Being old school, where we modified our own engines and tuning consisted of setting our own timing, adjusting dwell angle, and increasing air flow meant replacing the intake manifold and carb and that required also changing out to better exhaust. All expensive propositions.

But, we understood the mods we would do and if we were looking for more low end torque or high end horsepower. If we were looking for harder launches and accelleration, but reduced top end, we went to steeper gears like 4.11s. We understood the pros and cons of mods.

Posters, do you understand what it is you really want? Do you want to build a drag car?
Do you want to build a road racer?

If you are looking for a little improvement in your day to day driving, and want a little more seat of the pants feel, do you understand that is torque and not HP?

Asking for more HP may not be what you really want. When you bought the car and went with either an auto or manny tranny, why did you make that choice? Did you understand that the auto takes away more power ?

I ask fellow forum members to post their mods and what they expected and were those expectations met and why/why not. Also, what was their objective. Maybe this will help folks better understand what it is they want.

I will go first

I love to have better control of my car, I like rowing through gears, I like to downshift around corners and when stopping. With over 1 million miles on manny tranny cars, bought a manny.
I have no desire to bracket race which would be the only reason I would have bought an automatic.

I like to rumble so exhaust was first- Pypes Street Pros. I'm happy and love the sound

I wanted a little more low end pull and to get rid of that GAWD Awful computer hesitation.

CAI and 91 tune. I went with the ugly but effective combo from vmptuning. I didn't need aesthetics, just results and I'm happy. My seat of the pants dyno results are good and I don't care what my WHP is; my daily driver is fine now.

So, I knew my objectives and they were met.

 

...........................and we drizzled water down the carb to steam clean the heads from the inside out and smooth out a rough idle. I used a coffee can with a coiled fuel line to pack ice in so that the fuel was cold before a run. Ah the good ole days. Most whippsnappers I think feel a need for more HP because it is obtainable. Many don't know there are optional routes to take the get the same time or seat of pants feel and save some coin at the fuel pump. Neck snapping tourque is available without added HP.

 

Well for me, I was 16 when the first Mustang came out. A lot of my freinds had really fast 56 chevys.

I have always wanted a muscle car, but due to marriage and having 4 sons I had to put it on the back burner for many years. (had a lot of station wagons though)

I had heard in 2004 that Ford was coming out with an old school Mustang. I didnt pay a whole lot of attention to it until one evening I was watvhing TV and a new Ford Mustang commercial came on..................I'm sitting there watching this kid take his dad for a ride in a parking lot in a new Ford Old School Mustang............right then an there I said........screw it.........I'm buying the car I could never have.

I didnt say anything to the wife (of 40 years). I did happen to mention to her one eveningthat I really needed a new car 'cause my 2001 Chevy Malibu LS had 80K on it and was probably going to die any day. (not)

So one day after work, Jan 2006, I stopped by the Ford dealers and saw this '05 screaming yellow mustang. I was looking at the car and the salesman says..........ya wanna take her for a ride...........I couldnt hardly get the words out, it was like my mouth quit working........the only thing I could say was........sure, yeah, I'd like that.

Man, I gotta tell ya, I sat in that car and it was like going right back to the 60's. On the test drive I drove it like I was driving my Malibu, the salesman kept looking over at me wondering...........whats wrong with this guy..........he's doing 35mph in a 50mph speed zone, I guess it kinda reminded him of the movie, Up in Smoke.

Anyway we finally get back to the dealers, which must have seemed like a lifetime to the salesman. I didnt notice, in fact I still dont remember to much of the test drive to this day.

So the salesman says, so...what do you think.........the only thing I said was.........I'll take it. No haggling, no noth'in..........gimme the car.

I get home, late from work, walk in the front door and the wife says, why are you so late getting home from work. Well, I stood up straight, pulled my shoulders back and boldly announced, actually I muttered, uh....I just bought a new car. I'm thinking........okay.......here we go.........the only thing she said was.........what color is your new car.........I proudly said, well, muttered again...........uh yellow..........I'm thinking...........man, she is gonna scream.
Didnt happen though, she said...............good I like yellow. Now I'm wondering.......HUH!

To this day my 4 sonsstill all asked their mother............whats wrong with dad mom........she always tells them,....... you will have to ask your father.

I have had the car for 2 years now, it has 36000 miles on it. (daily driver) Every year I enter the car in car shows and generally come in 2nd place. (the black Mustangs always beat me, and rightly so. Those guys deserve it)

My Mustang is a 1/4 mile 13.5sec 102mph work/show car and I love it. Just ask the wife.

Oh, I installed a battery operated old school clock on the dash, been waiting for the batteries to run out of juice and the clock to stop. Then it will truly be old school, just like the old days.

Thats my story..........and I stick'in to it. Thanks for asking.

 

In the "Old Day's", for more power you........
1) added an aluminum intake manifold...
2) more or larger Carbs...Bigger jets
3) Milled the Heads for more compression
4) Dual exhaust, with "cut-outs"
5) Cherry Bomb Muffler's
6) Lower Gears............
7) Dual Point distributer.....Usually Mallory
8)Etc etc etc....


Today you want more Power you get This, stick it in...DONE

 

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