What can i do to my car with $1,200.00?

[shallowreef]

I got some money coming my way and i would like to use to put some parts on my car. I had three things in mind.

-Cams
-Rear Gear
-pull out cats and run straight pipes with MIL eliminators

Of the three i would love to do cams more then anything. I know i can do the last two with that amount for sure but can i do just cams with that amount?

How much would cams run me and what does an install usually go for?

Not sure if this belongs in 4.6 or not so feel free to move it.

 

[harrisonfiveo]

Id probly go with the gears/exhaust. Unless your gonna do the labor on the cams, I dont think $1200.00 will cover cams with labor

Plus id wait on the cams till you can get better heads. Just my .02.

 

[04fullitgt]

I think the cams alone for the 4.6 is around $1,000 if im correct, maybe alittle cheaper, but not really worth it since the gains arent that great. IMO stick with the gear

 

[shallowreef]

Well how much are heads (parts labor). I heard that heads will really wake up my engine? I jus tlove the sound of cams. If its under 2k for parts and labor for the cams i would really love to do them. I just love the sound of cams.

 

[04fullitgt]

cammed 4.6

 

[shallowreef]

The only reason i am stressing this is that the odds of me having the oppertunity to spend money on my car are gonna shut down after this summer. So i would love to cam it up and then later in the future do gears and MIL eliminators.

 

[Therian]

gears and a 5-speed swap.

 

[shallowreef]

and a 5-speed swap.

no thanks

 

[Gearbanger 101]

1/3 of the way to a supercharger...don't blow it now.

 

[shallowreef]

thanks for moving my thread.

As for the blower. I'm not ready to take that step yet. I just want a sharp looking car with a sweet sounding exhaust.

 

[bullitt453]

You sound pretty dead set on cams, so just do it. Just be sure to get a cam profile that is designed to work with your auto. Tell the cam company that you are currently running stock gears but that you plan to upgrade in the future. They will need to know all of these things in order to recommend/design the right cam for you.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Hmmmm...forgot you had an Auto. If it were me and a power adder wasn't in the budget just yet, I would consider saving a little longer and along with the cams would go with a rear gear change and a decent torque converter to get all that power to the ground. Something in the 3,600RPM stall range would turn your Mustang into a completely different car.

 

[GettinThere]

Sounds like you're gonna get cams. But you could get a gear swap, an offroad midpipe, and a handheld tuner (skip the mils) for about $1200.

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

usually cams are the step after rear end gears and stall TC - it's recommended to have them first

 

[bakos24]

usually cams are the step after rear end gears and stall TC - it's recommended to have them first

I would either get a nice mid pipe, or since you want cams so bad, get the gears and stall converter now and then save the money for the cams

 

[shallowreef]

I want to add that i already have a TC in the trans. When i blew my stock trans a few years back i had it rebuilt and had a bigger TC put in it. So all i need to do is throw my 4.10s in it and cam it. As for the mid pipe. I run SLP and the CATs are bolted on so all i have to do is by the SLP pipes to replace the cats and the mil eliminators.

Anyone know what a cam install will run? Also what brand o fcams do you guys recommend? I was planning on Comp Cams because thats the only name i've ever really heard of.

 

[blkhorse]

+1 for gears. get gears and a tuner. 1200 is on the low side for cams. $600 for cams,$400 for tune. stage2's require valve springs,another $300 and this does not include install. you will enjoy the gears more imho,and you will already have the handheld when you do decide to put in cams

 

[shallowreef]

I am keeping an open mind to what i should do. I just have a real hard on for a cammed car thats all. Cams to me are like Kenn Belle to others if that makes sense?

Tell me more about tuners/programmers. I know zilch about them. What should i get? what should i do? who sells them at the best price? What should i stay away from?

Thanks

 

[CobraRed_96_GT]

I want to add that i already have a TC in the trans. When i blew my stock trans a few years back i had it rebuilt and had a bigger TC put in it. So all i need to do is throw my 4.10s in it and cam it. As for the mid pipe. I run SLP and the CATs are bolted on so all i have to do is by the SLP pipes to replace the cats and the mil eliminators.

Anyone know what a cam install will run? Also what brand o fcams do you guys recommend? I was planning on Comp Cams because thats the only name i've ever really heard of.

"bigger" TC? Stall converters are smaller (i.e 10.5, 10, 9.5" instead of the stock 11 point whatever). We're not saying get gears and stall TC cuz we think they are better, w/out stall TC and a good cam you can stall at idle - and not benefit down low since it's not spiking the rpms enough. Gears help you get up to those rpm's quick enough to capitalize on the cams as well. Look at the description of most cams and it will have a suggested rear gear and stall tc, especially for any stage II cam. But i suppose a stage I cam won't require those as much

 

[old_blue]

i'd say gears and a tune, plus suspension work. subframes, springs, and shocks will make it feel like a new car. (maybe lca's too if there is enough)