USNavyMustang

Well here is my dilemma. I am trying to make a list of things to balance my budget for a paint job (first on the list) and stuff to make the pony go faster. Without getting crazy i.e. a blower, stroker or nitrous, (none of those yet anyways ) what is the easiest/cheapest way to get around 300hp from my car. It will be a daily driver and maybe see some drag time if I can ever find one around Lemoore, California. I am looking for things that my wife and I can do to the car, keeping a machine shop out of the picture for as long as possible. I know simple things like an electric fan and under drive pulleys and what not. But when it comes to heads, intakes and cams and other power makers I get a little confused. Also with plans to take it to 300hp, should I do a 5 lug conversion or can I just put bigger brakes and improve suspension? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

joker

The easiest/ cheapest way to hit 300hp is nitrous, hands down. The down side is the fact that it isnt an always on power adders. You can reach close to 300 just by doing a heads/cam/intake swap, buit it will run you more around 1500 to 2000. A GOOD sc kit will run well over that. The advantage of doing the h/c/i swap ior supercharger is that the power is always there. For a daily driver, just get the heads cam and intake though as you wont have to worry about tuning, running premium fuel, or belts slipping off the supercharger.

Hotrod

Simple things I would do to gaina little bit of power would be exhaust and a new intake such as a CAI. Heads will give you a lot of power but they also have the price for it also. Might want to look into mass air if yours doesnt have it (not sure when they started using it).

joker

Mass air started in 89 on the mustangs.

fiveo93

joker

definitely look into a mass air swap. It will make major mods down the road much easier

88blueGT

You are really not going to have a choice but to convert over to mass air. If you plan on running new heads and cam it should be one of your first moves. You can get a C&L 75mm conversion w/ CAI for around $600. Its a pain in the butt that you have to go through with all that but thats whats going to have to be done if you are looking for power. Also, if you want to do a head, cam, intake swap its gonna cost you a pretty penny if you want to go w/ good manufactures. For ex. a set of AFR 165 (nice street heads) will run you $1200, Edelbrock RPM intake - $550, FR E303 cam - $200. Your looking at 2000 w/ out installation (unless your doing it yourself). But no matter what...new heads, cam, intake. Its gonna rumble! Good luck with everything. Also, what kind of trans do you have because if you have a auto your going to have to do some upgrades w/ that.

USNavyMustang

I have been told that my car is already mass air because California switched over to mass air in ’88. I have included pictures of the engine so those of you who know more about Stangs than me can verify. I do plan to do a CAI with BBK shorties, BBK h-pipes, and maybe a MAC cat back (I like the sound). As for heads, someone recommended Trick Flow heads and Crower cams. I have found a ’93 Cobra upper and lower intake for around $300, how would this work with everything else? Also I have a 5 speed, but I think its going to need to be rebuilt soon. I am still deployed in the Arabian Gulf at the moment and cant verify this for another 2 ½ months but I am hoping it doesn’t. And with these plans, can I get away with bigger rotors or should I do a 5 lug conversion? Thanks for the inputs so far.

[attachmentid=30879]
[attachmentid=30881]

Fordracing200

already is mass air
<!--QuoteBegin-USNavyMustang@August 17, 2005, 12:32 PM
I have been told that my car is already mass air because California switched over to mass air in ’88. I have included pictures of the engine so those of you who know more about Stangs than me can verify. I do plan to do a CAI with BBK shorties, BBK h-pipes, and maybe a MAC cat back (I like the sound). As for heads, someone recommended Trick Flow heads and Crower cams. I have found a ’93 Cobra upper and lower intake for around $300, how would this work with everything else? Also I have a 5 speed, but I think its going to need to be rebuilt soon. I am still deployed in the Arabian Gulf at the moment and cant verify this for another 2 ½ months but I am hoping it doesn’t. And with these plans, can I get away with bigger rotors or should I do a 5 lug conversion? Thanks for the inputs so far.

[attachmentid=30879]
[attachmentid=30881]

Quoted post

[/quote]
it is mass air because it is a cali car

joker

Yea, it is mass air, I forgot that cali switched in 88. darn smog ***** actually did something that worked out for the better for once. You can tell that it definitely is because waht I circled in the pic is your maf, and speed densitiy cars just have a tube here.

joker

The main benefit of doing a 5 lug conversion is the fact that you have an increased selection of wheels to choose from. It is also a good time to go with larger rotors in the front, and rear disk brakes.

Trick flow makes some good heads with some porting they are among some of the best out there. AFR headss are also very nice, but carry a very nice price tag as well.

As far as cams, if you are on a budget, look for a Ford alphabet cam (ei... b cam, e, cam, f cam.) If not on a budget I would look at comp cams, they make a pretty good product. Just make sure that if going with a really high lift cam, your springs are able to handle the ramp speed, duration and lift of the valves. Also, talk to the guys at trickflow if you get thier heads. There is somthing about the way the valves sit in trickflow heads that is different, and limits the cam lift you can run without valve to piston contact.

The cobra intake is a good beginning level upgrade from a factory intake. It will net you some power over stock, but if you are gonna dump out the money for a good set of heads and a new cam, I would look at the trickflow intakes, or the holley systemmax intake. The higher flow of the heads isnt gonna net you near as much of a gain if the air is bottleknecked at the intake.

Also, I would consider going to a larger maf, and throttle body. Your intake works as an entire system, and it can only flow as much as it's smallest opening.

If you are on a strict budget, save the shorties for later. They arent gonna net you much power at all on a semi stock n/a engine.

As far as exhaust, I like the mac stuff. They make everything for your car from the headers to tailpipes. The prochambers sound wicked compared to any h pipe out there, and actually net you a little more power than most.

USNavyMustang

Thank you so much for your input. Here is my list so far.

(1) Pulley kit
(2) Electric fan
(3) CAI
(4) MAC exhaust system (from header back, taking advise and leaving stock header for now)
(5) Throttle body (will 65mm be enough, or should I go 75mm?)
(6) Trickflow intake manifold
(7) Trickflow heads
(8) Cams depending on what Trickflow says will work
(9) Gears (not sure if I should go with 3.73 or 4.10 with this set up)

Also I have been told that the stock injectors are good for 300hp and that I shouldn’t switch out the maf if I am keeping the stock injectors, true of false? Also from the few places the ships internet will let me look at, it seems that it will just be cheaper for me to get the parts from a Lincoln Mark VII and do the 5 lug conversion than it will be to upgrade to rear disk brakes. Guess its time for my wife to get a job to help pay for all of these parts, Navy paychecks aren’t that hot these days. Too bad my kids aren’t old enough to work yet…

luvthe440Aroush

well, for about 3000 without installation charges you can gain about 175hp

AFR 165 heads
i guess E303 cam sisnce you have emmissions
full exhuast system
and trickflow intake

88blueGT

With the injectors, 300hp is borderline. I would def. consider going bigger. With the MAF, if you upgrade your injectors you have to upgrade the MAF. Also, for the throttle body, def. go with 70mm. And for gears, if you have a automatic, def. go with 4:10's but if you have a manual than you can get away with having 3:73's. And like luvthe440Aroush said, def. go with the E303. Good luck with everything. The way that it sounds your cars gonna be a beast Hope everything works out for ya.