Well, after a month of searching, I finally found the truck I've been looking for. It's a 2003 F150 SCrew FX4 with 18k miles on it. From what I can tell, it's got every option available short of it being a King Ranch, so I'm pretty stoked about it. Got a few questions about it though...

It's got the factory in-dash 6 cd changer. Is that a good unit as far as factory head units come? Should I plan on replacing it soon? My last truck had an MP3 player in it, but when I sold the truck, I took it out and gave it to my sister for her birthday. I'm gonna miss having an MP3 player, but I thought I'd give the factory player a whirl before I go out and buy another one.

It's got a few scratches in one of the doors. Can anybody recommend something to cover them up?

I'll post some pics when I get a chance.

 

What color is the truck? depending on how deep the scratches, you can buff them out. lots of help above in the General Care Forum - RockPick is the resident genious

the head unit, works well for the average person up to mid volumes. if you are more critical about your music, sound and features, you can always upgrade. plus, you can burn your mp3s on 6 CD's and still carry quite a bit of music at any given time...

congrats on the new truck, looks like you picked a winner. post the pics when you get 'em

 

Good stuff...I burn my mp3's to CD and the system sounds ok for me...Did you by from a dealer or...Lets see some pictures...What were your buy costs...What tires did it have ??

Good luck with it for sure....

 

It's dark blue. I've got some Meguiars Scratch X sitting under my sink that I thought I'd give a whirl before resorting to more professional measures. That stuff any good?

I usually don't play music very loud. One thing I like best about sound systems is having a subwoofer. I've already got all that stuff from my old truck, but I'm kinda leery about using line-out inputs to the amp. I've heard some people say the louder you crank it, the worse it does.

Thanks. You bet.

 

Good story behind the buy. I got it from a farmer who used it as his daily transportation to the farm. It was originally a program truck at the local dealership where he lives. He actually bought two, but soon realized he only needed one. Turns out he's not a greedy guy either, b/c he gave it to me for 5k under invoice. As for the price, I'll just say it's worth now a little over 30k.

It's got the stock Goodyear Wrangler ATS tires on it, which are still lookin good after 18k miles. The tires are on the stock 17" FX4 alloys, which I like and don't plan on ever replacing.

I'm gonna test out my sound system for a while and see how much I like it before I decide to upgrade. I really don't like how, when you install a single DIN receiver, it puts the pocket above the receiver. I'd like to find a receiver that fits just like the factory one, with no pocket. I'll have to do a little shopping.

 

very nice color, i almost got that color, but my last truck was blue, and my car before, was time for a change.

that Meguiars Scratch X might do the trick, depending on how bad the scratch is. i have some 3M rubbing compond and finishing polish that i use, had good results.

you can always add a sub to the factory set up. check out a small bazoka, clarion camo sub or various others. many of them come with adapters that plug right into the back of your factory HU, very simple, round out the sound but not overwhelming.

sounds like you got a good deal on the truck, i'm sure you will be happy with it.

 

Yes you did well on your deal...You can bet the farmer took care of it as well...Will that rubbing compond hurt your clear coat ??

You got better tires than I got on mine...Remember to keep 5w 20 oil in it and no fram filters...A K&N air filter is a good upgrade...

Best of luck with your rig...

 

i've never had any issues using it, but i only use it when needed, and in small areas, followed by a good waxing.

 

Well, here she is:



I love her, and everything about her. I finally realize why so many of these trucks have such high miles on them... b/c their owners love driving them so much.

I'm going to try using the line out from the stock receiver for the amp first and see how I like it. I actually am happy with the stock sound system, so I'm gonna try to keep as much of it as I can. Just gotta order a box for the 10" JL 10W0 and figure out how to run the wires to the amp.

My dad had some 3M rubbing compound that I tried on the scratches (no buffer tho). It made some of them less obvious, but I probably need to take a buffer to it. And according to the bottle, the stuff is clear coat safe... so no problems there. I'm probably gonna try the Scratch X with a buffer when I ger ready to polish an

I really do wanna get a K&N, but just the filter, not the whole intake. But will I actually be able to notice the difference? From my experience with Toyota engines, the only way you can notice a better intake is if you put a better exhaust behind it. I don't plan on upgrading my exhaust anytime soon. So if the filter itself will make a difference, then I'll get it.

 

looks great!
you should be able to get a sub and amp hooked up with minimal trouble. lots of help on the amp/sub forums.

hope you are able to get the scratches out, sounds like a great truck regardless.

the K&N and exhaust will gain you a few horses. better sound and more efficiency too. and with a k&n - you never have to buy a new filter.

best of luck with the truck and keep us posted on how it goes...

 

Great looking S'crew! I like the color nearly as well as my Dark Shadow Grey! Enjoy!

 

As far as car audio goes, I tapped into one of the rear speaker leads to run a signal to my amp. I then attached this lead to the "high level" inputs on my amp. I am running a Kenwood 350W amp and a JL Audio 10W3v2 10" sub in an under-the-seat box from
SuperCrewSound.com. I still have the factory AM/FM, single CD deck. It makes for a clean looking install, and it sounds great! I'll post some pics if you'd like. Check out my gallery as soon as I am finished making it. Nice looking truck by the way. I have essentially the same truck in DSG and silver metallic. Excellent choice.