Mach1351C4v

well im getting a 1988 mustang LX with t-tops and i wanted to ask what are the first mods that you guys would recomend for a stock 5.0? Im getting the car for 2,000 bucks and i think its a good deal. it has a new cluctch and the ac works too. oh and i wanted to find out what year did they switch from speed denstiy to maf? i havent looked at the engine yet but the guy im buying it from is one of my best buddys.

boss429

they switched in 89

and i would recommend doing a tuen up first.

check the timing, plugs, wires, cap and rotor, change the oil, all that good stuff.

and then switch it to MAF if it isnt.

thena good H/C/I (heads, cam, intake)

and it should make some nice power.

detroit50

Honestly, u should drive it for awhile before doing anything. Then if it really needs anything u can replace it. Maybe a tune up and flush of fluids to start. The very first things u may wanna consider upgrading are the exhaust, rear-end gear, and intake. U dont need to change to mass air until down the road when u start messin with cams or heads.

beachy90lx

gears. wont give you more power but you will definetly feel it

detroit50

yes, gears dont give u more horse but it will affect your accelleration alot. U will be very happy with just a set of 3.73s. And like I said- full exhaust and an aftermarket intake are ur best bet for first mods.

Mach1351C4v

ok then i will get a exhaust system and a intake system aswell but what would you guys think i should get? a flowmaster system with cats? and what about the intake?

detroit50

Just go with shorty headers, offroad H pipe, and whatever mufflers u prefer. Its more or less the sound u want. And if u have emission laws its probably best u get a mid pipe with hi flow cats. I like flowmaster myself but SLP has the loudest sounding exhaust setup u could buy and it sounds nice too. As far as an intake goes just go with a cobra or trickflow one. Either one of those is gonna make ur engine breath alot better and perform more than the stock one.

shakes

IMO air intake is pointless, specially on a SD mustang. I'd just throw a K&N in there.

As for first mods, I did this (I also have a SD stang):

full tune up (MSD cap, rotor, wires, autolite plugs, fuel filter and fluid changes)
Seafoam (2 cans)
Gears (I got 3:55's)
full exhaust
Rims&Tires (not really needed, but I had to get these... the turbines are hideous).

Next thing i'll do is the MAF conversion and install my upper/lower intake, 70mm MAF/TB/Spacer and heads (when i can afford them) oh and a mild cam of some sort.

my .02

detroit50

Why not an intake? Even if the car is speed density or not, more air will be pumping in that engine giving it more horses. I also have a speed density car. My few mods are not that different from most mass air mustangs. A k&n would be pointless, except for maybe a little better gas mileage. The intake in my opinion is a good start.

88BlueGT

Check out the stickies. In the stickies go on Tech Articles and in there is a thread called First Mods to Your Fox. It will give you alot of good suggestions.