Ford Mustang Weight Reduction Mods: Which Ones Are Worth the Money?

There are many Ford Mustang weight reduction mods one can perform to make their pony car lighter, but not all are worth the cash.

Aside from adding more power to a vehicle like the Ford Mustang – which is a pretty popular thing to do, obviously – removing weight from that same model can oftentimes be just as beneficial. Weight reduction not only makes a vehicle faster in a straight line, it also improves cornering and braking performance as well, meaning that it’s a great bang for the buck sort of proposal. However, not all Ford Mustang weight reduction mods are what one might call affordable, leaving us to wonder – which are worth the price of admission?

In this recent video from Steeda, we get a pretty nifty rundown of which Ford Mustang weight reduction mods are worth buying, and which ones, well, aren’t. First up, it’s worth noting that the best sort of mods are the free ones – and in terms of shaving weight, that includes removing the spare tire and strut tower brace if you’re going drag racing, which cuts a few pounds right off the bat. On the flip side, lightweight batteries can oftentimes cost a ton of money, but Steeda recommends going with an ATV/snowmobile battery as a cheaper alternative.

From there, one can remove the rear seat as a Ford Mustang weight reduction technique that makes a lot of sense, given the fact that there isn’t much room back there for non-child people, anyway. One could also remove the passenger seat if they really want to, or swap out the stock seats with lighter units, though that may not be the best value option here. Drag brakes, on the other hand, can shave upwards of 100+ pounds, though they can cost a couple thousand dollars, too.

From there, there are tons of other Ford Mustang weight reduction options – replacing the bumper bars, the wheels, K-member, driveshaft, exhaust system, and various other little bits and pieces, or adding more lightweight materials like carbon fiber. There are some seriously pricey and hardcore routes one can take as well, proving once again that it’s possible to go overboard in just about any phase of a build, as Steeda points out here.

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Brett Foote

Brett Foote has been covering the automotive industry for over five years and is a longtime contributor to Internet Brands’ Auto Group sites, including Chevrolet Forum, Rennlist, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts, among other popular sites.

He has been an automotive enthusiast since the day he came into this world and rode home from the hospital in a first-gen Mustang, and he's been wrenching on them nearly as long.

In addition to his expertise writing about cars, trucks, motorcycles, and every other type of automobile, Brett had spent several years running parts for local auto dealerships.

You can follow along with his builds and various automotive shenanigans on Instagram: @bfoote.