Mustang Mods... Bang for Buck!

[Adam95GT]

Alright when i bought my stang i made sure to put aside some cash to throw some mods to it... Seeing that the stang is slower then my old car... So far i think ive gotten some good deals and came accross a few that im debating...

Bought:
1. Ford Racing Clutch 50% more holding power $75
2. CAI $32

Decisions: Im strapped for cash i got about $400 to spend left...
Mac Equal length shorties used with surface rust... $79
Flow master Cat back $300
used 373's - $15 with 12k on them
2.5 SS H pipe $130
Plugs and wires i think will be a must $38 for ford racing wires

Now im thinking about saying just screw the cat back and picking up the headers and the H-Pipe untill i find a better deal... I think thats what ill get the most out of.... Also pick up the plugs and wires... a good running car is an important thing espically when its got 200k on the motor... and the gears i think are a given at that price...

What do you think i should do???

 

[ghetto5oh]

i would definitely get the gears, plugs and wires, i would pass on the exhaust though, also check brothersperformance.com their used/ take-off parts section has rust-free headers for $95, and they also have an o/r x-pipe for $100 which sounds better in my opinion

 

[AznStanger3v]

nitrous

plain and simple

 

[Adam95GT]

nitrous IMO isnt that practial... I dont feel like paying for fills and i want my car to be decently quick b4 i start to spray plus... i dont wanna over stress a motor with 200k on it... if i was gonna do nitrous id want bolt ons anyway...

 

[Adam95GT]

i would definitely get the gears, plugs and wires, i would pass on the exhaust though, also check brothersperformance.com their used/ take-off parts section has rust-free headers for $95, and they also have an o/r x-pipe for $100 which sounds better in my opinion

exactly what i was thinking... thanks for the brothersperformance info

 

[94GTStang]

Watch out for the gears. Have them checked out before you buy them to make sure they are in OK condition.

I would go for the X pipe myself for the H pipe seems a little too pricey. Also depending on where you live, you might just be able to get away with the aluminum piece.

Headers with rust could not be that big of a deal. Just have them sanded down and powdercoated.

I'd pass on the drownmasters too

 

[Adam95GT]

How do you think it will sound with headers , h pipe n stock exhaust

 

[Jack's95gt]

Go ahead with the gears. There nothing better than some low end torque. Is it a 5 speed or a AODE?

 

[93GTWannabe]

Used gears with that many miles on them aren't always a good deal even if they are cheap. a cheap set of gears that aren't in good condition will cost you a hell of a lot more in the end. also, i'ce been told shorty's are a waste. i'd save up and get the LT's.

 

[94GTStang]

I like my shorties

However, with my o/r h pipe and stock exhaust on my 04GT, it sounds pretty dang smooth

 

[95_StangGT]

How do you think it will sound with headers , h pipe n stock exhaust

Better than stock, but not as good as a good cat back system with headers and H-Pipe.
Also, using the stock cat-back you are crippling the header/h-pipe cpmbo. A stock system simply doesn't breath well enough.

Also, stay away from NOS .. at 200K+ miles there are plenty of power adding goodies that will give you more bang for the buck, and not roast your motor.

373 gears will give you a HUGE performance increase over the stock 273s, but if you do alot of highway driving that may not be a wise decision. Your gas mileage will suffer big time.


Use the stock headers, (for now, until you get more $$$ to play with) a h-pipe and a good cat back exhaust. Then add a K&N air filter (with or without a cold air induction) throw in a 65MM throttle body and you will love the results.

Remember, the better your pony breaths, the more power it will make

 

[Pennywise2]

Nitrous Express kit plain and simple.

 

[final5-0]

How do you think it will sound with headers , h pipe n stock exhaust

This is what exhaust mods are all about on a stock stang or one with nothing but bolt ons

Your thread title was ..............

Best Bang for Buck
and
Exhaust mods give pathetic gain for the amount one spends

How cool or different it sounds is all another story

Best bang for the buck spent as far as performance .............

GEARS!!!

Since you have a stick trans ..................

I'd go for 373's

You'll think you shed 1000 lbs with the steeper ratio

Grady

 

[Adam95GT]

alright the way it looks right now i might be picking up a dynamax cat back for $120 ish so i might be able to scrap together a full exhaust for pretty cheap... I think im gonna get the x pipe and headers from the brothersperformance website... Another question... SInce im putting in a new clutch... What about fly wheels i know a light weight fly made a huge difference on the probe... Not sure how it works on the stang though... does anyone know if there is a how 2 on clutch's on the web site... me and my friend did my probes clutch... but i didnt do much of the work.. and from what i hear RWD clutches are a bit easier... so i was thinking about attempting it by my self... As far as gears im gonna wait and pick up a newer set

 

[SVTCobra306]

If you get gears get them new. A 15 dollar set of used gears will set you back around 700 dollars in the long run (getting installed twice and having to spend the money to buy brand new, because they will likely burn up in 10,000 miles or less, unless the pinion depth is EXACTLY what the old install was, which is nearly impossible without the old shim available according to the shop I get my and my buddies' gear work done at)

I agree on the catback too, I ran headers, H pipe, and stock exhaust for a long time because unhooking the stock catback on the dyno only got me like 3 HP.

BTW the dynomax's will sound almost exactly like your stockers.. maybe a little more poppy. Been there done that.

I'd take the 400 bucks, shop around on here and the corral classifieds for a never installed set of 3.73's, and get them installed along with a traction-lock rebuild.