We all like upgrading our trucks, but aftermarket parts have their fair share of drawbacks. You can never be certain that they will work perfectly, and any significant changes will usually void your warranty. But what if there was a way to enjoy all the benefits of aftermarket upgrades without any of the drawbacks? Well, if you own a Ford F-150 or are simply looking at a Ford F-150 for sale, there is.
Thanks to Ford Performance, you can order just about any race-ready modification you want and enjoy full factory support. Whether you are looking for blacked-out badges or a full-on supercharger kit for your V8, Ford’s in-house performance shop likely has what you are looking for. If you aren’t familiar with Ford Performance, here’s what you need to know about the Blue Oval’s motorsports division. Even if you are familiar with the name, here are some top mods for your truck that you might not know Ford Performance offers.
What Is Ford Performance?
While most serious car manufacturers have an in-house performance shop responsible for high-performance models and motorsports, Ford stands out for having had several such shops over the years. Perhaps the most famous performance branch from Ford was the Special Vehicles Team or SVT, which produced iconic models like the SVT Lightning, SVT Cobra, and SVT Raptor. However, Ford also had Team RS, which was based in Europe and was responsible for rally racing legends like the RS200 and exciting street cars like the Focus RS. There were even smaller shops around the world, like the Australian Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV), which built a number of cool cars that never made their way to America.
However, in 2015 Ford decided that it was time to combine all of its numerous performance branches, along with its motorsports-focused Ford Racing team, into a single division known as Ford Performance. This new division is now responsible for everything from Ford’s recently-announced return to Formula 1 and prototypes like the SuperVan 4.2 Pikes Peak hill climb car down to selling you performance parts to upgrade your F-150. While many manufacturers talk about how their motorsports teams help improve their street cars, it’s rare to see such a direct connection between the two. That means you can enjoy the very best engineering Ford has to offer rather than taking your chances with an aftermarket outfit.
Even better, you can order these parts online from the Ford Performance website, so you don’t have to go through a Ford dealer if you’re the DIY type or have a trusted private shop you want to work with. Of course, you can also get these parts through Ford dealerships and have them installed by your dealer’s service center for the ultimate convenience and peace of mind. While the parts themselves do not void the warranty on your F-150, an improper install will, so working through your local Ford dealer is the best option if you want the ultimate assurance that your truck will remain covered. But what sort of parts will you find in the Ford Performance catalog?
The Best Ford Performance F-150 Parts
Ford Performance sells just about everything, but its headline offering is definitely the available supercharger kit for the 5.0L V8 engine. While this kit’s $7,350 price tag is substantial, the performance gains are incredible. With 650 hp and 610 lb-ft of torque, this kit will put your F-150 only a half step behind the six-figure Raptor R when it comes to raw power. Combine it with a base-model F-150 XL, and you could literally be running down super trucks for just over $45,000 out the door. In a brand-new pickup. With a factory warranty. That’s right, not only does the Ford Performance supercharger kit not void your warranty, it comes with its own three-year or 36,000-mile warranty when installed by any certified technician. It’s even 50-state legal, so you can enjoy it in California and other CARB states without worry.
Do you want your truck to sound as good as it performs? Don’t worry because Ford Performance offers a full line of cat-back exhausts for the F-150’s 2.7L EcoBoost, 3.5L EcoBoost, and 5.0L V8 engines. The options include rear-exit and side-exit systems with a variety of different exhaust tip finishes so you can get exactly the look you want. They are all manufactured from 304 stainless steel for long-term durability, and many of them are certified 49-state-legal (sorry Californian drivers, you can have a supercharger, but not an exhaust), making them an easy pick if you want to upgrade your truck. While you can certainly find aftermarket systems that are cheaper, these come with the added benefit of factory support.
Another fun option from Ford Performance is the F-150 Raptor steering wheel. If you love the sporty look of the Raptor steering wheel, with its 12-o’clock racing stripe, more aggressive profile, and large paddle-shifters, then you can simply order a genuine factory wheel from Ford Performance and install it on your F-150. However, this upgrade really only makes sense if you have a model that comes with paddle shifters. Otherwise, the large paddles on the Raptor steering wheel will remain a purely decorative feature. You may also need to swap the steering wheel controls from your old wheel to retain all of your truck’s functionality. Still, it’s a unique way to add a sporty touch to your truck, and you can pair it with a Ford Performance carbon fiber shift handle for the ultimate race-ready look.
In addition to factory upgrades, Ford Performance also sells a variety of high-quality accessories from reputable third-party manufacturers. This includes everything from a Warn off-road recovery kit that you can stash in your truck if you need to pull yourself (or someone else) out of a jam to a RIGID off-road fog light kit that replaces your factory halogens with bright LEDs made to Ford Performance specifications. There are a lot of options available for your F-150, and all of them are made by trusted brands, come with factory support, and are guaranteed to fit your truck. If you have been craving some custom additions to your new pickup but were unsure if you wanted to trust the aftermarket, these approved accessories are a great place to start your modification journey.
It’s Time to Upgrade Your Truck
The Ford Performance catalog is filled with enticing options for just about every Ford model, including the best-selling F-150. Whether you are looking to build a supercharged street truck that can tear up the drag strip or simply want to outfit your daily driver with some useful and stylish accessories, you can probably find a few parts that will entice you to open up your wallet. Overall, Ford Performance parts are one of the best-kept secrets of the Ford world and allow you to draw on decades of high-level motorsports experience as well as enjoy the security of factory warranties and support. The only real downside of these upgrades is that they come with a price tag that reflects their many advantages. However, if you are modifying a newer vehicle, that’s a price that may well be worth paying to make sure your truck remains in top condition.
