Not many mods worth the $ on these cars?
Bullitt Member
Joined: August 20, 2013
Posts: 290
Likes: 6
From: So Cal
Perhaps it's a good thing that the days of easy power are gone...but if you're looking to improve the acceleration performance of your Coyote powered Mustang, disappointments abound.
If you want to go faster in a Coyote powered Mustang, it seems like you should just save your money for FI and not bother with anything else.
If you want to go faster in a Coyote powered Mustang, it seems like you should just save your money for FI and not bother with anything else.
For an automatic car, add a high stall torque converter. This makes a big difference in acceleration. Also, the tune is nice for more acceleration due more to the shifting improvements rather than the minimal added HP.
Lighter driveshaft...maybe. Lowering...nope; not for acceleration. Might need something under there to cure wheel hop though.
Then you're ready for some kind of blower!
Bullitt Member
Joined: August 20, 2013
Posts: 290
Likes: 6
From: So Cal
I've driven a lot of cars with crappy tires and low torque that could barely spin a tire. So...nope. Coyote plus crappy tires = not good for acceleration.
Especially in your case!
Bullitt Member
Joined: December 11, 2012
Posts: 482
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From: N'awlins/SoCal
Totally see your point. For me, it makes me feel good that my Moosestang *may have* slightly different ingredients than the next guy's hehe. Another mod that I'd highly recommend would be the FRPP Procal II tune. Excellent bang for the buck and really improves the experience. I'm trying to stop myself from gushing here and cluttering the web with another 30 paragraph review.
Oh, yes. These mods are purchased with the intention of gaining horsepower and many people think they work and that they're worth the money. Not everyone is expecting gains but I'd wager that the majority of people who buy a "tuneless" CAI expect that they will have more power on tap... Likewise, many of the people who buy an unrestricted CAI think that they're getting a lot more power than if they ran a tune with the stock box.
The thing I see consistently from the world of Mustang fans is that folks want to apply the same mods to their new car that they applied to their previous Mustangs...and yes, at one time, adding a cold air intake would provide an improvement over stock. Swapping out restrictive factory mufflers would unlock power, etc. Many people never got the "update" that these things aren't necessary any longer and the vendors just keep pumping out the same mods.
I thought about putting gears on that list. They're not expensive (though getting your gear mesh just right is sometimes a bit tricky) but unless you're looking for a very specific set of conditions and know what you're shopping for, they don't necessarily improve overall performance. 3.73s will feel quicker stop light to stop light than 3.31s...but they're not necessarily faster in all conditions...like when they'll require an extra shift.
But yes- I would agree that swapping axle ratios is a mod worth the money IF you know exactly what you need for your application.
The 1 piece drive shaft again, a poor improvement for the money in my opinion.
I'm thrilled that Ford has done their homework. It has saved me a ton of money. No argument that some mods just improve the experience even if they don't make the car faster (which is why I swapped out my exhaust with no regrets) but it just stinks to see good people throw their money away.
The thing I see consistently from the world of Mustang fans is that folks want to apply the same mods to their new car that they applied to their previous Mustangs...and yes, at one time, adding a cold air intake would provide an improvement over stock. Swapping out restrictive factory mufflers would unlock power, etc. Many people never got the "update" that these things aren't necessary any longer and the vendors just keep pumping out the same mods.
I thought about putting gears on that list. They're not expensive (though getting your gear mesh just right is sometimes a bit tricky) but unless you're looking for a very specific set of conditions and know what you're shopping for, they don't necessarily improve overall performance. 3.73s will feel quicker stop light to stop light than 3.31s...but they're not necessarily faster in all conditions...like when they'll require an extra shift.
But yes- I would agree that swapping axle ratios is a mod worth the money IF you know exactly what you need for your application.
The 1 piece drive shaft again, a poor improvement for the money in my opinion.
I'm thrilled that Ford has done their homework. It has saved me a ton of money. No argument that some mods just improve the experience even if they don't make the car faster (which is why I swapped out my exhaust with no regrets) but it just stinks to see good people throw their money away.
I Have No Life
Joined: September 24, 2011
Posts: 10,141
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Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
Joined: November 14, 2007
Posts: 3,651
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From: Pacific NW USA
Bama tune, stall converter, 1-pc d/s, and sticky tires = 12.0's in the 1/4 mile for me. Stock engine, stock gears, stock airbox, stock 3.15 gears, stock suspension, etc. That's almost a full second quicker than stock in the 1/4 mile.
Roush Forum Stalker
Joined: March 9, 2013
Posts: 11,140
Likes: 1,749
From: Massachusetts
Perhaps it's a good thing that the days of easy power are gone...but if you're looking to improve the acceleration performance of your Coyote powered Mustang, disappointments abound. Some of you guys who have already dropped money on these mods will likely disagree...but without hard numbers, don't bother. Butt dynos don't count.
If you do have hard numbers, your results are most welcome... but the following is what I have gathered over the past few years with my 5.0 Mustang.
If you want to go faster in a Coyote powered Mustang, it seems like you should just save your money for FI and not bother with anything else.
If you do have hard numbers, your results are most welcome... but the following is what I have gathered over the past few years with my 5.0 Mustang.
If you want to go faster in a Coyote powered Mustang, it seems like you should just save your money for FI and not bother with anything else.
You can always go with ported heads, a better cam and some killer headers and you'd have some nice power gains, if you wanted to stay the N/A route.
I went with the Roush S3 because I get great power, great torque, great muscle car sound and a 3 year warranty on top of it all. Can't go wrong there.
I Have No Life
Joined: September 24, 2011
Posts: 10,141
Likes: 172
I don't know??? You can always go with ported heads, a better cam and some killer headers and you'd have some nice power gains, if you wanted to stay the N/A route. I went with the Roush S3 because I get great power, great torque, great muscle car sound and a 3 year warranty on top of it all. Can't go wrong there.
Legacy TMS Member
Joined: September 6, 2011
Posts: 1,892
Likes: 56
From: Kansas City, MO
I, for one, am glad Ford pushed the performance envelope so far on the Coyote motor. Beats the heck out of 20 years ago when we had 225 horses from a 5.0 and then the first 4.6. If you're all being honest, unless you drag/track the car, the Coyote provides more power than 95% of us are trained to handle at the limit, which is why the suspension mods make so much sense. If I had a bunch of money to mod mine, I'd be getting rid of that ridiculous brake dive first and foremost.
This thread is also a great example of why Europeans (the guys on Top Gear especially) always shake their heads at Americans trying to improve on something hundreds of trained engineers spent years developing. I know, I know, some of those choices are made based on cost, longevity or being appealing to a wider range so the aftermarket makes sense in some cases, but the point is valid too.
And that's where I've always been skeptical of tunes. If the car can suddenly be tuned for more power and better mileage, without sacrificing engine life, don't you think Ford would have done it from the factory? Of course, this is moot if you have mods that the original tune wasn't taking advantage of.
This thread is also a great example of why Europeans (the guys on Top Gear especially) always shake their heads at Americans trying to improve on something hundreds of trained engineers spent years developing. I know, I know, some of those choices are made based on cost, longevity or being appealing to a wider range so the aftermarket makes sense in some cases, but the point is valid too.
And that's where I've always been skeptical of tunes. If the car can suddenly be tuned for more power and better mileage, without sacrificing engine life, don't you think Ford would have done it from the factory? Of course, this is moot if you have mods that the original tune wasn't taking advantage of.
Shelby GT500 Member
Joined: March 3, 2004
Posts: 2,634
Likes: 0
From: Richmond VA
Yes the cars can be tuned to make more power and mileage. But by tuning the cars you limit the cars to higher octane gas which not everyone wants. The average buyer is just fine throwing 87 octane in the car and driving around. Ford also has to work with all the government restrictions for noise, pollution etc. so just because Ford has engineers, doesn't mean the product they put out is the best. All you have to do is look at the garbage shifter they put in the manual cars. I mean the garbage rubber bushings in the shifter are held into place by zip ties.
Roush Forum Stalker
Joined: March 9, 2013
Posts: 11,140
Likes: 1,749
From: Massachusetts
I don't know???
You can always go with ported heads, a better cam and some killer headers and you'd have some nice power gains, if you wanted to stay the N/A route.
I went with the Roush S3 because I get great power, great torque, great muscle car sound and a 3 year warranty on top of it all. Can't go wrong there.
You can always go with ported heads, a better cam and some killer headers and you'd have some nice power gains, if you wanted to stay the N/A route.
I went with the Roush S3 because I get great power, great torque, great muscle car sound and a 3 year warranty on top of it all. Can't go wrong there.
That was done to save money on Ford's part. Shame on them for that.
Thread Starter
Shelby GT350 Member
Joined: May 18, 2010
Posts: 2,318
Likes: 15
From: CT
I don't know???
You can always go with ported heads, a better cam and some killer headers and you'd have some nice power gains, if you wanted to stay the N/A route.
I went with the Roush S3 because I get great power, great torque, great muscle car sound and a 3 year warranty on top of it all. Can't go wrong there.
You can always go with ported heads, a better cam and some killer headers and you'd have some nice power gains, if you wanted to stay the N/A route.
I went with the Roush S3 because I get great power, great torque, great muscle car sound and a 3 year warranty on top of it all. Can't go wrong there.
Nope... I think the route you actually went (supercharging) is the only legit way to go. The rest of those items provide poor bang:buck from what I have seen.
... of why Europeans (the guys on Top Gear especially) always shake their heads at Americans trying to improve on something hundreds of trained engineers spent years developing. I know, I know, some of those choices are made based on cost, longevity or being appealing to a wider range so the aftermarket makes sense in some cases, but the point is valid too.
And that's where I've always been skeptical of tunes. If the car can suddenly be tuned for more power and better mileage, without sacrificing engine life, don't you think Ford would have done it from the factory? Of course, this is moot if you have mods that the original tune wasn't taking advantage of.
And that's where I've always been skeptical of tunes. If the car can suddenly be tuned for more power and better mileage, without sacrificing engine life, don't you think Ford would have done it from the factory? Of course, this is moot if you have mods that the original tune wasn't taking advantage of.
Bullitt Member
Joined: September 19, 2012
Posts: 314
Likes: 0
From: NoVA
Yes the cars can be tuned to make more power and mileage. But by tuning the cars you limit the cars to higher octane gas which not everyone wants. The average buyer is just fine throwing 87 octane in the car and driving around. Ford also has to work with all the government restrictions for noise, pollution etc. so just because Ford has engineers, doesn't mean the product they put out is the best. All you have to do is look at the garbage shifter they put in the manual cars. I mean the garbage rubber bushings in the shifter are held into place by zip ties.
Roush Forum Stalker
Joined: March 9, 2013
Posts: 11,140
Likes: 1,749
From: Massachusetts
Thread Starter
Shelby GT350 Member
Joined: May 18, 2010
Posts: 2,318
Likes: 15
From: CT