Jas5

I know this is a personal preference thing, but what would you do?

I keep seeing '13 and '14 5.0's around and absolutely love the look... even bone stock they look very good. '11-'12 are so-so. I prefer '13-'14, then '05-'09, then '11-'12 as far as looks

But moving forward I can either build up my motor (and add some hot cams, nice thump sound) and turn up the boost to 12-15 psi for 550-600 whp and have one crazy mustang, or I can get a '13-14 5.0 and just go BPU for a few years until I save up to supercharge it.


I'd like to do both but not sure if I can afford that insurance and maintenance. I COULD get a 2011-2012 and have enough left over to supercharge it, but everytime i see the 2013-2014 i'd be hitting myself

edit:


that.....................or get a 07-09 GT500..white with no stripes........................... and just go BPU. I could get one for about $25k and my car is only worth about $14k if I sold it, and building it up would probably be around $5k total. So i'd have room left over to lower it with shocks/swaybars/springs

cliffs:
-rebuilt motor to handle 600whp safely and turn up the boost
-buy a 2013-2014 5.0 and go BPU until I want to s/c it
-buy a 2007-2009 GT500

americaniron

I decided to go with a built engine when my car was paid for. I also added a Steeda 10 rib belt drive conversion rated for 20psi for the Whipple. She is putting down 650 rwhp now, and I owe nothing on it. Went out and got a Jeep Wrangler as a daily driver after that.

It's still a big decision for you, but that is just the way I decided to go. I figured that there will always be something new that comes out, and if I kept trading in, I would always be trying to catch up to where I already was with the car.

Jas5

Thanks.

I think the easiest and most fun option would to build the motor up and turn up the boost.. would just have to get a rental car for a week or two. But with so much power i'd also need suspension upgrades and wider wheels/tires (305 rather than 285)

Since my blower is about 5 years old, i'd probably send it to Paxton to get rebuilt for $800 or whatever. Also, my blower wouldn't mate with a coyote 5.0 motor so I wouldn't want to buy a coyote crate engine.

Trading it in for a GT500 would be really cool but it'd also be a lot of headache.. and pricey with insurance and all.

I've rebuilt a couple 4 cylinders when I worked on cars, but would you reckon it takes a good 2 weeks to get a v8 built up (forged pistons, crankshaft, everything) and dyno tuned?

Rocket Ray

Personally, I prefer the looks of the 05-09s to the 13 & 14, esp. the interior. I have owned my car outright for a few years and still less than 20K on the odometer. I don't have a supercharger either. Believe me, I would love to have the 5.0. But other than that, the suspension on your car can be upgraded to the 13-14, so what's the difference, other than the look? I guess it all depends on how much money you can spare. I know a lot of people don't think about retirement, but most people make it to that age. There is only one thing worse than not living to retire, and that is making it to retirement and being poor.

miner999r

Me I'd just save up and buy a Shelby. All the power you need and the suspension and drive train to handle it. Warranty, etc.

I learned my lessons long ago screwing around with motorcycles by bolting on this that or the other. All I got was screwed up motorcycles.

My thought is if you do it yourself it will be for a personal pleasure / challenge, but I expect it will cost.

The following is how my dream of building up a car would be:

For me it would be start with lots of money. What does this stuff cost now? Built motor 12 to 15 grand, blower another 8 installed, trans? clutch? Suspension?

Then after I built it - endless tuning? The car runs not very well, corollas are passing me! Oops just blew the motor another 12 grand is how it would work for me and I would be kicking myself or in other words my wife would be beating me with my leg after tearing it off, for ruining a perfectly good car.

CMcNam

I am already working on building mine up. I've made it look just like I want, and it turns more heads than any stock 5.0. Now, I want the power. I say build it up.

When you build something, you gain personal satisfaction from doing it yourself. When you succeed at something like that, you gain confidence and knowledge. Anyone with money to blow can go out and buy a new car and all you will have accomplished is to look like the other schmo who bought the same car. Not many people can actually WORK on cars and keep them running. Flaunting money attracts a different crowd than flaunting knowledge does, and I find the crowd that knowledge attracts seem to be a more respectable (and respectful) group, the type of people I want to be surrounded by. Who you have around you says a lot about who you are.

So that was quite the digression, sorry for that! That's my reasoning anyways, sound or not. In the end, it's all about MO POWAH, which can happen no matter which route you take.

Note: if you're rich and respectable (and respectful), you've won already and my hat is off to you.

Edit: no offense to anyone, I love all cars, do what makes you happiest!