Modding my first car
 

Hello everyone, my name is Chris and I'm starting to put money into my baby which is a 1990 mustang gt auto with 109k miles. So far I've just given it a good tune up, TB spacer, BKK cold air intake, OR H pipe with 2 40 series flows, and just advanced the timing a bit. So far I like the results and have enjoyed working on my ride.

I do have a couple questions for any of you that has helpful advice. Okay before i ask the questions the plan for my car is to keep it a street car but able to consistantly hit mid-low 14's without having to take the motor out, no gears above 3:55, no stall converter, no slicks, and allow the car to maintain fairly unaltered highway mpg.

My first question is how hard is it to put in a set of shorty headers based off that fact that I'm not a master mechanic but I figure things out eventually without messing anything up.

Next question is a transgo shift kit a good next mod? Gears would be next since they'd cost a bit more...

My last question is what advice do you all have as to what I should do next or if the mods I have/soon will have should put me where I want to be.

Thanks,
Chris

RE: Modding my first car
 

You should be able to install the headers. How much money are you looking to spend on your next mod?

RE: Modding my first car
 

shorties are way easy to install! if i can do it anyone can...

RE: Modding my first car
 

yes shorty headers are easy to install...should take about an hour or so....remeber let the motor cool off first...i was excited when i got mine i started working on it like 5 minutes after being home...big mistake and yes the shift kit.. with will help a good bit...that right there should put you in the 14 easy..saying that you motor and tranny are healty....if they are healthy your stang should run 15 to 14 at pure stock...well good luck with your mods.. if i were you my next mod after all that would be a complete exhaust system cause the headers are a 2.5 inch opening and stock h pipe is only 2 and a quarter inch opening...

RE: Modding my first car
 

you just eliminated about every chance of getting those et's

add nitrous? thats about all thats left

an aod NEEDS gearing, a stall isn't as nonstreetable as you might think, and 3.55's will do NOTHING for your car.

i had 3.73's in 2 different aods, and hated them.


the headers are fairly ez, but won't give you any gain w/out the whole system, and it's much easier to the whole thing from header to tail pipe then bits at a time. even the whole system probably won't give you 20 hp, but sounds so much better.
it's all just nutz and bolts so don't worry about complexity.

a shift kit is a MUST for an aod, heat is the killer of them, and gears are a must trust me on this, go w/ at least 3.73's

check your door tag, you may have 3.27's already , and you won't notice only 1 step up in a gear change, even 2 isn't that great. under "ax code" look for : m=2.73 z=3.08 e=3.27

i have been through (5) 5.0's, 2 of them aod's

the biggest gains you will see are (in order of cheapest to most costly)1. gears 2. nitrous 3. heads 4. other power adder

since you want a streetable car, the exhaust (although worth it for the sound alone) will do virtually nothing

heads are the biggest bottle neck in a stock stang, and gearing is the biggest restriction.

an aod has (compared to a t5)
1st = 2.40 / t5 1st=3.35
2nd = 1.47 / t5= 1.93
3rd=1.0 / t5=1.29

so say you had a 3.00 ring and pinion......an aod total gearing in 1st would = 7.20
a t5 would be = 10.05

pretty big diff huh?

personally i would get 4.10's and nitrous, or 3.73's if you think mpg is that big of a deal

but, you need a cooler and shift kit, and try to not use od in the city....also leave your tv pressure alone, and DON'T do the "aod shuffle" of holding 1st and 2nd gears when racing. you will kill it in a minute

RE: Modding my first car
 

look at my sticky