GWFoos

New to the Forum and new to the Mustang thing. I have been researching the M3 and the Corvette, but find myself stuck on the Mustang. I drove the GT over the weekend and thought it was outstanding. I am 6'5" and fit nicely in the car. Here are my questions/thoughts though for the car:

1) Can I add a supercharger (e.g., Whipple or Vortech) and not void any of the manufacturer's warranty? (I received an e-mail from Vortech and they said that it would not, but I wanted to make sure)

2) I have about $6-7k to play with for modifications, but do want tires and other things to go along with the supercharger (e.g., possibly 20" wheels). I saw the 20" polished chrome wheels on a black GT and thought they looked great.

3) Convertible vs. coupe, thinking coupe as I might have a little more $$$ to play with on modifications.

4) This car will be my daily driver, so it needs to fast, but livable.

5) Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance. I have read so many posts and know that I can get a great answer(s) here and look forward to building the GT and enjoying it for years.

Greg Whiting

Birdieman4

You are in a tough spot as far as supercharging your stang, warranty wise. It often depends on the dealership you are working with. Let's say you put a blower on your car and had a problem in the future with engine internals. It would be up to the dealership to decide if the blower caused the internal damage. Some dealerships will give you more leeway than others. Technicaly, a bolt on won't void your warranty. -But if the bolt on causes something to go wrong internally, you could be screwed. In late 01 I bought a Saleen S281 and later put a blower on it. My dealer said they would continue to honor the warranty, as long as the blower didn't "cause" any other damage. Its up to each individual dealer. As far as other suggestions, if you do a blower do a twin screw, like the whipple you mentioned. For street driving, it is the best product you can get.

titaniumGT

Since the convertibles aren't out yet, i'd say go for the coupe. Also if you're doing modifications then stick with the coupe because the convertible is heavier and therefore slower. Any supercharger or turbocharger you put on will not void your warranty unless you have a problem and your dealership either (1) traces it back or (2) doesn't trace the problem back to the supercharger but decides to screw you over and just say it was. And $6-7 grand and looking at a supercharger is just about that, get that done and a dyno tune and you're looking at maybe only a grand left to spend and that might be enough for some new tires but not for tires and 20's both. I would say get the bolt ons first and do them and then save up a little more and throw the supercharger in later, espeically since breaking the car in will be important for that.

nanaki

they can link probably anything to the blower. you know damn well a dealership won't do free warranty work if they don't have to.

i say wait for the verts to come out before you get one. then everyone will be wanting a vert and the demand for coupes will probably come down a bit. hell, there'll probably be a bunch of cancelled orders for coupes and you could pick one right up if you're lucky.

GWFoos

Thanks.

I really like the idea of making it look it's best first, as 300 ponies aren't bad. The break-in period, is what, 1500 miles?

As for the blower, would the full kit be everything I need or would there be other things (e.g., pulleys, brakes, etc.) that would be needed? I am new to the modification thing, so I am still getting used to the terminology.

GWFoos

The other question would be: should I wait another year or so and go for the cobra? That would leave me without modification/warranty issues.

1fast05GT

If you can wait for the Cobra, that's the best route. No warranty issues there.

Birdieman4

If you do a blower, here are the upgrades you'll need: fuel pump, bigger injectors, and a way to change your tune.
You mentioned you like the 20' rims. Ever seen the new 05 Saleens? They are a lot more visually appealing than the standard 05's, and come stock with 20's. If you bought a new cobra when they became avalible, you would have some issues, as with any new car. Better yet, what you have described as 'what you want' in a car' points toward a Saleen supercharged car. Blown from the factory, fully warrantied, and visually pleasing. On top of that, it would be a better investment than a new cobra, depreciation wise. Saleens hold their value better than standard gt's.

GWFoos

I have seen the Saleen's and love them!!! The s281sc would be my choice. I wonder how they lease out or should I just buy it?

Birdieman4

If you can get a good deal, I say just buy one. There is one for sale right now in the palm springs area, sticker price is 42k and change. You could buy it for under 40k right now. If you got even more serious about a Saleen, I would help you out if you so desired. I've got some Saleen connections.