Like most gearheads, your author searches underhood for more power nearly the instant a new machine lands in the driveway. What’s your pick for more speed?

There are plenty of options from which to choose. Those in the easy-money camp will likely point to the installation of an intake as their preferred choice of underhood gains, if limited to a single customization. An engine is basically a complicated air pump, sucking in air at the breather and blowing it back out through the exhaust. An unfettered access to atmosphere – the colder the better – is a good way to easily make a few more horses.

Techies will point to a chip or custom ECU tune to unlock their engine’s potential. A favorite of the diesel crowd but steadily gaining favor with gasoline gearheads, a computer-based mod might be expensive but may indeed eke out a few more units of go-power than other forms of hot rodding. There’s no getting your hands dirty with this one, either.

That’s assuming your rig is new enough to even have computers, of course. The ‘they-don’t-build-em-like-they-used-to crew are more apt to roll up their sleeves and start tearing apart the engine in a search for speed. Messing with the motor’s internals can take just about any form, from rings to rods, so let’s just call this one a cam replacement in the voting below.

Other, more minor engine goodies take far less time and create far less risk than swapping out a cam or other major components. These items, most of ‘em pocket sized, can give truck owners some incremental gains that add up to something worth the trouble. We’ll title this one the plugs n’ pulleys modification.

What’s your go-to underhood mod? Vote in our poll and have your say in the comment section below.