Help!! WHAT MODS FIRST?

[That2vGuy]

Hi so I have a 2000 Mustang Gt Manual , and I want to supercharge it I have someone that’s experienced and willing to install it for me For $1100 if I buy the supercharger and the conversion parts , 1st question do you recommend me buying a used supercharger off a 03 Cobra? And will it perform as good , or should I stick with Bolt ons , I’ve already dumped a lot of money in this car to be exact 6,415 , also a New paint Job , so I’m definitely not Selling it , what’s a efficient and best way to go and come out with 380 to 450Whp and what kind of bolt ons should I Install before Going Supercharged , Btw I’m posting a picture of the new paint job, and I’ll Keep you Gus Updated , Thanks in advance any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Northwest_stang]

If it were me... honestly I’d save the supercharger as the very last piece of the puzzle. Throttle body, cams, better O2 sensors, intake and exhaust upgrades, battery, coil and injectors, clutch and drive train parts, these are all things that will be put under additional stress after supercharger. So the better question is how long do you want this car to last??

 

[That2vGuy]

If it were me... honestly I’d save the supercharger as the very last piece of the puzzle. Throttle body, cams, better O2 sensors, intake and exhaust upgrades, battery, coil and injectors, clutch and drive train parts, these are all things that will be put under additional stress after supercharger. So the better question is how long do you want this car to last??

Thanks for the reply,
So this is my third Stang and every time I sold one I regretted it so I never wanna sell this I have 2 other cars (daily’s) that I plan on selling eventually but I’m keeping this , what do you recommend doing before supercharger I don’t want to install a supercharger then have a blown engine also I don’t want to beat on it too much I just want it to be reliable and the power ready when I need it since I won’t be racing it or beating on it , do you think I can get away with minor bolt ons, like injectors, bbk throttle body, down pipe , intake, manifold, bbk fuel pump and a clutch without having to rebuild the engine fully , also how big of injectors? The only way I would rebuild the engine and fully bolt it is if I were to drag it a lot and race every other car I see but at the moment I drive for a living so the last thing I want is a ticket.

 

[Northwest_stang]

Well with that in mind honestly there’s not too much point to install the supercharger because they are rough on motors. Also you won’t need heavier injectors if you don’t supercharge it. I would still replace/upgrade them but you can keep the stock flow rate.

Fuel and spark- injectors, spark plugs, coils and boots

full exhaust system- exhaust manifold/header, h or x pipe and the cat back is just for whatever sound you want.

Suspension- shocks and struts, lowering kit,

Drivetrain- good clutch, clutch fork, flywheel upgrade, throwout bearing, release bearing, clutch fork, rear main seal, clutch cable is optional but cheap insurance

Gearing upgrade to 373 or 410 depending on what your end goals are and drive style.

I’m in process of doing all of this and staying as an NA car because you will have plenty of power and pull on tap for any street situation only real reason for a supercharger is track use. Most of the work can be done in a driveway with a few exceptions like gears lol

It will be a long but fun process but you would have a very solid, long lasting car that’s also pretty damn quick

 

[tsemmett]

I respectfully disagree on a couple points.

First, replacing injectors is unnecessary unless you're making too much power for your current ones, or you have a bad one. They're simple devices, and not that highly prone to failure. The stock size (19#) is rated for up to 300bhp, but that is at a 90% duty rate, so a bump to 24# in a full bolt on car isn't ridiculous. Otherwise, save your money.

Secondly, "pretty damn quick" is a matter of opinion. We're in an age where V6s put out the kind of power that a bolt on 2V does; for many (myself included), the recipe above is going to disappoint. Of course, that depends entirely on personal preferences and goals, but mine include being competitive with stock V8s (but, my brother has a 15 GT too).

Thirdly, there is no reason to fear boost on these engines. They're strong enough to take reasonable levels in stock form, and can easily be upgraded to handle more. There are countless examples of supercharged 4.6s daily driven with little to no issue. That said, for the power range you're after, connecting rods might be a good idea. Most say they're only good to 400whp. Coyote rods can be had pretty cheap as an upgrade (I believe they're less than $200 for a set).

Bottom line: You're not likely to break 400whp on a 4.6 2V NA. Your options are: moderately upgraded 4V (cams, intake, head porting and etc), or supercharged 2V.
Best Trick Flow could do is 466bhp (~390whp) with a 5.3 big bore stroker that costs over $11,000 to build (Summit sells the kit). A Supercharger kit is half that, and will out perform it.

 

[Northwest_stang]

I can’t argue with any point you made and I see what you mean. Great info about the injectors though I didn’t know the load was that high.

My version of quick is enough to have some fun off a stop light but don’t get a ticket, or need the passing power on the highway to get away from an idiot so go from 70 to 90 for a sec then coast back down, or we have some twisty back highways here in Oregon.

For these types of driving situations a supercharger wouldn’t really be useful because it only takes 2-3 seconds for us to achieve these speeds I mean if you really wanna shave off half a second a supercharger will definitely do that

Everything I listed will probably still come out to half the cost of a new supercharger and it can be done yourself. I say new because I’m always wary about getting used parts like that from a car you don’t know the history on.

Also something to note is my mindset might be way different then you guys because I’m now 31 a marine veteran and now a dad. So my days of pushing the envelope are done lol. But if it’s still fun for you and you have the money then by all means go for it. Have some fun, i would much rather look back and laugh then look back and regret

 

[Mustang5L5]

2003 Cobra supercharger won't work on a 2V Mustang. Not without a custom manifold that last I saw, was about $2K alone for that part...if still even made.

If you go that route, but a complete kit made for your car.

 

[tsemmett]

There are some good injector calculators online. I used this guy: Fuel Injector Calculator

But yeah, I get where you're coming from, and am even familiar with some of those Oregon highways (I'm from Klamath Falls, and still have family out of Eagle Point). Down south, our roads tend to be a little flatter, and the traffic a bit faster (I've had to break 100 to get away from idiots headed into Atlanta), so the extra power won't be wasted. Different strokes and all.

 

[That2vGuy]

Thanks for the reply’s much appreciated, so everyone made a point that I hadn’t thought of so like Tsemmett said “ we’re at a time where these new v6 cars are putting the same power as a fully bolted 2v” and I agree i have an explorer that would pull on stock STI’s/Evos and that’s the reason I want to go boosted would you guys recommend a Kit like this one

Vortech Mustang V-2 Si-Trim Supercharger Tuner Kit - Satin 402686 (99-04 GT)

FREE SHIPPING! Give your Mustang Big Power. The Vortech V-2 Si-Trim Supercharger Tuner Kit in a satin finish is a bolt on kit for your Mustang that will give it

www.americanmuscle.com

Also should I buy minor bolt ons before installing this?
Also thanks for your service Northwest_stang.

 

[Northwest_stang]

O nice yea I love the roads here in Oregon. Yea straight roads give people fake confidence lol.

You might want to get the opinion of guys that do daily drive with boost but I’d say at minimum you would want some suspension and stability upgrades first. Shocks, struts, and lowering kit will give you straight line stability if you corner you’ll want a strut tower brace, maybe a better front sway bar if you corner hard. These are all just assumptions though because I don’t have/drive with one every day

But from what I know vortec and kenne ball are the best names to go with

 

[tsemmett]

Centrifugals are a solid choice. Certainly easier to install than a roots or twin screw. You will likely need a tuner and fuel system upgrades (that aren't included); for the power levels you're looking at, probably 42# injectors and a fuel pump flowing at least 200 lph (255 is a common upgrade).

If budget is a concern, you can piece a kit like that together and find a used head unit to save quite a bit. Check this thread out: $1500 96-04GT Supercharger kit "how its done"

 

[That2vGuy]

Centrifugals are a solid choice. Certainly easier to install than a roots or twin screw. You will likely need a tuner and fuel system upgrades (that aren't included); for the power levels you're looking at, probably 42# injectors and a fuel pump flowing at least 200 lph (255 is a common upgrade).

If budget is a concern, you can piece a kit like that together and find a used head unit to save quite a bit. Check this thread out: $1500 96-04GT Supercharger kit "how its done"

When you said a used head unit you mean the supercharger itself? Or the Manifold off a cobra?

 

[tsemmett]

The centrifugal supercharger itself. Cobra manifold won't fit 2V heads. There is a 2V manifold for a Cobra SC, but it's $2k as mentioned above.

 

[That2vGuy]

Mustang 4.6 1996-2004 | Kenne Bell

Mustang 4.6 1996-20042.1 Kit #1 SELLING SUPERCHARGER KIT Since 1996, our most popular 2.1 Supercharger Kit and the #1 choice of Mustang 4.6 owners. It increases stock RWHP a whopping 65-107%

kennebell.net

Is this what you guys are talking about?
If not can you tell me what centrifugal” supercharger” is? Or send me a link to a kit please

 

[tsemmett]

It's just a specific type of supercharger, essentially a turbo with a pulley on it rather than an exhaust drive. That Vortec kit is a centrifugal supercharger.
Other types are roots, like the Eaton M112 used on the 03-04 Cobra, and Twin Screw like a Whipple. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Centrifugal is by far the easiest to add though.

This has more details on the different types: http://www.superchargersonline.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7

What that thread I link is suggesting is that you buy the brackets and tubes you need to mount the supercharger, then buy a used Vortec supercharger (at a fraction of the new price) as a cost effective solution.

 

[tsemmett]

As for the Kenne Bell kit, it is a bit more complete than a Vortec one, but it's also a bit more difficult to install.

 

[That2vGuy]

It's just a specific type of supercharger, essentially a turbo with a pulley on it rather than an exhaust drive. That Vortec kit is a centrifugal supercharger.
Other types are roots, like the Eaton M112 used on the 03-04 Cobra, and Twin Screw like a Whipple. They each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Centrifugal is by far the easiest to add though.

This has more details on the different types: http://www.superchargersonline.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=7

What that thread I link is suggesting is that you buy the brackets and tubes you need to mount the supercharger, then buy a used Vortec supercharger (at a fraction of the new price) as a cost effective solution.

Ohhh thanks I just read what it means okay makes sense so it can be any used Vortech supercharger or do I have to buy a specific one for my 2V , also do you know where I can get the tubes and bracket Kit or what kind? Or do I have to buy them separately?

 

[tsemmett]

You can buy the kit, or you can buy the pieces separately. The thread I linked has links to each part necessary if you want to piece it together. If the price tag of the kit isn't an issue, and you'd prefer a new supercharger vs a used one, go that route. Bear in mind that you still need fuel upgrades and a tune though (not included with the Vortech kit).

 

[DarthStang2003]

Thanks for this thread! I found it very informative. I too was curious about putting a blower on my ‘03 I have all the mods done but I think I’m just going to switch to 3.73 gears for now (I do a lot of highway driving) I don’t want a blower to end the life of this 152k mike engine, even though it is in excellent running condition with a lot of new parts and tuned!!!

 

[Dark04GT]

I’ve daily driven my vortech 2V for years. No reason to be scared of boost. Low boost, the solid 4.6L, and how relatively lightweight our cars are makes for a good mix. I have a V3 tuner kit and a SCT tuner.

Things to think about with a vortech:
1) intercooling (worth it to find a quality treadstone or mishimoto intercooler)
2) piping (worth it to get quality aluminum piping and get it welded)
3) large powerpipe (don’t skimp on the supercharger intake pipe, get a larger upgraded intake pipe and pull fender air, don’t pull under hood air either)
4) MAF- with above intercooler suggestion I’d go with a blow thru set up like a sct-2600 maf
5) fuel injectors (go with at least 42 lb injectors for stock fuel pressure, 47 lbs gives you a good buffer)
6) upgraded fuel pump (290lph+) or boost-a-pump.
7) air oil seperator for your PCV system
8) aftermarket front bumper support or custom cutting of your current front bumper support to fit a large 3 row intercooler.
9) sticky tires - upgrade to at least a 9” or 10.5” rim in the rear and high quality high performance / max performance tires to handle the power.
10) upgraded clutch - I love my dual disc