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  • 1979 - 1995 (Fox, SN95.0, & 2.3L) -General/Talk-

I need ideas for mods

  • Thread starter Thread starter DigitalGhost
  • Start date Start date Jul 11, 2007

DigitalGhost

New Member
Nov 10, 2006
18
2
0
Portland, OR
Jul 11, 2007
#1
  • Jul 11, 2007
  • #1
I just got a new job, which will give me a little extra cash in the next few months. Hopefully enough money to do a few mods to my lx.

I wanted to get:
paint
back in black interior from 50resto
Fenderwell cold air kit
Underdrive pulleys

That's as far as I've gotten so far. What can I do performance wise that gets me the most bang for my buck. I'm on a budget with so much to do and so little cash.
 

jrichker

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Mar 10, 2000
27,512
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234
Dublin GA
Jul 11, 2007
#2
  • Jul 11, 2007
  • #2
Spend your money on something else than a Cold Air Intake kit. The stock setup is as good or better than most and doesn't have the idle surge problems that some CAI kits have.

The underdrive pulleys are another works for some but not for others item. The alternator spins slower , so you might have charging problems. If you live in the city and have really hot summers, you may see some overheating in heavy traffic when you run the A/C.

On a budget? do the junkyard upgrade...

Gears - 87-88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe rear axle - disc brakes and 3.55 or 3.73 gears in one package for $125-$300. Add another $100-$200 or so to complete the brake upgrade.

94-95 Mustang GT MAF - $40-$100. It is 70 MM instead of the stock 55 MM on regular stangs built prior to 94. It uses a slip on duct on the side that goes to the throttle body and a 4 bolt flange on the other. You need a flange adapter to fit the stock slip on air ducting that goes to the air box. Wiring plugs right in with no changes. *1 *2

95-97 Ford Explorer intake manifold & throttle body $150-$300. The intake manifold flows 220 CFM +, much better than stock. Throttle body is 65 MM, bigger than the 60 MM on stock stangs. I got a 96 with EGR passages that match the stock setup, so my smog gear works just like factory. You’ll need a 65 MM EGR spacer & new gaskets for $65-$90 so you have a place to mount the EGR & throttle linkage.

3G alternator from 94-95 Mustangs or other Ford. $20-$120. A must have to make the electrical system work like it should or if you have an electric fan. You’ll need a 4 gauge power wire and a 125-135 amp fuse to go with it about $15- $30.

Lincoln MK VIII electric fan -$40-$160. Free up some HP by not having to drive the stock fan. The 3G alternator upgrade is a must have prerequisite before you do the MK VIII fan. You won’t have enough electrical power if you don’t do the 3G upgrade.

Aluminum driveshaft: (courtesy of shawn13) It needs to be from a 92-93-94 Aerostar AWD and you will need the u-joint, part #353 from NAPA. It should bolt right up after the u-joint swap.

*1.) Metal flange adapter http://www.kustomz.com/cat3.html Buy the TR70 for $44.95. Or spend some time on eBay looking for one that may fit.

*2.) MAF & sensor interchange
The 94-95 Mustang 5.0 MAF & sensor is also found on:
1995-94 Mustang 3.8L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
1994-92 Crown Victoria 4.6L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
1995-94 Mustang, Mustang Cobra 5.0L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
1994-92 Town Car 4.6L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
1994-92 Grand Marquis 4.6L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
Evidently the –A1A, -A2A, AA, etc. on the end of the part number is a minor variant that did not change the operating specs. You should be able to ignore it and have everything work good.
 

blackened88lx

Active Member
Aug 9, 2006
0
4
28
Connecticut
Jul 11, 2007
#3
  • Jul 11, 2007
  • #3
List your current mods please. Oh, and I agree, don't bother with the cold air intake. Underdrives can be a decent power increase, but like stated above they can be a problem for some people.
 

DigitalGhost

New Member
Nov 10, 2006
18
2
0
Portland, OR
Jul 11, 2007
#4
  • Jul 11, 2007
  • #4
jrichker said:
Spend your money on something else than a Cold Air Intake kit. The stock setup is as good or better than most and doesn't have the idle surge problems that some CAI kits have.

The underdrive pulleys are another works for some but not for others item. The alternator spins slower , so you might have charging problems. If you live in the city and have really hot summers, you may see some overheating in heavy traffic when you run the A/C.

On a budget? do the junkyard upgrade...

Gears - 87-88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe rear axle - disc brakes and 3.55 or 3.73 gears in one package for $125-$300. Add another $100-$200 or so to complete the brake upgrade.

94-95 Mustang GT MAF - $40-$100. It is 70 MM instead of the stock 55 MM on regular stangs built prior to 94. It uses a slip on duct on the side that goes to the throttle body and a 4 bolt flange on the other. You need a flange adapter to fit the stock slip on air ducting that goes to the air box. Wiring plugs right in with no changes. *1 *2

95-97 Ford Explorer intake manifold & throttle body $150-$300. The intake manifold flows 220 CFM +, much better than stock. Throttle body is 65 MM, bigger than the 60 MM on stock stangs. I got a 96 with EGR passages that match the stock setup, so my smog gear works just like factory. You’ll need a 65 MM EGR spacer & new gaskets for $65-$90 so you have a place to mount the EGR & throttle linkage.

3G alternator from 94-95 Mustangs or other Ford. $20-$120. A must have to make the electrical system work like it should or if you have an electric fan. You’ll need a 4 gauge power wire and a 125-135 amp fuse to go with it about $15- $30.

Lincoln MK VIII electric fan -$40-$160. Free up some HP by not having to drive the stock fan. The 3G alternator upgrade is a must have prerequisite before you do the MK VIII fan. You won’t have enough electrical power if you don’t do the 3G upgrade.

Aluminum driveshaft: (courtesy of shawn13) It needs to be from a 92-93-94 Aerostar AWD and you will need the u-joint, part #353 from NAPA. It should bolt right up after the u-joint swap.

*1.) Metal flange adapter http://www.kustomz.com/cat3.html Buy the TR70 for $44.95. Or spend some time on eBay looking for one that may fit.

*2.) MAF & sensor interchange
The 94-95 Mustang 5.0 MAF & sensor is also found on:
1995-94 Mustang 3.8L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
1994-92 Crown Victoria 4.6L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
1995-94 Mustang, Mustang Cobra 5.0L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
1994-92 Town Car 4.6L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
1994-92 Grand Marquis 4.6L F2VF-12B579-A2A,
Evidently the –A1A, -A2A, AA, etc. on the end of the part number is a minor variant that did not change the operating specs. You should be able to ignore it and have everything work good.
Click to expand...


Wow. Thanks that gives me quite a shopping list!
 

slvrsn95

New Member
Apr 6, 2005
28
0
1
Jul 11, 2007
#5
  • Jul 11, 2007
  • #5
Yeah jrickher wows me all the time with his info. Priceless. One of the reasons why I love this forum. Sittin here laughing thinking about when someone referred to him as a computer program.
 
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