[B0B]

well i bought my mustang to drive back and forth to college everyday and i didnt think i was going to mod it very much.. until i started coming to this forum that is.. but before i get too carried away, are these mods really going to make a difference?

3.73's
xcal2 tuner
flowmaster cat-back
o/r x
CAI
shifter
headers
t/b+plenum (maybe)
u/d pulleys

just how much faster is it going to be with this stuff? and is it worth it?
i would get a supercharger but 1) it costs a lot, and 2) i dont wanna blow my engine any time soon.

[handyandy]

yeaaaa somewhat, you will get even more gains out of all of them with F/I

but 3.73's - no power gain, just different ratio for better acceleration
xcal2 - that will keep your a/f ratio right and give you a few rwhp just because everything will be working right.
flowmaster catback- like 3-7 rwhp
o/r x- like 5-7 rwhp again
CAI - like 2-3 rwhp
headers - more than other exhaust, probably like 10-20 rwhp
tb+plenum - about 10 rwhp together
u/d pulleys - 2-5 rwhp

THESE ARE ALL ESTIMATES, I'M NO PRO OR HAVE DYNO EXPERIENCE, but this is what I have read and aquired from other forums and reading a lot. Just estimates.... my main point is its not really that much, its a lot of money for not as mucha s you could get with a supercharger. In my opinion I would save up for a supercharger. And that, you WILL feel my friend. With just bolt ons, you really cant even tell you are faster. Although it may drop your 1/4 times a couple tenths. IMO its hardly worth it, ONLY FI is.

[Invictus]

Yeah you'll see about 25HP to the wheels with those bolt on. Defiantely a nice start

[Invictus]

if you charge it and keep it under a safe 10PSI you wont have anything to worry about and its always nice to have the extra power just in case.

[B0B]

f/i means forced induction aka supercharger right?

[B0B]

what if i went with a cheaper supercharger and ran like 6-8 psi? would that hurt my engine? i want this thing to stay reliable. and would that make a big difference?

[Invictus]

yeah or turbocharger...

take it from me.. i'm pretty much full bolt on (including cams) and i've spent almost 4500.00... if i could do it over again i'd bolt a vortech blower in at 12PSI for around 2400 and call it a DAY! the bolt ons and labor will add up quicker than you'd imagine! and if you're worried about gas mileage with a blower it will actually incresase if you keep it under 2500

[B0B]

wow it would actually increase the mileage?! it kinda makes sense cause it would make it run more efficiently.. im glad that i brought this up because i was already pretty much set on NO supercharger and just doing all the bolt ons.. plus my dad thinks it would be a huge mistake to supercharge it cause i would blow a rod.. i think im gonna have to re-think my strategy

[Invictus]

nah, supercharger is probably the best thing you can do besides nitrous. your motor ('01GT) will hold around 400-450HP at the wheels reliably, if you keep right at or under 10psi most end up with about 365-390HP at the wheels well within the safety net and you'll have nothing to worry about!

nitrous oxide is also another good option people shoot down without even considering. --you could throw a 100 or even a 125 shot on there and not have to worry about a thing. it's stored energy and its only there when you want it. with the right tune it's the best dollar per HP mod you could possibly get hands down.

[handyandy]

Nitrous is a cheap way to get that power that you want. But if you have the money, really get a supercharger. There is no such thing as a "cheap" supercharger. A centrifugal one will range from 3300-5000 depending on if you get an intercooler and all the other things you need to have a super. Turbocharging will cost you a couple more grand. IMO I dont like it as much as supercharging, cuz it takes time to spool up and they are harder to maintain and break more often, and are harder to install because of all the complicated piping. Those bolt ons you listed in the first post is a great start though and are great supporting mods for a supercharger. I plan on getting one once I save up enough.

[neckbonekat]

How many miles are on your car. Isn't it not that great of an idea to put a supercharger on a car with 60,000+ miles? What you know about how well it was taken care of before you got it. Everybody says supercharge it like it is a low mile car.

[MSTGGT00]

Not true, supercharged one with almost 100k, still holding at 140+.

It's just you have to keep the boost low, around 8PSI. And no stupid moves like hot rodding it, aka don't bother. Why have a S/C stang if you can't go crazy? Haha.

8PSI of boost is safe on higher milage.

But if it's just a college car and he is taking it to the next level heres what is best (it's what I use my car for, so I know. You end up showing off a little.)

1. Gears (4.10's)
2. Exhaust (Full - Headers, Midpipe, Catback)
3. New Shifter (Tri-Axe or MGW)
4. New Wheels & Tires.

(Optional)
A new T/B & Plenum <- Not too bad an idea.

Mandatory
A good tune.

You have a 2001, a handy little FREE mod would be to take up some of the slack on that gas pedal. Ever noticed how your gas pedal hits the floor before you get WOT?

It sucks.

Go on the floor of your car, and look up under there to the top of the gas pedal, USE A FLASHLIGHT. It's very cramped so work with it here...

Now see the cable connecting it? Push the pedal down and notice all the slack.

Now, push it down half way and fit a spacer over the cable, on the side CLOSEST to you. When you release the pedal, it will sit higher up. Makes driving gorgeous. No more crappy low gas pedal. Feels nice.

You can get nylon spacers and a pipe clamp for about 80 cents at walmart or a hardware store.

[SWEET2KSTANG]

i have close to the same as all that and really like the set up. i droped quiet a bit as far as times go too. headers and cams soon to come and for now i have the car bottle fed. if you go boosted it cost more up front but power difference will be unmatched exc. for spray. if the car is set up and tuned good it will hold 10psi (with intercooler of course) without a problem. dont forget if you want times to drop you need to think about suspension to plant it to the ground also.

[neckbonekat]

Originally Posted by MSTGGT00 Not true, supercharged one with almost 100k, still holding at 140+. It's just you have to keep the boost low, around 8PSI. And no stupid moves like hot rodding it, aka don't bother. Why have a S/C stang if you can't go crazy? Haha. 8PSI of boost is safe on higher milage. But if it's just a college car and he is taking it to the next level heres what is best (it's what I use my car for, so I know. You end up showing off a little.) 1. Gears (4.10's) 2. Exhaust (Full - Headers, Midpipe, Catback) 3. New Shifter (Tri-Axe or MGW) 4. New Wheels & Tires. (Optional) A new T/B & Plenum <- Not too bad an idea. Mandatory A good tune. You have a 2001, a handy little FREE mod would be to take up some of the slack on that gas pedal. Ever noticed how your gas pedal hits the floor before you get WOT? It sucks. Go on the floor of your car, and look up under there to the top of the gas pedal, USE A FLASHLIGHT. It's very cramped so work with it here... Now see the cable connecting it? Push the pedal down and notice all the slack. Now, push it down half way and fit a spacer over the cable, on the side CLOSEST to you. When you release the pedal, it will sit higher up. Makes driving gorgeous. No more crappy low gas pedal. Feels nice. You can get nylon spacers and a pipe clamp for about 80 cents at walmart or a hardware store.

You know I saw this suggestion in a tech article a while back. Thought about doing it, but I didn't want to screw it up.
http://www.mustangworld.com/ourpics/fcar/99pedals.htm

[Timber]

I was looking at your list, it looks like over $2000 in parts not including labor. You can spend half as much and get twice the improvement with nitrous. But if your father doesn't like superchargers he certainly isn't going to like nitrous...

[B0B]

my car has 58,250 miles on it, so its somewhat decently low for an 01. i asked the guy about how he maintained it and he said he babied it (of course i would say that too if someone asked while i was selling it). but i am running synthetic oil now and i will be for the rest of the time i own the car so hopefully the engine will hold up for a long time. and i've been doing some research and if i went supercharged i would run 6 psi. that is definately safe it sounds like and i would still get about 100hp at the wheels gain? i've been lookin at used vortech and paxton superchargers on ebay and it looks like i can get one for about 1500-2500.

[MySallyMI]

Synthetic oil is a great idea, lighter, more resistant to break down, doesnt leave as much mineral deposit as regular. If you do the few bolt ons that you had listed, 3.73's-exhaust (you wont regret an exhaust ever)-New shifter (not mandatory but too cheap to pass up)-tires-CAI....when you do decide to get a supercharger your motor will be able to breath much better. It will be like taking some baby steps towards the big leap of a super charger. Personally i wouldnt add nos to a bone stock stang, but i just say that out of fear.

[themadgnome]

Be sure to get the kit with the h/e. Even if you only run 6 psi its much more safer and efficient to have the h/e. Not to mention, you may want to turn up the boost in the future. You really have nothing to worry about as far as damaging your engine. Just regularly change the oil and keep up with maintenance and it will be fine. Just as a heads up, the vortech is a bit more difficult to install because you have to tap the block for the oil supply. You may want to consider a procharger, it is selfcontained. But really it is your own prefference.

[MyBloodRunsBlue]

i would go with 4.10s instead of 3.73s

[B0B]

h/e? what does that mean? im pretty new, sorry