Stock 1993 LX 5.0......What Bolt On Mods ?

Sheriff01

Member
Apr 13, 2020
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FL
Got s super nice 93 LX 5.0 that I wouldn‘t mind doing some simple bolt on mods ( Intake, MAF, CAI, 3G Alt). I also wouldn’t mind adding a slightly lower gear such as 3.55 and possible rear disc brakes.

Any guidance or a good thread to follow to see what are solid recommendations to put a little more power out of this car will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
S01
 
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Auto or manual transmission? If auto get a shift kit. Night and day difference is how the car puts down the power.

Gears are always a good mod for the seat of the pants. If the engine is solid and doesn’t burn fluids, I would save for a super charger kit. It’s bolt on, simple, and can give you all the power the stock block can handle (depending on which one you buy)even with the stock cam, heads, and intake.

A throttle body, MAF, underdrive pullies, etc don’t net you any noticeable power gains. They really don’t. They can help with making the car run smoother, maybe get better fuel economy, but you won’t feel the power gains.
 
Change the rear end gear ratio, and delete the donkey dick (intake silencer). If it's a manual, change the shifter. That's the standard go to for a fun car.

Kurt
 
Bolt-ons like CAI, MAF, TB, underdrive pulleys, intake manifold, headers, X-pipe and cat-back exhaust will improve throttle response and add some power when used together. My 1992 GT autocross car has those mods, plus 1.7 roller rockers and 3.55 rear gears. Those upgrades made a noticeable improvement over the stock setup. The power feels much more present and consistent.

The heads and cam are the big restrictions, so there's only so much power you can get without changing those parts (assuming you stay naturally aspirated).

Swapping in an aluminum driveshaft is a simple mod that will also help with throttle response and acceleration.

If you're looking to do a rear gear swap and a disc brake conversion, it's worth checking out the complete rear ends from MPS Auto Salvage in GA on Ebay. If you add up the cost of the parts and labor, the MPS rear ends can be a better deal. I put a 1998 Cobra rear end from MPS in my Fox and it has held up well under tough autocross conditions. They also have disc brake rear ends with Fox length axles.
 
Thanks for all the replies And advice. I had a 1985 GT back in high school when I turned 16 (1987) so it was slightly simpler to add some power. This 93 I got is super cherry so I don’t want to go to deep in the engine but I’d love to give it a little more umph!!!! I’m not opposed to doing most of the common bolt ons to include intake, exhaust, and gears. I of course still want the car to be safe ( as far as kaboom) and reliable.

With these type mods, who is a good tuner to make everything work well and safe together? Anyone close to North Florida ?

thanks again
 
With common bolt-ons, a tune/chip isn't required to make sure they all work together on a Fox. But, you do want to make sure the mods are balanced and the best choice to work for your application. A street car doesn't need long tube headers. You don't need a massive throttle body if you aren't doing other mods that would benefit from having one. Bolt-ons generally don't make an engine more likely to blow up; they are relatively mild mods. But, any engine, if abused, can go kaboom.

Fox Body Mustangs always benefit from a good tune-up, so make sure your plugs, distributor cap & rotor, plug wires and O2 sensors are all working properly. And check and change your oil regularly.

If you change rear gears, you will need to change your speedometer gear on the transmission, and the number of teeth will vary based on transmission gear and rear gear ratio. Other than that, if you aren't changing fuel injectors, you should just be able to bolt on the MAF, TB, CAI, headers, X-pipe and exhaust without issue. An intake manifold and roller rockers are more difficult to install if you don't have a lot of experience working on cars.
 
2 questions.......

What’s your thoughts iron GT40 heads for this application. I have access to a set from a friend and was considering trying to find a 93 Cobra intake to match up. Would like the nostalgic look.

would adding these to the other bolt ons move me past the MAF being able to work out the mods ?

sorry for all the questions, just trying to get a plan in place. I got a solid mechanic but trying to avoid a tune/tuner if possible.
 
Iron GT40 heads will improve power and they match up well with the 1993 Cobra intake. You would want to run 24 lb. fuel injectors and get a corresponding MAF sensor. Installing a different cam will help you get more out of the GT40 heads. But, that becomes a more invasive build than you might have wanted.

No need to apologize for asking questions. We are all happy to help.

I do think it's worth taking some time to determine exactly what you want the car to be. A little bump in power/throttle response can be achieved without heads/cam/intake manifold. My autocross car has the stock heads and cam.
 
Cruze through this forum for some ideas on putting together a plan, lots of good stuff in there.
Oh, and keep any original parts you swap with upgrades, some original stuff is getting hard to find.
 
Iron GT40 heads will improve power and they match up well with the 1993 Cobra intake. You would want to run 24 lb. fuel injectors and get a corresponding MAF sensor. Installing a different cam will help you get more out of the GT40 heads. But, that becomes a more invasive build than you might have wanted.

You could go with the stock cam with this combo, I would recommend a set of 1.7 roller rockers. Go to a 65mm TB and 70-75mm MAF and you would have a nice stock sounding engine with a 40-50hp boost over stock.

If you can't get the stock looking 93 Cobra intake the Explorer one's are a good alternative that will be very close (not likely noticeable) in performance.
 
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