NewBullitt Owner with Questions

[blltt]

Hello everyone! First I would like to start off by saying its good to be back... Formerly blkelvs with a 96 mustang cobra which I had to sell a year ago and ended up with a 03 Focus ZX3. I absolutely hated that car, dont mean to offend anyone but it just wasnt me. On Sunday I traded it in on a bullitt with 20k miles on it. So far I love it!

As for my questions:

1. The tranny seems to really wine in first and second when coasting down in the upper RPM's, is this normal for that transmission. (I read it has a different tranny than the GT's or my old cobra)? Its not outragously loud, but a lot louder than my old cobra was...

2. When I am up in the upper rpms between 3-4k I hear a really faint noise that sounds like lifter noise (I know its overhead cam but thats the best way to describe it) dont really hear it when its full throttle, only when its like at half throttle, and its not all the time but pretty consistant.

3. Does anyone know what the 1/4 mile times are stock? Compared to an equal GT?

4. For this car what are the best cheap mods (between $200-$300)

Of course the car is still under warranty but I dont want to take it in if these are all normal conditions...

I guess thats all that I can think of right now, thank you all in advance for the input. I have been out of it for awhile... I just cant reitterate how good it feels to have a car that I love and am proud of again, I really missed that. As well as the commoradery of all the other mustang owners out there!

Anything else anyone can think of that I might want to know about my car would be great. I really dont know anything about the 98+ cars, and especially about the bullitt. Sorry for the long post.

[Mercury]

Okay. Got a few questions for you. To your knowledge, Is this car Stock? Doesnt sound like it if you say its alot louder than your cobra.

Possibility of the Gear whine in first and second is the presence of an aftermarket shifter. There is a little rubber bushing on the stock Ford Shifters (Which suck) that elimanates this noise, that aftermarket ones (Well, all the ones I've seen) dont have. Therefore you get gear whine transmitted through the shifter handle.

Ticking sound....I would take that to get it looked at if the car is still under warranty. Could be as simple as an exhaust leak.....or as nightmarish as a bearing spun or going bye-bye. Now, back to if its stock or not....If you got headers on it...Good chance the noise is from them.

As for Quarter times...expect pretty much the same as a Gt, possibly a tenth or two quicker. The Bullit does have a little more Bark off the line that a stock GT.

If you do decide to take your car to the dealer ship read below, if not, just ignore.

Take the car in for those noises if there normal or not...There will be a record made that you made a complaint about the noises....If the Tech finds nothing, they will notate so and give you your car back...Then if something does happen...even after 10,000 miles (No more than that....Might be 10000 miles after complaint) after the warranty goes up...there is a record of you complaining of a noise, and them not finding the cause...There for with a little pushy behavior, and a stern, persistant charector you could get it covered under warranty. That didnt work for me because I had 11,000 Miles and I called a few people at Ford, and at the Ford dealership some things that made the devil cover his ears.

If they dont find anything, or say it cant be duplicated, and dont explain the noise to your satisfaction..take it back to them again. Its good to be an unsatisfied customer that has a record at the dealer ship of service.

[Mercury]

Oh, I forgot...Welcome to the site. Hope you enjoy it here. Got alot of good people here.

[blltt]

Yes the car is stock, or at least I think so... I thought that the stock 01 bullitts came with a throatty exhaust (Its definately louder than my old cobra) the shifter is short and appears aftermarket but I read that that was stock as well. Thanks again!

[Mercury]

The Bullits had the same shifters as the GT's. No diffrence.

Well, The Bullit is a little louder than a Stock GT, and Cobra, but not all that much throatier.

I'd take the car to the dealership concerning you engine noise that your hearing. Thats how the noise I had started out...At first I thought it was an exhaust tick...Then it turned into a LOUD KNOCK...Now, I got a new engine between the fenders, and the stock engine with its spun bearings sitting in a storage bay....

Anyone want to buy a set of PI heads, Cams, and Valves????

[blltt]

I will take it to the dealership tommorow and have a mechanic ride with me so he can hear it, as I can definately duplicate it... Better safe than sorry. The funny thing is that it seems to disappear at 4k.

Now you have my curiosity sparked, I will definately be climbing under the car tommorow to see if the exhaust is stock or not. Same goes for the shifter.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.

[Mercury]

Sorry, didnt mean to freak you out or anything. Its hard to diagnose a sound by description without hearing it. The 4.6 is a noisy engine though, even stock.

You should hear one when you crank one up for the fist time...My god, you want to run and duck. They make some hellacouis noise for the first few seconds. Takes some getting use to....and I havent heard enough yet to get use to that.

Anyway, best bet if you dont have alot of automotive back ground yet, take it to the dealership when it doubt...esp since its still underwarranty. AND Especially since the 3 year thing is coming up here shortly for you.

Sounds like a nice car you got your self there. Get ya some gears, an H-pipe, a pair of aftermarket Mufflers (I'm partial to FlowMaster) and some good tires on all fours, and you'll think your driving a totally diffrent car.

One thing you gotta love about them Bullitts....The seats...I love them. The look, and the feel....sweet.

[GTvert]

Don't you guys sleep?
Anyway, the bullitt has the same tranny as the GT (T3650)
Looks like Mercury answered about everything else.I would have had more input, but I was sleeping like most normal people when this post was going on.

[blltt]

does the bullitt respond to mods the same as a GT? Or do they like things a little different because of the intake and such?

I am sure this question has been beat into the ground but what gears? 4.10's seem a bit extreme for a daily driver, (And the car that me and my wife will be taking on all trips ect...) Thanks

[GTvert]

Yeah, it's basically the same setup.The only exception is that it may take mods from the throttle body to air filter a little better than a gt with the stock plenum.4.10s are the way to go.I get 26 mpg on the hwy with my mods, and the difference in rpms@ 70 mph are roughly 200-300 more.The power in the mod motors are in the upper rpms, and the gears help it get there faster.Let me know if you have any more questions, and I will try to help.

[Mercury]

Yeah, from 5am to 10am, sometimes I sleep in till 11 am.

I work evenings as a manger, and dont get off till 1 in the morning sometimes. Cant do no 9-5 job.

[95mustanggt]

Originally posted by blltt
does the bullitt respond to mods the same as a GT? Or do they like things a little different because of the intake and such?

The Bullitt intake will respond better than the standard intake with a supercharger. I can't recall what the extra HP was, maybe like an extra 20 HP over stock intake.