It just makes sense to buy the much cheaper-based package, right? Considering all of us have plans whether the truck is still on the dealership lot or not, no truck will stay stock for long. So why pay for all of the expensive upgrades when you are planning on changing so many things anyways? That was how we felt when we picked up an '06 Ford Explorer XLT, which came complete with the factory 16-inch wheels, black side trim, and stock everything. By agreeing to the lower-optioned XLT package, we saved thousands and still had a great platform to customize. There were no over-the-top tricks here, just a clean look that appeared upgraded and still left money in our pockets. To help us achieve our goal, we contacted ATS Design in Cerritos, California, for a set of its color-matched running boards, and they helped us smooth and paint the ugly black plastic trim, bumpers, and door handles, as well. Other easy upgrades included 20-inch Incubus wheels, Falken Ziex S/T tires, and a MagnaFlow exhaust. Check out how much nicer our Explorer looked after a few well-selected parts and upgrades. You can change the way your truck or SUV looks by contacting the companies in the source box.
 | 
Starting off the Explorer's customization, we used a heat gun to loosen the glue from all of the plastic body trim. For the fenders, we used an interior-clip tool to free them. Then for the bumpers, we disconnected the airbag sensors and used metric sockets to remove them. |
Small hands were required to fit inside of the door panels to remove the door handles. With those off, we gathered all of the black plastic pieces and headed to ATS Design in Cerritos, California, for a dose of YZ-White Ford paint. | 
After one week and having the Explorer parked, we picked up our pieces and put on the freshly-painted plastic trim the same way it came off. New double-sided tape was used to adhere the trim where needed. |
It was now time to move to the ATS Design X-treme Series II running boards that we ordered pre-painted. Using the factory holes in the pinch molding and undercarriage, the ATS brackets were installed. | 
As you can see, three brackets per side were installed to support the 80-inch running boards. |