had this car one day and im full of questions

Fat0eknee · 03-15-2005, 10:36 PM

k yeah like i said i just picked up an '02 gt 5 speed and yeah lookin to mod already

first off what octane gas should i use? yeah im sounding pretty stupid right now

secondly im pretty sure on how to get this car to the 13's for example: some 4.10's, some nice tires, maybe a couple other mods here and there but could somebody who has one go in depth on what works and what doesnt?

like these programmers everybody is talkin about ...ive never used one im just wondering if its actually worth the money spent - i really know i should be shooting bigger for like a vortech or something along those lines but i just slapped down a big chunk of money for this car so im going to have to take it slowly with the mods

im just trying to get a feel on what i should spend my money on and what i shouldnt if you guys know what i mean ...i know how it is to spend money and see a yield of close to nil in terms of performance when i bought some bolt ons for my 5.0 so if you guys have any suggestions id appreciate it

Orange97GTVert · 03-15-2005, 11:01 PM

If the car is stock you can run regular unleaded just fine, after you mod it you may need to run higher octane.

Start with exhaust, don't shell out the big bucks for catback, just get the mufflers welded in and use your stock tailpipes. Get a K&N filter, check first, though, Chad's 03 came with one in it already and Flowmasters too. Ditch the factory air silencer. You will see some gain from just that. You may look into an H or X pipe to get rid of the cats, although in Houston you may have the sniffer test for inspection, but you can get those with high flow cats too, replaces 4 cats on your factory H pipe.

After that you should look into gears and more heavy modifications. I have heard the programmers are only beneficial if you have modifications, but you can change it as you add more.

Enjoy your new Stang!

xxxBlakexxx · 03-16-2005, 01:11 AM

The dam programmers become a necessary evil. Why? well, because the tunes can always be changed as you mod the car, they work well as a code reader, they are a must for a gear swap (why waste money on another calibration device when you can just apply the $100 towards one of these), and are a must if you have an automatic.

I have run the mill with my car. I have had a diablo chip (crap, could never get the tune right); a superchips tuner (the car pinged like an SOB cuz of my mods and it could not accept a custom tune), SCT Extreme Flasher (worked great cuz you can store three custom tunes and have tunes emailed to you), and a 4 Position SCT Switch (this is what I use now. Great device if adding nitrous).

Check out this thread that I wrote at another site. This might help you understand these tuners:

http://www.mustangtuningforums.com/showthread.php?t=19

I say anytime is a good time to get one because you will probably end up doing int eventually anyway.

As far as good "bang for your buck mods", I say X-Pipe, UDP's, K&N, gears, and of course nitrous. If you can get good deals on stuff used, I think the plenum/TB swap is a great mod too, just not worth $400. But at $200 used, that's another story.

Harold and I will split on the muffler vs catback discussion. Why? A nice catback will run you $350. Two good mufflers will cost $120 plus some labor to cut-out and install and then the car looks hacked-up. A nice cat-back also gives you larger pipes and will be in stainless. I think it's worth the extra $200 unless you are really on a budget.

mark sweetser · 03-16-2005, 11:46 PM

congrats on your new stang, man! i started w/ udp's (big difference!), ditched the air silencer in the wheel well, added a c&l 80mm mass air w/ 9" k&n, and a pro 5.0 short throw...all mods i loved and they all made noticeable improvements. however, don't go this route if you plan on later adding a supercharger like I did...the mass air and udp's had to be replaced w/ stock to work w/ my sc. just a heads up.

Fat0eknee · 03-17-2005, 01:53 AM

thanks guys for the replies ill be keepin this stuff in mind - had some delta 40's welded in today and i looked at the stock exhaust and it looked pretty sick ...right after the muffler the pipe is bent almost to a measly 2 inches - have a short shifter on the way

explicitone · 03-17-2005, 04:37 AM

here is what I would do

4.10 gears
long tube headers with matching mid pipe
drop in filter
u/d pullies
and before putting sticky tires on the car upgrade the rear

I good street set up would be a 31 spline truck diff (8.8)
moser or strange 31 spline axles and a good diff cover

and of coarse a good short throw shifter like a pro 5.0 or tri axe

with these mods and good driving it is possible to get the car in the low 13s to high 12s

as for a programmer I would use any of the SCT stuff

as for tires if it would be for the strip and some street I would say get a 15 drag rim of your choice and throw either some ET streets or the new M/T drag radials ( I use these and they hook better then the ET streets)

Fat0eknee · 03-17-2005, 11:41 AM

wow im hearing a lot of good things about pullies but i never thought they would make a difference (had them on my old 5.0) ...well i never drove the car w/out them as i put them straight on w/out driving beforehand so i couldnt tell if they made a difference or not

Fat0eknee · 03-17-2005, 11:50 AM

as for gears i dont know if i was dreaming or not but i actually saw a set of 3.90:1 - i dont know if they had them listed wrong because i know they make those for a 9 inch (really 3.89) but i saw a set listed under the 8.8 section, i think im going to go for those if they make em for the 8.8 - best of both worlds between 3.73's and 4.10's

03-15-2005, 10:36 PM	#1
Fat0eknee I'm slow ...I know. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: houston Posts: 518	had this car one day and im full of questions k yeah like i said i just picked up an '02 gt 5 speed and yeah lookin to mod already first off what octane gas should i use? yeah im sounding pretty stupid right now secondly im pretty sure on how to get this car to the 13's for example: some 4.10's, some nice tires, maybe a couple other mods here and there but could somebody who has one go in depth on what works and what doesnt? like these programmers everybody is talkin about ...ive never used one im just wondering if its actually worth the money spent - i really know i should be shooting bigger for like a vortech or something along those lines but i just slapped down a big chunk of money for this car so im going to have to take it slowly with the mods im just trying to get a feel on what i should spend my money on and what i shouldnt if you guys know what i mean ...i know how it is to spend money and see a yield of close to nil in terms of performance when i bought some bolt ons for my 5.0 so if you guys have any suggestions id appreciate it

03-15-2005, 11:01 PM	#2
Orange97GTVert Mustang Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Tyler, TX Posts: 568	Re: had this car one day and im full of questions If the car is stock you can run regular unleaded just fine, after you mod it you may need to run higher octane. Start with exhaust, don't shell out the big bucks for catback, just get the mufflers welded in and use your stock tailpipes. Get a K&N filter, check first, though, Chad's 03 came with one in it already and Flowmasters too. Ditch the factory air silencer. You will see some gain from just that. You may look into an H or X pipe to get rid of the cats, although in Houston you may have the sniffer test for inspection, but you can get those with high flow cats too, replaces 4 cats on your factory H pipe. After that you should look into gears and more heavy modifications. I have heard the programmers are only beneficial if you have modifications, but you can change it as you add more. Enjoy your new Stang! __________________ Harold Phillips www.mustangsofeasttexas.org 1997 Mustang GT Convertible, 4.6L Auto, Autumn Orange w/Saddle Tan Top & Leather Interior, Styling Bar, 17 X 9 Polished Cobra R's on Nitto NT 555's, Ford Racing Bullitt Suspension package, Mac CAI, Steeda UDP's, Flowmaster 40 Series Catback, SCT X-Calibrator II, Zaino Shine, 7 time Show Winner, driven daily

03-16-2005, 01:11 AM	#3
xxxBlakexxx Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Mountaintop, PA Posts: 634	Re: had this car one day and im full of questions The dam programmers become a necessary evil. Why? well, because the tunes can always be changed as you mod the car, they work well as a code reader, they are a must for a gear swap (why waste money on another calibration device when you can just apply the $100 towards one of these), and are a must if you have an automatic. I have run the mill with my car. I have had a diablo chip (crap, could never get the tune right); a superchips tuner (the car pinged like an SOB cuz of my mods and it could not accept a custom tune), SCT Extreme Flasher (worked great cuz you can store three custom tunes and have tunes emailed to you), and a 4 Position SCT Switch (this is what I use now. Great device if adding nitrous). Check out this thread that I wrote at another site. This might help you understand these tuners: http://www.mustangtuningforums.com/showthread.php?t=19 I say anytime is a good time to get one because you will probably end up doing int eventually anyway. As far as good "bang for your buck mods", I say X-Pipe, UDP's, K&N, gears, and of course nitrous. If you can get good deals on stuff used, I think the plenum/TB swap is a great mod too, just not worth $400. But at $200 used, that's another story. Harold and I will split on the muffler vs catback discussion. Why? A nice catback will run you $350. Two good mufflers will cost $120 plus some labor to cut-out and install and then the car looks hacked-up. A nice cat-back also gives you larger pipes and will be in stainless. I think it's worth the extra $200 unless you are really on a budget. __________________ "Children should not get cancer, but they do!" Help a child with cancer at www.homeoftheirown.org My Stang: 2000 Mustang GT Vert - Steeda Tri-Ax Shifter; C&L Plenum; BBK 75 mm TB; Steeda Strut Tower Supports; Black "Deep Dish" Bullet Wheels; FRPP 4.10's; Steeda Subframes; SLP Catback & SLP Catted X-Pipe; SCT 4 Position Chip with 3 custom tunes; Steeda CAI; Venom-1000 Nitrous; Roush Stage 3 Body Kit; Bullet Suspension Package (on the way)

03-16-2005, 11:46 PM	#4
mark sweetser 96GREENGT Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: las vegas Posts: 51	Re: had this car one day and im full of questions congrats on your new stang, man! i started w/ udp's (big difference!), ditched the air silencer in the wheel well, added a c&l 80mm mass air w/ 9" k&n, and a pro 5.0 short throw...all mods i loved and they all made noticeable improvements. however, don't go this route if you plan on later adding a supercharger like I did...the mass air and udp's had to be replaced w/ stock to work w/ my sc. just a heads up.

03-17-2005, 01:53 AM	#5
Fat0eknee I'm slow ...I know. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: houston Posts: 518	Re: had this car one day and im full of questions thanks guys for the replies ill be keepin this stuff in mind - had some delta 40's welded in today and i looked at the stock exhaust and it looked pretty sick ...right after the muffler the pipe is bent almost to a measly 2 inches - have a short shifter on the way

03-17-2005, 04:37 AM	#6
explicitone Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: racine ,wi Posts: 691	Re: had this car one day and im full of questions here is what I would do 4.10 gears long tube headers with matching mid pipe drop in filter u/d pullies and before putting sticky tires on the car upgrade the rear I good street set up would be a 31 spline truck diff (8.8) moser or strange 31 spline axles and a good diff cover and of coarse a good short throw shifter like a pro 5.0 or tri axe with these mods and good driving it is possible to get the car in the low 13s to high 12s as for a programmer I would use any of the SCT stuff as for tires if it would be for the strip and some street I would say get a 15 drag rim of your choice and throw either some ET streets or the new M/T drag radials ( I use these and they hook better then the ET streets) __________________ RUN IT STAIGHT AND RUN IT HARD ________ Novi 2000 60' 1.46 1/4 10.67 mph 126.5 _________

03-17-2005, 11:41 AM	#7
Fat0eknee I'm slow ...I know. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: houston Posts: 518	Re: had this car one day and im full of questions wow im hearing a lot of good things about pullies but i never thought they would make a difference (had them on my old 5.0) ...well i never drove the car w/out them as i put them straight on w/out driving beforehand so i couldnt tell if they made a difference or not

03-17-2005, 11:50 AM	#8
Fat0eknee I'm slow ...I know. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: houston Posts: 518	Re: had this car one day and im full of questions as for gears i dont know if i was dreaming or not but i actually saw a set of 3.90:1 - i dont know if they had them listed wrong because i know they make those for a 9 inch (really 3.89) but i saw a set listed under the 8.8 section, i think im going to go for those if they make em for the 8.8 - best of both worlds between 3.73's and 4.10's