Modification Survey Thread

ok so now i'm getting somewhere!

99 mustang was a V6 automatic
mark VIII swap 4.6 dohc
01 gt T-45
03 cobra 1" eichbach lowering springs
cobra upper and lower intake
01 cobra catless H-pipe
01 cobra headers
96 gt stage 2 clutch
96 gt aluminum flywheel
3:73 gears
96 cobra ecm
09 mustang gt wheels
03 gt black headlights
saleen side exhaust
00 gt hydro boost
deleted all o2 sensors
I ACTUALLY HAVE A MUSTANG NOW NOT A WUSTANG!!!! sorry V6 owners

My cars kinda stock but whatever..

JLT CAI--kinda a pain in the a$$ to install but it looks good. some perf gains but notmuch
accufab throttle body--easy to installl and barely any perf gains. not so much.
SLP longtube headers with catted xpipe and magnaflow magnapacks--longtubes are a bit*h to install. im not even saying that for the fun of it. if you dont have a hoist then your pretty much screwed. everything else was kinda easy to install.=] some perf gains. kinda felt them.
UPR short throw--to anyone with a stock shifter, go out and purchase a short throw. tighter shifts and you barely miss any gears
4.10's--screw gas milage. get them. thats all i need to say
upr k-member with coil overs and tubular control arms--really hard to install without a hoist. shaves some weight off the front end. kit is less than $700 so i would recommend it.
aluminum driveshaft--cheap mod. didnt really feel a difference but i would reccomend it. but please dont pay someone $80 or so to put it on for you. crawl under your car and get the 4 bolts. stop being lazy.
2003 cobra 10th anniversary front/rear brakes--better stoping. really easy to install. i would recommend them.
Zex 125 shot of juice..wet--really usefull if a ricer or someone wants to race you. kinda hard to install but whatever its definently worth it. only cost $550 or so.

also im only 16 and my dad and i installed everything on my car besides the 4.10 gears...by ourselves. if we can do it then im sure everyone else can. stop paying people to put your crap on your cars. waste of money!!

Hello, First post here. Copied Burning Rubber's format.

2002 Mustang GT just hit 40k miles

Black on Black on Black on Black!


Cosmetics
-Smoked Headlights with Luminics 9007 Light Bulbs
-White Face Gauges
-Steeda race Pedals
-Tint


Wheels and Tires!

-Nitto NT555 245/40-18 up front -
-Nitto NT555 285/35-18 out back - No traction problems
-Mustang 18x9 & 18x10 Black Bullit deep dish wheels

Drivetrain

-Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter Love it
-FRPP 3.73 gears - Choose these over 4.10 as i wasnt sure what forced induction to go with
-FRPP Aluminum Drive Shaft - hmm, it works... i guess

Performance

-JLT CAI - Pain in the ASS as filter is below the car and the 4" tube is HUGE and rubs on my oil cap
-Accufab Plenum - Great gain
-Accufab 75mm TB - Great Gain
-Steeda UD Pulleys - Pain in the ASS install for me. MY friend and I dam near had to tap the crankshaft bolt as we over-tightened the crank pulley so bad...
-Steeda Timing Adjuster - Set @ 13 and not sure if this is where its supposed to be as i think the breenspeed tune adjusted the timing in the tune so.. are they both working together or....
-MAC Long Tube Headers - Had a shop install
-MAC Pro Chamber
-MAC Cat Back - Almost went with full borla but something told me to go with MAC. Glad i did as in a recent review in a mustang mag they tested around 10 separate setups on a stock 2v and the MAC dominated all other setups by at least 10hp on the dyno.

-MSD Coil Packs - Works good with a tune for them
-Brisk Plugs - Ordered these from steeda and they only shipped me half of the plugs.. i didn't want to wait to test out my new MSD so i went and bought boshe until the other plugs came in.. car ran like **** with boshe and then ran perfect with brisk. threw the boshe away!
-SCT LiveWire - i hate this dam thing.. I am a computer engineer and had problems with updating this POS. SCT's website sucks as well.

-Tuned by BreenSpeed - Good guys over there


Brakes
-Cobra Front & Rear upgrade with 13" Brembo Plain Rotors and steel braided lines


And last but not least, about 3 grand in stereo equipment.

Sold my Ducati so i have 8 grand to play with right now

Debating 4 grand in suspension and then the new trick flow heads with comp cam's and the track heat intake for a N/a build.. Or 4 grand for a built bottom end and 4 grand for a tork tech blower.. i just don't know and need some advise please.

Macksta...you should go with some suspension stuff. keep it mild to about like $1500-$2000 or so but definently get a k-member(I have a UPR and they are awsome and cheap=]). and then buy a blower. the tork tech would be the most bang for the buck...they would produce more hp than the heads, intake, cams, etc.

you dont necessarily need a built bottom end you have 40k miles...get the suspension taken care of, clutch, fuel and rear end so you dont twist your axles with all the power you plan to throw at it. then purchase the blower....then when the time comes when your engine blows get the bottom end and the ported heads/cams.

Thank you for the help.

I am looking at this...
MM Road and Track Box - For 02-04 GT Coupe - StangSuspension.com

Is this a good start?

Suspension is way too complicated to purchase IMO so any and all recommendations are welcome. All these suspension packages have the same parts in them so i want to make sure i get the right starter package.

FYI this car is 100% daily driven.

Thanks

01 mustang gt

All these mods are listed in order as installed.

3.73 gears
already installed when ca was purchased

flow master cat back and bbk offroad x-pipes
This was the easiest install of everything. maybe took me about 30-45 min for each.

BBK UD PULLIES
very easy install, no power gains felt but frees up the motor requireing less hp needed to turn pullies.

Steeda tri-ax shifter
Another very simple install, this shifter does great on reduceing the travel to each gear and i personally love the feel of it.

BBK 75MM THROTTLE BODY
realy liked this mod jus cuz its simple and increases you throttle response as well as mid range gains(high gains if you have a power adder)

C&L plenum
bigger, ported and polished inlet i felt the difference. easy bolt on.

vortech v-3 si trim supercharger
LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT. install was very simple and straight forward. fineshed it in about 3 days.

STAGE 3 SPEC CLUTCH AND BBK ADJUSTABLE CLUTHC CABLE AND ALUMINUM QUATRANT
i like this clutch alot, its strong but still very streetable, only side affect is a big left leg. ( If you dont know much about pulling or stabin trannys or have little experience i would not recomend doing this install yourself) The clutch cable and quadrant install was a breeze... took around 20 min.

1998 Cobra Coupe

Ok, so I just joined after visiting the forum over a couple years, and here's what I've got, in chronological order.

3.73 Gears :: Ok, don't shoot me, I know 3.73s are wrong for 32V cars. They were already on the car when I bought it, so I have no comparison to a stock cobra, but it seems to pull pretty well. I also don't have the problem I have heard about, of being stuck at the end of the 1/4 between gears, because I'm in Denver, so I don't rev as high, due to less power, so they actually work well.

Pro5.0 shifter :: Another mod that was on the car when I bought it. I have driven a number of stock mustangs though, and I know it shifts MUCH better, but I don't like the handle design. It is laid back too much, whereas I would prefer it be more upright for comfort.

Steeda adjustable clutch cable, firewall adjuster and clutch quadrant :: Ok, had this installed when the stock clutch gave out shortly after I bought the car, and the pilot bearing grenaded. Good: The clutch was finally adjusted correctly, so I could actually change gears without grinding gears. Bad: There is no pedal stop built into the car, so the pedal rattles a little bit. Steeda has made a stop to fix that, but I have been lazy and haven't gotten it yet.

No-Name muffler shop X-merge and exhaust :: Last bit that was already installed when I bought the car. Previous owner had a muffler shop weld on an X junction behind the stock cats, and remove the mufflers. Does it improve power? Possibly, there's no mufflers. Does it improve sound? Oddly enough, it sounds fantastic. Wish he would have just bought a high flow catted X instead...

BFG Traction T/A 245/45-17 front BFG g-Force T/A kdws 275/40-17 Rears :: Hey, I live in Colorado and we do get freak snowstorms in July, so I wanted to make sure I could at least get home if that happened. The car came with 2 different kinds of tires on it...and the guy rotated them, so there were 2 pirellis on the pass. side, 2 continentals on the drivers side. Aside from fixing what I thought was an alignment issue, they seem to grip fairly well, but are a little slippery at the track. That could have been due to lack of experience with the car too, though, but overall they work well for what they are. Next tires will be much more performance oriented, for sure. Something like a Falken RT-615 or Nitto NT05s.

Now for the new stuff...
Fresh engine :: Ok, I spun a bearing...2 years ago, and finally got it put back together. I didn't do much more than a stock rebuild (seasonal work + new child + being a college student = not much money for forged rods, pistons, ported heads, etc), but I did do some cleaning up of the intake and head ports of any extra flash that could interrupt airflow. Compared to where it was a year ago, HUGE power gain, instead of a 1 mp(manpower), it's back to the stock 305ish hp. haha, bad joke, I know.

Moto-blue underdrive pulleys :: Installed with the rebuild. Crank pulley is SFI approved, is about 3lbs lighter than stock, and of course, is underdriven. Seems to be a very well made unit. Water pump pulley is also slightly smaller, and a bit lighter as well. I didn't install the alternator pulley, namely because I don't like the idea of slowing the alternator down even more. They might free up a couple hp, but I'd never know it.

Screamin' Demon Coil Packs and Livewires :: New engine needed new plug wires, so why not upgrade the coil packs at the same time? Advertised that you can increase spark plug gap to .065", so theoretically should increase power and efficiency. These came highly recommended from a friend who had them. Seems to idle smoother than before the engine blew, not sure if this is the reason or not...

C&L 85mm MAF and Trueflow Intake :: Agree with everyone else whole-heartedly. After the break-in period for the engine, it seems to pull better at higher RPMs than the old engine did. Does make an increased noise, possibly indicating more flow, but SOTP says it pulls harder, up high.

Fidanza Aluminum Flywheel :: I have used a lightweight flywheel on other cars with nothing but great things to say, so I did the same with this car. Unlike on my other cars that had them, there has been no downsides to this flywheel. The car doesn't need to be given any more gas to take off from a stop than before, but the engine definitely accelerates quicker, especially as the revs increase. With the stock flywheel previous, the revs wouldn't climb much on a powershift, but with this, it noticeably revs up.

SCT SF3 Flash Tuner :: I bought this in a package with the UDPs, but waited to install any custom tunes until the engine was past the break-in point. So far, I just have a pre-loaded tune installed, but I will be getting a custom tune made shortly. The engine seems to have idled even smoother after the tune, and has picked up quite a bit in the mid RPM range. I've been searching the forums to find what other end-users are changing (add timing, add/subtract fuel?), but haven't found anything thus far.

I hope to get it on the dyno sometime before winter, and get to the track to see how it runs, and compare it to my first set of runs. Just for reference, I ran it a month after I bought it, with very little experience with this car, bad clutch, being unable to shift above 3000rpm from 1-2, and ran a best of 15.264 and 94.39mph. Yeah yeah yeah, I can't drive...I figured that out already, I had a 2.37 60'.

Pro 5.0 short throw shifter - A cinch to install and makes the car much more fun to drive. You get into gear much faster than your stock throw buddies...

K&N CAI - Another easy, 30 minute install for the wannabee modder like me. Definitely felt the difference, and an increase in gas mileage helps make this mod worth it.

Steeda U/D Pulleys - Fairly easy install, except that you need to get a 3-bolt puller. I changed out my belt while I was at it and the car seems to run much more smoothly. Couldn't really feel the advertised HP, but I'm definitely seeing the increased gas mileage (along the lines of 2 mpg). Make sure to read the directions on proper torquing of the crankshaft pulley or you'll get a "Service Engine Soon" light.

70mm TB/75mm Plenum - Got the Professional Products versions and put them on at the same time. Simple 60 minute install and throttle response improved noticeably. Maybe slight gains on the SotP meter but I need to get it dyno'd.

clutch

is there any way to adjust my clutch cable on my 2004 gt

Hey Y’all, the car is a 2004 MACH 1 with 38K. I did all the work myself with no lift, and I’m kinda a perfectionist so the times might be longer than others. This is my 4th mustang… and it’s a keeper!

ROUSH BODY KIT - By far the easiest kit I ever installed. It was put together as money allowed I didn’t want a half @$$ed looking car, so once the parts were professionally painted it took 4 to 5 hours to install. $900.00 (TIP) Double sided tape works great for the first season, but will start to let loose and the kit will start to come apart. I recently applied clear windshield adhesive to secure the pieces. Make sure you have something strong to hold the pieces together while it dries. I used large wood clamps. This adhesive works well as long as you don’t want to take them off anytime soon.

C-PILLAR LOUVERS - Designed after the late 60’s with a modern look. Really dresses up the back end and gives it a very mean look! They are made of a composite plastic and took some trimming to make it fit like factory. It was as easy as lick and stick 2 hours max, I had them professionally painted and used the windshield adhesive to get them to stick. $400.00

ROUSH SIDE EXHAUST (Cat Back) - Made from 2 ¼ stainless steal and custom tips to fit the body kit, everything needed was included, hardware and all came as one kit. Magniflow mufflers fit in the same factory location, and designed specifically for ROUSH. Gave a low tone and DID NOT make the car louder. Power gain was minimal, but certainly a free flowing exhaust. Took 5 to 6 hours. (TIP) A lift would make this job a lot easier, Make sure your tips don’t touch the side skirts, THEY WILL MELT THEM!!! $1000.00

MAC LONGTUBE HEADERS - By far the most time consuming addition. There was nothing easy about putting these headers in it took 12 HOURS!!! There is so little room in this cars engine bay it is unreal. The instructions they provided were helpful however #12 says “simply slide it in.” they lied. Huge power gains! You can feel it pull harder low, mid, and top. I also noticed lower cruising RPMs. Much, Much, Louder gives you the distinct mustang roar. (TIP) I had to bend the driver side floor board to allow enough clearance to get the header in. By bend I meant hit it with a steal hammer. Make sure you have a long pry bar, a lot of time, and a lot of patience. Also recommend locking header bolts, once you get these things in you don’t want to mess with them again! You will also need O2 sensor extensions for front and rear O2‘s, and a nice set of manifold gaskets.$700.00

MAC OFF-ROAD H PIPE - 4 bolts and done, it took less then 1 hour and the benefits are amazing. I did both headers and H pipe at the same time. The combination gave the car the roar I was looking for and added much needed power. (TIP) When you make modifications like headers and H / X pipes it always a good idea to get a tune to make the most out of your additions.

SCT X CAL3 TUNER - This mod makes the most of all your other mods. The tuner plugs right in, calibrates and your good to go. Download and update any changes you make at no extra cost. It uses predetermined settings according to the setup your running so its not car specific, however unless your gifted in the art of tuning there is no better option. $400.00

HURST BILLETT PLUS SHIFTER - Makes shifting a breeze, and no more missing 3rd. It took 1 to 2 hours to install and a must for the drag strip. (TIP) The Billet shifter knob on the Mach 1’s need to be modified, grind off the bottom spacer about ¼ inch. Don’t forget to use lock tight on the stop bolts, you don’t want them coming loose or you’ll start loosing gears. $200.00

Sorry no HP numbers, hopefully getting some soon!

2002 Sonic Blue GT

Parts on the car when I bought it:
FRPP 4.10's - Made the butt dyno go through the roof. RPM's climb like crazy making it hard to keep traction. Good tires are a must with these gears. 21 mpg if I baby it. 65 mph or so is around 2200 rpm or so.

Speedcal speedometer converter - Another must for gears. Put the speedo dead accurate.

K&N Filter - Much nicer to have the reusable filter. No gains to report. Maybe 2hp on a dyno.

MGW Short Throw - Shortens up the shift pattern a great deal. Very "notchy" feel. Only down side is sometimes it's hard to find reverse and end up going into 4th.

MAC Flowpaths - Very good sound. Gives you a little variety from the common flowmasters.

FFRP Springs - Gives the car a great stance. Ride comfort doesn't seem to be changed much.

Kumho Ecsta ASX KU21 - On the car when I got it. I love them and will probably only use these for a DD or for front tires. Even with 275's up front, there's no issues going through deep water. The fronts do rub a slight bit when the wheel is turned all the way.

03/04 Chrome Cobra Rims - 17 rims all around. Look awesome with the color of the car. Weight a ton though. The 98 Cobra rims I have for my DR are probably half the weight.

My additions to the car:
SLP Line Lock - Extremely easy install. Bought it from Summit. Comes with everything including brake line and fittings. Only thing I added was that I used the switch it came with for an on/off, and added a push button. Works like a charm.

Magnaflow Tru-X off road - Really added to the sound of the car. "Cracks" a lot more. Sounds very unique with chambered mufflers. Probably added a few hp, but nothing noticeable.

Hoosier DR - Mounted these on a set of 98 Cobra rims for the track time. Hook much better than street tires. If this car ever becomes a secondary car, I will put these on my DD rims and get a slick set up for the track for probably about the same amount I spent on this.

Mach 1 Grill - Cleaned up the look of the front end. Less than 10 mins to install the kit from American Muscle.
More to come...

1999 Mustang GT – Road Racing Car

38,000 miles on pampered street car (sorry to previous owner). Now, is a Road Racing Track car only. Racing in HSR, SVRA and NASA.

Prior to modifications; 221 Rear Wheel Horsepower

Steeda under drive pulley kit
Meziere Electric Water Pump
Fluidyne Radiator
180 degree thermostat
K&N CAI
FRPP Intake
Straight Custom Exhaust from stock manifolds (no cats)

Dyno results after modifications were made were; 261.9 Rear Wheel Horsepower, 300.1 Rear Wheel Torque. These modifications were VERY easy to install and made 40 RWHP!

Brembo 13 Brake Kit
Performance Friction Racing brake pads
Castrol SF1 Brake Fluid (the only stuff to use on track)
FRPP Cobra rear brake kit
3.73:1 FRPP Pinion gear (may change to 4.10:1 since installing the 6speed)
Steeda Auburn Locking Differential
FRPP Aluminum Drive Shaft
Canton 7 qt Road Racing (4 baffles) oil pan
Roush Oil Cooler & Oil Filter relocate kit
Autometer Gauges (Tach, Oil Temp, Water Temp, Volt)
BBK Long tube headers (Ceramic Coated)
Steeda Upper & Lower Control Arms
Custom built welded-in roll cage (stiffened the chassis with tubes welded to shock towers)
Removed all interior
Kirkey Road Racing seat
Removable steering wheel
Installed Fuel Cell (20 gal Fuel Safe)
Fay’s2 Watts Link (made a MAJOR difference in handling)
Agent 47 coilover front suspension and tubular K Member
Tremec T-56 Road Racing 6 speed transmission
QA1 Double Adjustable Shocks

Car needs to now go back to the Dyno and get tuned. More to come…

Planned Enhancements; (estimated to yield 332 RWHP and 317 RWTQ)

TrickFlow Stage 2 Heads (will dramatically expand the power band)
42# Injectors
78 mm BBK Throttle body
BBK 86mm Mass Air Meter

Now on a weight reduction program, remove dash & console, remove all glass, heater/AC core and fan assembly etc...

Going to drive the car very hard and planning on running the modular motor until it blows, then put a 351 based stroked (392ci) Ford Racing Crate engine in the car. (with an improved valve train)

Car 2001 mustang gt
Mods

BBK shorty headers
Not my choice, came with the car for free, I will be swaping to long tubes soon.

Pypes offroad X
good sound and good ground clearence

Magnaflow mufflers dumped before the axle
really good sound, sounds alot like an old fox body

spec stage 3 clutch
really really grabby, a bit tough to drive a first but it hooks

Double hook quadrant and adjustable cable
made the clutch much more driveable, I was always slipping the stock setup

Tri-Ax shifter
gets hot after long drives, but it does shift well and I rarely miss a gear.

UPR rear suspension kit, solid and poly ends, upper and lower and traction bar-
It should hook, but so far I can not get it to perform, most likely it is user error

full sub frames- really improved the feel of the car

Upr pro kit springs
Love them, really rides good and has very little sway when cornering

Lakewood 90/10 fronts-
Not reall good for the street, will be selling them for a pair of adjustables

Lakewood 50/50 rears
again not good for the street, but good at the track

4.10s
to much gear for the nitrous, great n/a

cobra diff and strange 31splines- have not broke them yet with 500tq

Motor
10.5:1 comp
Stroked to 5.1L- waste of money
Forged crank
forged rods
forged JE pistons- awsome
custom ported stock heads- they were cheap that is all I can say
steeda underdrive pullies- didn't notice these at all
msd red coils
victor jr intake with custom elbow and T/b- worth an honest 20hp n/a
comp 270ah cams- love the sound, they top out to early in the rpms
comp springs, + larger valves
cheap cold air intake- but a good plastic one and a new maf
IAC mod- really lets you set the idle
SCT tuner- Never used the actuall tuner just had tunes put on it

car made 300hp even, this was on a mustang dyno

Daves nitrous nitrous kit- great kit and cheap, pay for the bigger solenoids, the small ones run out of room quick.

KB boost a pump- alot easier than changing pumps

setup makes 440 on the juice, hitting it with a 175-200 shot, depends on the chart you use.

overall the car is great, I just wish I had gone boost instead.

cosmetics
no wing- looks like a bullet and drops weight

+

WOW this has been going on for awhile! Well Heres my 2 cents

1997 Mustang GT
Has a 2001 Lincoln Town car P.I. motor swap
K&N c.a.i Small SOTP feel more engine noise

BBK 78mm throttle inlet (Highly recommended!!) car pulls so hard from 4500 up

1/4 " Dallas mustang plenum spacer. had to drill this piece on the two front bolt holes, they didn't line up well. Installed with the BBK throttle inlet no EGR issues

Polished Pro-comp intake ordered this off ebay for $400 new. When I got it it turned out to be a re boxed new professional products. I had to modify it to accept my coolant sensor (96-98 have two sensors 99-04 only have one) noticed a little more bottom end 3500ish to 4500ish not much on the top end. Not really what I expected. But. I would do it again.

Pypes stainless long tube headers (highly recommended) I was surprised by how well they fit given the low price. But, I did have to dimple one of the primaries to clear the starter solenoid. I did these whiles putting the new motor in. If you put them in with the motor in the car good luck

BBK o/r h pipe it fit the Pypes headers just fine, but I had to have new hangers welded in. I'm guessing the BBK headers are a little shorter. hangers were about an inch off, no biggie

OLD school Flow master 40 series mufflers that have been dumped. these things are at least 15 years old, they came off a friends car. They are well broke in... AND they sound soooo good. They do have a bad drone at highway speed but It doesn't bother me. They are loud and aggressive and always get a look.

This exhaust gave a BIG SOTP feel!!

LRS upper an lower control arms, not bad for the price but even with greasing they squeak

Lakewood driving shaft loop. no performance just safety

SCT boxed tune. felt a little gain but now I have a high idle issue that bugs me. Took the tune out and problem went away. Put the tune back in cause I wanna go fast

Pro 5.0 shifter a gift from the Gods!! I have had several of these over the years and LOVE them all. only down fall is if your tall (I'm 6 foot) and sit with your seat farther back you have to reach to get third and fifth. My right shoulder has to come off the seat to reach these gears.

Steeda pulleys easy install took off alternator pulley B/C of charging issues. noticed a small gain. Good quality pieces, better than factory.

Ford Racing 4:10s Great mod makes the car accelerate like a monster.

Nitrous Express kit 100hp dry shot pretty easy install took about 4hours. LOTS of grins

BWD adjustable fuel pressure regulator 45psi N2O supporting mod

Autometer 5" monster tach. I know some of you will laugh at this cause its a Honda mod but the factory tach is off. Mine was off about 400 rpm at the big end

255hv fuel pump no power gain just did it to support the nitrous and other future mods

Double cross sub frame connectors, made the car feel stiffer and got rid of a few squeaks

24lb injectors also did to support the N20

Modified stock clutch. bought a new stock replacement clutch kit and had new springs put in it. Has a lite pedal feel and holds just fine

Steeda adjustable clutch quad and cable. I stretched the factory cable so I replaced the whole system. Nice piece and a pretty easy install.

2.5 inch Cobra R hood I know this is a look mod but it also takes off weight making it a go fast mod.

MSD coils did these with Ford Racing 9mm wires and Autolite plugs. I know I shouldn't see any gain with these but I did feel a little. Guessing my old ignition was well worn.

Mobile one synthetic oil. frees up 3-5 hp making it a performance mod

1/2 fuel rails, also a N2O supporting mod

BBK Gripp strut tower bar really nice piece, fit well. The front end felt firm when pulling in and out of steep drive ways and when cornering

Aftermarket rear sway bar but I can't remember the name brand....

LRS polyurethane motor mounts. Highly recommended 3/8ths thick steel BEEFY looking. PITA to put in, but thats just cause of the 4.6

180 thermostat to help keep detonation at bay....

More to come but out off money..

Pictures of many of the below mods can be seen on my Car Domain page (see sig).

K&N Filter: A fair priced replacement for your paper stock filter. I didn't notice a gain in performance. I also have removed my snorkel. Supposedly a 2-5 whp gain. SOTP, I didn't notice anything.

Steeda CC Plates: Helped aligned the caster & camber after using the H&R Lowering springs. Aligned properly, easy to install. Cost me $284. Been on for 6 years.

Tokico Stocks & Struts: Installed because my stock shocks & struts were worn out. These shocks and struts feel just like stock. I did not notice any handling or ride improvement over functioning stock parts. I paid $504, but in retrospect probably would have held out for Bilsteins for a noticeable improvement in ride & handling. Installation was straight forward, no surprises. In use for two years now.

MAC Catalytic Prochamber: Somewhat of a pain to install (done by a shop). The passenger side manifold gasket is supposedly junk, but I have used that for 40,000 miles now and I notice no leaks. The cats (Magnaflows I believe) have failed me a few years down the road, but could be due to damage caused by contact with the roadway. However, this product was supposedly discontinued due to many reports of failed catalytic converters. Good sound, not too loud, hollow sounding. Won't attract attention from cops. Price paid was $599. Excellent condition after 5 years use.

Flowmaster Original 40 Series: Deep sound! Heavy interior drone around 1,900 - 2,100 RPM (I love it though). When outside of this range, the sound is deep but not loud. An excellent combination with a MAC Procahmber, catted or not. Price paid was $150 for both. Installed by shop, but supposedly straight-forward. Still intact and rust-free after 3 years of use.

Magnaflow Polished 3.5" Tips: 45 degree slash cut polished tips. Cut-off the stock tail pipes and welded in place. Actually seemed to quiet down the exhaust ever so slightly. Easy to keep clean. Paid $99.

Bullitt Pedals: Looks awesome! Install was a PITA ... use hot water to allow the plastic to become 'mouldable' and dab some dish soap behind the pedals in order to install them. These pedals are very slippery when wet. Be gentle installing the gas pedal, it's quite fragile. Great appearance mod. Paid $103.

20% Llumar Tint: Does what it says it does! Borderline for night driving: it can be hard to see out of your rear window when reversing. I wouldn't go any darker than this, yet, I wouldn't go any lighter. Pics can be seen on my Car Domain page. Paid $138.

MACH 1 Grill Delete: A generally easy install. Took me 15 minutes. Makes the front end look MUCH meaner. I love this mod ... simple, cheap, attractive. Paid $93.

Accufab 70mm TB & Plenum: Easy install. The car seemed to feel alittle faster after these mods. Paid $505.

13" Cobra Front Brakes: With slotted rotors. Everyone seems to rave about these. To be honest, they feel better than stock but not by much. Super over-hyped to me. If they didn't look good (powdercoated red), I would be disappointed. Word to the wise, most aftermarket braided brake lines will not fit on your car if you are lowered (I'm lowered 2 inches in front and they would NOT fit (Stoptech lines)! The hoses are longer than stock and will bend in toward the wheels. They rub on the wheels and will eventually rub through the lines! Use your stock brake lines.

Next mods:

- MM Full length sub-frame connectors
- 18" Saleen wheels & Nitto tires

Matt

Mustang 2003 GT auto

Exhaust . Magnaflow magnapacks (cat backs) 15673. Magnaflow claimed 14hp (in reality 6) .Bought for the exhaust note.

Diablosport Predator tuner., they claimed 20 plus hp (in reality dyno says 12 with the 93 tune) I`m in the UK so running 99 ron gas. That`ll be about 94-95 US . Bought for changing parameters. Gears, speedo etc. For which its been good.

K&N replacement filter. claimed 7hp , probably about 2 if you`re lucky. (air silencer delete is free) Just haul it out of the fender.

Plenum by accufab and 70mm throttle body. claiming 24rwhp. Guys who`ve dyno`d before and after say about 11rwhp. The torque spread over the whole rev range will have improved though, its not all bad. I`ll add a how to as i took a few pics while fitting it. (mods feel free to delete if its too big).

The problem is, people read the advertising gunk and believe it. Its mince. Still, I draw the line at underdrive pullies. You`d be as well spending your money on an airfreshner.

FRPP 4.10s Gears add feck all but they `feel` like 50 hps been added. What I`m saying is they`ve woken the car up. In reality they haven`t made any difference to the fuel economy in town. Thats right. No difference. Nor will they make your car `slower` top end. If I`m using more fuel its because I`m using th loud pedal more not because its re geared. Its actually up and running easier now than before in town. 295 Michelin Pilots hook up surprisingly well on the street.

Mach1 Splitter Cool bit of kit and self explanatory to fit. I drilled a few extra holes and used more plugs to be on the safe side.

Eibach Pro Kit springs Really improved the look and stance of the car. Used in conjunction with stock shocks they`re ok. My car has only 21000 miles so they`re still fresh. The proper way to do it is A full new set up. Shocks and springs and depending on the drop camber castor plates.

Mods feel free to move or delete .

For anyone interested I installed an aftermarket Throttle body and Plenum to my 2003 GT. Added an Accufab Plenum and 70mm throttle body. Went 70mm from reading and asking but the size and make is entirely dependant on the car/mods and owners requirements.
Took me about one and a half hours as I`m no mechanic and wanted to double check everything and make sure I done everything right.
Slow test drive then a the same run as earlier. I`ve never been a fan of `bolt on` stuff on any N/A cars as they offer very little for the cash in terms of anything really. The Diablosport Predator 93 tune offered and I noticed virtually nothing although it did make the auto box shift better, the K&N made no difference, the cat backs made just noise but...........I knew that before spending the money. When added up they all will, however make a difference to the output of your motor.

Anyway, not a full pictorial installation guide nor a bonefide guide. If theres any inaccuracies please let me know and I`ll edit it accordingly so it is more helpful to others. Its pretty straight forward and not as difficult as you might think.



First, Disconnect the Battery

In no particular order I began dismantling the components off the stock plenum starting with the Idle Air Control valve. The 3 main parts are EGR valve, TPS and IAC valve.



In the above pic I`m pointing out the 2 main bolts holding on the IAC valve. As you can see I`ve already unplugged the `elbow` joint and hose from the plenum. A new gasket should come with your new plenum for the IAC valve.



Next I removed the Throttle Position sensor (which I`m pointing out). The two screws holding it on have been locktited from the factory so use the correct screwdriver as you can`t afford to round off the screws. Use a lot of pressure on the screws and slowly turn to loosen them off. You might hear a slight crack then you`re good. I also disconnected the relevant electrical plugs and connectors. You can easily see what needs unplugged.



EGR valve is a simple 2 bolt affair and using a long 10mm socket made life easier. Theres also a gasket supplied for this. If theres not and the gasket looks like new , as mine did I can see no reason why not to reuse it. However new is preferred.



After carefully removing all the bolt ons, including all the pipework to the TB and the red electrical plug. Theres also a small air pipe to the back of the plenum under the throttle linkage. I`m pointing out one of 5 plenum bolts. All are easy to access.



After the 3 main things are off there are a couple of smaller also important bits to disconnect. At the back is the throttle set up which is attached to the plenum with two bolts on a small bracket. The cruise control is the small black connector which just clips on and off. The throttle cable itself is just like a bicycle brake cable and threads round the black cam roller. The spring just unhooks. Turn the throttle to WOT to make things easier. ie; to give yourself more slack.



When you`re all stripped down your engine should look like this. Do a nut and bolt count (they should be kept well away) and make sure NOTHING falls down the hatch :-s. Your new Plenum kit will come with replacement bolts/screws dependant on manufacturer.



If you have a pre 99 GT you might have a smaller pipe than the one in the picture. Accufab supply an adapter but other makes (BBK, dragon ect) maybe won`t I`m not sure. Don`t adjust anything on the thing as they come pre set.



End result.
Fitting is a complete full reversal of removal. Don`t rush and check everything is secure. DO NOT over tighten the new Plenum with the 5 bolts as the upper intake manifold is plastic and we don`t want any problems in this area.

Findings?

I had taken the car out a good run prior and when I was all done, started the car up to check there was no leaks and it idled fine. Just a slow run round the block then back to check for any leaks or any possible mishaps. Then took it out on the same run I did prior to install.

I can honestly say, hand on heart that the car now has a much improved throttle response. Before there was that `lag` before it pulled, like a delay of some sort for want of better words. All the stock (ish)modular SN95 4.6s seem to have that notorious lack of `low end urgency` when compared to the 5.0. BUT, they more than make up for it higher up the rev range. I haven`t had it at WOT yet I`ll save that for another day but low down response is definately way better and its a noticeable difference in the way the car feels and pulls, so its a result.

well for me driving a 2000 mustang gt my most power i have gotten that i would recomend is nitrous, NX makes a very good brand of nitrous but there is more to it than just nitrous. My NX system is in my stang fo my everyday driver. It doesnt hurt to suprise someone who thinks they can beat a "Stock" gt but they dont know whats hidden in the trunk. My NX system give me almost 100 to 200 hp within a push of a button or WOP. If you get the NX kit make sure you get the bottle heater with it. Its a must have! Get the bottle opener it can save u time from having to do it manually when you can do it with just a push of a button. MSD rev limiter is helpfull. It will help from over reving and will kick the nitrous on as long as your WOP and have it adjusted as you please. For example my MSD window switch is adjusted at 4500 rpm's With WOP and will shut the nitrous off at 6300 rpm's to keep from hurting the engine. Another absolute must have along with nitrous running through your car is a cold air intake! Must have it!

Take the cats off. May be louder but adds little hp. Be sure to check with emissions to keep from getting in trouble. LOL

change up the gear ratios if its an automatic ( mine is ).

Many bolt ons help alot and body kits. My 2000 gt has the saleen body kit and is good with aerodynamic.

BBK Throttle Body 78 mm.

I've got a 2000 GT Vert with about 70k miles.

BBK lt headers- fun to install... but other than that very pleased with them

Stack Racing underdrive Pullies- For the most part didn't noctice much improvement but did gain 5 rwh on the dyno, thinking of replacing them due to thier cheapness but I upgraded the hardware when I bought them and they havent caused any issues thus far.

BBK offroad X pipe- easy install no cats and it gives the exhaust that loud raspy rumble

SLP lm1 catback- Pretty much just welded a pair of $150 lm1's into an existing flowmaster catback, maybe a bit to loud but it does the job lol

Mac cai- simple fender induction cold air intake kit took a grand total of 10 minutes to install and is well worth the money spent

Ram stage 2 clutch- bottom line- lt headers and anything to do with the transmisson = show, the clutch however has preformed very well thus far

Ford racing 3.73 rear end gears- Probly the biggest bang for your buck as far as performance parts go.

Ford racing aluminum driveshaft and lakewood U- Joints- eliminated most of my driveline vibration and I havent dropped the driveshaft yet lol

Bama custom tuner- expensive but well worth it when it comes to quickly tuning for new mods and shutting off rear o2 senors with an o/r mid pipe.

Steeda Tri-ax short throw shifter- much shorter and smoother shifts however I am worried about snapping the handle off on the track due to the fact it is an all aluminum setup.

Nitto 05r's (315)- They work well and look good, car really hasent given me many traction issues on the track like the old 555r's used to and they look amazing on a pair of 10.5 17" cobra R rims

Exedy Lightened steel flywheel- Is significatly lighter than the stock billet steel flywheels but still retains more strength then using an all alluminum flywheel.

Ebach lowering springs- they are lowering springs what else is there to say lol

Lakewood front drag shocks/ rear hd series shocks- definatly worth wile for weight shifting while on the track noticed a big change in the traction department.

The car put down 245 to the rear wheels thee before many of these mods were done... well almost all of them except the original catback and cai. I don't know what the new numbers are since i've moved to california and havent been in contact with any dyno shops out here yet but she's running mid- low 12's on the track with a little ice and fair weather conditions so I have to speculate in the 300 rwh range. Oh and she has dropped a few pounds in the past couple years and had the battery shifted to the trunk.

Do any of you guys know anything about swapping out the rear gears for the "Mach 1" ratio? Someone's selling a <1000 mile set of them in the Winding Road Showroom.

-James Bradbury
Winding Road Editorial Assistant