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Here are a few threads with people who have painted the steel wheels and added police interceptor hub caps. #1, #2, #3. I am NOT a fan of hubcaps, or black wheels in general, but I think this looks really really good on the truck.

Bumper End Cap - Rear, Ford Part #: NZ6Z17F000AB. Got mine from my local dealer, was $33.

The dark charcoal gray metallic wheel color works great with the slightly grayish tone in the Area 51 paint. The 19" Escape wheel & tire combo ended up being about 10 lbs over stock on each corner. I'd have preferred it be less of a weight difference, but it does look better than I expected it...

I'm not a fan of the steel wheels on the XL, and the option package(s) with wheel upgrades weren't compelling enough for me. I'd rather have more of a choice of wheel diameter, tire size, and finish. Although I'm normally a fan of a simple 5-spoke design (all the way back to Keystone & Cragar)...

Alright, now for something more substantial. I love the look of lowered vehicles. And I want my Mav to have a driving feel that's a little more firm and sporty, closer to the feel of a performance car. The Mav benefits from a selection of quality aftermarket suspension options. I've owned two...

I labeled this thread my 'dark soul' build because of my dislike of bright and shiny parts. Chrome looks absolutely killer on a 1950s Merc or Cadillac, but just doesn't appeal to me on a modern car. So I'm gonna axe as much of the shiny stuff as I can. Continuing the tinting effort beyond the...

The headlights and tail lights have too much fake shiny chrome in them for my tastes. I've tinted tail lights on a prior car with spray and had been familiar with that process. I've also used tint film that was specifically made for tail lamps. But reading the other threads about the use of Zep...

One upgrade that I'd done in my last truck was adding a leather steering wheel. Since it's the part I'm touching every minute I'm driving, I've found that I've appreciated the feel of a better wheel in my hands. It's something you notice. Others have shared options in other threads, and I've...

Ok, back to the interior. I'm looking forward to audio system upgrades which are in the planning stages right now, as other more-important upgrades are currently in the hopper. As I'm considering the space available behind the rear seat for a subwoofer enclosure, I'd come across more than one...

Ordered two cubby boxes for the rear bed area (the poverty-spec XL doesn't come with any) from theoemparts.com. They had the best price I could find online at around $50 each shipped. Unfortunately, it took more than a month to receive them, as their order status on their website stayed at a...

My last truck had a serious rust issue on the bottom of the tailgate, and I'm convinced it was due to an open area on the bottom of the gate. It lets in leaves, dirt, wood chips, or whatever else you haul, and that stuff sitting inside the bottom of the gate retains moisture. Was surprised when...

Back to the back, picked up a TMS tailgate assist strut, one of the cheaper kits on Amazon ($20). Decent quality and fit, works as designed, quick install, no clearance issues with the gate cable, and a great price. Be aware though that for this brand/model, the assist kicks in after opening it...

My favorite CamelBak insulated bottle won't fit in the cupholder. Bought a cupholder adapter off Amazon, but it fit too loosely in the Mav's stock cupholder pocket. Digging around my house/workshop, I found a few silicone wristbands and realized a new use for them. Now the adapter fits in...

I'm not a fan of the bright chrome trim on the front & rear Ford emblems, and while I'm at it, might as well get rid of the blue as well. Dug through boxes full of spray cans in my workshop and found half a can of Plasti Dip from a prior vehicle (score!). Masked off the front emblem in-place...

Sure, appearance expectations are lower when it comes to an inexpensive truck. But adding the hitch trim panel sure does improve the look. Reading others' threads where it seemed like this was too tight of a fit, I reduced the risk of getting the new panel all scratched/scuffed while getting...

I started out with a few easy modifications that will improve usability and enjoyment. As I write about what I chose to do, I'm not writing all of this as a how-to. There are plenty of other threads that do that. But I did want to share my results, thoughts, and a few hints/tips and things that...

Having had my Mav for a few months now, I figured it was time to start a build thread. For 6 months before owning one, I read these forums and got inspired by what others were doing (and sharing) and took a lot of notes. Thanks to everyone who has shared their efforts, time for me to share some...

An interesting fact about lowered vehicles that most people might not realize - after I installed a Silvers suspension on mine, the drop made it dramatically easier to step up onto the tailgate, or to lift anything into or out of the bed over the sides. My gate is now 24" from the ground, and...

Great info! Thanks for sharing it. It's interesting that amber behaved differently than red.

Ditto. In addition - when I shopped for LEDs for my last vehicle, I ended buying them from superbrightleds.com. For some of their bulbs, color options other than white are listed and it lists lumens of brightness for each as well. Same bulb typically had the red or amber version being not...