I use my truck for normal things like hauling and basic transportation so I don't waste my money on engine mods I spend my money on appearance mods.The most important thing for me is reliability . My question is for those who spent money on a load of after market items . Honestly was the money spent worth the gain ? HONESTLY NOW !

 

It has been posted that you'll never get the money back on gas-saving measures. You might get another mile or two per gallon, as well. BUT, if you want to maximize the performance of your rig, I guess it is worth it.

That being said, there is a pain threshold. For instance, I have gone Cheap and replaced my stock exhaust with a 3" tailpipe and Flowmaster can, and did the "poor man's FIPK" trick, making it even cheaper by using the bottom of a 15lb plastic bucket. Maybe $220 total, with labor (for the exhaust). Allows the engine to breathe, and it makes a BIG difference when overtaking traffic. The next step is big bux, and I'm not willing to go there.

 

If you are talking appearance, then it's all in the eye of the beholder. If you spend alot of money making appearance mods and you like the way your truck looks, then it's probably worth it to that person and thats all that really matters.

As for functionality/reliability/mileage/etc, it depends on the mods done. Some mods are worth the money, some arent but you do them anyway.

For me personally, Im poor, and the only aftermarket item I've installed are my shocks and they are basically just a replacement for the OEM ones. But they were well worth it for me (smoother ride, looks better, handles better). And the price was right at $146 for 4 shocks. Then again maybe this isnt even an aftermarket type thing since its more of a "regular" maintenance sort of.

 

I'd say air intake and exhaust, but you won't increase gas mileage, just better sound and power