Just bought a stock 1986 mustang gt I'm looking for a budget sleeper type build. What should I do first?

 

Replace the rearend, the clutch, and transmission. They will be the first things to go once you put some good horsepower to them.

 

What motor mods cheap h.p... ? I understand that stuff will fail but why fix something that hasn't failed?

 

Well, those thing may not have failed yet but they certainly will if you put decent power through them. Then you will be broken down somewhere. As far as mods, it really depends on what you have to start with, how many miles the cars has on it, and many other things. You could start with a cam/lifters/rockers but obviously cams/heads/intake will get you more. You said budget so you probably won't need a block and a stroket kit.

 

I'm more in to bolt ons this summer if I enjoy it I will do a rebuild next winter... I have seen a ton about gt40 intake off a explore what year do I need to look for?

 

Try a good tune up, remove the air filter silencer, Use a K&N panel, bump the timing up to 12-14 degrees with premium fuel, and open up the exhaust with a cat back set up. I did all of these things with my 1988 GT and it feels great. Beyond these changes, your wallet is the guide. Intakes, gears, throttle bodies, are the next steps and more. Enjoy.

 

Thanks for all the good advice.... Now the car had a miss but I knew it had been sitting in a barn for about 7 years... I did a full tune up and and fluid change and there is still a pretty good miss ( never fires all cylinders) any advice what should I change next?

 

Try cleaning the EGR valve as these do build up carbon. This valve sits right near the throttle body and is a 15 minute job with a fresh gasket. Also, a fresh coil is another improvement to look into.

 

Egr is good and new coil still the same problem.... I'm at a loss could it be a fuel issue?

 

Try a load of fresh super premium fuel with a bottle or two of Techtron fuel injector cleaner. This stuff really works.

 

For a couple of free horses and a better breathing engine, pull the plastic air intake silencer out from under the wheel well. It's a pretty simple job and improves responsiveness. There are tons of videos and articles on line how to do it, but it's basically a couple of bolts and some puzzle skills to get it out of the wheel well area. You'll hear and feel the difference - it's really astonishing. And you're engine will breath so much better. It's free, it's a few horsepower and you can always reinstall if you want since you're not making any permanent modifications. First thing I've done to three of my past Fox bodies.

Here's a list of the top ten mods: http://www.fiveohinfo.com/performanc...fications.html