2 Years of Mods. The story, my "ride"
08-06-2010, 05:58 PM
#1
3rd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Texas
Posts: 542
2 Years of Mods. The story, my "ride"
+++Pics added 3rd Page+++
It has been a pleasure to be part of this forum for about 2 years, pretty much coinciding, with the moment the mod bug beat me. It has been a wonderful experience, I am glad to have involved myself in every step taken, and pretty much done everything myself with the advice I found in this forum, people from the forum with help and advice (particularly Kohl trigger6, JDWalton, 157db, Hammeron, Nuke, Legion5, TacoBill, Modadict, among others) the guys at Brenspeed, and manuals. You all have my sincere thanks. I thought that it may be useful to someone, particularly somebody that just starting to get the mod bug to read of someone else’s experience and opinion about numerous mods.
It all stated for me with a K&N air intake. The ad in the magazine made sense, it was inexpensive and easy enough to install in order to experiment and see the difference. I had never touched any car I had before, more than an oil change. The sound changed and I felt something more on my butt dyno (wishful thinking or not who cares).
It was obviously a mistake for me to start with such a modification since, I could not stop there. A month later I sold that intake and went for a tunable CAI (Steeda) and a programmer and a tune from Bama chips. Now I could certainly feel the difference. The car sounded more live, but then I could hear the clips of aftermarket exhaust, and that was enticing. And so goes on… Instead of writing a long story I would give a short review and my personal opinion for every mod I have made.
As Initial Comment, If I had to do it over I would have started with a supercharger (or turbocharger) FIRST…. It would have saved me some money, and certainly may have steered my away from some unnecessary mods. But Human nature does not work that way. For people just starting with mods without previous experience, it is counter intuitive to just start and install a supercharger as a first mod. Anyway let’s start.
Cold Air Intake. This is the low budget (500-600 bucks) best mod you can do for your car including a tuner and a tune. You can avoid having to buy a tunner by getting a K&N intake or similar. But you will not get the same gains as with an intake that requires a tune. There are a few good makes out there, I had a Steeda. Unfortunately if you eventually go FI it is very likely you will not use this intake. (You will always use the tuner though). It is an easy install probably a 2 if not easier than that. From 1 to 10 difficulty (1 being an oil change and 10 being full engine internals replacement)
Aluminum one piece Driveshaft. Make sense mod. Lighter and fewer joints (lesser power loss). Do not go cheap. Get one that is reputable. I would not buy second hand either. You do not want a vibrating shaft… Preferably get one that does not replace but adapts to your rear flange. (Lesser work easier install). Understand the angles before you attempt the install. I say this is a 3-4, provided you understand how to measure the angles. If you are lowered, you need adjustable UCA, or LCA in order to adjust the angle. This mod complements future Supercharger install. Highly recommend to install safety loops (at least the front one particularly if you go to the track).
UCA, LCA, relocation bracket . (Upper and lower control arms). A necessary mod if you are lowered. I prefer to have the UCA been adjustable, since you can change your pinion angle from a single point, rather the 2 LCAs and having to match each other. A bit more difficult to install the upper control arm, but just need patience. Difficulty: 2 for LCA’s 3 for UCA. It would be wise to install a relocation bracket at the same time since you are there. (helps with the way forward motion applies to the car and improves traction). If it is a daily driver get UCA/LCAs with urethane bearings (less road noise). This mod complements future Supercharger install.
Lowering Springs/Shocks. A great appearance mode as it will level your car and lower it to the degree you desire. I use my car daily and went with Steeda Ultralites (a moderate drop of about 1 inch). I am glad I did not go any lower. Any speed bump would have been an issue, getting in and out of the driveway and possible excessive ride harshness for a daily driver. I am extremely happy with my choice. It improved drivability and handling of the car. If you lower I would certainly recommend doing your shocks at the same time (stockers are not designed to perform at the lower height). I went with tokico D-Specs which is an adjustable shock. I am glad I went for adjustable shock, because I can have different setting for the track vs daily drive. It also helped to fine tune my ride when I added 80 pounds of Supercharger on top of my engine (and my front shocks). I had to choose completely different setting on the front shocks as the car was behaving differently. Difficulty: 3 . You need to rent some spring compressors from you local auto store. This mod Complements Future Supercharger install.
Exhaust/Headers. Depending on what state you live in, in some cases even what county, you may have some limitations on what you can do to your exhaust if you are planning to run the car on the street. Check with local regulations first (particularly for Headers). In my case needed a setup with cats and oxygen sensors on (annual OBDII inspection). Exhaust sound is a personal thing. This is my personal preference. Listen to a few cars before you decide, if you can, preferably ride with them. I choose Borla Stingers (same as FRPP Stingers) axle backs. Nice American Muscle sound, loud but not obnoxious. There is drone (loud deep buzzing sound) at abt 1700-2000 RPM, which can be annoying to some particularly if constantly driving at that range (if you have 4.10 gears, or driving with top down or both, then do not worry abt it). Exhaust is an easy Install probably level 2. Make sure you align the dimples correctly on the pipes so you do not damage them. This mode complements future Supercharger Install. Headers can be frustrating installation and you will need some tools like ratcheting wrenches and ratchets with numerous extensions and articulated joints. I used Kooks headers with hi-flow cats. (the N/A version). This would be one of your lengthier installations. Can be frustrating. No special skills required. I would give it a 5-6 just because of length, and the amount of parts you have to take apart, that can be scary to a beginner. The result was a deeper and louder sound some horsepower and Torque gain. Shorty headers will give you a bit less, long tubes (particularly off road) somewhat more. I went for an H pipe setup, and I am very happy with the sound. I have heard the X setup and the difference is very minor. Considering that you may get some minor power gain from the X setup, I would probably go for it, if I had to do it over. This mod supports future supercharger installation. (if you know you are going that route or it is very likely, you may want to get the FI version of the Kooks). Also make sure you wash the inside of the Kooks headers. They are full of metal grinds that will end up on your cats…. It is an expensive setup, why you cannot get those clean beats me… Also see if you can find them ceramic coated. It will reduce the heat in your engine compartment. If you cannot, may be buy some ceramic coating spray from your local auto store and apply it yourself. Also get the spacers for your oxygen sensors if you need them to be on. You will never get a yellow engine light and you can pass obdii emissions test with no issues. You may want to do you motor mounts and/or your che-k member at the same time as the headers if you are planning to do those. (Will elaborate later).
Brakes/Rotors/Lines/Pads. In my opinion unless you spend a lot of money (3k region) for a “big break kit” or you find a gt500 takeoff at a better price and you have wheels to accommodate it (diameter), changing rotors to drilled or slotted is just an appearance preference. (I like the look myself). Changing the pads you can do yourself it is very easy. You can upgrade your braking somewhat, with better pads. While you are there buy some caliper paint and paint your calipers (black). It will last for quite a while and I personally think that looks miles better than fake plastic covers. You will need to rent a compression tool to do your rear pads. I also replaced my break lines with steel braded lines, and switched to a DOT 4 brake fluid. The pedal is harder, and braking does not fade at high speeds as it used to. So I say the switch to DOT 4 worth it, steel braded lines affective but not necessary. Difficulty for all including bleeding (find some good directions) a 3. Not very time consuming either. You need to be confident that you can do it right, and follow directions closely. Your life rides on those brakes…. Be careful with the brake fluid. It will strip the clear coat off you paint…. This mode will complement future supercharger install.
CMDP. Charge Motor Delete Plates. Cheap easy mod. Requires tuning. Minor gains on Hp. Exhaust sound may change a bit particularly on lower rpm. Chances are that cmdp’s will not complement future Supercharger install, particularly twin screws. Requires removal of your intake manifold. Keep it clean, be careful not to drop anything inside the heads…
STB. Strut tower bar. Easy install (1). Mostly appearance Mod. It does tie your car together better, but unless you autocross unlikely you will actually benefit out of it. I like the appearance in the engine bay. It may interfere with a future supercharger install.
After Market Hoods. I will not get into the appearance value. It is personal preference. You may also get some functionality from some of them (channeling air over your intake, or heat extractors). My issue is that most of these hoods is that there are not made for everyday use. I will never forget reading about a response from a manufacturer responding to a member here on a question like what do you do when it rains? The answer was along the lines, “Oh we are located in Arizona, it never rains here….” Wow… At least most of them these days put a disclaimer that is for off-road use only, probably to avoid liability too. If you do install an aftermarket hood make sure you put hood pins (real ones) to secure it. Some hoods (very few) may interfere with a future supercharge install (clearance issues and/or air channeling to the wrong place-think procharger air intake location).
After Market Wheels. Strictly personal preference. It is one of the mods that can have a wow affect on the appearance of your vehicle. Of course there are some performance ramifications, depending how much tire you put on your wheels, or the wheel size and weight, staggered setup etc. You will hear a lot of opinions and honestly a lot has to do with your own personal preference. As a rule of thumb though, bigger the wheel (20”) will affect negatively the performance of the car. Also the lesser rubber you put on (profile)it will affect cornering and most important harshness of the ride as well as likelihood of wheel damage due to potholes etc. Although irrelevant if you will eventually go FI or not, if I were to change wheels I would at least go to a 9 inch (width) setup (if not a staggered 10 rear/9 front) so I have better choice of wide tires in case you do go FI later. Be aware that some finishes (such as Black Chrome) may be more sensitive to what you would expect them to be. Either pamper them or be prepared to deal with a damaged finish. Do not expect customer service help on this one either. Warranties may be illusive too. Lastly do not go too wide (certainly not above 275) on the front. The car will "tram" in the road grooves.
Gears. The only mod so far I had someone else do it. I upgraded from 3.31s to 4.10. Use OEM parts (ford racing). There should be no whine from your gears. Do not let anyone convince you otherwise. It took 2 stores and 6 attempts to get mine right. Cost for the install can vary a lot. Most say abt 600 buck including parts. It cost me double. If I new I was going FI, I would probably only switched to 3.73. Not unhappy with my choice even with the supercharger. Makes a really fast car, traction is a problem on lower gears. Fuel consumption is worse on the highway, slightly better in the city. Lesser load on your internals too which is a good thing when you are pushing 463rwhp/457ftlbs.
Motor Mounts/CHE K brace w/ torque limiters. A must if you are supercharged. One of the 2 mods for sure. If not FI, I would only do it if I had the headers out or I had serious problems finding my gears. I have both. I still miss 3rd gear occasionally. It does not mean they do not do their job. Driver Mod is one of the most, if not the most important mod on a mustang (or any other car ). Relatively inexpensive and fairly easy job. No more than a 3. You will need a few long extentions to do the motor mounts. There may be somewhat of a pita if you install after a header install. (headers may be on the way of tightening the top bolt). So if you are doing headers then do yourself a favor and do the motor mounts at the same time. You will not regret it. Car feels a lot firmer. I noticed no additional noise or vibrations with my prothane motor mounts. Personally I would go with the mounts instead of the brace. I felt more change with them.
62mm Throtle Body. Fairly easy install (3). Read instructions carefully. Small hp benefit. More gain on FI than NA application. Most likely will not interfere with future FI upgrade.
COPS. Coil on plugs. Easy install (1-2). Minor hp gains. Minor fuel economy gains (if any). More beneficial on FI setup. Choose your cops carefully. Some companies have quality issues. I have Weapon X, and have worked for 8,000miles so far without any issues.
AeroForce Gauges. Nice instrument. Lots of info. For the price I would have expected a bit better quality. The LCD’s are sensitive to Heat. You need to cover you dash, otherwise the display fades, temporarily. I have not tried the column installation, so people with that may chime in. Also Glare can be an issue, and if you are wearing polarized sunglasses you cannot see much at all. I like having them but feel that they need some improvement. Installation was easy (2), depends of course the location you actually put them. I have the dual setup. I think this is the way to go (rather than single) if you do not mind the price. You may want to add an A/F ratio sensor if you go FI, which will add to the difficulty of the install (4). You will certainly need to have someone to cut a hole on your exhaust and weld a bunk.
Clutch. You do not need to change clutch unless you go FI. I wore my stock clutch on FI within 3 mos. If daily driver I would not go over stage 2 type of clutch. I have Spec stage 2+ with an Aluminium Flywheel. If I were to do it over I would probably stay with the steel Flywheel version for a Daily Driver. The feel of the clutch is different. The car raises and drops RPMs faster, which can be akward till you get used to it. If I do not give it a bit of throttle when I engage I can feel the “pedals” of the clutch engaging causing some vibration (I think it is called chattering). You get used to handling your clutch eventually, but it is certainly not the stock feel on the 1st gear and reverse gear engagement. The clutch is a bit heavier too. You will feel it in city stop and go traffic. It does grip a lot harder though, something you need with FI. It was a very frustrating installation. Getting the tranny off was a lot more difficult than going back in. Having the right lift and a second person to help, will cut the install time and frustration a lot! I would do the clutch the same time you do you supercharger or header install after you take the intake manifold off. Install difficulty 7. It took me abt 18 hours straight to complete but I was pretty much on my own and on my back without proper lift.
Supercharger. The most rewarding mod you can do to your Mustang. It is an involved installation, you are involved in a major “bolt on”/cooling/electrical/fuel supply modification. It is nowhere near as frustrating for me as it was to do my clutch. You do this in stages. Taking apart, assembling the new parts, fuel system, cooling system, electrical, and finally the supercharger itself and the belt arrangements. It can take 3-4 days. Difficulty 7-8 There are some very good units out there. I installed a Techco 3L supercharger, which was a very well documented charger, with detailed instructions. Unfortunately the company does not operate anymore, so you are probably better off with some other make. If it was my first time I would not undertake the installation of a used charger, because of potential incomplete kits and possible lack of installation instructions. I am running on stock internals now for 12 months abt 11000miles. I love every minute of it!
GT500 Fuel pump. If you do go FI you will have a more reliable setup if you upgrade your fuel pump. It is a fairly involved process but it is well worth it piece of mind. I would say it is a 6 difficulty, mainly due to incomplete instructions (you will find useful info here and there but I have not found it all in one place) working over an open fuel tank (forget about smoking... and the smell... work with a 1/4 tank or less... ventilate as best as possible..), some electrical work and takes abt 2-3 hours if you get everything right the first time.
Air/Oil Separator. This device (also called catch can), is installed on the driver side vacuum line between the head cover and the intake tube. It removes the oil from the air, so your engine runs cleaner. It is very affective. You need this particularly if you are FI. My opinion is do not go cheap. Get one that is big enough to handle more that few tablespoons. You will be dumping that thing every week if you go that way. Also very important. Make sure you get steel braded lines otherwise any other cheap imitation will collapse from the vacuum and the heat, and you will get symptoms like stuck throttle, or slow throttle response (rpm do not fall or fall very slowly) among other problems. Also make sure you have no air leaks. Installation for the "***** Best" (do a search with the quotes if interested) is abt 2.
Short throw shifter A good addition to your car. Makes the shifting significantly shorter and most cases more accurate (not mine but I do not blame the shifter most of the time)
I have the MGW which is a very well made shifter, and the support is as good as it get if you have any issues. (you pretty much speak to the maker himself...). Relatively easy install 3.
This is my experience so far. It has been a wonderful ride and every mod I have done to my vehicle has made me more attached to it, helped me enjoy it more and truly learn a lot of things about it, that I had not the faintest idea about 2 years ago. I hope this can help some people make some good decisions. Whats next? May be some cams and forged internals? Who knows? Will see how long I can keep the bug tamed. Please realize that this is my personal experience, and nothing more. I hope I take some nice new pictures soon to show you my car and the mods. Have fun! Be safe.
It has been a pleasure to be part of this forum for about 2 years, pretty much coinciding, with the moment the mod bug beat me. It has been a wonderful experience, I am glad to have involved myself in every step taken, and pretty much done everything myself with the advice I found in this forum, people from the forum with help and advice (particularly Kohl trigger6, JDWalton, 157db, Hammeron, Nuke, Legion5, TacoBill, Modadict, among others) the guys at Brenspeed, and manuals. You all have my sincere thanks. I thought that it may be useful to someone, particularly somebody that just starting to get the mod bug to read of someone else’s experience and opinion about numerous mods.
It all stated for me with a K&N air intake. The ad in the magazine made sense, it was inexpensive and easy enough to install in order to experiment and see the difference. I had never touched any car I had before, more than an oil change. The sound changed and I felt something more on my butt dyno (wishful thinking or not who cares).
It was obviously a mistake for me to start with such a modification since, I could not stop there. A month later I sold that intake and went for a tunable CAI (Steeda) and a programmer and a tune from Bama chips. Now I could certainly feel the difference. The car sounded more live, but then I could hear the clips of aftermarket exhaust, and that was enticing. And so goes on… Instead of writing a long story I would give a short review and my personal opinion for every mod I have made.
As Initial Comment, If I had to do it over I would have started with a supercharger (or turbocharger) FIRST…. It would have saved me some money, and certainly may have steered my away from some unnecessary mods. But Human nature does not work that way. For people just starting with mods without previous experience, it is counter intuitive to just start and install a supercharger as a first mod. Anyway let’s start.
Cold Air Intake. This is the low budget (500-600 bucks) best mod you can do for your car including a tuner and a tune. You can avoid having to buy a tunner by getting a K&N intake or similar. But you will not get the same gains as with an intake that requires a tune. There are a few good makes out there, I had a Steeda. Unfortunately if you eventually go FI it is very likely you will not use this intake. (You will always use the tuner though). It is an easy install probably a 2 if not easier than that. From 1 to 10 difficulty (1 being an oil change and 10 being full engine internals replacement)
Aluminum one piece Driveshaft. Make sense mod. Lighter and fewer joints (lesser power loss). Do not go cheap. Get one that is reputable. I would not buy second hand either. You do not want a vibrating shaft… Preferably get one that does not replace but adapts to your rear flange. (Lesser work easier install). Understand the angles before you attempt the install. I say this is a 3-4, provided you understand how to measure the angles. If you are lowered, you need adjustable UCA, or LCA in order to adjust the angle. This mod complements future Supercharger install. Highly recommend to install safety loops (at least the front one particularly if you go to the track).
UCA, LCA, relocation bracket . (Upper and lower control arms). A necessary mod if you are lowered. I prefer to have the UCA been adjustable, since you can change your pinion angle from a single point, rather the 2 LCAs and having to match each other. A bit more difficult to install the upper control arm, but just need patience. Difficulty: 2 for LCA’s 3 for UCA. It would be wise to install a relocation bracket at the same time since you are there. (helps with the way forward motion applies to the car and improves traction). If it is a daily driver get UCA/LCAs with urethane bearings (less road noise). This mod complements future Supercharger install.
Lowering Springs/Shocks. A great appearance mode as it will level your car and lower it to the degree you desire. I use my car daily and went with Steeda Ultralites (a moderate drop of about 1 inch). I am glad I did not go any lower. Any speed bump would have been an issue, getting in and out of the driveway and possible excessive ride harshness for a daily driver. I am extremely happy with my choice. It improved drivability and handling of the car. If you lower I would certainly recommend doing your shocks at the same time (stockers are not designed to perform at the lower height). I went with tokico D-Specs which is an adjustable shock. I am glad I went for adjustable shock, because I can have different setting for the track vs daily drive. It also helped to fine tune my ride when I added 80 pounds of Supercharger on top of my engine (and my front shocks). I had to choose completely different setting on the front shocks as the car was behaving differently. Difficulty: 3 . You need to rent some spring compressors from you local auto store. This mod Complements Future Supercharger install.
Exhaust/Headers. Depending on what state you live in, in some cases even what county, you may have some limitations on what you can do to your exhaust if you are planning to run the car on the street. Check with local regulations first (particularly for Headers). In my case needed a setup with cats and oxygen sensors on (annual OBDII inspection). Exhaust sound is a personal thing. This is my personal preference. Listen to a few cars before you decide, if you can, preferably ride with them. I choose Borla Stingers (same as FRPP Stingers) axle backs. Nice American Muscle sound, loud but not obnoxious. There is drone (loud deep buzzing sound) at abt 1700-2000 RPM, which can be annoying to some particularly if constantly driving at that range (if you have 4.10 gears, or driving with top down or both, then do not worry abt it). Exhaust is an easy Install probably level 2. Make sure you align the dimples correctly on the pipes so you do not damage them. This mode complements future Supercharger Install. Headers can be frustrating installation and you will need some tools like ratcheting wrenches and ratchets with numerous extensions and articulated joints. I used Kooks headers with hi-flow cats. (the N/A version). This would be one of your lengthier installations. Can be frustrating. No special skills required. I would give it a 5-6 just because of length, and the amount of parts you have to take apart, that can be scary to a beginner. The result was a deeper and louder sound some horsepower and Torque gain. Shorty headers will give you a bit less, long tubes (particularly off road) somewhat more. I went for an H pipe setup, and I am very happy with the sound. I have heard the X setup and the difference is very minor. Considering that you may get some minor power gain from the X setup, I would probably go for it, if I had to do it over. This mod supports future supercharger installation. (if you know you are going that route or it is very likely, you may want to get the FI version of the Kooks). Also make sure you wash the inside of the Kooks headers. They are full of metal grinds that will end up on your cats…. It is an expensive setup, why you cannot get those clean beats me… Also see if you can find them ceramic coated. It will reduce the heat in your engine compartment. If you cannot, may be buy some ceramic coating spray from your local auto store and apply it yourself. Also get the spacers for your oxygen sensors if you need them to be on. You will never get a yellow engine light and you can pass obdii emissions test with no issues. You may want to do you motor mounts and/or your che-k member at the same time as the headers if you are planning to do those. (Will elaborate later).
Brakes/Rotors/Lines/Pads. In my opinion unless you spend a lot of money (3k region) for a “big break kit” or you find a gt500 takeoff at a better price and you have wheels to accommodate it (diameter), changing rotors to drilled or slotted is just an appearance preference. (I like the look myself). Changing the pads you can do yourself it is very easy. You can upgrade your braking somewhat, with better pads. While you are there buy some caliper paint and paint your calipers (black). It will last for quite a while and I personally think that looks miles better than fake plastic covers. You will need to rent a compression tool to do your rear pads. I also replaced my break lines with steel braded lines, and switched to a DOT 4 brake fluid. The pedal is harder, and braking does not fade at high speeds as it used to. So I say the switch to DOT 4 worth it, steel braded lines affective but not necessary. Difficulty for all including bleeding (find some good directions) a 3. Not very time consuming either. You need to be confident that you can do it right, and follow directions closely. Your life rides on those brakes…. Be careful with the brake fluid. It will strip the clear coat off you paint…. This mode will complement future supercharger install.
CMDP. Charge Motor Delete Plates. Cheap easy mod. Requires tuning. Minor gains on Hp. Exhaust sound may change a bit particularly on lower rpm. Chances are that cmdp’s will not complement future Supercharger install, particularly twin screws. Requires removal of your intake manifold. Keep it clean, be careful not to drop anything inside the heads…
STB. Strut tower bar. Easy install (1). Mostly appearance Mod. It does tie your car together better, but unless you autocross unlikely you will actually benefit out of it. I like the appearance in the engine bay. It may interfere with a future supercharger install.
After Market Hoods. I will not get into the appearance value. It is personal preference. You may also get some functionality from some of them (channeling air over your intake, or heat extractors). My issue is that most of these hoods is that there are not made for everyday use. I will never forget reading about a response from a manufacturer responding to a member here on a question like what do you do when it rains? The answer was along the lines, “Oh we are located in Arizona, it never rains here….” Wow… At least most of them these days put a disclaimer that is for off-road use only, probably to avoid liability too. If you do install an aftermarket hood make sure you put hood pins (real ones) to secure it. Some hoods (very few) may interfere with a future supercharge install (clearance issues and/or air channeling to the wrong place-think procharger air intake location).
After Market Wheels. Strictly personal preference. It is one of the mods that can have a wow affect on the appearance of your vehicle. Of course there are some performance ramifications, depending how much tire you put on your wheels, or the wheel size and weight, staggered setup etc. You will hear a lot of opinions and honestly a lot has to do with your own personal preference. As a rule of thumb though, bigger the wheel (20”) will affect negatively the performance of the car. Also the lesser rubber you put on (profile)it will affect cornering and most important harshness of the ride as well as likelihood of wheel damage due to potholes etc. Although irrelevant if you will eventually go FI or not, if I were to change wheels I would at least go to a 9 inch (width) setup (if not a staggered 10 rear/9 front) so I have better choice of wide tires in case you do go FI later. Be aware that some finishes (such as Black Chrome) may be more sensitive to what you would expect them to be. Either pamper them or be prepared to deal with a damaged finish. Do not expect customer service help on this one either. Warranties may be illusive too. Lastly do not go too wide (certainly not above 275) on the front. The car will "tram" in the road grooves.
Gears. The only mod so far I had someone else do it. I upgraded from 3.31s to 4.10. Use OEM parts (ford racing). There should be no whine from your gears. Do not let anyone convince you otherwise. It took 2 stores and 6 attempts to get mine right. Cost for the install can vary a lot. Most say abt 600 buck including parts. It cost me double. If I new I was going FI, I would probably only switched to 3.73. Not unhappy with my choice even with the supercharger. Makes a really fast car, traction is a problem on lower gears. Fuel consumption is worse on the highway, slightly better in the city. Lesser load on your internals too which is a good thing when you are pushing 463rwhp/457ftlbs.
Motor Mounts/CHE K brace w/ torque limiters. A must if you are supercharged. One of the 2 mods for sure. If not FI, I would only do it if I had the headers out or I had serious problems finding my gears. I have both. I still miss 3rd gear occasionally. It does not mean they do not do their job. Driver Mod is one of the most, if not the most important mod on a mustang (or any other car ). Relatively inexpensive and fairly easy job. No more than a 3. You will need a few long extentions to do the motor mounts. There may be somewhat of a pita if you install after a header install. (headers may be on the way of tightening the top bolt). So if you are doing headers then do yourself a favor and do the motor mounts at the same time. You will not regret it. Car feels a lot firmer. I noticed no additional noise or vibrations with my prothane motor mounts. Personally I would go with the mounts instead of the brace. I felt more change with them.
62mm Throtle Body. Fairly easy install (3). Read instructions carefully. Small hp benefit. More gain on FI than NA application. Most likely will not interfere with future FI upgrade.
COPS. Coil on plugs. Easy install (1-2). Minor hp gains. Minor fuel economy gains (if any). More beneficial on FI setup. Choose your cops carefully. Some companies have quality issues. I have Weapon X, and have worked for 8,000miles so far without any issues.
AeroForce Gauges. Nice instrument. Lots of info. For the price I would have expected a bit better quality. The LCD’s are sensitive to Heat. You need to cover you dash, otherwise the display fades, temporarily. I have not tried the column installation, so people with that may chime in. Also Glare can be an issue, and if you are wearing polarized sunglasses you cannot see much at all. I like having them but feel that they need some improvement. Installation was easy (2), depends of course the location you actually put them. I have the dual setup. I think this is the way to go (rather than single) if you do not mind the price. You may want to add an A/F ratio sensor if you go FI, which will add to the difficulty of the install (4). You will certainly need to have someone to cut a hole on your exhaust and weld a bunk.
Clutch. You do not need to change clutch unless you go FI. I wore my stock clutch on FI within 3 mos. If daily driver I would not go over stage 2 type of clutch. I have Spec stage 2+ with an Aluminium Flywheel. If I were to do it over I would probably stay with the steel Flywheel version for a Daily Driver. The feel of the clutch is different. The car raises and drops RPMs faster, which can be akward till you get used to it. If I do not give it a bit of throttle when I engage I can feel the “pedals” of the clutch engaging causing some vibration (I think it is called chattering). You get used to handling your clutch eventually, but it is certainly not the stock feel on the 1st gear and reverse gear engagement. The clutch is a bit heavier too. You will feel it in city stop and go traffic. It does grip a lot harder though, something you need with FI. It was a very frustrating installation. Getting the tranny off was a lot more difficult than going back in. Having the right lift and a second person to help, will cut the install time and frustration a lot! I would do the clutch the same time you do you supercharger or header install after you take the intake manifold off. Install difficulty 7. It took me abt 18 hours straight to complete but I was pretty much on my own and on my back without proper lift.
Supercharger. The most rewarding mod you can do to your Mustang. It is an involved installation, you are involved in a major “bolt on”/cooling/electrical/fuel supply modification. It is nowhere near as frustrating for me as it was to do my clutch. You do this in stages. Taking apart, assembling the new parts, fuel system, cooling system, electrical, and finally the supercharger itself and the belt arrangements. It can take 3-4 days. Difficulty 7-8 There are some very good units out there. I installed a Techco 3L supercharger, which was a very well documented charger, with detailed instructions. Unfortunately the company does not operate anymore, so you are probably better off with some other make. If it was my first time I would not undertake the installation of a used charger, because of potential incomplete kits and possible lack of installation instructions. I am running on stock internals now for 12 months abt 11000miles. I love every minute of it!
GT500 Fuel pump. If you do go FI you will have a more reliable setup if you upgrade your fuel pump. It is a fairly involved process but it is well worth it piece of mind. I would say it is a 6 difficulty, mainly due to incomplete instructions (you will find useful info here and there but I have not found it all in one place) working over an open fuel tank (forget about smoking... and the smell... work with a 1/4 tank or less... ventilate as best as possible..), some electrical work and takes abt 2-3 hours if you get everything right the first time.
Air/Oil Separator. This device (also called catch can), is installed on the driver side vacuum line between the head cover and the intake tube. It removes the oil from the air, so your engine runs cleaner. It is very affective. You need this particularly if you are FI. My opinion is do not go cheap. Get one that is big enough to handle more that few tablespoons. You will be dumping that thing every week if you go that way. Also very important. Make sure you get steel braded lines otherwise any other cheap imitation will collapse from the vacuum and the heat, and you will get symptoms like stuck throttle, or slow throttle response (rpm do not fall or fall very slowly) among other problems. Also make sure you have no air leaks. Installation for the "***** Best" (do a search with the quotes if interested) is abt 2.
Short throw shifter A good addition to your car. Makes the shifting significantly shorter and most cases more accurate (not mine but I do not blame the shifter most of the time)
I have the MGW which is a very well made shifter, and the support is as good as it get if you have any issues. (you pretty much speak to the maker himself...). Relatively easy install 3.
This is my experience so far. It has been a wonderful ride and every mod I have done to my vehicle has made me more attached to it, helped me enjoy it more and truly learn a lot of things about it, that I had not the faintest idea about 2 years ago. I hope this can help some people make some good decisions. Whats next? May be some cams and forged internals? Who knows? Will see how long I can keep the bug tamed. Please realize that this is my personal experience, and nothing more. I hope I take some nice new pictures soon to show you my car and the mods. Have fun! Be safe.
Last edited by vasman; 09-07-2010 at 02:21 PM. Reason: grammar, pics added
08-06-2010, 07:11 PM
#3
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Florida
Posts: 154
That was a great read. I think as you said we all realize at some point that getting a supercharger right off the bat makes the most sense financially but it's so hard to justify that much money immediately going to mods when the mod bug normally bites soon after purchasing the car.
08-06-2010, 08:56 PM
#5
6th Gear Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Nicely done
Posts: 11,881
