Stock vs modified

What would you consider stock and what would you consider modified?
Came up in a discussion on facebook, and been through it before in person.
To me if you even turn up the fuel or have a tune (those of us with tunable trucks), it's no longer stock.
But some say that's not the case.
So what's your take on it?
Which what brings it up was cummins specifically. Which obviously can gain more by turning up the fuel on a cummins, than you can on a idi, but it still applies.

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I'd say anything that makes the truck different than options or functionality available as it left the factory would make it no longer stock. So turning up the pump probably would be considered modified as it wasn't that way from the factory. Same goes for exhaust changes, air filter modifications etc. It doesn't have to be big and noticeable to be considered modified. I've always used the term "stock" to establish an understanding that nothing other than maintenance has been done to the truck/car etc.

See, that's exactly how I see it.
But apparently that's wrong. Lol

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Okay, I'll stir this pot a bit. It's a slow morning, and I have sheetrock mud drying.

Lets look at a couple examples.

If I replace the original lift pump with with an electric fuel pump, that would be an upgrade, wouldn't it, making the truck not stock. After all, I replaced an essential part of the truck with equipment which serves the same purpose, but which I feel enhances the truck and which I feel makes the truck run better. Therefore, that is an upgrade.

If my truck came from the factory with road tires, and I move out to BFE, which is in the far far frozen north and gets lots of snow in the winter, I might decide to replace those perfectly good road tires with some mud and snow tires. The M&S tires are not original, but they are replacing the original tires, and I feel that they enhance the running of the truck in the winter.

Is my truck now modified? I don't really think so, but I believe this meets the definition given above.

Now I'm going to go hide, kick back, and maybe have some popcorn.

Maybe thats the point of confusion, stock vs upgrade vs modified. If the tires in gandalf's example were still stock size, load rating etc, they wouldn't affect or change the lilfespan of other parts of the vehicle so that probably wouldn't be considered a modification.

However if you replace a mechanical pump with an electric one, I would think that to be a modification, because while it serves the same purpose its a change from how it came form the factory. However if you were to put in a better quality mechanical pump in place of the original (say the original pump was made by crappy pumps Inc and Super Duper Pumps makes a better OEM pump and you use it), then I'd think that to be an upgrade.

I figure the whole idea of stock vs upgrades vs modified is how it affects maintenance and troubleshooting to anyone seeing the truck for the first time. So if you were to walk up to a truck to troubleshoot something not working if anything was different enough to change the troubleshooting process, whatever those changes are would be considered modifications. If the system works to the point where the problem can be troubleshot as if the truck was unchanged from the factory changes within would be considered upgrades.

Okay okay okay.
I'm talking engine wise. Lol
Fuel pump won't make any performance enhancements.

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from my point of view and this is being a navy engineer on gas turbine engines running marine diesel,making my truck last and helping out in diesel shops here on the east cost people seem to get modified and lets take this a step further UPGRADE confuse. stock as already said as is from the factory and replacments parts being oem. modify is simply as taking a air cleaner system lets say modern air box gassers or diesel that use the box at the corner fenderwells. modifying it is as simple as the "swiss cheese" mod. or cutting a hole on the side or top. it hasnt been replace with a upgrade just modify. 12v cummins; fuel plate for example isnt a upgraded fuel pump is just slightly modified. back to air cleaners lets say you retain the air cleaner system, but remove the box and add a cone. the air intake system itself is still stock but with a modified filter so technically its modified. i too consider tuning fuel pumps or adding eletric type pump is consider modifying. modifying in the mechanic world is in a nutshell to me making what you already have better without "upgrading" that perticular system. even the old trick for "5 more hp"removing your fan and adding electric cooling fan instead is consider a mod, but not a upgrade your just changing the point of airflow where a change of radiator is the actual upgrade for cooling your engine. thats how i see it in my 23 year old brain haha

No ones is stock. We have all changed the oil that has come from the factory.

The way I consider stock vs modified. Stock would be utilizing everything that came from the factory to your advantage. Weather that be turning the pump up or doing the soup bowl delete. I would consider it modified if you put a bigger exhaust, bigger pump or injectors, Cold air intake, adding a Turbo to NA, or adding water methanol injection.
But that's just me.

Modify= To make partial changes to.

old thread, but i thought i would chime in...
i have been upgrading and modifying vehicles for a while now.
my take is this...

if you have a truck with OEM equipment, it is stock.

if you used a wrench, and call it modified, you are dead wrong, ITS AN UPGRADE.

now if you use power tools to ( bore machine, grinder, welder) enhance performance, looks, or personality.. IT IS MODIFIED.

its always funny to look at a "modified" vehicle forsale to open the hood only to see its dead stock with a PVC air intake...

IMO a vehicle can only be modified, if you have struck an arc. (jumping your starter solenoid does not count)

my 98 E350, IS STOCK

My 01 F250 with a bumper, lift, new turbo, bigger tires, fuel spring, and stickers, IS UPGRADED.

MY 87 F350 6 door short bed, IS MODIFIED/CUSTOM

hope youre doing well in basic, jasper!

hce said:

No ones is stock. We have all changed the oil that has come from the factory.

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That was actually my first thought too. However, like the tires, or coolant,fuel,brake fluid, etc... These things are not "parts" of the vehicle. They are considered expendable recourses and fall under wear and tear items. The manufacturer would not guarantee or cover these under any warranty. This, I believe, is quite a grey are though. If you replace the worn out tires that came on the truck with the same size, all is well. BUT, if you drastically change the size, the manufacturer will say that you've exceeded manufacturing parameters causing unknown stress on other "parts" and therefore void any warranty. I would assume the same could be said about running 15w-40 in a vehicle rated for 5w-20 or for that matter burning WMO/WVO instead of D2.

As far as stock vs modified/upgraded, I think of it as whether anything has exceeded original design. For example, lets say I advanced the timing on my IP by 4* and turned in the fuel/air screw 2 flats. Other than that no modifications or upgrades had been made. I started having problems and was advised to return the vehicle to stock. What do you think that would imply? Or would I honestly believe that the dealer would honor any warranty if they found that I had done those things?

Quibbles over the definitions of modified and upgraded aside, stock(at least to me) would mean no "PARTS" have exceeded design or been replaced with anything not considered OEM.

Or I could be out of my mind, which is highly possible

In my mind-set, it's as follows:



If the vehicle is near it came from the factory it's stock. Meaning that if I replace the door or tires, or other parts that are equivalent to stock in form and/or function, then it's stock. If I replace the side mirrors on my parent's 98 Grand Marquis with ones from a 99 Crown Vic, it's not a modification because the parts added are from a 'sister car', and serves the same fit-finish and function as the original ones. If you replace the fuel pump with an aftermarket replacement that's basically a 'repop' unit designed to function as stock, then it's 'stock'. Turning up your I.P. IS NOT a modification, it's like changing valve lash, it's using whats there and optimizing it. Replacing your road tires with M+S rated tires of equal size when you like 'off pavement' IS NOT a modification as it's a change made to change the functionality of the vehicle to as-factory intent when used in 'adverse conditions' to what the 'OE' was designed to provide.

'Upgrade' might be interchangeable with modified, but it's not as 'major' a change to what was as-factory, meaning adding sealed-beam Halogens to my 76 Ford Torino to replace the factory 'sealed beams' is an upgrade, as it's designed to improve safety and functionality of the lights, adding DTRL to your truck is an upgrade too, running your lights through a relay is another upgrade, as without it, the risk of fire is higher and the relay can handle more current. I usually look at things changed for safety concerns are 'upgrades'. Like adding a redundant brake-light swith, in-case the primary fails. Also, things like LED dome light conversions are 'upgrades'.

'Modified' would be if I took the stock heads off my 390-4BBL 76 F150 and ported them or replaced them with Edelbrock heads. Parts or changes SPECIFICALLY designed to improve the power, function, or form of the original, but NOT including things like tuning your I.P and adjusting your headlights and changing your road tires for M+S tires is a 'modification'.

'Custom' would be stuff like most here have done, projects designed and built to be better than stock or 'what we want', like putting a 6.9 IDI in a 1984 Ford Bronco II or building your F250 into a 'rail rig' with 44" Super Swampers and Dana 70s with 30" of axle articulation and a four-link air suspension.

79jasper said:

What would you consider stock and what would you consider modified?

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As far as I am concerned, as soon as you replace a major part with a different part that although it performs the equivalent function, is no longer equivalent to the original in form or function, it becomes modified.
Example, replacing a factory 2bbl carb with a 4bbl carb and manifold becomes a modified vehicle, however, replacing a faulty mechanical fuel pump with an electric fuel pump does not become a modified vehicle as it still is performing the intended function without changing the vehicle's behavior or appearance.

Forgot I had this thread.
I agree jwalterus.

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