Will Heads, Intake, Headers Get Me 100 Hp
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You would need some serious afr heads as well as a matching Cam / intake. Procomp is junk. Unless you found them on the side of the road for free your money is better spent elsewhere.
If you engine is in otherwise good running condition, I'm thinking you'd be better of spending your money on a V3 Vortech and call it a day. Install is relatively simple (far more so than a top end swap), you'll easily make 100hp over stock, with the potential for far more, yourdrivability and mileage will remain the same and in the end....you'll spend the same amount of money.
The heads, cam and intake route is only half the battle. You also need to think about fastners, fluids, gaskets, down time, tune....
Trust me....blow it.
Ok well after some research I've decided not to take a chance on the procomps. So what would be a good head intake combo for the street in an automatic convertible with 3.73 gears. The reason I set the 300hp goal was cause I want the car to run similar to a 3v. It will never see any real track time. How about trick flow heads and intake?
Supercharger. Minimum investment for maximum HP. Down the road when you finally do am hci it will make even more power.
Save up $4500, get a trick flow top end kit, 30lb injectors/MAF, fuel pump, shorty headers, x pipe, cat back, sct chip. Easily over 300rwhp. Then get ready to rebuild the AODE, because it's not going to last. Or, if you're a gambling man, toss a 100 shot of nitrous on it and spray it til something breaks.
Before we get to involved with the SC vs HCI debate what purpose does the car serve? is it a daily driver, racecar, weekend warrior??? If fuel mileage and drivability are a concern [as well as emissions] then the SC is the way to go.
krazedstang
15 Year Member
I'm guessing to be somewhere around there with my Trick Flow 170 heads, Trick Flow stage 1 cam and Trick Flow Street Burner intake. Boost will come after I upgrade the brakes and suspension.
Good idea. Hauling things down from speed with that kind of power on tap can be down right scary.
krazedstang
15 Year Member
Indeed. since mine is a convertible and I've already rolled one mustang I think I'm gonna get a roll bar before the boost as well.
Heads/intake/exhaust will add about 60hp. With a proper camshaft and supporting mods about 125-150(flywheel). For a dedicated n/a combo..400hp(flywheel) is possible but iffy on streetability. IMO a bolt on Vortech supercharger(with proper accessories) is the way to go. You don't have to open the engine up and it will drive like a stock car until you put your foot into it. Costs are about the same. Can always add either down the road if you want more
mikestang63
SN Certified Technician
Let me give you some real world experience and some guide on what to spend. I buy mostly used except where I need to buy new. If buying new add 30-50%. If someone else is installing, double the price for labor.
Know that AOD's are terribly inefficient. You lose anywhere from 15-20% driveline HP compared with 10-15% manual. Getting to 300rwhp with an AOD means you are making near 350 crank hp.
I bought a bone stock 90 AOD vert, 42k miles in 2012.
From 2012 to 2014 I added small bolt ons in addition to addressing suspension items like SBF, shocks, springs, struts, control arms, bushings, etc.
2014 did an HCI swap- bought most used except where noted, Probaly spend close to $3000 with the tune
2016 added a Vortech V3 HO 8 rib kit - another $4000 or so total
Dialed it back from 458 to 421 rwhp for a safe tune with the stock block, stock AOD, 28 spline stock axles.
You can add near 100 rwhp with either. Both are going to cost you over $3000 IMO without labor.
Know that AOD's are terribly inefficient. You lose anywhere from 15-20% driveline HP compared with 10-15% manual. Getting to 300rwhp with an AOD means you are making near 350 crank hp.
I bought a bone stock 90 AOD vert, 42k miles in 2012.
From 2012 to 2014 I added small bolt ons in addition to addressing suspension items like SBF, shocks, springs, struts, control arms, bushings, etc.
- Shorty headers- $100
- Gaskets $20
- 70MM MAF from a 95- $30
- flowmasters
- H pipe $100
- 3.73's- $250 with kit
- bumped timing
- 193 rwhp
2014 did an HCI swap- bought most used except where noted, Probaly spend close to $3000 with the tune
- AFR 165 heads $1000
- TFS1 cam- new $200
- Ported Explorer intake$ 150
- 70 MM TB- came with intake
- 1.6 rockers- came with heads
- 30# injectors $75
- Pro M 75MM MAF- $75
- same 70MM TB
- same shorty headers
- E Fan- $30
- FAL fan controller $100
- 3G alternator and wiring $100
- BBK CAI- $75
- silverfox valve body- new $250
- B&M Plate trans cooler and lines $100
- Diablo tune and chip- new- $400
- SFI balancer- new $160
- MAC flowpath mufflers- $100
- ARP bolts, fasteners- $150
- Tough Stuff water pump $75
- Felpro gaskets $100
- Fluids, other parts $200
- champion radiator $165
- 255 fuel pump $ 90
- 265 rwhp before the tune, surging idle,
- 292 rwhp after the tune and solved the surging idle and drive ability issues
2016 added a Vortech V3 HO 8 rib kit - another $4000 or so total
- V3 10# of boost $2500
- Kept the setup prettymuch the same except for the following
- 60 # injectors - came with blower
- PRO M 80MM MAF- came with blower
- Anderson Power Pipe- $200
- TCI 3000 stall converter- $250
- MSD ignition- $100
- New chrome 3G alt $150
- new tune on the existing Diablo Chip- $200
- Resurfaced heads for the cometic gaskets$100
- New Cometic Gaskets, intake gaskets $100
- Tuarus dual E fan- $30 ( single Contour E fan wont fit)
- Fluids, misc parts $200
- Taylor battery relocation kit, P clamps , wire loom, $200
- B&M mini starter $150
- Autometer boost, fuel, water , oil pressure, volt gauges, A pod pillar and cowl guage holder $300
Dialed it back from 458 to 421 rwhp for a safe tune with the stock block, stock AOD, 28 spline stock axles.
You can add near 100 rwhp with either. Both are going to cost you over $3000 IMO without labor.
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To be honest to get the most out of whatever goes into the car it's going to need gears and a high stall tq converter. Let's throw a shift kit in it just so we don't burn up all our bands and clutch packs.
IMO, that stuff should be addressed before one even considers digging into the engine.
See.....19-year old me wants to throw a set of shorties, some underdeveloped pulleys and a K&N filter on it and think I just picked up 40hp. Older, more sensible 40+ year old me says none of that means
until you can address the rest of the cars shortcomings first.
