GWFoos

Thanks for the input. I have about $10k for mods (including labor) as of today. I want reliability first. Second, I want it street/smog legal. Third, I want power. What are your guesstimates on your suggestions from your post?

I am glad I started asking all of these questions early as I want to be well informed so that I make the right decisions up front.

Thanks again.

Greg

Getaway

I'm glad you started this tread too. It's been hit 80 times already, which means someone else is learning too. That's what the internet's about...well, entertainment purposes too. I guarantee I'll learn something from your adventure.

GWFoos

" guarantee I'll learn something from your adventure."

What I don't want is to be THAT someone who has the money and doesn't know what to do with it. I want what's right, which is why I am on here asking the pertinent questions. I am enjoying the whole process for sure. It will be even more exciting when I am actually standing in the shop watching my car get worked on when I know I have chosen the best way to do things.

sicride

To be honest 10k IS a big budget but at the same time it's kind of small. I don't honestly know the prices for everything and wouldn't be the best to ask about this but for a quick estimate (others can correct me later):

Supercharger (you can request pulley size when ordering I believe)- $5700 for the Whipple?
Installation and tuning probably around $1000
If you said tear down and reassembly would be 1400 for engine lets stick with that.
internals ~$1200
---------------------
$9300

You might be able to shop around for better prices. for the internals and installation of supercharger I'm using guesstimates based on my import knowledge.. I hear domestic labor and parts are cheaper.

To be honest with 10k I would assume you'd actually want to rebuild the tranny instead and keep the internals stock but maybe with a slightly lower horsepower pulley. That is where you will get most power. With the extra money start focusing on getting wider wheels and tires. Then save up for the engine rebuild.

Edit: Don't forget the headers and exhaust- a supercharger without them would be almost pointless, unless you're trying to be a sleeper.. In a Mustang..?..

Mustang Novice

Great thread.

What would you guys expect to pay for a tranny rebuild?
Wouldn't you want gears too? The auto comes with 3.31, and I would assume you're wanting take off as opposed to top end.

GWFoos

With a supercharger, it seems the consensus is 3.73. W/O blower, 4.10s seem to be the choice.

As for rebuilding the tranny, I am not sure. Lentech seems to have some trannys, but they are expensive and I am sure would be more than rebuilding your own.

sicride

The rest of this thread was looking at the reliability issue of parts needed to be rebuilt with major power adders. There is different ways to look at making a car faster. Personally I'm not big into these power adders when a car already makes 300 some horsepower. I like to drag race alot (and drift which is like the opposite and none the less off subject.) for me with an '05 GT I have already started planning what I would like to do for straight line performance: remove the hydrocarbon trap add pulleys and flash the ECU for power, then focus entirely on getting the power down with as wide a rim possible and good tires. Then looking at getting a clutch and flywheel, rear end with the 4.10 gears and a killer strong LSD. I gurantee this would get the car into the 12's solidly and I believe that is quick enough. From a light that will take almost any Corvette in stock form especially with the rich ****** who typically own but don't know how to drive them. From a roll the car still will not be much competition for many modded or performance cars but I don't like to race high speed for a sustained amount of time.

The other approach is to do major power adders, cams, nitrous, superchargers, rebuilds etc. Then you just have more traction issues and from a light you more often than not end up looking like a fool. BUT if you're not concerned about that the pleasure of driving a really high power vehicle that puts down 450rwhp is a whole nother experience. All this just says that the rear end gears would be a good idea 3.73 for Supercharged GT's and make sure you get a good LSD. But semi off subject and those are kinda cheap and easy to do. Under $1000 installed guaranteed.

Tranny rebuild, depending on the weak part of the tranny (I don't know). If it's simply the torque converter which can't handle the power I would assume the entire tranny rebuild would be right around $1500 including vavle body upgrade and high stall/high power torque converter tear down and rebuild. If the internals need to be stronger, cryogenic treatment is probably one way to go and a really expensive way to go.


P.S. little side story as to why I don't like huge power adders on cars that already have loads of power- My best friend had a Bullitt Mustang, and that thing was fairely quick. He did no mods to it except a K&N filter (if that counts as a mod). We were out racing around and messing with people in crappy 4-bangers etc which is all fine and dandy. Alot of times it's fun cause you just let them take off and start slowly yourself then lean into it and cream them. Unfortunately, we lined up with a late 90's Cavalier Z24... ooo noooooo!!!! My best friend decided that he was gonna show off and leave a smoke trail while still planning on burning these kids. He dropped the clutch from 2200rpms and nailed the gas got the tires smoking and the Cavalier launched fairely decently with only a couple squeeks of the tires (so nearly perfect actually) and by the time we reached 60mph in the Mustang the Cavalier was still 3 cars ahead of us and hitting the brakes. The Cavalier only had intake/header/exhaust and should have been toast. It was not a sleeper, it just beat a 4.6L Mustang. And he was cocky about it at the next light before he turned off. Too embarassing for me to go out and add more power to a car that already has enough to get you in trouble.