bradlandreth

First of all this is my first post and I have to tell you that this forum has been a great source of help and inspiration and I thank everyone who has been helpful. I hope I can contribute sometime in the future. And we will add some pics as soon as he gets it cleaned back up a bit :-)

My son just turned 17 and I am fortunate enough to be able to give him my Red 2005 F-150 STX 2wd with the 4.6. I bought the truck brand new and the only issue was the alternator within 3 months on buying it. Other than that and the inherent slightly rough idle, I have never had any issues with it. That coupled with the fact that he is 17 makes me not want to do any performance mods other than something to the exhaust mainly for sound, not power.

So my question is, is there anything else you would have wanted at his age besides a backseat and bed full of girls :-) For the most part we are trying to stick to things that can be un-done if needed but aren't against things that are permanent.

We have done quite a few mods already Thanks to all of the awesome posts on this site. 90% of these mods came from people on this site and I really appreciate it. The truck was great to begin with and has been well maintained but for a 17 year old who make excellent grades but isn't the most popular kid in class, these mods have made a noticeable difference in him.

-blue interior led's (under dash with dimmer/ courtesy and dome (not the reading lights though - wanted to keep them white), vanity led's on the visors with switches), led lights in the cupholders and console with switch
-under rail lights in the bed for when we add a cover
-Painted the headlight housing red to match the truck and added some slightly brighter headlights (most people do black but we thought red would look good).
-Replaced flasher with an led compatible one and are in the process of ordering led's for all exterior lamps from superbrightleds.com
-repainted most and in the process of re-painting all black exterior plastic.
-New seat covers from Auto Zone. Faux leather and don't cover the entire seat but we are exploring options such as buying a cheap black Seat Cover and combining the two. These are nice though because the have the Ford logo embroidered and were cheap.
-added a Pioneer stereo system with USB, bluetooth and speakerphone with color changing LED's ($150)
-added a horse stall matt for the bed and are re-applying roll on bedliner that wasn't installed properly the first time.
-Lastly he wanted the interior blue so I have re-covered the center console and sewn a custom steering wheel cover that is only on the top and bottom. We are also adding vinyl in a few other places such as the grab handles.

Bbdaddy1221

First of all welcome to the forum and am recently new myself and the we poeple are great help. That's great what you are doing for ur boy and I can't wait to do the same when my son become of age. The best piece of advice I can't give you is that plasti-dip is ur friend. Try it on something and if you don't like it just peel it right off that simple. Would also recond a level kit from hell bent steel it's cost $80 and took me a hour and half to install( in my shop with air tools) and very simple. I would tint the tails with vht or rustoleum tint in a can but it is "permanent" but good off works wonders on removing it

Good luck and have fun with it

DemonicFX4

well... leveling kit, tires, wheels, brush guard, offroad lights, Salleen grille or some other grille, and when I was 17 I was all about subwoofers in my harley edition.. not sure why

Landon21

Subwoofers! Thats what I wanted at that age! Plus wheels and tires...

bradlandreth

Note: Added a picture so you can see the lights and where we painted the grille. You can tell by the air dam (that we still need to paint) the discoloration. Looks 150% better.

Thanks folks. I have been seeing posts about plisti-dip and seen some work that others have done but I'm not quite sure what it is. I'll have to do some research. We bought some VHT Niteshade and tried it on some polycarbonate but it looked pretty dark. I have an old set of lenses somewhere I need to test it on. Don't want him getting in trouble with the law but after I get those super bright leds it may be fine.

I would like to get him a set of wheels but if I do I am going to do it right. The truck cane with the chrome on steel so they look pretty sharp.

The wheels are the only chrome on it so I want to stay away from a Chrome grill but you are right. I think I will see what is out there other than chrome.

And of course sound. I am not up on the latest but I am thinking some woofers under the back seat. I have seen people make enclosures where, if done right can double as storage. I need to do some measuring and research on amps and speakers.

He has manual windows and door locks. I was thinking about at least getting some actuators for the locks. What are your thoughts on power windows? Seems like a lot of work especially since the arm rests aren't make for switches and I want it to look semi-professional at least.

And lastly, yep we were fortunate enough to have paid off this truck and be able to give it to him. He is a great kid. I have had two heart attacks in the last two years and after the first one I decided I was buying the Mustang that I always wanted. 4 vehicles in my driveway including my 24 year old brother in law that we raised and who just bought a 2013 F-150. All of my vehicles have a Ford logo on them.

Thanks again for the feedback everyone. I think the audio is next on my list since he is 17. :-)

scobar

iTrader: (4)

I think as long as you cover insurance and gas he will be happy

scobar

iTrader: (4)

Oh, and put a blower in the truck

Black FX2

I'm 17, so as far as I was concerned when I first got my truck were subwoofers, and window tint (don't want people to look in when you're with a girl in the school parking lot)

Pdawg

I'm 17 and mine came with a 8inch sub from the factory so I was happy with that but I'm more into performance an looks. Depending on what style he likes more you can get drop shackles or bag it or a leveling kit or lift. Cai chip rigid lights wheels tires again depends on what he wants

Hunttman01

This. I had to sell my 05 and get my current vehicle because insurance and the loan payment were more than I could handle