They say don’t mess with it if it isn’t broken. This straightforward build of a 2006 Honda Ridgeline RTL puts that advice into practice. Honda’s foray into the truck realm seems to have tapped into something big: that some people really want their truck to be more like a big, spacious car. Those people, for whatever reason, like the idea of driving a truck, but deep down they prefer something more comfortable and more refined. That is exactly what the Honda Ridgeline delivers. 

So when Buddy Rice, Honda and Fesler Built started talking about customizing a Ridgeline, the conversation didn’t involve an all-out overhaul. Instead the team wanted to rely on the designed-in features that have made the Ridgeline so popular.     

In the summer of 2005, Buddy Rice–you know him from his Indy 500 win in 2004–approached Honda and Fesler with the idea of building his Ridgeline and taking it to SEMA. The timeline was short. By the time the team got started, there was less than a month to go before the Las Vegas event. Fortunately, the build plan was relatively straightforward. The goal was to showcase the Ridgeline and its versatility without making significant or complicated alterations. Buddy’s fully loaded truck was already equipped with some of the goodies the Fesler team typically installs, including an in-dash CD changer and navigation system with an 8-inch touch screen. 

Much has been said about the Ridgeline driving like an Accord, with light steering and car-like, smooth handling. Two of the factors contributing to the truck’s sedan-like ride are its unique unibody construction and the independent rear suspension. Capitalizing on the Ridgeline’s already nimble feel, the Fesler team chose to install an Eibach Sport System. The Eibach springs further improved the Ridgeline’s cornering ability while providing the added visual benefit of a lowered stance. Tucked underneath the newly lowered body is a set of 22-inch wheels and tires. The chrome KMC Dimes wrapped in Dunlop rubber added a touch of shine to the truck’s exterior. 

The Ridgeline’s big exterior punch, however, comes from the custom, two-tone paint. Fesler selected four BASF colors for the job: a bold red orange, jet black, royal blue and silver. The red orange wraps around the lower half of the truck’s body, while the upper half is solid black. A blue pinstripe covers the seam between the two main colors, running from the driver’s-side headlight, down the body, around the liftgate, across the passenger’s side of the body to the edge of the other headlight. The silver was used to outline and define the blue pinstripe. A final touch is the black tint on the windows, which seem to disappear next to the jet-black paint.       

One unusual exterior accessory that the team incorporated was the custom-built Honda CRF50 pro bike sitting in the truck’s bed. Courtesy of Red Baron Racing, the bike is built with racing equipment and painted to match the Ridgeline. Red Baron, based in Phoenix, supplies performance racing products such as frames, shocks, springs and brakes for mini bikes. Normally an aftermarket bedliner would be necessary to protect the truck from nicks and scratches caused by the bike or other cargo, but not so with the Ridgeline. Its steel-reinforced composite cargo bed already resists dents and corrosion, so there’s no need for a bedliner.    

The Ridgeline is powered by a 255hp 3.5-liter, 24-valve, VTEC aluminum V-6 that produces 252 lb-ft of torque. Since the truck was being built for a Honda display, the team was motivated to show off the engine bay the way Honda designed it. The only performance upgrade the truck received was the installation of a MagnaFlow stainless steel after-cat exhaust. MagnaFlow’s polished stainless steel tip adds a simple, classy touch to the exterior as well.

On the inside of the Ridgeline, the goal was to add some entertainment features without disrupting the flow and space of the truck’s interior. The Ridgeline has enough cabin space to seat five adults, and Buddy wanted to keep it that way. Fesler decided to use the headrests and the space beneath the rear bench seat to hold the extra audio and video components. The updated system was built off the in-dash, six-disc changer and source unit that comes on the Ridgeline RTL. To this the team added two Pioneer subwoofers, a Pioneer amplifier and Vizualogic headrest monitors. The 12-inch Premier SPL component subwoofers, rated at 3,000 watts maximum power, are designed to deliver both big bass performance and detailed sound quality. Two of these are installed in a ?carpet-covered enclosure mounted under the rear seat. The same enclosure also holds the Pioneer Premier amp.   

To keep the backseat passengers entertained, the Ridgeline is also set up with two headrest monitors. Vizualogic PerfectMatch headrests match OEM headrests flawlessly, down to the stitching. The only part of the Vizualogic headrest that doesn’t match OEM is the 7-inch, flush-mounted screen. It’s almost a foolproof upgrade, and one that your passengers will appreciate. 

Once finished, the truck was used for display, and then Buddy began using it for his own personal use, just as you would expect from any personalized pickup.