An F-350 owner and FTE forum member ended up using his crowd-advised upgrade to solve a problem with his truck.
Back in December, Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum member “afmedic” posted a new thread to the 1999 – 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel section asking the community for advice on the best way to spend $400 in mod money. He was looking for the most bang-for-the-buck, but with the help of the group, he ended up modifying the truck in a way that helped him diagnose a performance problem.
Help Me Spend My Money!
When the OP originally posted his thread asking for advice on how to best spend $400 on his 1999 F-350, he listed the four items that were the most interesting to him. He also listed some pros to each upgrade.
I know y’all are great at helping answer questions, but you’re even better at spending other people’s money! I have a couple hundred bucks to spend on the truck and I have way more than that I want to buy. Here are the things I’m looking at:
1. Air horn/ on board air setup -about $400
more for fun than anything
2. 4 gauge pillar pod with boost, EGT, trans temp, and fuel pressure-$299 on Amazon
No mods to monitor and I don’t tow a whole lot, but I’ll need them eventually. Would be more for looks for the near future
3. 5″ straight pipe exhaust-$350
I have a muffler delete on the factory exhaust right now, but I think it could sound better with a new setup. Maybe some gains as well
4. S&B intake- $300
It has a homemade CAI (above) from the previous owner that works well enough
I only have enough to do one of these, and I don’t really NEED any of them so I’m having trouble deciding! Sound off!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
