HP Gains Without Headers
 

Hey guys. SO I got my 2001 Mustang GT and, like everyone else with one of these cars, I want to start upgrading her. I took her to Hallett Motor Racing Circuit this summer for the Ford-Shelby HiPo Meet, and she held her own, I guess, considering I was pitting her against all fully built cars or stock 05-15 GTs, GT-350, Boss 302s, etc.. At the moment, she is fully stock, bar flowmasters. My main question is, since they are so expensive and a bit involved to install, should I invest in Long Tubes first, and a new catless H-Pipe (Emissions are not an issue). I intend to fix the rear end, as Im getting one tire fires right now, and I want to install some Motor Master 3.90s at the same time I reinstall a new clutch pack for the tracLok. Once I start doing bolt ons, though, is it a waste to install intake upgrades first? Is the factory headers too restrictive for adding a bigger plenum?

I guess I see no reason to add better airflow into the engine if it cant keep up going out. I sometimes eat too much pizza and my stock internals are restrictive. I dont want my baby getting constipated.

So should I do things in this order?

1. Gears/TracLok rebuild
2. Long tubes/H-Pipe/Poly Motor Mounts
3. Throttle Body/Plenum
4. Underdrive Pullies
5. CAI/Tuner
6. NOS (I know, I know, Turbo or Super is better, lets face the fact I'm 18, in college, broke, and I dont want to run boosted all the time anyhow. This would only be on track days, maybe 2-3 times a year. Far less wear and tear than boost all the time IMO)
7. Subframe Connectors
8. Rear Upper/lower control arms

At some point Ill invest in better tires, Mine are fine for now. Along the way, I will find a strut tower brace used from a salvage yard, I may even have one or two at my dad's.

Any changes to this game plan?
The original question still stands, can I skip the LTs and H-Pipes for now and continue on down the list??

Throttle body/ plenum and CAI are a waste of money but the rest of the list is good.

Everything looks good except the cai, waist of money. Just remove the air silencer and put a k&n drop in filter in.
The long tubes are the way to go instead of shorties, but are expensive and if you aren't putting them in can cost a pretty penny to put them in. For 10-20 rwhp, its up to you.

I already have the K&N Filter, and I know it adds no noticeable gains with our motors, but as I am going for NOS later on, I want the clean appearance and the metal intake to add the fogger to. I figure itll be cooler in the metal intake than the ugly old plastic one.

As for shorties, they arent even a consideration. There is no price to power gains that I see. Id be doing the work myself on the exhaust.

oxfordgt-
Can you explain why a throttle body and plenum are a waste of money? Everything Ive heard suggests they improve throttle response and add a pony or two...

The stock throttle body flows more than enough for a stock engine. When designing an intake you have to make sure the plenum volume is twice that of all the runners together. The plenum on these cars are actually inside the intake and is three times the size it needs to be. What everybody calls the plenum is actually just an elbow ford needed to to put the TB where they wanted it. That elbow adds unneeded plenum volume.

You want to add a metal intake? You know that is not a "cold air intake" right? Put one on and read your IAT as the exhaust heats up the metal intake gets heat soaked. Stock intake is a cold air intake and much better.

Its been proven that a larger throttle body and "plenum" will have small gains.

Yeah everybody thinks bigger is better but in mod motors that's not the case. I had every bolt on under the sun including shorties (I know, I know) and gained about 20-25 rwhp (with cams). Lot of money wasted. I would look into some 410s also. Are you installing cams?

No. I definitely don't have enough money for that haha. And it's my Dailey driver that sees some highway use, so 4.10s will prolly be a tad overmuch. I'm thinking FR 3.73s even.