kid on a budget - what mods should i do

if you are considering tranny upgrades such as a shift kit you might as well get a new better valve body and other upgrades that will strengthen the tranny...as well as a torque converter...but do all that at once so you don't have to pay extra for the mechanic to drop your tranny everytime you want to do tranny upgrades...I recommend Transgo shift kit, lentech valve body, might as well get some tranny rebuild kit and a nothing less than a 3000RPM stall converter...3.73's with AOD are O.K but 4.10 would be better...Honestly if you can find someone to do a 5 speed swap for you it would save you a s*it load of $$$ and the car would feel faster even with a bult up AOD...I'm speaking from experience here now. Although I think with just basic bolt ons such as headers and a whole catback and some gears, your AOD will be fine unless it is a very high milage car.
 
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no one has thought of this but gears cost around 190 and the labor is at least 6 hundred dollars and unless you can do a converter yourself that is alot of money in labor. if i was in your shoes i would get the 4.10s a good shift kit, an off road h or x pipe and a good sounding catback, and some good subframe connectors, that still leaves you some money for a cold air intake and some puleys. since you dont plan on bieng a hardcore drag race some decent street tires should be fine.
 
90lxcoupe you have NO IDEA what you are talking about bro. its not 600$ to put on gears. If you think that, then you got screwed. Its 350$ total with my mechanic. It costs 200$ for gears so thats 150$ labor. Not to mention i just saw an add for gears for 139$ which means it should be around 300$
 
I paid 300 for a gear install, including gears. Real good price I would say.

Anyway, I would def. do the gears, and either an aod to t5 swapor build up your aod with a shift kit and a better torque converter. Then I would get subframes next, followed by the exhaust. Pulleys then perhaps, or a tmoss ported lower would work well also. Depending on money, maybe some ported heads??? Oh yeah, you are going to need some tires to get the power to the ground without spinning like crazy.
 
90lxcoupe said:
no one has thought of this but gears cost around 190 and the labor is at least 6 hundred dollars and unless you can do a converter yourself that is alot of money in labor. if i was in your shoes i would get the 4.10s a good shift kit, an off road h or x pipe and a good sounding catback, and some good subframe connectors, that still leaves you some money for a cold air intake and some puleys. since you dont plan on bieng a hardcore drag race some decent street tires should be fine.

holly crap please don't tell me you paid 600 beans for a gear install that a fricking ripoff, usually range from 190-300bux at the most for the labor, and about 160-180 for the gears themselves.
 
bmo37 said:
holly crap please don't tell me you paid 600 beans for a gear install that a fricking ripoff, usually range from 190-300bux at the most for the labor, and about 160-180 for the gears themselves.

Gears themselves are $180...but than you have to get a shim kit and all that other stuff which is like another $100...labor I paid $400.00 so gears almost cost me $700.00...That is one thing I don't know how to do my self.
 
wow both you guys got the shaft in that deal, my install was 275 included everything to install gears, new speedo gear, oil, shims, etc. Plus the gears were 170. total comes to 445 for install and labor together and i thought that was alot by some peoples standards around here. I also took it to jimmy laroccas (2002 efi renegade champ) shop to be done so it was done by pros too. I guess some places around the country the price varies but no way would i pay 5,6, or 700 bux for a gear install ever.
 
bmo37 said:
wow both you guys got the shaft in that deal, my install was 275 included everything to install gears, new speedo gear, oil, shims, etc. Plus the gears were 170. total comes to 445 for install and labor together and i thought that was alot by some peoples standards around here. I also took it to jimmy laroccas (2002 efi renegade champ) shop to be done so it was done by pros too. I guess some places around the country the price varies but no way would i pay 5,6, or 700 bux for a gear install ever.

Man I hate you! LOL! Why are all the reputable Mustang experts in the N.Y area? I shouldn't complain...Chicago's has them as well but...You actually got that done pretty cheap especially if Larocca did it for you...The closest I ever got to Larocca was to have Jimmy C. confirming my setup. Yeah I overpaid but at least I know I got it done right...
 
lol yeah its really a battle of the east coast and the west, nuttin in between, well I think rick anderson is central, I heard of guys having gears installed in like buttcrack iowa for 100 bux or a a case of beer. so it all depends on who you goto and where your located.
 
bmo37 said:
holly crap please don't tell me you paid 600 beans for a gear install that a fricking ripoff, usually range from 190-300bux at the most for the labor, and about 160-180 for the gears themselves.

i didnt pay that my car had gears when i bought it, two of my friends had gears done and one paid 400 fo labor and 100 for the bearings and shims and the other said it cost hom 600 cause he had to get his trac-lok rebuilt.