Truck is coming along nice... The level makes all the difference in the world. We West coasters prefer the slightly nose high look of the Baja trucks lol - Get yourself an SCT Tuner, make sure it's unlocked (it will say UNMARRIED) in the IIRC device info screen. You can either get the SF3 which has SCT tunes already and you'll feel a difference, it also as slots for then you want to install custom tunes. The X3 does not have canned tunes installed and NEEDS custom tunes to work. Get you engine mods done and start calling around to some shops in Dallas or closer and start asking about dyno-tuning. Look for shops that use SCT's and have put out some fast street Mustangs and Trucks (like VMP). For the same price as 3 VMP tunes, I was able to get a full hour on the dyno, make 5 passes and each one was tweaked a little after the initial base run. When I left the truck ran harder than ever and has had zero issues since.

I've built some pretty fast mustangs using the FoMoCo ECUs and tuners as well as stand-alone ECUs. My 85 Notch was a 331 with a 67mm turbo and it was an honest 550whp on pump gas @8lbs. I used an 01 Cobra motor turbo-charged to build a sand rail. So I knew there are only really 3 reasons why pings occur. Gas/Airflow/Timing so I would have figured it out. I just really felt like I was pushed-aside when the initial tunes weren't performing.

I'm not knocking the "e-mail" tunes that sooooo many have had great luck with. It's just not the end-all to tuning. Get those E-Fans in too!

 

And this, this is why I have this thread. The power of knowledge is huge and people that spread it are a God send. Thanks 7-lug! If we had a rep system you'd have many reps by now!

Also, Con-Way job will begin at the end of May, so the mods will be pretty much done after Summer!

 

Thinking about this grille:



And probably keeping the bumpers/step bars chrome. Idk why I just like a LITTLE chrome on there, and I feel that grille would tie in to the HD heads a bit better

 

Woooo... I REALLY like that grill. But I think if you go to it, the bumper should match or maybe even be blacked out. But hey, thats why this stuff is great, do it your way!

 

I'm thinking I'm going to try and find the grille and if it doesn't look good just get the bumpers PTM'd. Best part is even if I do spend 300ish on that grille, I can make 2/3 of that back by selling the Lariat grille. People with 3 bars are paying up for them. I don't think I'll lose any way, though

 

Way cool! Nice job.

T*BUG

 

i know my shop charges $450 for a from scratch tune... but yeah, you'll need an sct programmer

 

got all the stuff for my fog lights in besides the wiring. Anyone know where to get the correct wiring for OEM foglights?

 

Summertime is here, classes are done, it's going to be a great summer.

 

Hows the truck coming along?

 

Nothings changed yet, been stuck with summer classes and ended up not being able to take that full time job simply because I wouldn't have time for school

 

Life's a bitch haha.

 

what happened?

 

Meh, nothing really, just busy as hell lately and haven't been able to work on the truck.

 

Love threads like this! You took a plain old 2WD, and turned it into a subtle, yet great looking truck. I applaud you on doing that all yourself at your age as well. I did the exact same. Congrats and I look forward for future mods to come!

Chris