Okay fellas here is the deal on the car. I have for years driven my 2000 v6 automatic mustang around saying "yeah, it looks cool, but its only a v6." Well, I'm tired of that crap. Its time to build a wolf out of my sheep so to speak. I have picked out a lot of my bolt-ons, but am waiting to buy them until I know what to do with my drivetrain. I have an automatic so I understand that good changes for me would be a shift kit (probably B&K), Trac-Lok (I was thinking ford racing posi-traction kit), and 4.10 gears. That is where I think I'll start. My question is that if I change my gears is there anything I need to do to the computer so that it knows about the change and can compensate?
V6 in need of some insight
JKennedy
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Okay fellas here is the deal on the car. I have for years driven my 2000 v6 automatic mustang around saying "yeah, it looks cool, but its only a v6." Well, I'm tired of that crap. Its time to build a wolf out of my sheep so to speak. I have picked out a lot of my bolt-ons, but am waiting to buy them until I know what to do with my drivetrain. I have an automatic so I understand that good changes for me would be a shift kit (probably B&K), Trac-Lok (I was thinking ford racing posi-traction kit), and 4.10 gears. That is where I think I'll start. My question is that if I change my gears is there anything I need to do to the computer so that it knows about the change and can compensate?
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get a handheld tuner. it will let you change gear ratio, tire size, etc.
So, after I make my drivetrain adjustments I should be shifting harder, faster, and getting better power transition. But, I shouldn't have seen much of a change in hp. Does anyone know what the hp of an auto, v6, 99-04 mustang is? Mine is a 2000, but I assume they are all the same.
Also, if I don't intend to use forced induction because I don't want to spend 2500 to 3500 on a turbo or supercharger does it matter what gears I use? I have read that 3.73 would be ideal for forced air induction cars, but that 4.10 would be the way to go with the automatic tranny. Is that correct?
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either one will work, but the 3.73 will be more ideal for boost. boost needs to build and the longer ur in boost the longer ur pulling. with teh 4.10s u get thru the gears too fast. hell on mine i just stuck with the stock gearing and added a tlok. if ur lookin for more mods and info on em, take a look at the stickies at the top of this section.
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a tuner and 4.10 gears with T-lock are going to be the best to start with.
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356 Posts
yea the gears and tlok will make the most of a difference compared to the other bolt ons
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5,187 Posts
Well Said!do what im doing...put an exhaust on it and call it done, save ur cash for a v8...
I been there and done that with a 97 V6 and wish i never did it.
Funny thing is you dont gain much.
I beat 2 bolt on V6s in my $900 V6 Beater
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10,359 Posts
save you money on mods and just buy a GT or a cobra. i wish i would of done that, kind of. it was cool to have a s/c v6 but i was still slow as balls lol. i really hope i can get this cobra im looking at
So, many of my fellow v6ers are saying don't even bother with it? My thought was run the full gambit of bolt-ons, tuner, gears, t-lok, etc. and then stop and evaluate. I've been pricing a lot of these parts and I'm falling in the $1500 to $2000 range for parts. I know that the v6 has 190hp at the fly, but what is it putting down at the pavement stock and where could my bolt-ons land me if I stop there?
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Stock: 20% loss through drivetrain nets approximately:
(.8)(190) = 152 (most people see 160 stock rwhp)
(.8)(220) = 176 (most people see 180 stock rwtq)
I had a shitty tune and with all my bolt ons, etc., I got 163rwhp and 190rwtq on a DynoJet. Yet, I ran 14.79 @ 92mph... A good second and a half quicker than stock.
3.8, 4r70w auto...
So, if I wanted to get into the 250 to 300 range what would be a good way to go then? My engine has 84K miles on it. I know that it has not been abused because the previous owners ( a really old man and then my dad) didn't rag it out. Neither one of them were real hammer droppers so I know that it has been pretty well cared for. Are there anything that I shouldn't do if I'm trying to not blow my motor, but want to get to 250+ rwhp?
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5,600 Posts
+1, as much as i love driving my car and how much faster it is than when i got it, i wish i would have saved alot of my money and put it into somthing else, like saving for a v8.do what im doing...put an exhaust on it and call it done, save ur cash for a v8...
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12,855 Posts
Either every bolt on and a 4.2L set up or you need nitrous/supercharger/turbocharger... You wont get 250+ rwhp from an n/a 3.8. If you do, congratulations, but it would have been cheaper to do one of my mentioned suggestions
Okay, well then I'll look into potential v8s in my area and see if I can't scoop one for the same value as my v6 plus my mod budget or not. If it is beyond the mod budget it means waiting until next year most likely. If the vehicle is also going to be my daily driver should I steer away from fox bodies?
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I wouldn't suggest steering away from any Mustang that has been maintained and is reliable. Fox Mustangs can be gotten fairly cheap and the parts for them are cheap. Keep in mind, however, it doesn't take much for a 99-04 V6 to take a stock 5.0 - and insurance is cheaper for the v6.
Well, I honestly like the idea of running my v6 just because it is mine. There is a lot of history there. I have had that car through highschool, college, and now as a young adult. I want to work on this car. But, I'm also not so hung up on emotions that I can't see the writing on the wall. If the motor can't hang, it just can't hang. If I wanted to go 250 - 300 rwhp and I'm going to do it in waves starting in April where would I want to start and what would I need to do? I figure that this means some sort of FI, but can I do that right out of the gate or do I need to lay some ground work first?
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12,855 Posts
Super Six MotorSports (SSMS) makes some 4.2L V6 set ups that drop into our cars (260rwhp n/a). Check out their V6 running a 10.89 N/A at SGMP in Cecil, GA, a couple years back:
Super Six Motorsports - AOL Video
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522 Posts
Dude, if you wanna mod your V6 do it. Sure GTs are hella tight and have more potential for greater power, but it's your choice. The only reason I'm modding my V6 is the same reason as many others my age... I can't afford a GT. By the time I can I may as well just keep modding my V6. I'll prolly get a Foxbody. But ya, V6s aren't as good as GTs but they still have potential and can be made fast. Plus if you get one to be fast like Chris's then you have bragging rights right there lol
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12,855 Posts
Chris Torres has stuck with his v6, and he breaks the notion that a lot of people have about us V6 guys - that we are all talk and no action. If you want to be faster than 13 seconds and can afford a GT and aren't just proving the community of the V6, I would buy a GT and mod it. Most V6 owners cannot afford a GT. You can get to 250-300 rwhp cheaper than buying and modding a GT to get the same power.
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