I was always a GM guy (grew up in Lansing, MI and several family members worked at GM plants) until a few years ago when I started to look for my first Ford truck. When I finally found one last fall, I very quickly found this board and thought to myself how great that I have all this info at my finger tips. The more I read on this board though, the more I see guys modifying their trucks.
Some mods are to help the truck run better, some are for appearance. But they all change our truck just a little bit, and if you do several of them, pretty soon, I start to wonder if I liked my truck so much, why am I changing it all the time?
We have e-fan mods, G3 alternator mods, headlight mods, gauge cluster mods, axle swaps, engine swaps, trans swaps, transfer case swaps, lifting the suspension, lowering the suspension, putting F250 springs on a F150, ignition upgrades, timing bumps, and on, and on, and on. At what point is it not even really a Ford truck anymore?

PS - FTR, I'm not opposed to the mods, and I don't begrudge anyone else for doing them. This was just a thought that popped into my head......

 

I just like to add my own touch to my truck just make it really feel like mine, small upgrades that I think are an improvement over stock. Like the fog lights in the bumper, LED bulbs in the interior, clear turn signal lenses, something to make it stand out a little.

And I'm sure you've noticed that a lot of the upgrades you mentioned like the engine swaps,tranny swap, 3G alternator, gauge cluster, axle swaps ect.... They are usually parts that are taken from other Ford trucks just to get the biggest and best that Ford offered. So in the end it's still the same old Ford truck, even if it doesn't look the same as it did from the factory.

 

My dad was a GM guy (not sure how I became a Ford guy before I was old enough to drive) so I've put quite a few miles on GM Suburbans from the '70s and '80s. I've got a good friend that's a die-hard Chevy guy with a string of trucks from the '90s through current. I've also owned a couple of Super Duties.

With that experience my answer is yes, in spite of the mods I do to my current trucks, I definitely like them. If I was starting with a Super Duty I'd need to replace the engine and transmission with something from the '80s - '90s and the body with an '80s - '90s Ford before I'd be happy with it. And if I was starting with a '90s - current Chevy I might be able to keep the engine (if I could get it to run with a manual transmission), but I'd have to replace almost everything else. I'd be better off starting with a '70s - '80s Chevy. I always liked those, just not as much as Fords.

So yes, I mod my current trucks. But as Fastback pointed out, most of the mods are using other Ford parts from about the same vintage, or aftermarket upgrades (OK, the Bronco has gone way beyond that...). If I was starting with a newer Ford or a similar to newer Chevy I'd be trying to turn it into an '80s - '90s Ford that I could then start to modify.

 

You are correct in that at least Ford parts are being swapped with other Ford parts. I was reading a post the other day about a guy that bought a used F-350, and almost everything on the truck was changed. And the wiring mess he showed a picture of - OMG! Well, as a courtesy to the next owner of my truck (if their is one) I track and record everything i do to the truck - from maintainance to mods. I include date, mileage, cost, etc so that the next guy will have an idea of everything that's there.

 

I just want to add how valuable this is. I was fortunate enough to have this included with my truck that I bought from a estate sale. I know the entire history of my truck. Somehow this makes it feel more like mine.

 

There are a few ways to look at this. For one, it's kind of like when you get a tattoo, are you still the same person? Well of course you are. Then there's the history of the line. If, for example, you lived on a farm and bought a new Model T, you can be sure that Lizzie was going to undergo changes, often radical changes throughout the course of its life. I personally own very few things that I haven't modified to suit my needs. I've no issue with spending thousands of dollars on something, and bring it right down to the shop for mods when I get it home. It makes it more mine. I think that keeping a vehicle 100% unmolested is a benefit for the next owner, should you ultimately pass it on, but to personalize it is what makes it yours.

 

When you look at the driving experience on the whole, there are a virtually unlimited number of variables that can effect how a vehicle feels and performs. Any modification can change the experience in a multidimensional way.

I may put F250 springs on an F150, but I still would rather be driving the F150 more than the F250 that the springs were intended for. I tend to be a tinkerer anyway, I regularly build and modify all sorts of electronics. Generally speaking, the more I like a vehicle, the more I want to improve it.

I'd love to put an electronic locking differential in my truck like the newer FX4's have, but this doesn't mean I would rather have a newer FX4 truck. No vehicle is perfect, I guess buy the one that's as close as you can get, and the rest is up to you

 

Preservation, replacements, upgrades, modification, customization.... how far is too far? Well it's your truck so yes! I tend to be a fan of upgrades/modification. My truck is mostly stock, and even though I haven't owned it long, I really can't say I have too many plans for it. I might modify the heads, but that is just improving on mass production "good enough" casting. Maybe even go so far as upgrading the heads with other Ford heads that are better. I also have a 79 LeBaron with 20k on it. Pretty close to factory, but with 140 hp out of the 318 I plan to upgrade the cam, heads, intake, carb and exhaust. It's still going to be a 1979 LeBaron which I love, I just don't like 1979 politics or regulations.

 

i liked my trucks when i first bought them but in no way shape or form were they as good (capable) as they are now.upgrading from good or even poor parts that were available 20+ years ago to something much better and or different can totally transform good to better.leaving things boring oem is for collector cars that you don't really use.
like to love.......it's not a bad thing.happy modding.

 

Here's my 2 cents... I think it's a human thing to want to personalize your posesions be that a car/truck/motorcycke or your house or or even the clothes you wear. some people like big tires and lifts, some people can't get enough chrome or lights, others don't care about any of that but want monster power under the hood. People are also loyal to brands sometimes despite the performance or reliability record of the product or in some cases it might be that they just like to stick with what they are familiar with. This isn't something that is unique to Ford trucks and the fact that people modify things doesn't mean they don't like them, it likely means they like it more because if they didn't they probably wouldn't bother.

 

Gotta agree, it's all about "making it yours". I've never had a vehicle that I thought was perfect as-is.

 

I think its definitely a lot about personalizing the truck to suit your needs and style (both from a cosmetic and performance standpoint).

The other factor that might be in play is that our vehicles have been around for about 20 years now. We now know what works long-term, what can be excluded due to federal/state/provincial/county regulations, and incorporate new technology products.

We still love our trucks. As a result of that we want to keep them working and looking their best. At least that is why I will always customize my vehicles. They are more than just an appliance to get me from point A to point B.

 

Besides if we didn't customize them and change out those stock parts, where would be the fun in restoring them when they are antiques. Half he fun is tracking down the right factory parts. Meeting new people the swap meets. Besides who likes a stock from the factory car or truck.

 

I do, but I'm an old duffer. I can still appreciate a tricked out/modified rig however.

 

I always try to keep something on the truck than needs to be fixed. First two trucks I owned and rebuilt did not have good outcomes. As soon as they were "FINISHED" they got wrecked, lol. I have since vowed to "NEVER" finish another vehicle again.