We admit it, when gas hit $5 a gallon, we placed a huge emphasis on mileage and tried our best to show you ways of making every drop last further and further. Unfortunately, adding parts to your truck doesn't always net you gains in mileage, especially if those parts add ponies to the puzzle. Loving the improved throttle response, or the sweet sound of eight cylinders rumbling can be intoxicating and with our foot always on the go-pedal, the fuel gauge seems to race to empty. What if we told you there was a company who recently passed a strict SEMA-organized fuel savings challenge and that those parts used in the test could also add as much as 50 hp at the flywheel? It's true. SLP Performance Parts won a SEMA fuel challenge with its PerformancePac combo and on engine dyno testing, the parts help bring the 5.3L V-8 to a whopping 350 hp.inline_mediumwraptextrightBefore25376516/tech/0913tr_2008_chevy_silverado_buildup0913tr_30+2008_chevy_silverado_buildup+before.jpgTrue

Fear. Shock. Complete surprise. All of these emotions, and some choice few words, were all associated with victims of our Hornblasters Shocker 540 Conductor's Special. Hearing the constant train horn battles at truck shows left a bitter taste in our mouths and created an almost hatred for the loud devices. A few bad apples at a truck show shouldn't ruin our freeway fun, right? After fighting the urge to add train horns to one of our project trucks, we finally made the call to Hornblasters and ordered a Conductor Special (or train horn lingo for really friggin' loud horns).

When GM unveiled its 6.2L V-8 for fullsize trucks and SUVs in 2008, it sent a shockwave to its competitors and set the horsepower bar to an all-time high. Available in the GMC Yukon Denali, the LS-based engine produced 380 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque. For most people, that much power would make for miles of smiles, but for us gearheads, more power is always needed. Jerry Magnuson and his team at Magnuson Products in Ventura, California, have been producing roots-style superchargers for cars and trucks for some 40 years. The Magna Charger Radix Max intercooled supercharger systems are known for their incredible neck-snapping, low-end torque and overall horsepower gains with immediate boost response. This Magna Charger Radix Max supercharger is offered in three finishes: gray, black, and polished with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty.inline_mediumwraptextrightPPC Customs30810204/tech/engine/0913tr_magnuson_mp1900_supercharger_installation0913tr_22+magnuson_mp1900_supercharger_installation+ppc_customs.jpgTrue

Banks Power is well known for their gasoline and diesel performance products, so we knew that scheduling a tech shoot on their turf for this, our heavy-duty issue, would up the power and torque levels of our project F-350. The Power Stroke 6.0L diesel engine in our '03 Ford F-350 is already a beast capable of heavy towing, hauling, and enduring daily driven abuse, but Banks has a power parts lineup that would tremendously increase the truck's overall performance and efficiency.inline_mediumwraptextrightRight Front Angle26951128/tech/0912tr_2003_ford_f350_buildup0912tr_31+2003_ford_f350_buildup+right_front_angle.jpgTrue

In the world of custom truck accessories, form often times overrules function, as we have to make sacrifices to look good. When we came across the new DiamondBack HD-X tonneau cover, we were skeptical of its long list of performance claims. Could a tonneau really keep the bed secure while also being load-bearing up to 1,600 pounds (that's two ATVs), open in the front and rear in a winged configuration, and add to that the .100-inch thick aluminum tread plate could be ordered coated in rugged Line-X for the ultimate in protection? Using our project Ford F-350 for towing, camping, and hauling, the idea of a tonneau cover never seemed practical, but with this new cover, it met all of our needs and we bit the bullet and placed our order. Arriving in a large box, the DiamondBack cover came in three panels and was ready to install with straightforward instructions. How did it work? Read along and find out.inline_mediumwraptextrightTruck Cover31154118/tech/0912tr_diamondback_hd_x_tonneau_cover0912tr_14+diamondBack_HD_X_tonneau_cover+truck_cover.jpgTrue

Off-road trucks are still alive and well, especially in southern California, where a quick jaunt down the freeway can land you in some of the country's premier desert playgrounds. A problem for many off-road enthusiasts is the ability to tow their other toys, gear, and belongings behind the primary off-road rig. Spare tire holders, shock hoops protruding through the bed, air compressors, etc., limit the useable bed space for a serious off-road enthusiast and a trailer is often a must-have commodity. Custom bumpers, steel cages, or building a strong hitch from welded sheetmetal are typical solutions, but we found a perfect fit in Street Scene Equipment's Hidden Street Hitch series. Load rated at 5,000 pounds maximum trailer weight, these hitches are very strong and will suffice for most applications. You may be wondering how a street hitch could solve an off-road truck problem? Easy. Street Scene designed its hitches to be placed behind one of its roll pans for a clean, stealth appearance. This same philosophy could be used on an off-road truck without a bumper-the hitch would tuck up neatly to the bed, be a completely functional hitch, while also strengthening the frame and providing added safety. If it sounds too good to be true-it's not.inline_mediumwraptextrightFord Ranger31151559/tech/0912tr_street_scene_hidden_hitch0912tr_01+street_scene_hidden_hitch+ford_ranger.jpgTrue

Coming up with one of the brightest (literally) ideas we've seen in a long time- the Rayzer RS is a one-of-a-kind, wide beam driving light invented in Europe, designed to help rally car drivers improve their nighttime driving performance. How do you provide a new spin on an old situation? The Rayzer RS is a new lighting package located inside the vehicle. A special mounting bracket holds the module tightly against the windshield and it is hardly visible from inside, positioned directly behind the rearview mirror. Compact in size but big on performance, the Rayzer RS comes into its own when the sun goes down. Wirelessly triggered by the high beam switch, the HID Xenon bulbs convert night into day. Providing three times more illumination than standard headlights, the lights in the Rayzer are rated at 3,000 hours or about five years of normal driving. Mounting was a snap. Using a docking plate that's attached to the windshield, the carbon fiber Rayzer module easily snapped in place behind the rearview mirror. Follow along while, Mike Ohren, ace electronics technician, accomplished the simple task of adding new lights and increased nighttime safety to our project truck.

Door Panels
Going completely wild, Daniel Stewart's cover F-150 had 100-percent fiberglass door panels. Complete with plenty of audio, a huge monitor, and suede-wrapped inserts, the door panels were also airbrushed to show the water flowing from one end of the truck to the other.

No one drives around in their truck wondering if their seats will support and keep them safe in the unfortunate event of an accident, crash, or rollover. Why should we, our seats are good enough, right? Wrong. For this story, we're looking at how factory seats need to be upgraded, just like new tires, new suspension, and other safety devices. Factory trucks are designed for minimum off-road use and in the event you use your truck for more than just a jaunt to the local fishing hole, your seats may be a weak link inside your cab.

A sick custom truck must roll with the right stance, wheel, tires and paint, but that's only a fraction of the complete custom equation. How about the interior? The truck's interior contributes to its overall style, comfort, and personality. The dash is the interior's focal point, which houses gauges, speakers, A/C vents, and audio components. A full waterfall center console serves two purposes: bridging the dash to the back of the cab, and separating the bucket seats. The dash and center console can be constructed from wood, fiberglass, aluminum, or steel. A good sheetmetal sculptor can create incredible contour, convex, curves and radiuses that contribute to a shocking interior.

What gets used and abused inside your truck more than anything else? Simple-your seats. You're always going in and out of your truck, wearing wet clothes when it's raining, and constantly moving around while driving. All that wreaks havoc on your seats. Long gone are the days of throwing a blanket or towel over your damaged or discolored seats and we can all agree that stock seats don't make an interior look good. We've found a great solution that keeps your interior looking stylish and keeps money in your wallet. Using a CAD computer system to create vehicle-specific seat covers, CALTrend knows a thing or two about custom-fitted covers. CALTrend is a Southern California-based company that produces high-quality "I Can't Believe It's Not Leather" seat covers with the look and touch of leather, but it's not. Using a synthetic-leather fabric, the seat covers are available in eight popular colors, cost less than real leather, last longer, and are easier to maintain. Sounds good to us.

There aren't many convenient ways to add custom-looking gauges to your interior. Sure, you can break out the fiberglass and incorporate some gauges into your one-off center console, but for the best bang-for-the-buck, pillar pods pack an incredible value. When one of our favorite project trucks needed some specialty gauges installed to keep track of some important engine functions, we knew that Auto Meter's A-pillar pod was a quick fix that would look great, especially after it was paint-matched to the rest of the interior. Once again we headed to Auto Essentials in Thousand Oaks, California, where Richard Chronister and his crew had the information flowing into the cab in no time.

From the Driver Deat
After the Ford 9-inch rearend was assembled it was installed into a '60 Chevy El Camino. The potent small-block Chevy produces 400+ horsepower to the rearend and with 275/40R18 tires that measure out to 26.5 inches tall, the crew at Currie determined that a 3.25 ratio would be best to send that power to the ground. The 3.25 ring-and-pinion gear set delivered snap off the line and spun right into the engine's highway comfort zone at 2,200 rpm at 70 mph.

From The Driver Seat
Both installs were straightforward and the grille went in with no problems. For the gauges, it did help that we took a photo of the gauges before we took apart the cluster so we had an exact location of the needles. This helped us put them back and keep all of our vital information accurate. Now we're riding in style and all it took was a couple of hours.

We knew it wouldn't be long before the aftermarket embraced the new '09 F-150. With a solid chassis and a world-class interior, it's bound to be a top pick for truck enthusiasts as it has been for years. For this month's Fantastic Four, Industrial Motoring in Anaheim, California, helped us out and let us shoot while they built a blacked-out F-150 to show off RBP's latest offerings. RBP's new 6-inch lift kit will fit 4x4 or 2WD trucks, like this one, and transform a plain-Jane truck into an off-road machine that will draw envious stares on the street or in the dunes. As with all of our Fan 4 stories, this one included RBP's new intake, exhaust kit, and mesh grille. With Toyo M/T tires mounted on RBP wheels, the F-150 went from a run-of-the-mill cruiser, to dominating the freeways and rugged off-road terrain the way only a new custom truck can.

From The Driver Seat
Before DVD monitors, seating in the backseat was boring, about the only entertainment was to watch the scenery go by. Vizualogic has refined and perfected the headrest monitor viewing with clarity of bright vivid colors, and incredible interfacing with the vehicles audio sound system. By putting the remote wireless headphones on you are instantly consumed in a surround sound atmosphere of your own. The audio/visual entertainment can be adjusted by the handheld remote without leaving your seat. Vizualogic has improved the way we see things from the backseat.

From The Driver's Seat
There are really no downfalls to upgrading your sound system. Well, given that all the components are wired and connected correctly-- blown amps and speakers, or drained batteries would certainly qualify as legitimate buzz kills. Quality components also have everything to do with a positive audio experience, so our Suzuki was given the royal treatment with excellent products from Polk Audio and Sony and expert installation from the crew at Audio Innovations.

Driving to and from work can be frustrating, if nothing else tedious. Towing can also create reservations when worried about having enough power to pass that big rig doing 40mph up the grade or even worse, having a stoplight battle with the truck next to you only to be left in the proverbial dust. One thing that helps each of these situations is more power, more torque, and the unmistakable rumble of a performance exhaust. Upgrading the factory exhaust is usually one of the first boxes to check off for a custom truck owner. Gibson Exhaust has endless applications for both compact, mid-size, and fullsize trucks alike. When it came time to scrap the factory exhaust on our issue 6 cover truck '08 Chevy Silverado, the team at HOT Motorsports contacted Auto Anything for a complete Gibson system.

Your Questions Answered

Your Questions Answered

During the warmer months, air conditioning is a definite must, but for those cool summer nights, it's great to cruise around with the windows down and the stereo turned way up. Very few late-model trucks are purchased without power windows and door locks, but in the case of our '00 Chevy S-10, leaning over to the passenger side to crank the window down or to flip open the manual door lock for a passenger has developed into a very annoying routine. Although the side lunge motion has turned into a quick, convenient way to get a little exercise while waiting at a stoplight, we'd rather save the effort for the gym.