2005mystang

Ok, so what I have is basically a bone stock '05 GT that I just purchased last week. I absolutely love the car already, but would like more. However, I do not know where to begin, but I know somebody on here can help me out.

The direction I plan to go is a supercharger within a couple of years. With that in mind, what should I do first for performace mods? I'd like to see some hp gain, of course. The funds for the sc will take some time to acquire, so what can I do in the meantime that will also prep it for the sc.

As for exterior I am planning to get either the Trufiber GS3 or Venom. Any advice on those?

Did these come stock with a nice growl? My car already sounds good, not sure if its been tweaked a bit.

Here's a few pics of what I am working with.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

Nuke

I'm sure you've used the search feature and are deciding on a CAI & tune combo with a CAI that will likely work with the SC you choose. And, I'm sure you've already searched the forum and found out that a good CAI & custom tune is your biggest bang short of going FI (or nitrous), closely followed by the cams and LT's combo.

onederful100

i would say get some LT's, midpipe, and axle backs.
leave everything else alone.
save your money for the SC.
the more money you spend, the longer you'll have to wait to buy the SC.

2005mystang

Yes, I have used the search feature. Quite extensively, actually. However, when I type in "2005 mods" I get a gazillion results. The problem with that is I don't have time to go through those gazillion results. It is nice to have a thread with advice that pertains to my exact situation.

So, thank you for the advice and please keep it coming.

As for the stock exhaust, does it sound good or has mine possibly been tweaked in some way? How would I be able to tell? It appears stock just by looking at it.

V8s_Are_Great

First, go buy a Haynes manual (or something like it) for your car. Do every repair and upgrade you're comfortable doing yourself. This will teach you a little about your whip specifically and you can get a better idea about how these machines work in general (assuming you're new to the whole scene).

If you ARE fairly familiar with your Pony's inner-workings, I'd focus on some cold-air intake with a good customer following. AmericanMuscle.com is a good place to start looking. And yes, there are those out there that will work with an aftermarket SC. Then a simple exhaust system upgrade. Once again, start at AmericanMuscle or just Google. I'd stop short at headers, though; they're kind of a pain to install, from what I understand. Again, customer reviews weigh heavily with me and it might work for you to adopt this stance.

Another thing you might consider is building your motor's internals for whatever boost level you plan on running. I'm not too sure what HP/PSI the GT is happy dealing with stock, so do your research. You might not need to do anything at all. My personal plan is to give every fluid underneath the hood a better cooling system just to make it happy. Think power steering, brakes, and radiator. Don't worry about cooling windshield washer fluid. High boost CAN mean higher underhood temps.

As far as the exhaust goes, we'd need some pics to make any guess at all. Look for special tips with brand names on them. Look for places where the pipes might have been cut and re-welded instead of bolted together by a flange. Look for your catalytic converters. If they're gone, you can pretty much assume the previous owner did SOMETHING. Missing exhaust hangers are also a pretty good giveaway.

Lastly, maybe a few drivetrain mods. Yours is an older car and it might help if you replaced the clutch with a slightly better one somewhere down the road. Maybe a rear diff. cooler? I really like fluid coolers, for some reason.

Beyond that, prepare for boost and go DRIFTING. xD

2005mystang

Wow V8s, thanks for all the great info. I did go purchase a Haynes the very next day. Though I am not completely green when it comes to cars, I do have a lot to learn.

Thanks for everybodys input. I can't wait to get started. I hope I get some time in the near future to do a thorough inspection in the near future to see for sure what I am working with and if any mods have been done.

baddog671

CAI+tune

BigDinTexas

You explained that you want to eventually go FI, but why? For running it at the strip? For putting the smack down on anyone that tries to race you at the stop light? For road racing?

I ask because don't forget that there are a number of suspension upgrades that you could do now to make your beauty more fun now that will still apply with FI. For instance lowering your ride height with a quality lowering setup will make her more fun in the curves and look nicer. Downside is the stiffer suspension on non-perfect roads...

Is this your daily driver? Be sure to factor in whether your upgrades now will affect your ability to driver her for extended periods if it takes longer to do whatever upgrade you choose, although I can't envision too many upgrades before FI that should take a shadetree mechanic more than a solid weekend to perform.

I just (3 months ago) bought my 2005 GT and I absolutely love her. She came with a CAI, tint, and the side window louvers, but that was all. I have already upgraded the axel back mufflers with some polished Pypes Violators, replaced the rotors and pads with Powerslots and Hawk HPS pads, and have the replacement grill that puts the foglights in the center. I ordered a SCT X3 tuner from American Muscle and it should be here next week.

Even though she only had 5,800 miles when I got her (yes she was a garage queen all her life) I plan on replacing all the fluids due to her age (fluids break down from my understanding) and the spark plugs because they are the 2 piece OEM ones (bad original design prone to breaking in the heads) next. Those will take time and money so that is what I am concentrating on next personally.

Good luck and keep up posted.
Don

parchisi

Just do the usual, CAI/tune, exhaust, springs/struts shocks/alignment. That'll wake things up and keep you busy until you can get that supercharger. And as long as you keep the boost reasonable you don't need to touch the internals of the engine. My buddy has a Kenne Belle on his 05 and abuses the hell out of it, over 3 years later its still going.

V6Vin

You might consider changing your 2 piece drive shaft for a one piece aluminum one. reducing the rotating mass will free up a few hp.