What mods? 00 V6

smith710

New Member
Apr 23, 2008
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Ok, I have a 2000 V6, basically bone stock. All that's really in it is a K&N filter and I removed the silencer. I'm looking for performace mods, not something like getting a nicer stereo or better rims and such. I don't have a ton of money, so this is kind of future reference unless something is fairly cheap to do. Price wise, cheapest to most expensive, what are the best mods to start out with?

I'm not looking to go crazy, so nothing as expensive as putting a supercharger in, maybe up to putting a dual exhaust in would be reasonable. Would putting a CAI be the best step to start out with, or headers maybe? I would only use a K&N CAI, so if there's anything less than about $200-$250 that I could start out doing, let me know. The cheaper, the better, but I don't want to use junk parts like ebay CAI, that's why I mentioned I would only use a K&N CAI. Anything would be great.

Also I'm not extremely knowledgable with cars, I know a bit, but nothing crazy. So if you are talking about a mod that takes quite a bit of knowhow to do, then kind of work in the cost of labor getting it done at a shop as well. Like I said, I'm not looking to go nuts, but I just want to do a few things to it at least. Thanks in advance!
 
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Suspension and braking. The car has better weight balance than a V8 model so why not take advantage of that and make the car fun to drive.

I'd upgrade the springs and shocks and install GT sway bars, slap some nice 17" wheels on there with good tires and install 13" Front Cobra brakes. You'll be amazed at the difference and it will make the car fun to drive.

Gears would also help, and a short through shifter if you have a manual transmission as well.

Not trying to disuade you from engine mods
 
The gains on CAI aren't much at all, no matter the brand. Can't say if it was worth it or not versus a simple K&N drop in with removed silencer. The stock intake tube isn't excessively bad really, most the issue comes in the two 90-degree turns in the upper intake manifold. But if you do get a CAI, the nice thing about K&N and other plastic ones, they don't get spots on them.

The exhaust wont bring too much into the car either, but sure sounds a hell of a lot better. Especially when Flow 40's have fully broken in, so much better than stock. The only thing that makes my car feel small is a good V8. Stick with a 2.25" dual exhaust, don't get a 2.5", I suggest finding someone with a GT, Bullitt or Mach I who is dumping their exhaust for better and have an exhaust shop cut the mufflers out and weld in something like Flowmasters or Magnaflows, as far as the midpipe, either get a V6 H or X, or just have the shop weld in straight pipes with no crossover. Mach I take-offs will have chrome rolled tips, they look much better than GTs so if you want good tips, try to get those. Only problem is, if you do short-trip driving like I do, you have to clean them every so often. Headers for a lightly modded, no power-adder, V6 is pointless. Unless they get cracked and you need new ones, don't bother. I would say I spent about $400 in this catagory including installation with them welding up straight pipes, buy the mufflers online though, the shop I went to had a high mark-up.

Under-drive pulleys probably net more than CAI, and for about $250, depending on the belt you use, it's not that much more. http://www.vmptuning.com has them for $210, then you just need a 26.6" 6-rib belt. Just make sure what type of pulley you need. There is a 99-00 and a 00-04 version, because half way through 2000, Ford changed the harmonic balancer.

Another good mod is a good tune. VMP Tuning has the Xcal-2 for $395 and it comes with 3 custom tunes. You can get economy and performance tunes for 87, 89, 91, and 93 octanes. Just the tuner alone will bring a good deal of power into the car and firm up the shifts for automatics.

Gears and t-lok is most definitely the biggest increase I've felt. 4.10 gears and TruTrac woke my auto up. Go with 3.73 if you have a manual. Definitely expensive, about $680 for parts, my father and I installed them so labor was nothing. Getting a Ford T-lock is going to be much cheaper than a TruTrak, it doesn't hold up to a lot of horsepower, but for bolt ons it will hold. Probably $300-400 for parts in that case, then from what I've seen, about $300 in labor. But with gears, you will need that tuner, so technically $1000-1100 for the gears, t-lok, tuner, and install.