Pickup trucks are ripe for modification. Truck drivers tend to be natural tinkerers, and all sorts of ingenious mods have been developed by truckers in their quest for a great-looking vehicle. Here is a very brief guide to some of the most popular aesthetic pickup truck modifications.
Blacked-Out Windows
Window tinting has been a popular truck modification for a number of years now. There are plenty of easy-to-follow DIY window tinting guides, like this handy instructional site detailing how to black out your F-150. Always check whether blacked-out windows are legal in your state. Some overzealous police patrol officers will routinely hand out fines for blacked-out windows.
Raised Suspension
Truck drivers, especially in the Southern states, have taken to raising the suspension of their vehicles. This modification looks great and can also have some performance benefits. Although raised suspension has a detrimental impact on speed and handling on the road, it increases off-road performance – especially in deep mud. Some people raise their trucks to a preposterous height but you can find a balance between height and performance.
Carolina Squat
A somewhat absurd variation of suspension raising is the ‘Carolina squat’ modification. This involves raising the front suspension but leaving the back end low, creating a menacing ‘squat’ appearance. This modification has a considerable negative impact on performance, but that does not stop it from being popular. It is illegal in many states – including North and South Carolina. Its illegality is largely due to how the modification minimizes the view that the driver has from the cab windows. Despite what the name might suggest, the Carolina squat actually originated in California, where desert racers found the modification useful when speeding across hummocks and dunes.
Custom Wheels
Custom wheels can really make a truck stand out from the crowd. Larger wheels look great but tend to impact performance slightly. In the early 2000s, spinners became immensely popular with truck drivers largely due to the mesmerizing visual effect they produced. Remember to recalibrate your speedometer when you change the size of your wheels or tires.
Tailgate netting
Some pickup drivers opt to replace the standard metal tailgate on their trucks with a plastic or rope net. This is partially due to rumors about performance enhancement that could be achieved by doing so. While reducing weight does indeed improve performance, netting is nowhere near as reliable for keeping cargo in the truck bed as an actual tailgate. Tailgate netting can give your truck an aggressive post-apocalyptic ‘battle wagon’ appearance, which is a very popular look.
Big Rig-Style Exhausts
A recent trend in truck modification circles has been focused on the installation of big rig-style vertical exhausts. The truck modification scene has always had a bit of a penchant for hypermasculine expression, and what could be more macho than a massive steel exhaust pipe? Big rig-style exhaust systems look incredibly cool but tend to create a bit of a dip in fuel efficiency. If you are concerned about the environment or saving money on gas, then avoid this modification. Some modification engineers have gone several steps further and fully kitted their pickups out to look like mini 18-wheelers. The Lil Big Rig company operating out of Tennessee will transform your pickup into a toy-sized big rig for around 13,000 dollars. Be aware that this kind of modification is absolutely going to slow your vehicle down and damage handling. For people that have always wanted to cruise around in a Peterbilt, however, that might not matter much.
Floodlights
European-style rally floodlights are very practical for outdoor work and tend to look amazing when perched on the cab roof of a truck. Old-school round floodlights can lend your truck a classic look. For a more modern appearance, many truck owners opt to install LED light bars on the roof of their cabs. LED light bars can be extremely powerful and are relatively simple to wire up. Be careful not to dazzle other drivers when using your extra lights on public roads. Extremely powerful lights should only really be used when you know that you are alone on the road or when you are traveling off-road.
Chrome
Adding a chrome wrap to your truck’s body is one way to make it truly stand out from the crowd. Chrome wraps have become increasingly popular with exuberant truck drivers. Chrome does not suit every truck, however. It can look tacky – especially on large modern trucks. It also makes your vehicle a bigger target for thieves, who might rightly expect the owner to have some valuable items inside. Applying lots of chrome can also harm your truck’s performance. Chrome is a very heavy metal, so you might find that a shiny truck is not necessarily as fast as lightning.
Alton Clarke was born and raised in Syracuse. He has written for MSNBC, The Business Insider and Passport Magazine. In regards to academics, Alton earned a degree from St. John’s University. Alton covers entertainment and culture stories here at Diving daily.