StangPower98

Even though I do not have a mustang yet, I'm currently in the market for a black '98 cobra coupe. Anyone have any suggestions for performance mods for a budget of $1000 (including installation)?

stanglover

3.73 gears-it can be anywhere from $400 to $500.
Cold air kit-you can do it yourself or buy it for about $200.
aftermarket muffler-it can be anywhere from $300 to $400.

StangPower98

Thanks a lot for the input. What brand of gears do you recommend (FMS, Steeda, etc.)? Concerningthe aftermarket muffler, are you talking about the mid-pipe and muffler or just the muffler? Any recommendations regarding the brand of muffler would be appreciated (I've heard that a Bassani x-pipe w/catscoupled with Flowmaster Delta 40s is a poor combination). And finally, newbie questions. How exactly does a cold air kit work, what brand do you recommend, and does it include a mass air intake? Sorry for all the questions, but I want to do things right the first time around. Thanks again.

03SVTcobraa

I can't tell you what brands are the best for anything you asked about, because I personally haven't tried them all, so I can't say what is better. I got a 3.73 rearend for $500 installed. The gear didn't cost but about $169. As for exhaust system, I can really only give advice on mufflers, for I haven't kept a mustang long enough todo a full exhaust. (haha) I would only recommend Flowmaster mufflers. Keep us updated on the new mods and anything you find out.

stanglover

l recommend FMS for gears because they fit real well. For the exaust, l'm talking about just the muffler but getting the muffler and keeping the cat-back system stock is not good. You'll hear pops and crackles so l recommend a 2.5" Dynomax Ultra Flow system. lt'll cost about $400 if you buy from Summit. And stay away from chambered mufflers (Flowmaster, Ravin) because in some cases, they reduce hp. Mufflers like Borla, Dynomax and Magnaflow have the straight-through design and you'll get a deep sound and get hp. lf you get an aftermarket midpipe, go with the x-pipe with high flow cats. lf you take the cats off, you need to get MIL eliminators and the car won't run properly with the eliminators. For the cold air kit, you can make your own or buy one from BBK or MAC. The cold air kit replaces the stock air box and it picks up cold dense air and sends it to the intake manifold. Cold fresh air into engine=hp.