2009 GT performance mods.

John_Rocky321 · Jun 5, 2019

I have a stock 2009 California GT. I want to make it a bit faster. I don’t do any track driving. It’s my semi daily driver. Whatever I do I want to be able to drive around with my ac on with no trouble.

If I have about $3000 to spend what is the best bang for the buck?

If I’m at a red light with a car that wants to race, I want my car to be quicker.

What’s the best way to spend $3000?

Thanks.

MeyHam413 · Jun 12, 2019

This is a late response and I apologize because I opened the account today. Sooo technically I didn’t exist when you’re question came out. Anyway “depending on your state.” You can get a lot of mods that can heavily modify your car. I can’t guarantee specific horsepower numbers but I can guarantee significant gains if you want to blow your entire $3000.00 on it (worth it).
If you’re in a state that has loose or unenforced smog laws you can go what is called the off road route. This means you buy a bunch of dumb that makes it hella loud and you can be lazy and just buy what looks cool. I’m assuming by you’re original post you don’t want that. So to stay legal, me being in California I’m experienced in that route.

STARTER MODS:
1.) Cold Air Intake (CAI): Some Legal in CA
2.) Tune (BAMA, LUND, etc.): Not legal in CA
3.) CAT Back Exhaust: Legal AF
= approximately $1,000.00 (without labor)

If you get the exhaust, you won’t gain any more horsepower, nor with an Intake. And most intakes “REQUIRE” a tune so you don’t f*ck your car up with all that extra air being pumped in.
If you find a CAI with no tune required you won’t get gain any real horsepower and a tune required CAI still won’t get you horsepower either so I’m assuming it’s a sound mod for the most part. Lol. The Tuner is where you get the HP gains. You should see about a 25hp gain at the wheels which is about 50hp to the motor (from 315hp to 365ish) if you get the specific 91-93 octane “Race” Tune and obviously depending on your tuner. (91 vs 93 doesn’t really matter that much maybe 5hp)

***WARNING: Flash Tuners are 15hp gains
“Custom Email Tune(er)” are the bigger 25hp gains.*** and both are the same price $400! WTF!!??

4.) Intake Manifolds: Illegal in CA
5.) Throttle Body Spacer: Legal in CA
6.) X pipe/H-pipe Half are Legal in CA
= about $1500 (without labor or tax)

At this point you’re pumping way to much air in your engine and will break your car if you don’t tune it. Especially if you remove your catalytic converters. I wouldn’t do it. You’re not getting any real horsepower if you remove them. That’s just scavenging (don’t ask) and that’s so minimal only a very very skilled driver would actually find that useful. So if you now you’re at about $2500.00 before labor. Most you can install yourself, but the H/X Pipe would be most difficult but the rest you could handle with some garage tools and your jack in the trunk. Someone will probably talk to you about Long Tube header and Shorty Headers, but those bitches take like 8 hours (4 hours... those assholes) to install, so I tried to stay under your budget if you had a professional installing those parts.

The last $500.00 will be for your ticket. I hope this helps... Enjoy!

P.S not an expert just trying to help.

John_Rocky321 · Jun 12, 2019

I appreciate your whole response. The part I appreciate the most is you leaving me $500 to pay Ticketss, very thoughtful. Lol.

I live in Las Vegas but my vehicle is registered out of the city that does not require any smog or inspection of any kind.

All the things you mentioned I was thinking about I just want to make sure I wasn’t missing something that maybe was a better way to spend money.

I’m obviously not trying to build a race car, I would like something that sounds good and is a little faster than a stock 2009 mustang. But I’m old and I want to drive around with my air conditioning on as well. So it still needs to be somewhat of a daily driver

Everything you mentioned sounds like it is still compatible with daily driving

Funny you mention California because I do drive to California often in this car. I have seen on different television shows that the cops out there are pulling people over and giving them tickets for altered exhaust.

I saw a video somewhere of a guy in a Lamborghini getting pulled over in California . His Lamborghini was mechanically 100% stock and they still gave him a ticket for altered exhaust. He had stock exhaust on his Lamborghini

MeyHam413 said:
This is a late response and I apologize because I opened the account today. Sooo technically I didn’t exist when you’re question came out. Anyway “depending on your state.” You can get a lot of mods that can heavily modify your car. I can’t guarantee specific horsepower numbers but I can guarantee significant gains if you want to blow your entire $3000.00 on it (worth it).
If you’re in a state that has loose or unenforced smog laws you can go what is called the off road route. This means you buy a bunch of dumb that makes it hella loud and you can be lazy and just buy what looks cool. I’m assuming by you’re original post you don’t want that. So to stay legal, me being in California I’m experienced in that route.

STARTER MODS:
1.) Cold Air Intake (CAI): Some Legal in CA
2.) Tune (BAMA, LUND, etc.): Not legal in CA
3.) CAT Back Exhaust: Legal AF
= approximately $1,000.00 (without labor)

If you get the exhaust, you won’t gain any more horsepower, nor with an Intake. And most intakes “REQUIRE” a tune so you don’t f*ck your car up with all that extra air being pumped in.
If you find a CAI with no tune required you won’t get gain any real horsepower and a tune required CAI still won’t get you horsepower either so I’m assuming it’s a sound mod for the most part. Lol. The Tuner is where you get the HP gains. You should see about a 25hp gain at the wheels which is about 50hp to the motor (from 315hp to 365ish) if you get the specific 91-93 octane “Race” Tune and obviously depending on your tuner. (91 vs 93 doesn’t really matter that much maybe 5hp)

***WARNING: Flash Tuners are 15hp gains
“Custom Email Tune(er)” are the bigger 25hp gains.*** and both are the same price $400! WTF!!??

4.) Intake Manifolds: Illegal in CA
5.) Throttle Body Spacer: Legal in CA
6.) X pipe/H-pipe Half are Legal in CA
= about $1500 (without labor or tax)

At this point you’re pumping way to much air in your engine and will break your car if you don’t tune it. Especially if you remove your catalytic converters. I wouldn’t do it. You’re not getting any real horsepower if you remove them. That’s just scavenging (don’t ask) and that’s so minimal only a very very skilled driver would actually find that useful. So if you now you’re at about $2500.00 before labor. Most you can install yourself, but the H/X Pipe would be most difficult but the rest you could handle with some garage tools and your jack in the trunk. Someone will probably talk to you about Long Tube header and Shorty Headers, but those bitches take like 8 hours (4 hours... those assholes) to install, so I tried to stay under your budget if you had a professional installing those parts.

The last $500.00 will be for your ticket. I hope this helps... Enjoy!

P.S not an expert just trying to help.

MeyHam413 said:
This is a late response and I apologize because I opened the account today. Sooo technically I didn’t exist when you’re question came out. Anyway “depending on your state.” You can get a lot of mods that can heavily modify your car. I can’t guarantee specific horsepower numbers but I can guarantee significant gains if you want to blow your entire $3000.00 on it (worth it).
If you’re in a state that has loose or unenforced smog laws you can go what is called the off road route. This means you buy a bunch of dumb that makes it hella loud and you can be lazy and just buy what looks cool. I’m assuming by you’re original post you don’t want that. So to stay legal, me being in California I’m experienced in that route.

STARTER MODS:
1.) Cold Air Intake (CAI): Some Legal in CA
2.) Tune (BAMA, LUND, etc.): Not legal in CA
3.) CAT Back Exhaust: Legal AF
= approximately $1,000.00 (without labor)

If you get the exhaust, you won’t gain any more horsepower, nor with an Intake. And most intakes “REQUIRE” a tune so you don’t f*ck your car up with all that extra air being pumped in.
If you find a CAI with no tune required you won’t get gain any real horsepower and a tune required CAI still won’t get you horsepower either so I’m assuming it’s a sound mod for the most part. Lol. The Tuner is where you get the HP gains. You should see about a 25hp gain at the wheels which is about 50hp to the motor (from 315hp to 365ish) if you get the specific 91-93 octane “Race” Tune and obviously depending on your tuner. (91 vs 93 doesn’t really matter that much maybe 5hp)

***WARNING: Flash Tuners are 15hp gains
“Custom Email Tune(er)” are the bigger 25hp gains.*** and both are the same price $400! WTF!!??

4.) Intake Manifolds: Illegal in CA
5.) Throttle Body Spacer: Legal in CA
6.) X pipe/H-pipe Half are

MeyHam413 · Jun 12, 2019

No problem at all! My car is a commuter and I’m comfortable about my tune and exhaust mods. I have an Race Tune which and it’s is a little more aggressive at the low RPM range but if the best balance is Performance Tune. You should get the most from that. Before dumping all you’re money. Lol. I return to stock for smog though. Being a CA resident.

Oh and please I cannot stress this enough. California is not as bad as television and internet make it seem when it comes to smog and exhaust laws. If you enjoy visiting do it. If you get pulled over it’s probably by a jerk or a rookie. CHP in the Urban Area rarely rarely rarely bother car enthusiast. Or even look at us for that matter. We have a huge car community here and CHP is more focused on the ******* with expired tags, drunk drivers, and someone speeding in a slow car. Because it takes so long to go fast they had to have been speeding for a really long time. Hahaha.
And I apologize if I posted like 15 times. I have no idea why it did that.

2009 GT performance mods.

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