it seemed totally choked and will not go. Well maybe the reset didn't go right, one more time. Removed the negative for about 15 minutes and reconnected it, then another drive. Guess what, yeah totally choked feeling again.

Who is pissed? Me! Well I did some more research and figured out that the factory mass air flow sensor is a hit or miss with aftermarket CAI systems. It just wasn't happy. Well let's look at some options. Remove it, sell it, and reinstall the gotts mod (which worked a bit)? Nah lets sink some more money...

Review: Jet 69190 Mass Air Flow Sensor $130 with $4 overnight shipping (upgrade with amazon prime)



Comes in a large box. Inside, another large box. The picture on the inside box is way different than what I ordered. Who is getting pissed? hmm.. Opened it, dug through a large wad of packaging and inside was the mass air flow sensor which looked fairly identical to the OEM one (except the hole in the side is quite a bit bigger).

Disconnected the battery, took the old one off, and installed the new one. Reconnected the battery and took a drive. At first it seemed to hesitate and the RPMs were winding high. After a few miles it started to settle down. No check engine lights or any other problems.

Final: The volant CAI does do its job. But the factory mass sensor "may" not work well with it. If not, you "might" want to look into the Jet. If you are coming from the factory system and you have a descent flowing exhaust then you WILL see a fairly significant difference. Overall power range is improved, throttle response is significantly increased, it will be louder than the factory system, and shifting is more seamless with no hesitation. Your largest change will be RPMs and how quickly it gets from 2k to 3k to...

If you are coming from the gotts mod, you may not see a large enough difference to justify the expense. My truck ran amazing on the mod. But it does run smoother now. It really loves to run through the RPMs now. But getting to those RPMs quicker and easier without hurting mileage.

Summary: I am glad I changed over to the Volant. I know a lot of people out there say 'tests prove that a CAI system does not help anything' but for MY TRUCK it does make a large impact on a lot of things. But I do believe that one component will not give you what you want. I think that it had to come together with a freer flowing exhaust and a alternative mass air flow sensor.

The sensor in the OEM intake will not do anything. The volant with the OEM exhaust will not do what you want. Just an exhaust will limit the potential. Do it all and you will see what I am talking about.

Next...Jet chip or programmer? comments.....

 

Yes. If I park my '06 silver 4x4 STX in your driveway, would you notice...?
It's just like yours except it has normal miles, some small scuffs and dings and newer tires... and none of the mods you've done (except the gotts). I do have a Gryphon in it already!

It pains me to look at your truck (and then at mine).

 

Well the big box I had sitting around finally found it's home in the truck. It took two days to install. This was mainly because I chose to do it when it was 107 outside and was constantly having to go inside to cool off before I passed out.

To date (including the wiring and replacing trim and whatever) this was the hardest thing I did. But thinking back it was just because of the heat!



I replaced the vinyl/rubber flooring for carpet. I know I know. Everybody was "WHY ARE YOU GOING TO DO THAT? IT STAYS CLEAN.." Well it does but I am using it for a daily driver now and wanted something that would kill noise and just look a little more 'clean'. It was a pain in the ***! If I had to do it again, I would pay somebody. If it was cooler I could have done it in a day but...

Still looking for mats! If anybody knows where I can grab some OEM style mats WITH the F150 or FORD logo..plz let me know. I will owe you tons..

NEXT..DSGSTX81 said he ran over a piece of metal and slashed a tire I think..Well guess what..hmmmm Mine was a brake pad I guess no one needed anymore. So..









I went with BFG Rugged Terrain T/A in 265/70/17. They stand up a bit more and have a tad wider stance. I like these because they have a A/T look but ride perfect and are totally silent. Discount tire had a no tax weekend from the 5th-7th in NC and SC. Plus they gave me 50% off on my hazard warranty and gave me free chrome valve stems. I saved about $175 plus the normal deep discount on the tires.

Last thing if you didn't see it...



I put my tonneau back on. I took it off several weeks ago when I got the new bed caps and tailgate cap. But I am taking a trip tuesday and decided to pop it back on (it does save gas lol).

It is the extang solid tri-fold. I've had it for months now and it does great. Not sure if I like the way it looks but the pros out weigh the cons with it. I want another style but not interested in the hassle of trying to sell this one YET.

 

I had a question about the Jet 69190 Mass Air Flow Sensor. "When I go to order it through Amazon it says it does not work on my truck."

True, it says that. But if you go to the Jet website it is compatible with the 4.6 and 5.4 (along with a lot of other fords). Don't worry about it. Just make sure it is the 69190.

But just like I warned this person..it is intended for use with a aftermarket high flow CAI system. Simply putting it in your OEM box will not do anything but throw errors. "It increases air flow by 45%!"..Yes, through the sensor lol. This sensor does not increase air flow to your intake. That is what the CAI does. This sensor just helps read the flow better.

I am not a expert in intake systems and measuring if something is running 'lean'. I just know when it is running 'right' or not.

 

Tired of modding lol! But I look at every F150 I pass. Love em all..no matter the condition or age. Actually several people dog my truck. Say it's too clean to be a truck lol. Nah its just called "wash it after you use it". There's been plenty of dirt and mud on it. But water hoses work miracles lol.

Tried of find some pics of yours..didn't see any. Hit me up with a post of my twin.