I searched and mostly came up with differences from 98-99 year models. I am in the market for a 99-04 stang and want to know major differences. Right now there are some nice 00s and a nice 01. Any major differences?

I wish there was a newbie FAQ...what should I expect with these stock and then with intake/xpipe/cat back..etc. Are handheld tuners worth it? I promise I wont bother you about 'which catback' I know I want loud and raspy, had the Loudmouth on my Trans Am and loved it.

I will only buy a 5 speed, hard top.

I appreciate any help, or a point in the right direction. Just not happy with my current vehicle and want something quicker.

 

99-mid 01 have lame hoods, t45 trannys, long bolt water pumps, different manufacturer of the motors(but same specs).

IIRC in 03 they changed the injectors from 19lb to 21.5lb. Thats about it. You cant go wrong with any of them.

 

with a stock 5speed there have been people that have run high 13's with them. and with full bolt ons high 12's is to be expected with a good driver. yes a handheld is worth it imo. but i'd try and find a used one if possible.

there's not really any major differences like stated above. the late 01's have a small hood scoop, and in 02 they got better side scoops. other than that very similar tho. engines are about the same altho some have a windsor and some have a romeo engine. i believe the only difference is the head bolt patter on the valve covers.

 

The injectors were changed at the same time the trannies were. I have an 02 and it has the 21lb'ers in it stock. But yea, the rear decklid spoiler was different, side scoops were different, hood was different, trans was different, motor was assembled at a different plant, different water pumps, different heads(in reference to the number of bolts holding the cam covers on. same head design, just different number of bolts.) Different wheels were available stock from 99-01 and then 02-04. The stereos were also different in the 99 and 00's I think. Not 100% sure. But i coulda swore that the stereos were different.

I think thats it as far as I know.

 

Thanks for the quick replies! Any major differences from the early 01-down trannys and the late 01-up trannys? Any problems with either holding up to full bolt ons?

Any concern with the rear-end? Stupid GM rear ends would blow with a stock LS1 and a 6 speed.

 

01.5+ has deeper spark plug wells on the heads too dont they?

01.5+ has an aluminum crossover on the intake manifold - makes them less resistant to common cracks its a recall by ford tho so you can get a new one even if you get a 00 with a plastic crossover.

the stereos were a little different tee, the earlier ones had a dual single din setup where the 01.5+ got a double din.

very small differences on the interior. the defroster on the early ones is on the left side of the steering wheel column right below the headlight ****. there is also no traction control (which is a good thing anyways i never have mine on) on the early ones i don't think.

thats about it. 01.5+'s are SLIGHTLY better, but it would not stop me from buying a 2000 by any means if i found a nicer one than any 01.5's i was finding.

ehhh i've never liked the t45. the 3650s arent terrible. both will hold up to boltons just fine. oh and i forgot to add this since you mentioned tranyns. the 3650 should only have 3L of tranny fluid. they were overfilled from 01.5-03, ford finally realized this and corrected it in 2004. i would reccomend you changing the tranny fluid anyways, but it would be a really good thing since most of the 3650's out there are overfilled. it makes their shifting a little sketchy. even if you have it done at a ford dealer they will likely overfill it because the manual says 3.2L

 

the rear ends in these are MUCH better than a 10 bolt. unlike a 10bolt, you can put axles/gears in an 8.8 and it will take a lot. more than a bolt on car can put out for sure. the transmissions are totally different i believe, but, neither of them are very weak, i've heard of the 01+ trannies having some issues locking into gear or something along that lines, but my buddy has a 3650 trans(which is the 01+ model, t45 is the 99/01 style) and he has 400whp and clutch drops it at 5500rpm and has yet to have a problem with it, he also pwoer shifts it. so again, bolt ons with a stock trans would not be any problem at all.

 

The 99-01's did have traction control, the button was just different.

 

Yea... I have traction control...well I did but I turned that stupid crap off.

 

Any cosmetic diffferences are either in the 1999-2000 'class' or 2001-2004 'class'. I have never seen a 2001 GT without a bigger hood scoop/side scoops than the 99-00 GT's. Same goes for interior design, they are a little different between the two 'classes' but nothing too drastic (cupholders are better in the later years, though).

I also have traction control...but I'm so super hardcore and badass that I disabled it to gain 30rwhp + stamina.