The quickest way to gain 40 hp

[justinmanges05]

I'm fairly new to the 4.6 liter motor. I just bought an 02 Mustang GT, and it is rated at 260 hp. Thats a stupid number. I mean, why not 300? So, what I want to know is, what is the most cost effective way to bump this car up into the 300 horse range?

-Justin-

 

[ChillPhatCat]

Stage 2 Cams/springs + long tube headers. I think that would get you about where you want.

Simple answer to your question is they didn't want the GT encroaching on the Mach 1 or Cobra's territory.

 

[Midnight2V]

A fifty shot.

 

[Deleted member 38176]

Are you refering to engine HP or rear wheel HP? 40bhp (engine HP) is going to be a LOT easier to obtain than 40 rear wheel HP (obviously).

The following is based on REAR WHEEL HP.....

Simple answer:

Cams
50-shot

Complicated Answer:

Full exhaust + full intake + tune

 

[SaleenGT2001]

you will spend around $3K to get 300 to the wheels

 

[WallyKilla]

If you install 4.10's . It will feel like you added 40 horse power.

 

[98COBRA281]

you will spend around $3K to get 300 to the wheels

+1. heads, cams, LT's, tune.........

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

260HP engines put down about 211-220RWHP. With a mid pipe, cat-back, and a cold air induction you should lay down 240-250RWHP. With pullies, TB, longtubes, cams and a tune, you could reach almost 300RWHP.

Read this: 1999-2004 Mustang GT Naturally Aspirated Performance Package

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I'm fairly new to the 4.6 liter motor. I just bought an 02 Mustang GT, and it is rated at 260 hp. Thats a stupid number. I mean, why not 300? So, what I want to know is, what is the most cost effective way to bump this car up into the 300 horse range?

-Justin-

Just be happy with what you have for ****'s sake you just got the damn car.

Have you even detailed it inside and out, replaced all the fluids, and done all kinds of crazy excessive preventative maintenance on it yet? Do that first and give careful consideration to how you are going to mod it while you do that work.

Then do gears.

 

[trinity_gt]

I'm fairly new to the 4.6 liter motor. I just bought an 02 Mustang GT, and it is rated at 260 hp. Thats a stupid number. I mean, why not 300?

First, did you not know it was "only" 260 before you wrote the cheque? Or did you discover this after the fact?

Second, back in 1999 when the PI 4.6 was introduced, there was already a 300HP upgrade from Ford in the form of the 4V Cobra. The product map at Ford called for a sub-200HP base V6, a mid 200-HP GT and a 300HP Cobra. Obviously there were things under development like the 385HP Cobra R or the 390HP Terminator. Ford was probably at work on the conceptualization of the 3V modular but at that time, they designed what they did to meet their objectives in the late 1990s.

And third, you can see what it takes to get a PI-headed 4.6 to 300HP: long-tube headers and more aggressive cams, both of which fly in the face of Ford's many manufacturing, reliability, driveability, emissions, economy and who-knows-what-else requirements.

So, what I want to know is, what is the most cost effective way to bump this car up into the 300 horse range?

Cost effective? Bolt on a 75-shot of nitrous.

 

[oxfordgt]

you will spend around $3K to get 300 to the wheels

Or you can spend $2k for 370rwhp by doing a budget vortech setup.

 

[justinmanges05]

First, did you not know it was "only" 260 before you wrote the cheque? Or did you discover this after the fact?

Of course I knew. I want the car up to 300 horse for a simple reason. I want to be able to compete with a higher powered car, like the camaro or trans am from the same year.

What I was hoping for in this thread is what I see a little farther up. Combo's that would get me there.

 

[WallyKilla]

You are going to need more than 300 flywheel horse to beat LS1 powered camaros. They have a very nice top end. I would spray a 75 shot You will gain 75 horse and even more torque.

 

[Rickyll7]

260HP engines put down about 211-220RWHP. With a mid pipe, cat-back, and a cold air induction you should lay down 240-250RWHP. With pullies, TB, longtubes, cams and a tune, you could reach almost 300RWHP.

Read this: 1999-2004 Mustang GT Naturally Aspirated Performance Package

What kind of K-member brace is that in the picture in that link? Is that for a convertible?

 

[trombonedemon]

Just be happy with what you have for ****'s sake you just got the damn car.

Have you even detailed it inside and out, replaced all the fluids, and done all kinds of crazy excessive preventative maintenance on it yet? Do that first and give careful consideration to how you are going to mod it while you do that work.

Then do gears.

Preach on, nobody seems to listen to me when I say this, maybe they respect your comments more.

 

[ChillPhatCat]

260HP engines put down about 211-220RWHP. With a mid pipe, cat-back, and a cold air induction you should lay down 240-250RWHP. With pullies, TB, longtubes, cams and a tune, you could reach almost 300RWHP.

Read this: 1999-2004 Mustang GT Naturally Aspirated Performance Package

No way you're going to gain 30 RWHp without at least long tubes and under drive pulleys in addition to catback, midpipe and cold air intake and maybe a tune. I think you'd be hard pressed to get 300 RWHP without stage 3 cams/springs and some well matched heads.

 

[Crzyhrse]

260HP engines put down about 211-220RWHP. With a mid pipe, cat-back, and a cold air induction you should lay down 240-250RWHP. With pullies, TB, longtubes, cams and a tune, you could reach almost 300RWHP.

Read this: 1999-2004 Mustang GT Naturally Aspirated Performance Package

Their's been afew guys on here with all that and they dynoed 290-295RWHP. Definitely right there.

 

[sneaky98gt]

No way you're going to gain 30 RWHp without at least long tubes and under drive pulleys in addition to catback, midpipe and cold air intake and maybe a tune. I think you'd be hard pressed to get 300 RWHP without stage 3 cams/springs and some well matched heads.

Scupking has done it (or is very, very close, IIRC). IIRC, he has pretty much every bolt on possible, long tubes, Hitech stage IIs, and is making very close to 300 rwhp through an auto. Can be done with the PI GTs on stock heads and a streetable cam.

Although the easiest/cheapest in the long run is either a 125 shot of giggle juice, or a pieced-together blower. Just put a roots style blower on my NPI headed GT for around 2k and made 325 rwhp. Less money and more power than heads/cams/bolt ons/long tubes/gears. Better torque curve, driveability, and fuel mileage as well. And don't forget it would easily be at least 30 more hp than that on a PI headed GT.

 

[ChillPhatCat]

Although the easiest/cheapest in the long run is either a 125 shot of giggle juice, or a pieced-together blower. Just put a roots style blower on my NPI headed GT for around 2k and made 325 rwhp. Less money and more power than heads/cams/bolt ons/long tubes/gears. Better torque curve, driveability, and fuel mileage as well. And don't forget it would easily be at least 30 more hp than that on a PI headed GT.

I am a firm supporter of supercharging.

 

[trinity_gt]

I am a firm supporter of supercharging.

I agree

However, the OPer wants "cost effectiveness." While a decent blower kit is at least several thousand dollars a N2O kit will get him his 300HP for a few hundred.

Of course a blower will enhance the overall driving experience immeasurably by boosting torque pretty much all the time and all over the RPM band, N2O will get him his 300HP even if it's just at the push of a button. An added bonus is completely unaffected driveability, fuel economy and emissions (etc) when the juice is turned off.