Most people aren't satisfied until their cars are personalized. Everyone wants to give their automobile that extra touch by adding aftermarket parts. Some people may not be able to afford a brand new car or truck, but by customizing their automobiles, they are able to make their car look and feel special.

I am very pleased with the Auto Tech Clinic located on Michigan Avenue at Telegraph Road in Dearborn, Michigan. They have supplied me with great service time and time again. Prior to this visit, I had only had oil changes and brakes done at this shop and was always pleased. In fact, last year I took my car in for brakes, which I thought I needed. The Auto Tech technician, on that day, came out to tell me I didn't need brakes at that time. He could have easily sold me the brakes, my car had 60,000 miles on it and the original brakes were still on it. I would have never questioned the repair, but he chose to be honest, and I got another 12,000 miles on those brakes before I returned to have them replaced. Auto Tech gave me a great price on that Buy Chevy Truck brake job too.

Extreme accessory #2 - AEM Brute force air intakes. I know every one is always talking K&N when it comes to filters and intakes, however the AEM Brute force intake is what I recommend hands down. The AEM Brute force is top of the line allowing the most airflow you will find. Throw on a throttle body spacer and you have really made some Chevy Truck Deal improvements to your stock system.

The Ford Flex stands out because it offers minivan like room for seven yet it isn't one. It also isn't really a wagon or an SUV. Who cares what it is because all that matters is what it can do. The Flex has a versatile, well built and stylish interior. It is also available with the same 3.5 liter 346 horsepower Ecoboost motor from the Taurus SHO. That makes the Flex the muscle car of this grouping.

But don't head on down to your local chevy truck auto parts deal just yet for a Suburban. Just because there are lots of play dates in your schedule doesn't mean you have to spend all of your money on gas. Also, just because you need lots of cargo/human room does not mean you have to dread driving the "family car." Trust me, I have road tested a number of surprisingly quick and agile family vehicles this year.

Power may not be the most important consideration in a truck. Many drivers buy Chevy trucks with an eye on towing capacity, only to waste the extra power without getting any real use out of it. Buyers should always pay attention to things like fuel efficiency, as this may end up greatly impacting the value of the vehicle.

On Part 4 of our series of articles about truck restorations I will talk about more lessons learned the hard way during the restoration of my 1954 Chevy truck.