I know some of you are pry a little bias towards the 94-95 but i figured this would be the best place to ask this one. I am going to buy my first mustang. I live in South Dakota so there aint as many around here as other places. I have found a 99 gt for 9k (can get it for 8k probably). It is basically what i looking for (mainly v8 and a manual) and in good condition. I have been doing some reading and checking out and i think a 99 4.6 is faster than a 94-95 302 stock, but from what i hear the only way to really make any more power with the 4.6 is power adders (supercharging nitrous etc). This is going to be my dd (except for when snowing out thats y i have a 79 f 150 4x4). I think a 302 with h/c/i makes really good power improvements. i want to make good power not looking for 450 rwhp or anything outrageous just a fast reliable car. so i figure if the 94-95 would be better for modding the money i save vs buying a 99+ could be put towards making more power. so what do you guys think 302 or 4.6 mod. also good h/c/i combos and bolt ons for good power at a decent price. thank you
94-95 302 power
- Thread starter Josh79
- Start date
DFG 5OH
Active Member
If you're going to keep it stock, get the 99. If you're going to mod it AT ALL get the 5.0. In the long run, you'll save money, and have a way faster car. And if done right, can be reliable. Do some reasearch, theres about 1,000,000 different H/C/I options, you can pick one to fit your specific needs.
Good Luck!
Good Luck!
95GTV8
New Member
Buy the one you like the most either way your gonna spend alot of cash on her in the long run so make sure its the one you want. You dont want to live your life in envy the 4.6 stock for stock makes more then the 5.0 however parts are cheap and plentiful for the 5.0 and you can make great power with the 5.0.
OR
you can do what i did have em both best of both worlds..........
OR
you can do what i did have em both best of both worlds..........
IMO it all depends on exactly how much money you wish to spend. A '94-95 5 speed coupe will run around a 14.8 at 93mph stock, and a 99-up will run around a 14 flat at 98-99mph stock. A H/C/I setup will cost roughly the same a power adder for the mod motor'd car, but more than likely the mod motor will be a bit quicker. If you would have asked me 2 months ago I would have said hands down the 94-95 would be the better choice, but I have seen what the mod stuff can do and I'm VERY impressed... VERY.
95GTV8
New Member
bimmertech said:
my next car will be a 01 bullit. just to add to this, if you total up a typical h/c/i on a 5.0 vs a ported heads/cam 4.6(sohc) the price is very similar, as is rwhp.
My mom has an '01 Bullitt. With NOTHING more than my old 26X10.5X16 ET streets and a K&N air filter I ran a 13.5 at 101mph, and this was at our home track which is about 2 tenths and 2mph slower than other tracks I have run at.
Agreed with Bimmertech.
Here's another way to think about it. An HCI install is really a pretty invasive install. You are pulling the timing cover, intake manifold and heads. There are a lot of gaskets you are disturbing and replacing. And there is plenty that can go wrong along the way. Not that you can't do it without a hitch. I'm totaly green at car mods, and I did my own HCI install this summer.
But the way you are describing what you are looking for, I would seriously consider the 99. And get a Vortech SC kit. That will put you probably right where your power goal is, and would be a comparatively easy install.
Here's another way to think about it. An HCI install is really a pretty invasive install. You are pulling the timing cover, intake manifold and heads. There are a lot of gaskets you are disturbing and replacing. And there is plenty that can go wrong along the way. Not that you can't do it without a hitch. I'm totaly green at car mods, and I did my own HCI install this summer.
But the way you are describing what you are looking for, I would seriously consider the 99. And get a Vortech SC kit. That will put you probably right where your power goal is, and would be a comparatively easy install.
greenlantern
Member
I drove both before I bought mine. I drove the 5.0 first and then the 99GT. IMO the 5.0 just felt faster. I know it was pobably the torque that won me over because I know that in the 1/4 stock for stock the 4.6 is supposed to be faster.
Honestly you can't go wrong with either but the aftermarket for the 4.6 will never be able to catch up to the aftermarket for the 5.0. On top of that there much easier to work on.
Honestly you can't go wrong with either but the aftermarket for the 4.6 will never be able to catch up to the aftermarket for the 5.0. On top of that there much easier to work on.
84convertablegt
New Member
id say go with the 99, spend another 5 grand on a kenne bell (nice on mod motors) and go hand out with the 03 cobras. i personally chose a 5.0 recently over a 4.6 because of ease of working on them. (i dont know sh*^ about mods).
Find a 32v slap a blower on it and hold on.....But for a DD a 99 has a slight advantage being that it body and parts are new, so it's less likely to need parts replaced (bushings, shocks, struts, ect, ect). Mod vs. Mod 5.0 all the way cheaper to build and any body with some automotive know how can put togther. Mod motors arn't as simple to pull apart/rebuild as the 5.0 is.
Methodical
15 Year Member
In my Opinion - and its just that - my opinion. I would buy a 5.0 (cheaper) and use the money saved to either do the H/C/I or blower or both plus other supporting parts. But I don't know much about the 4.6s either except there are not alot of aftermarket parts and the ones that do exist is very expensive even down to the exhaust system.
Do a side by side cost comparison on spreadsheet. What I mean by this is price the 5.0 and any mods you think you would do and do the same for the 4.6, then compare the two. Put it on paper that way you can see the numbers and not be swayed by 100s of opinions. Believe me it's much easier to see reality than to hear about it. Just One Man's Opinion. Peace
Do a side by side cost comparison on spreadsheet. What I mean by this is price the 5.0 and any mods you think you would do and do the same for the 4.6, then compare the two. Put it on paper that way you can see the numbers and not be swayed by 100s of opinions. Believe me it's much easier to see reality than to hear about it. Just One Man's Opinion. Peace
wytstang said:
I'd have to go along with wytstang on this one. The old 5.0 is going to be very much like the engine in your '79 pickup. A lot of people have experience in working on the pushrod v8's of the world. Not so with the modular family. If you want a detailed build-up (H,C, I) go 5.0. If you just want to bolt-on parts, go with the modular. It's just personal preference, but I'd go 5.0, just because I already know how to work on it.
Let us know how your search works out and good luck!
Phil
95COBRA241
New Member
Thats a vey tough question. Also you don't say how much the 94-95 will cost you. If its 5,500 and you can put the additional 2,500 into it I'd do it. ortherwise for a DD you might be better off with the newer '99 GT.
well one thing is i havent seen a nice 94-95 around here yet and the 99 is nice and the infiniti dealer wants to get it off the lot before the snow flies it looks like as they have dropped 2k off of the price. no matter what car i get it will be modded slowly as i do not have a lot of money saved up and i will be getting a loan for the car. i was figuring if i got the 99 to put exhaust, gears and maybe short throw shifter on it first. i was a little weary of having a supercharger on a dd but i have realized that there are some good realiable ones out there that would work well. i do not go to a track or anything as i live in a fairly small town so it will just be my badass dd. luckily there are not too many ricers here (there is one cocky kid in a ****ty civic and i mean ****ty) but quite a few cocky chevy guys running around, but i have handed there ass to some of them in my heavy old truck. so right now i think i am going to check out the 99 and keep eyes open for a nice 94-95 that is a steal. thanks for the help guys i really appreciate it especially since it is a broad subjective topic.
BurningRubber
10 Year Member
- Dec 6, 2004
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I know this is getting off topic, but I agree with greenlantern. I've driven a 95 GT 5spd, and a 99 GT 5 spd, the 5.0 wouldnt hesitate to burn all the way through first just leaving off idle then procede to pull nice all the way to about 5k, then the 99 GT wich I thought would be so much faster didnt spin at all till it hit nearly 4k rpm, then it broke loose and pulled alot higher than the 5.0. It must be the instant torque of the 5.0, cause on the track the 4.6 is faster. Then I drove a non-pi (96-98) GT w/72k and was wondering where all the power was. Not a lot of off the line torque, and it only pulled a little as the RPM shot up. Then I recently drove a high milege non-pi GT with just exhaust, and it pulled alot harder than the first one, but not as hard as the 5.0.. I will give the 4.6 as being one of the most smoothe motors ive seen.
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