Finally have a master plan for the car - 2000 Mustang GT
10-19-2011, 10:21 PM
#13
So I've been doing some basic upgrades to my car since July (Short shifter, throttle body, tune, etc...) but after reading so many posts (using the search button of course), it seems like the best question was "What is your final goal?"
Seeing as my Mustang is my DD, but I would also like to autocross AND drag race (70/30 mix), I have to make some compromises. Here are the remaining parts I want to install on my car, please feel free to give me some opinions if you like them or would suggest something else for my application. S/C is a far off goal, but I am taking it into consideration (along with a lot of highway driving) when choosing my 3.73 gears (of which a whole other thread could be written).
Shout out to American Muscle for having most (actually all) of my future parts (links below).
Summer 2012:
- Ford Racing 3.73 Gears (http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-373-9904gt.html)
- Read end install kit (http://www.americanmuscle.com/rearendrebuild.html)
- Ford Racing Traction - LOK rebuild kit, think I may need a 28 spline - S spring though (http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-88-traclok-kit.html)
- Diff cover, either the Ford Racing cover (http://www.americanmuscle.com/frpp-88-diff-cover.html) or the chrome cover (http://www.americanmuscle.com/mustan...eargridle.html) the main difference being $ and the ability to drain and refill the rear fluid.
Gears to be installed at a shop which I'm still looking for in the Albany area for hopefully around $250-350.
Summer 2013
Thank you Jazzer for a lot of this info from the suspension sticky.
- MM FLSFC (http://www.americanmuscle.com/maximu...onnectors.html)
- J&M LCA (http://www.americanmuscle.com/relocoarstpe.html)
- J&M UCA (http://www.americanmuscle.com/reupcoar7.html)
- Removal of my rear quad shocks
- Eibach Anti Roll bar (http://www.americanmuscle.com/eibach...4-mustang.html) Not sure if I'm going to tell a difference with this. Is it worth the money?
Here's the big suspension question, should I go with the following setup or something similar, or start looking at coil overs? I'm expecting all of these parts, including the suspension parts above (with myself installing them hopefully), to run around $1k:
- H&R SS Springs (http://www.americanmuscle.com/h-r-sp...ngs-96-04.html)
- Bilstein HD Strut (http://www.americanmuscle.com/bilste...trut-8704.html)
- Bilstein HD Shock (http://www.americanmuscle.com/bilste...hock-8704.html)
Whew..fire away!
Seeing as my Mustang is my DD, but I would also like to autocross AND drag race (70/30 mix), I have to make some compromises. Here are the remaining parts I want to install on my car, please feel free to give me some opinions if you like them or would suggest something else for my application. S/C is a far off goal, but I am taking it into consideration (along with a lot of highway driving) when choosing my 3.73 gears (of which a whole other thread could be written).
Shout out to American Muscle for having most (actually all) of my future parts (links below).
Summer 2012:
- Ford Racing 3.73 Gears (http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-373-9904gt.html)
- Read end install kit (http://www.americanmuscle.com/rearendrebuild.html)
- Ford Racing Traction - LOK rebuild kit, think I may need a 28 spline - S spring though (http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-88-traclok-kit.html)
- Diff cover, either the Ford Racing cover (http://www.americanmuscle.com/frpp-88-diff-cover.html) or the chrome cover (http://www.americanmuscle.com/mustan...eargridle.html) the main difference being $ and the ability to drain and refill the rear fluid.
Gears to be installed at a shop which I'm still looking for in the Albany area for hopefully around $250-350.
Summer 2013
Thank you Jazzer for a lot of this info from the suspension sticky.
- MM FLSFC (http://www.americanmuscle.com/maximu...onnectors.html)
- J&M LCA (http://www.americanmuscle.com/relocoarstpe.html)
- J&M UCA (http://www.americanmuscle.com/reupcoar7.html)
- Removal of my rear quad shocks
- Eibach Anti Roll bar (http://www.americanmuscle.com/eibach...4-mustang.html) Not sure if I'm going to tell a difference with this. Is it worth the money?
Here's the big suspension question, should I go with the following setup or something similar, or start looking at coil overs? I'm expecting all of these parts, including the suspension parts above (with myself installing them hopefully), to run around $1k:
- H&R SS Springs (http://www.americanmuscle.com/h-r-sp...ngs-96-04.html)
- Bilstein HD Strut (http://www.americanmuscle.com/bilste...trut-8704.html)
- Bilstein HD Shock (http://www.americanmuscle.com/bilste...hock-8704.html)
Whew..fire away!
If you plan on doing the supercharger than stick with the 3.73's if not than just get 4.10's.
Before I did my IRS swap I was planning on doing an auto-x set up with the SRA and did lots of research and here is what I would do in your situation. Go with the MMFLSFC's but get those before you do any racing with the car.
For the LCA's get maximum motorsports LCA's from their website. If you are going to use FI than get their extreme duty ones for obvious reasons. If not than just get the heavy duty ones.
For the UCA's there is no real benefit from going aftermarket so save your money and stick with the stock ones. That way in the future if you do a torque arm/panhard bar combo you'll just get rid of the UCA's anyways.
For the springs if you really want the car to handle well get the H&R race springs, I had those along with bilstein HD's on my car and it handles great and rode just as good as when I had H&R supersports with KYB shocks and struts.
Also buy the Bilsteins from maximum motorsports because if you want to do coil-overs later MM can send you grooved ones which you can use for coil-overs and then all you'll have to buy are the springs and conversion kit which will save you money in the long run.
I think that is everything. Let me know if something didn't make sense.
10-20-2011, 06:09 AM
#14
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 476
- What part will be grooved, the HD shocks and struts?
- How much do the springs and conversion kit run?
- Is there going to be any issue with finding the right spring rates with the old bilsteins and new springs I would put on them?
10-20-2011, 06:28 AM
#15
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 476
Any opinions on these:
- Diff cover, either the Ford Racing cover (http://www.americanmuscle.com/frpp-88-diff-cover.html) or the chrome cover (http://www.americanmuscle.com/mustan...eargridle.html) the main difference being $ and the ability to drain and refill the rear fluid.
- Eibach Anti Roll bar (http://www.americanmuscle.com/eibach...4-mustang.html) Not sure if I'm going to tell a difference with this. Is it worth the money?
- Diff cover, either the Ford Racing cover (http://www.americanmuscle.com/frpp-88-diff-cover.html) or the chrome cover (http://www.americanmuscle.com/mustan...eargridle.html) the main difference being $ and the ability to drain and refill the rear fluid.
- Eibach Anti Roll bar (http://www.americanmuscle.com/eibach...4-mustang.html) Not sure if I'm going to tell a difference with this. Is it worth the money?
10-20-2011, 11:21 AM
#16
Thanks for the response, have a couple more questions:
- What part will be grooved, the HD shocks and struts?
- How much do the springs and conversion kit run?
- Is there going to be any issue with finding the right spring rates with the old bilsteins and new springs I would put on them?
- What part will be grooved, the HD shocks and struts?
- How much do the springs and conversion kit run?
- Is there going to be any issue with finding the right spring rates with the old bilsteins and new springs I would put on them?
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/st...roducts_id=506
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/st...roducts_id=508
There are the links for a package deal for the conversion kit and springs. For the spring rates your best bet is to call MM when you want to buy them and tell them about you're car (what you use it for etc.) and they can help you pick out the best spring rate.
Also don't get a diff cover. Pointless.
I don't really know much about the eibach swaybar so I can't tell you much about that.
10-20-2011, 02:09 PM
#17
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 476
Got under the car yesterday and it seems like the stock one shines up pretty good. A leaky gasket under the diff cover is getting fluid all over it, so I'm hoping it'll stay nice and clean when I replace the gasket when I get gears. I was thinking more for the fact of making the oil change easier, but that's only every 60k+ miles anyways right?
Seems like this is going to be a good package to look at, since I've decided to go with the coil overs from the start:
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/st...roducts_id=328
Seems like this is going to be a good package to look at, since I've decided to go with the coil overs from the start:
http://www.maximummotorsports.com/st...roducts_id=328
Last edited by Syracuse315; 10-20-2011 at 03:18 PM.
10-20-2011, 11:23 PM
#18
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 476
**Updated**
- Ford Racing Traction - LOK rebuild kit, think I may need a 28 spline - S spring though (http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-88-traclok-kit.html)
- Ford Racing Traction - LOK rebuild kit, think I may need a 28 spline - S spring though (http://www.americanmuscle.com/ford-88-traclok-kit.html)
10-21-2011, 08:58 AM
#20
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 476
As for upgrading the looks (to go along with my blacked-out theme), these are my choices which will prob be installed based on when/if they go on sale throughout this upgrade process:
- Black Billet Grille (http://www.americanmuscle.com/9904-b...lle-combo.html
- Black Hood Scoop Billet Insert (http://www.americanmuscle.com/black-...rt-9904gt.html)
- Ford Hood Pins (http://www.americanmuscle.com/fordra...d-pin-kit.html) as my hood is a little shaky at high speeds, and I like the look of them.
- Bullitt style black fuel door (http://www.americanmuscle.com/sr-940...oor-black.html)
- Black Billet Grille (http://www.americanmuscle.com/9904-b...lle-combo.html
- Black Hood Scoop Billet Insert (http://www.americanmuscle.com/black-...rt-9904gt.html)
- Ford Hood Pins (http://www.americanmuscle.com/fordra...d-pin-kit.html) as my hood is a little shaky at high speeds, and I like the look of them.
- Bullitt style black fuel door (http://www.americanmuscle.com/sr-940...oor-black.html)
Btw, I might be crazy but if you look at my sig, do I not have the GT hood scoop? Is it possible this was the older design, and the "newer" new edge mustangs had an upgraded/taller scoop?