Highschool budget build

Hello all, been reading on here for some time but wanted to finally post my entire build. As the title suggests this is my first truck/vehicle and most mods have been done within my 2.5 years of ownership. Nothing crazy or near as extensive as compared to others on here, but I'm very happy with how much I've been able to do to it while focusing primarily on school and my junior golf career with hopes to play at higher levels after high school.
Current Mods:

• KMC 20x9 black/milled wheels
• Nitto Ridge grappler 305/55r20
• Icon 2.5 RR shocks set at 2.5" of lift
• Icon 2.5 Piggyback resi shocks
• Total Chaos Uniball UCA
• 1" rear block
• OTT Tune
• DD 8" exhaust
• Morimoto XB headlights
• Alpharex Luxx taillights
• Diode Dynamics Elite series fog lights
• PTM tailgate surround
• Katzkin black seat covers
• JL 10" subs

Plans:

• Fittipaldi 17x9 polished wheels
• Yokohama Geolandar MT 35x12.5r17
• Corbeau Trailcat black diamond stitched seats
• Long tube headers
• 3" x-pipe exhaust
• New leaf pack (brand not decided yet)
• hydro bump stops
• front secondary shock
• SS built front bumper
• Dirt king plate rear bumper
• E85 Conversion
• PTM mirrors
• PTM headlights and taillights
• solid motor mounts
• bed stiffeners
• Baja designs fog lights
• ditch lights

The truck was purchased from Oklahoma City and was delivered to me in San Antonio on February 16, 2022. The truck is a 2020 SR5 4x4 that had 68k miles at the time of purchase. I got lucky as the truck already was leveled with Bilstein 5100, nitto ridge grapplers, and KMC 20x9 wheels with black Katzkin seat covers.
Pics from the day it was delivered.

Soon after once I turned 16 and had free reign of the truck I switched out all the lighting with Morimoto XB headlights, alpharex Luxx taillights, Diode Dynamics Elite series fog lights, and a Klearz light smoked third brake light lens.


After all this was completed I got a Dirty Deeds 8" standard exhaust, a Retrax tonneau cover, chrome mirror caps, and new chrome door handles.

At this point, I'd owned the truck for around 6 months and was very happy with the progress I was making with it.
Next, I installed 2 JL 10" 4-OHM subs in a custom ported box with a 3k watt amp and 1/0 wiring.

After this was completed I began searching for a 2018+ limited or 1794 grill to swap for my SR5 one. Ended up finding a guy in SA that traded straight across with me!



This was in early December, and soon after on Christmas, I was gifted a Stillen intake. After installing I began getting lean codes so instead of going back to stock I got the D3 performance pro tuning software. Biggest mistake ever... Soon after installing with all correct settings the truck would stall and turn off when coasting down hills or rolling into stop signs. After this happened multiple times and the check engine light came back I reflahsed the tune. Halfway through the reflash the software stopped responding and bricked the ECU. After going back and forth with D3 and sending them the ECU back and forth multiple times with no progress made I had it towed to a dealership a new ECU installed and the connector repinned. The truck was finally finished and could run the first week of June right after I had gotten out of my sophomore year for the summer!

Took it on 2 trips that summer to South Padre Island and Corpus Christi for some hog hunting.

At the end of that summer, I began looking for suspension and ended up finding a guy local to me who traded me the Stillen intake and the tuner for Icon 2.5 piggyback resi rear shocks. Soon after I found a guy about 3 hours away selling icon 2.5 coil overs (non-resi), 2.0 rear shocks, and an add a leaf. Got all of the above for only $500, and then sold off the 2.0 shocks and add a leaf for $400. I got the coilovers rebuilt and had a resi added, then installed everything soon after.



Next, I took off the steps that came on the truck, de-badged, and wrapped my fog lights yellow


Next, I began some paint matching by doing PTM on my tailgate handle surround with a chrome handle.


Finally, I found a set of Total Chaos UCA for $500 locally with 25k miles on them so I want and picked them up.
Soon after trying to install, I realized it was missing the washers, tapered spindle adapter, and the bolt was destroyed so replaced all of that. $170 later I had brand new bolts and washers for them and got them installed and aligned soon after


This is as the truck sits now as I just finished my Junior year of HS and begin the summer. It's already been put to work hauling mulch and mowers for my small mowing/landscaping business when I'm not practicing golf.


Thank y'all very much for reading and for all the help the forum gives emptying wallets lol

 

Great read and truck! It's good you already recognize that the forum is the ultimate wallet drainer, but it's totally worth it to drive a truck that you have some pride in building. Take it from a guy that was in a similar position to you 13ish years ago when I was your age, the addiction doesn't go away lol

 

nice truck.

 

Great start. Can't wait to see what it becomes when you break the budget constraints.

 

Nice rig! Steve makes great stuff I’m biased since I have that bumper and other items. Good luck on the build.

 

Thank you. Your build thread was one of the first I read before I started working on this one. He’s supposed to send me invoice for the bumper in the next few days so hopefully I see that in 8-10 weeks

 

Can't wait to see it come together. Let me know if you have any questions happy to help!

 

Very NICE!!

 

Slight update to this. SS Built bumper is ordered and hopefully here in mid to late August!

 

Another update. Fittipaldi 17x9 wheels and Mickey Thompson MT tires ordered and should be here in 2 days

 

Wheels and tires finally here.

 

Need to add a blower to your "plans" list Dope truck

 

Hopefully I can in the future. Would make it a lot more fun to drive

 

Another new part. Picked up some Icon RXT leaf springs for $250. Gonna put them on when I have the bumper installed to get rid of the small block that’s currently installed

 

Score. If you have some time before install, you might want to do a little digging around the forum and see what others have done to prevent squeaking on that leaf pack. I think people have tried everything from old bike inner tubes to small pieces of sheet metal at the tips of the leaves with varying degrees of success.

 

Damn dude nice build! In high school I was still riding around on a bmx bike haha!

 

Gonna look into that and mess with some of it. The guy had them at option 3 so I’ve gotta take out the added leaf and put them back to option 1 before install

 

Thank you. That was the goal when we got it was to keep it as long as possible

 

Just picked up 4 pairs of Baja Design Squadron Sports for $400. 2 amber with combo pattern. 4 white with flood pattern. 2 white with spot pattern. Also came with a set of rago fab ditch light brackets.

 

Yes… he is a very lucky high schooler

 

God damn, San Antonio marketplace seems to have the deals when it comes to truck parts!

 

I’m honestly surprised half the stuff I’ve found. Furthest I’ve ever had to go for anything was Austin but that’s only an hour north so can’t complain

 

Picked up a pair of OBX Headers with mid pipes for $400. Gonna install and put in the Hewitt SAIS bypass soon

 

how about a riding a public bus when I was in high school!!!!

 

Ended up selling these for a touch over double what I bought them for. SSBuilt bumper here early this week, although I’ve heard that for almost a month now

 

Be awhile- great dude just long lead time

 

He’s been great just waiting on the shipping now

 

Bumper finally here! Learned that it got stuck at the shipping depot due to a weight issue causing the shipping delay. Should be on by end of tonight

 

Nice! When I was in high school my budget was a 1978 Dodge Aspen wagon.