Need some advice on mods

[GA_StangGT]

Hello everyone, first post here on the forum. I have an 03 GT and I'm looking at doing some mods to it. It is all stock except for IMCO glasspacks.

Here's what I'm looking at doing:
Intake manifold
Throttle
Underdrive pully
Cold air intake or ram air
Cam swap (power starting at 1000 - 1500 and UP , oh and it has to sound bada$$ )

Basically, I'm not sure which parts I need and what will work best. I am planning on keeping my stock heads. It is an auto. I'd like the highest performance cam I can get without installing a stall, but it would not be out of the question. I want the car to remain driveable. I want to improve the current power band and pick up some more low-end grunt off the line (not really interested in a gear swap, just more torque). I just want some extra power.

Thanks!

 

[Kilgore Trout]

The first mods you do should be shifter, catback or midpipe, gears, custom tune.

Forget about cams and all that other CRAP you list.

Get it running perfect then do shifter, catback or midpipe, gears, custom tune.

Oh and saying you do not want gears you just want more torque makes me laugh

 

[04YELLOWGT]

The first mods you do should be shifter, catback or midpipe, gears, custom tune.

Forget about cams and all that other CRAP you list.

Get it running perfect then do shifter, catback or midpipe, gears, custom tune.

Oh and saying you do not want gears you just want more torque makes me laugh

+1 Gears will make that car feel 10x faster.

CAI doesn't do much, UD pullies may give you 10 hp, TB AND Plenum is 5-10hp and a new intake is expensive and not really needed on a stock/near stock car. The only good mod you have there is the Cams but you will lose some low end power.

I would start off with 4.10 gears (since its and auto), Midpipe, Catback, and SCT Tuner with one of there tunes. From there unless you really want to stay NA I would just start saving for a Blower.

 

[GA_StangGT]

+1 Gears will make that car feel 10x faster.

CAI doesn't do much, UD pullies may give you 10 hp, TB AND Plenum is 5-10hp and a new intake is expensive and not really needed on a stock/near stock car. The only good mod you have there is the Cams but you will lose some low end power.

I would start off with 4.10 gears (since its and auto), Midpipe, Catback, and SCT Tuner with one of there tunes. From there unless you really want to stay NA I would just start saving for a Blower.

Thanks for the reply. I'll be going to Mustang Central in Byron, GA for the mods. I'm sure that they could tune it for the mods. I'm guessing going with the 4.10 would off set any low-end torque lost with a cam swap.

So far looks like I'll be doing:
Gears
Pully
Cam
Tune

What will my RPMs be at 70 MPH (currently approx. 2100)? I'm worried the car will be really reved up. What brands are better for gears and pullies? Which cams should I look at?

 

[GettinThere]

What will my RPMs be at 70 MPH (currently approx. 2100)? I'm worried the car will be really reved up. What brands are better for gears...?

Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP) gears are generally considered to be the best - can't go wrong there. Btw, 4.10 ftw.
By my stock tach, 75 mph is about 2500 rpm.

 

[04YELLOWGT]

Thanks for the reply. I'll be going to Mustang Central in Byron, GA for the mods. I'm sure that they could tune it for the mods. I'm guessing going with the 4.10 would off set any low-end torque lost with a cam swap.

So far looks like I'll be doing:
Gears
Pully
Cam
Tune

What will my RPMs be at 70 MPH (currently approx. 2100)? I'm worried the car will be really reved up. What brands are better for gears and pullies? Which cams should I look at?

Thats sounds like a good setup, you may want to look into some upgraded valve springs to go with your cams too.

As for the gears I use FRPP and Im putting in my second set as we speak. I had 4.10s and I'm going to 3.73s because Im maxing out 3rd with O/D shut off at the track. I dont think you'll have to worry about that for awhile. LOL

The one thing that sucks about 4.10s is that youll be running at about 3krpms at 70mph. so I will suggest if you do alot of highway driving 4.10s might not be the gear for you. I never did/do highway drivng unless Im going to the track so it never botherd me but now that I cant make a full pass at the track, the 4.10s have to go.

 

[GettinThere]

The one thing that sucks about 4.10s is that youll be running at about 3krpms at 70mph...

That seems high, is it due to the automatic transmission?

 

[04YELLOWGT]

That seems high, is it due to the automatic transmission?

It might not have be exactly 3k but it was like in the 2,800-3,000 area.

I would think the auto played a factor in it since I had a 4spd comapred to a 5spd, no matter what the reason was it sucked. The thing is I cant even tell you what the car ran at 70mph when it was stock because I only drove the car for a week before I put the gears in. LOL

 

[GA_StangGT]

Thats sounds like a good setup, you may want to look into some upgraded valve springs to go with your cams too.

As for the gears I use FRPP and Im putting in my second set as we speak. I had 4.10s and I'm going to 3.73s because Im maxing out 3rd with O/D shut off at the track. I dont think you'll have to worry about that for awhile. LOL

The one thing that sucks about 4.10s is that youll be running at about 3krpms at 70mph. so I will suggest if you do alot of highway driving 4.10s might not be the gear for you. I never did/do highway drivng unless Im going to the track so it never botherd me but now that I cant make a full pass at the track, the 4.10s have to go.

Yup, I'll be doing the springs. I think the 4.10 will get on my nerves, I have to do highway driving. The speed limit here in GA is 70...but around metro-Atlanta most of the traffic is flowing at 80 MPH or higher (if you've been around 285 you know what I'm talking about). I really like my stock gear; how do they compare to the 3.73?

What would be a good cam setup for this car; it is my DD. I love rough idle cams, but I know that is not always the way to go. Still, I'd like a noticeable lope at idle. I don't know if I should be looking at Comp, Crower, Crane or Lunati???

 

[04YELLOWGT]

Yup, I'll be doing the springs. I think the 4.10 will get on my nerves, I have to do highway driving. The speed limit here in GA is 70...but around metro-Atlanta most of the traffic is flowing at 80 MPH or higher (if you've been around 285 you know what I'm talking about). I really like my stock gear; how do they compare to the 3.73?

What would be a good cam setup for this car; it is my DD. I love rough idle cams, but I know that is not always the way to go. Still, I'd like a noticeable lope at idle. I don't know if I should be looking at Comp, Crower, Crane or Lunati???

I think 3.73s are what you want then since you do 70-80mph driving. With 3.73s I think you would be around 2.5krpms at 70mph. You'll still feel a difference when you put the 3.73s in but not as much as the 4.10s. Trust me either one you put in, youll feel it, its not like pullies or TB/Plenum.

Do you think you will ever put a blower on it? If you do I would look into VT Stg2 Blower Cams, I heard they are still a good cam for NA but work real good with a blower. I have this cam and love it, sounds good and made good power. If you plan on staying NA, look into VT Stg 1 or 2 NA cams.

 

[GA_StangGT]

I'm 99% sure that the car will stay NA. The 3.73 sounds like they will work better for me. I'm thinking I need a cam that has a power range between 1300 +/- up to about 5500 to 5800 RPM. Am I correct? I want excellent performance, much better than stock. And a lumpy idle to scare off ricers. If needed I'd also get a stall converter installed.

 

[04YELLOWGT]

Check out vtengines.com they make great cams and alot of guys on here run them. I think the Stg2 NA cam requires a stall but they will list that on the website.