Next on the list of things was a cover to stow our drag strip goodies, or whatever else might need to be carried.
We opted for the new Painted to match Undercover.
I've never been a huge fan of the Undercovers due to the "plastic" look. I like the A.R.E's, but the downside is the weight.
The painted to match Undercover is the hot ticket. Only weights in about 58 lbs, yet looks very clean on the truck. The model also has a sort of build in wing to give it a nice look.
The first thing we noticed was how well the cover appeared to be packaged.
Install was pretty simple, and with the reduced weight compared to an A.R.E. or other heavy brand, the time from start to finish was maybe 20 minutes.
Charlie hard at work!
My man Gary lending a hand. If you think Gary looks familiar, go back to your Kansas City Chiefs or Tennessee Vols roster from way back!
The finished product looks great on the truck! A little bit of snow today, but you get the idea!
The cover also comes with a preinstalled light which is nice.
With our trick bumpers in the process of being built by the guys at Wicked Performance Shop, we figured it's time to get to work on the fender flares.
We pulled off the fender flares (without breaking one clip I might add!).
We thought about going with a line x coating for that look to match the bumpers / running boards. But, due to the thickness and worry of scratching the oem paint, we decided to go a different route.
What we will be doing, is scuffing them up, adding "rock guard" to the flares, and then painting them with a flat black. This should give a slight textured look to the flares, and provide excellent protection out on the road.
A couple pics of the flares in progress. We were able to get them off without breaking any clips.
After the rock guard and flat black, we added 2 coats of semi gloss. This helped to keep a more "black" look, vs gray. It wil also make them a little easier to clean.
BEFORE
AFTER - These match the running boards perfectly and will match the Wicked Performance Shop bumpers perfectly.
Next on the list was to install an Airaid CAI and Lund tune. A nice care package from our partners at EVO arrived just in time!
CAI Install was simple and straight forward. It really was as simple as popping the top lid to the stock airbox, removing the mass air sensor, and then loosening a couple clamps to pull the intake tube.
The Airaid CAI is nice as it utilizes the bottom portion of the stock air box. The factory air box utilizes fresh outside air, and the Airaid kit contiues to take advantage of that.
Install was completed in less than 15 minutes from start to finish.
Stock ECU downloading and custom tune uploading!
As with most of Ford's drive by wire vehicles. The throttle response is noticeable from the first touch of the pedal. Ford softens up the throttle response to cater to the "average" person, not the enthusiast.
With the snow on the ground, we were not able to take advantage of the new found power. Shifts are noticeably more crisp though, and we will be hitting the dyno soon.
Linear Mode
