[CADreamin]

My 98 GT is dead stock and it is not all that fast, although it does feel good to drive a car with some V8 power. There are some modifications that people on this board have done to make these cars respectable and even "neck-breaking" fast. A set of 99-up cylinder heads and a supercharger would make a 98 GT a lot faster. People will also typically add gears, maybe underdrive pullies. Exhaust is a common project but as I understand not real valuable on a stock setup (other than for sound).

The intake problem is its made of plastic and prone to cracking. Ford fixes this under recall for the 96-97 GTs, but I don't think the 98s are included in this. Many people on this board have had the intake problem so you may ask around for more info. There are other manifolds that are better constructed and better flowing but they are very expensive.