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I'm in the south Texas gulf-coast area as well. I put a set of N-Fab bars on my crew cab and like them a lot. They've only been on for 6 months, so I can't give a longterm evaluation. So far there's no rust starting anywhere on them. If you're right on the beach, getting them sprayed with beliner might help.
I don't have any recommendations for shocks. It depends on what you call a "good" ride. Some peopel like firm shocks like the Bilsteins. Others will go with a standard gas shock from the auto parts store which generally are "softer."