Recommendations For Mustang Purchase

[Audiophile]

Th

throw a low boost blower/h/c/i on it. With a good tune you'll pass emissions and still have enough power to hang with most of the new cars. But first I recommend sub frame connectors and some suspension/brake upgrades. Get it to turn and brake efficiently first. Then make more power. Again nice purchase

Thanks. I'm no expert when it comes to performance. I know what a blower is, but what does h/c/i refer to?

Do you have any suspension and brake upgrade recommendations?

I had thought about finding a set of used GT40 heads because of the benefit to cost ratio? Recommended or not?

Thanks for all of the help.

 

[A5literMan]

H/C/I refers to heads cam intake. As far as gt40s go I'm not adverse to their use I just prefer alum heads from tfs or Afr. They make more power and are lighter so you get 2 extra benefits. For brakes if you stay 4 lug you're limited on options. For the front you can go with power slot rotors and hawk pads. In the rear if you stay with drums I recommend the maximum Motorsports brake package(shoes & soft lines) if you want to switch to discs in the rear(4 lug still) you can try to source some SVO disc brakes(rare and hard to find), the sc thunderbirds had disc brakes(junkyard,maybe eBay,etc) or SSBC has a kit. The best way is to convert to 5 lug. Many options with the 5 lug and you have more wheel options which is a plus. For suspension I suggest maximum Motorsports sub frame connectors and they have good rear controll arms. For controll arms I like the Max Motorsports,TeamZ Motorsports,UPR,bbk are ok also. Get some descent struts and shocks(lots of different opinions on brands) I like KYB,strange engineering,Eibach, to name a few. I also like some slightly lower springs. The stock ride height is a little tall for me. If you lower it get some CC plates and I like to add a bumpsteer kit to get the most out of the suspension.

 

[mikestang63]

h/c/i = heads, cam, intake

suspension- first sub frame connectors. replace worn sway bar links with poly. If your stock rear lower or upper control arms or bushings are gone, then replace. I prefer Maximum Motorsports pieces. Shocks- best setup for a DD is front coilovers and a good set of rear shock with springs. Most guys run a good set of aftermarket springs and shocks. The brands recommended are going to be based on personal opinion, price, and experience.

I've run bilstein shocks, Tokico 5 way ilumina, and currently Tokico HP (blue shocks). For springs, I have run eibach pro kit, drag kit, H&R, Steeda.. I like for a DD the H&R or STeeda springs. If you don't want to much lower than stock, you can run late model stock Bullit or Mach 1 springs. General rule is if you lower the car more than 1", either a bumpsteer kit or CC plates are needed- MM makes the best IMO but guys do like J&M, Team Z.

Brakes- that discussion can take up an entire book. Depends on what you want and how much you want to spend, ranging from upgrading your 4 lug to a full blown 5 lug Bear or Wilwood setup. For a good cheap upgrade, again MM sells a nice kit for about $250 that included SS lines, SS caliper pins, and upgraded pads and shoes. I've put that kit on two cars and it makes a noticeable difference.

GT40 heads- iron- have been a tried and true budget upgrade for years. Most guys get the entire top end- intake, heads, TB from a mid 90's explorer motor, as that is essentially the GT40 top end. That's what I have. Cheap, for under a grand you can get around 280 hp with a good cam and that setup. If however you are not on a budget I highly recommend consulting someone like Ed Curtis or Buddy Rawls and they work with you on a custom cam, the proper alum heads- springs etc.

 

[Audiophile]

Thanks so much for the replies. Sounds like some good info for sure. I'll start working on a plan, as time and budget allows. I would really like to do the work myself. But, since it's my DD, and I don't have a garage, probably going to be tough. I've touched base with a speed shop a little ways from here and made a visit there. The guys seem to be very knowledgeable and have a good rep. We will see where it all takes me. Your thoughts and suggestions are very much appreciated.