This is what it looks like when you throw $10,000 at your Ford F-150.

I've owned this truck for almost 9 years and put about 80,000 miles on it. I still love this thing. Over that time, I've spent more than ten grand modifying it to make it mine, and this is the long-overdue rundown of every single upgrade I've put on it.

If anything here catches your eye, head to the F-150 section of the garage for direct links to every product mentioned below. Some of those are affiliate links, so if you grab something through them, I'll get a small cut at no extra cost to you, and hopefully, you'll love these mods on your truck as much as I love them on mine.

The Front End

VLAND Headlights

Lots of you have asked me what I think of these over the years. The honest answer: I had hoped to learn to love them. I never did.

This past winter, LEDs started burning out. The turn signals have flickered on both sides throughout the ownership period. The cutoff line on the beam pattern is nowhere near as crisp as a Morimoto, even though VLAND clearly tried to mimic the special edition F-150 housing design. The clear coat on the lens is also peeling.

So they're getting replaced. The contenders right now are the Morimoto XB, the Alpharex Nova, or whatever Boost Auto is about to drop. I trust Boost Auto's track record on my truck, so I'm watching that closely.

King Ranch Grille

This is an XLT, but I run a King Ranch grille on the front. Found it on Facebook Marketplace for around a hundred bucks, painted the mesh black, and added a logo overlay from a guy on Instagram. Some folks call chrome old-man mode. I'm 44, and I think the black-and-chrome combo just works on a black truck. It probably wouldn't translate to every color, but it absolutely lands here.

The Sides

Painted Mirror Caps

Cheap Amazon mirror caps, around thirty bucks. This is actually my second pair, because the top layer corroded on the first set, just like the VLAND headlights did. These won't last forever either, but at the price point, fine.

AVS Vent Visors

Old-man mode again, I know. I don't care. There's nothing better than cracking the windows in a steady rain and getting fresh air without soaking the cab. Keeping these forever.

Boost Auto Lumastep M2 Power Running Boards

This is the headline mod on the exterior. They illuminate white when the doors open. Mine are set to yellow by default, and that was a deliberate call: yellow is clearly legal to run as accent lighting in my research, and I wanted zero trouble with the police. I have the switchback wired in so I can flip them to white whenever I want, though that connection isn't working at the moment. Spring project. I also installed the kill switch, though I doubt I'll ever flip it.

These survived a brutal Pittsburgh winter and still look incredible. People ask me about them every single time I stop for gas. They're number one on the list for a reason.

F150LEDs Side Step LEDs

Yellow LEDs tucked up under the running boards. Before I had the Lumastep M2s, these turned on when I unlocked the truck and lit up the side step. Now that the powered running boards are in, they add a second layer of accent: when the boards drop down, the yellow line above them fires too. F150LEDs has been a great sponsor of the channel, and these are a nice example of why.

35% Window Tint

Front two windows only. The police around here are picky, ask me how I know, so I went with 35% to keep things visible from outside. Doesn't quite match the OEM rear tint. I might roll the dice and eventually redo it darker.

Shorty Antenna

Got this because the OEM antenna kept dragging across the parking garage at my office. I'd warn you off this specific one. Radio reception got noticeably worse, and mine cracked. Going to replace it with something else, probably a true short stubby.

The Rear

VLAND Tail Lights

Same brand, same story. I bought these at the same time as the headlights. The design borrows heavily from the Range Rover Velar tail lights, which I love. Reality? One of the LEDs is already burnt out. The lights are loose in their housings. They suffer moisture intrusion after a good wash or a hard rain. They're not long for this world, and a replacement set is already lined up.

5.0 Badge

EcoBoost trucks get a tailgate badge. So does mine, except mine says 5.0 to remind everyone they made the wrong choice. Mine has oxidized over the years, but they come in packs of two, so the spare is going on the next time I detail the truck.

Tonneau Cover

One of the very first things I bolted on. Around $180 at the time. It's on its last legs after 9 years, but it has done its job almost flawlessly. Almost no water has ever made it into the bed, even after serious storms. I've always wanted one of those flush-with-the-bed covers, but I cannot justify $1,200 for the same job a $180 cover already does at less than 20% of the price.

OEM Soft-Open Tailgate

XLTs don't get the soft-drop tailgate from the factory, which means the tailgate basically tries to murder anyone standing under it when you release the latch. The OEM soft-open kit was around forty bucks online and easy to install. Honestly, this should be standard equipment.

Line-X Bedliner

This was the second video I ever made on the truck. Years later, the Line-X is still doing its job. We throw stuff in this bed for yard work, family runs, and house projects. Zero complaints. I'd put Line-X in any truck I own going forward.

Boost Auto LED License Plate Bulbs

I know, license plate bulbs aren't sexy. Hear me out. I had aftermarket LEDs in the OEM housing before these, and the glare was so bad that my backup camera was useless at night. These have zero glare and are brighter. Get them.

Solo Performance Mach 40 Dual Exhaust

I run dual tips out the back of this thing. The Mach 40 makes the V8 sound like a 1960s muscle car, at least to my ear. There aren't many audio clips of this exhaust online, which is a shame. I know the EcoBoost is faster. I know people say nobody cares about sound. I'm not those people. If I can buy a V8 truck, I'm buying the V8.

Wheels and Tires

Falken Wildpeak AT3W tires, 315/70 R17, wrapped around Icon Alloys Compression wheels. Bought the whole package from Custom Offsets. They came with black lug nuts and TPMS sensors, so I had to grab a TPMS reprogrammer to register them. Super simple, just follow the procedure online. Sixty thousand miles in, they're quiet and great in every weather condition I've thrown at them.

If I were doing it over, I'd buy them again with one caveat: I'd go 18-inch instead of 17-inch. I love the meaty-tire-on-small-wheel look, but I'm now eyeing a 6-inch lift, and at that ride height, you can't run 17s. Going 18 from the start would have saved me a future wheel-and-tire purchase.

Wheel Wells

Husky wheel well liners. These went in shortly after I bought the truck. They look great, clean up easily, and finish off an area Ford really should have addressed from the factory.

The Interior

Jam Handle Door Grips

Plastic pieces that stick to the inside of the door so passengers grab the grip instead of clawing your paint with rings and nails. I have them on all four doors. Spoiler: I'm the only one who actually uses them. Still a brilliant idea, especially if you take your truck to shows.

Vinyl-Wrapped Door Handles and Vent Trim

I wrapped the door handles and the outside AC vent trim in a brushed titanium vinyl years ago. I left the center console alone for a long time because I didn't want to take it apart. That changed when I put the CarABC screen in. More on that below.

Chrome Trim Accents

Speaker covers, rear cup holders, and a few other spots. I like a touch of chrome on the inside. It breaks up the black plastic and makes the cabin feel a little classier. Maybe that's an age thing. I'll own it.

F150LEDs Door Sills and Footwell Lights

Door sill plates from F150LEDs. Footwell LEDs under the front and rear seats. Easy install, full install video on the channel. The rear footwell glow really jazzes up the cabin at night.

Aftermarket All-Weather Floor Mats

Got a deal on these years ago. Not WeatherTech-level, but close enough for the price. They've kept Pittsburgh slush, mud, and dirt out of places I don't want it for years. Every truck should have a set of aftermarket mats.

Katzkin Leather Seats

XLTs come with cloth. I scored a Katzkin set on Facebook Marketplace for around $300, which is a steal. It took me several days to get them installed, and I have a full unpublished video of that process I'll cut into a future episode. Years later, they've held up beautifully, and they completely level up the interior.

CarABC 12-Inch Screen

Two weeks in and trouble-free. The last video I did on this got a great response, so I know a lot of you are interested. I still need to do the FORScan flash to clean up the boot screen since it still boots into the Aviator splash for now. That's coming in the next video. CarABC has been great to work with on this build.

This is my second-favorite mod on the truck. The factory screen looked dated. This one feels like what Ford should have shipped from the factory.

LISEN Phone Holder

Down low on the dash, not on the AC vent like my normal setup. LISEN sent it over to try. What I like: the holder has a memory position, and the side rollers make pulling the phone out one-handed effortless. Giving it a longer test before I deliver a final verdict.

F150LEDs Dash Accent Strip

Thin blue accent line across the passenger side of the dash. Pressure-fit only, which means mine is fighting me on staying perfectly straight. I'm planning to lock it in with resin so it stays put.

OEM Hill Descent Control Button

My truck didn't come with hill descent control. You can buy the OEM button and use FORScan to activate the feature for a few bucks. Mine is installed. The FORScan flash is queued up for the next video.

KIA Rearview Mirror

Yes, KIA. Twelve dollars online. Why? Because it has Home Link buttons built in, which means I don't have to use one of those ugly aftermarket garage door clip-ons. It's an OEM part, just for a different manufacturer. I did a Short on this recently if you want the install walkthrough.

Ford Raptor Upfitter Switches

This part was way harder to find than it should have been. You need one that matches the interior color (mine is gray-black, not beige) and the feature set on your truck. Mine doesn't have a moonroof, so finding a moonroof-less version was its own scavenger hunt. Going rate is around $600. I grabbed mine for around $300, which I'm calling a win. Now I just need to wire something to them so the switches actually do something.

Stereo Foundations: Morel Components, Sound Deadening, Door Block-Off Plates

Rear-door Morel component speakers, all four doors sound-deadened, all four doors with block-off plates installed. That trio alone made a dramatic difference in cabin quietness and music quality. The full system will be covered in a future episode: front speakers, DSP, amps, and 12-inch subs. I just need a stretch where I can tear the truck apart, pull the seats and floor, and do it right.

My Two Favorites

If you held me at gunpoint and made me pick one favorite mod, I'd be close.

The Boost Auto Lumastep M2s are number one on most days. They survived a Pittsburgh winter and still look incredible, and people ask about them at every gas station.

A very close second is the CarABC 12-inch screen. Big-ticket items make a big visual impact, and this one transforms the dash into something the F-150 should have shipped with from the factory.

What's Next

The headlights are getting replaced. The tail lights are getting replaced. The dash boot screen is getting flashed with FORScan. The full audio system goes in once I can get the truck off the road for a long weekend. The 18-inch wheel decision is coming.

If there's an upgrade you want a deep dive on, drop it in the comments on the video or hit me at hello@tstdrvr.com. I'm putting more effort into responding and engaging, and I want to hear what you'd build into your truck.

Thanks for being here. I love this stuff.