TheDutchTexan

So, I bought this...



A 07 Mercury Grand Marquis. Why you say? Because wrestling a 30 pound child in a rear seat just isn't my cup of tea.

The mustang?

It resides now, in my garage, only driven on Mondays to work when the wife is off taking care of the baby. This Mercury is in essence my first modification to my mustang. Now that I no longer depend on my mustang I can start working on that. I have to recover from this purchase though, and that is going to take a while. But after that it's game ON!

What will happen over the next few years, probably in this order;
~2013
- Get my GT/CS bumper painted and fitted
- Some axlebacks to go with the bumper, leaning towards pype bombs, they sound just right IMHO.
- New wheels, preferably ones that could house a big brake kit. (leaning towards 18's AMR's, American muscle has decent prices for those with 255 tires)
~2014
- Solid drive-shaft
- Suspension & Control arms (~1 inch drop)
- Big front brake kit
~2015
- Supercharger (I really wanted the super-shaker, but that one is already discontinued, and by the time I got the cash it'll be gone forever. The M90 is my second choice... because of the awesome whine. Unless they'll be gone too...).

If this time-frame is feasible is something completely different. But at least I got a plan to move forward. The end goal is to take it to car shows, but still drive it to and from work and have fun with it on the off days. I don't like to let it sit.

One positive, after every week of driving the blue whale, driving my mustang has me complaining about the harsh ride, the heavy steering and the notchy shifter. I love it! Driving the mustang has become a real treat now. To think I was bored with it... This is the best thing I have done in a while. Can't wait to up the looks, handling and power. Then it's going to be a blast to drive!

TheDutchTexan

Almost forgot... I posted this in the technical forum because I would love to have feedback on my "budget plan".

Any suggestions on brand names would be appreciated as well. Different wheels, etc.

yellowneck86

I bought an 01 CVPI last april and use it as a work car/ daily commuter. My 08 GT was getting messed with and it didnt feel comfortable sitting in a Mustang with a full duty belt on.

the guys at www.crownvic.net can recommend a few mods and upgrades to your panther platform.

on second thought; you're already on there lol

S197GT07

With the success the DOB kit is getting, and the fact that a M122>M90, I see no reason to get an M90 anymore.

Just my .02

TheDutchTexan

Already a member on cvn, and under the same name! I doubt I will do anything to the MGM. But then again, I'd swap my bullitts over to it if I get new wheels for the stang, and probably do the basic stuff (trac loc, sway bars).

My focus is going to be on my mustang. I'll take that to car shows, and use the MGM for the daily stuff till it runs no more, and that will be decades I am sure with the mileage I do in a year (10k, if that).

TheDutchTexan

DOB? I do not know about this acronym. But I don't want to grenade my block... And the M90 at full potential is right at the 450 mark. I'll run the canned tune, so I'll be well under. Perfect.

S197GT07

Department of Boost is the name of the company that makes the manifold that will let you use an M122 off a GT500.

an M90 will get you to 450, if you have cams, headers, intake, good cooling, and spin the crap out of the blower. You can make 450 with the DOB kit with much less strain on the blower. And possibly for cheaper.

moosestang

Get the whipple. It's rock solid reliable and if anything did go wrong, whipple will stand behind it long after the warranty expires. They have replaced peoples leaky snouts for free and they were long past the 1 year warranty. The gt500 fuel system is worth the price.

Plenty of whine with a whipple, especially if you have a quiet exhaust.

outceltj

Sounds like a good plan. But really u r the only one that knows your financial status. For me it would be tough to wait that long.

JCON

I didn't see any good supporting mods in there. Like longtubes, a ProChamber (or other crossover pipe), cams (may want to wait until after the supercharge to determine which profile you want), or internal work (will want this if you start pushing big numbers. Also consider a new clutch). Also look at rear gears. For NA 5-speeds, the seat of your pants feel from 4.10's far exceeds the feel from standard intake and exhaust. I love mine. For a supercharger, you may want to consider 3.73's if 4.10 is too high for you.

I would also look at solid prothane motormounts and while your at it, replace all your bushings with prothane.

Really you need to watch the classifieds and craigslist for a good deal on longtubes. Remember, if you're shoving more air in there, you better be getting it out. They sound great, add power, and add more power when a supercharger is added. I have a set of Mac longtubes (actually mid-length) and I had them ceramic coated black. I love them! I also add an off-road ProChamber to the mix. As for axle backs, remember the cheaper ones (Pipes, Flowmaster, Magnaflow, etc...) will drone. I had Mac Boomtubes and between 60-70 the drone was so bad it pierced my eardrums. I now have, and love, Bassani Sports. They still drone but are much quieter when doing so and do it for a shorter rpm band.