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Catch 22
Here's Our List of the Most Cost-Effective, Bang-For-The-Buck Performance Parts For Your Late-Model Ford.
From the February, 2009 issue of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords
No matter how many tech articles we do on the latest and greatest performance parts, or how many questions we answer in the Ask Bernie/Yo Ken section of the magazine, the letters, faxes and e-mails come piling in by the truckload. The most common questions are, "How do I get the most power for the least amount of cash?" And, "I have parts X, Y and Z, so how much power do I have?" Believe us, these questions are good because it shows that late-model Ford ownership is soaring and the faithful want to go fast. At Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords one of our goals is to help you find the best buys on the best parts. That's why we constantly test new parts and different combinations on the dyno and at the track. It is this real-world experience that allows us to comment on how the parts fit, how they perform, and whether the manufacturer's claims are true or false. For gearheads, it's not enough to take someone's word for it; we have to find out the real deal. I guess that's why we have no less than nine Mustangs, one SVT Lightning, and one Focus between the four full-time staff members. The topic of cheap speed is always hot around here, so during a recent MM&FF staff meeting we decided to piece together a list of the 10 best bolt-on parts for late-model Fords. That idea grew into the story you're reading now, which is actually a little more comprehensive than just 10 ideas. It now includes the best parts for your dollar in a few different price ranges.  For less than $1,000 you can...  For less than $1,000 you can have your Mustang LX or GT running solidly in the 13s, or even the 12s, if you spend wisely and drive well. UNDER $100 |  Icing the intake For the...  Icing the intakeFor the low, low price of about $1.25 (per bag) you can greatly increase the performance of your Ford by icing down the intake plenum of the engine prior to a dragstrip run. Chilling the intake cools the incoming air, which can add about 10-15 horsepower if the intake is cold enough. However, it's important to soak up any standing water before you race in order to prevent the melted ice from hitting the track or the ignition wires or dripping down on the clutch. |  Front Anti-roll Bar There...  Front Anti-roll BarThere is free performance to be had by removing the front anti-roll bar. Discarding the unit will take about 25 lbs. off the nose of your car or truck, and it will also allow the front end to rise quicker to help transfer weight to the rear for improved traction. |  Learn To Drive One of the...  Learn To DriveOne of the single biggest performance advantages you can have over the competition is driver skill. Learning to cut good consistent lights and getting the best elapsed time through proper launch and shift technique can help you win more races than you think. Driving it right takes a combination of basic skill, natural talent, and lots of practice, and you may have to sacrifice a T-5 or two along the way, but the end result will be worth it.Our recommendation is to find a comfortable, upright driving position, wear shoes that provide good pedal feel, and get a shifter that has positive stops and a good overall feel. Then practice your launching and powershifting until your right arm and left leg are numb. |  Fab Diet One of the oldest...  Fab DietOne of the oldest performance tricks in the book is to reduce the weight of the car. At the track you can take advantage of this by shedding all unnecessary weight. Some items include the seats and spare tire. |  Short-belt Replacing the...  Short-beltReplacing the stock accessory drivebelt on your 5.0 with a "short-belt" that eliminates the power steering pump and the air pump will reduce the parasitic losses and increase the available power at the wheels. For the price of a belt (about $25), you can reduce elapsed time by another tenth of a second or more in the quarter-mile. Generally, this is worth about 10-15 horsepower on a typical 5.0 Mustang. In most cases ('87-93) a 70 1/2-inch belt will work, but your engine may require a slightly longer or slightly shorter one to work. |  Timing Advance Another virtually...  Timing AdvanceAnother virtually free horsepower trick is to bump the ignition timing. Okay, so you need a timing light for this one, but by cranking the distributor a few degrees (from the stock setting of 10 degrees to 12-14 degrees) can add 5-15 horsepower to your 5.0 Ford. This can be worth as much as one-or two-tenths in ET. at the drags. In order to bump the timing you'll need to remove the spout connector (located near the distributor on '68-93 Mustangs and near the air filter box on '94-95 models), then set the base timing and re-install the spout. It's that simple. On '96-newer mod cars, see the "Steeda Timing Adjuster" tip later in the article. |  Air filter The K&N filter...  Air filterThe K&N filter has become one of the obligatory items on any late-model musclecar. It's one of the first things every performance-conscience Mustang or Lightning owner does because it usually equals cheap power. Installing any free-flowing air filter (and there are now about a dozen on the market) is often worth 5-15 hp depending on your application. Additionally, most can be cleaned and reused so your investment will last indefinitely. |  Driveshaft Safety Loop While...  Driveshaft Safety LoopWhile a driveshaft safety loop won't give your car any performance, it's required by the NHRA and IHRA if you use sticky tires at the track. Having a loop is like buying insurance because it will capture the driveshaft should a failure occur (as shown). Without one, the driveshaft can rip right through the bottom of the car and/or it can break the back of the transmission/engine causing physical and material damage. In this case the front yoke broke as the driver (shown) nailed Third gear. The spinning driveshaft opened up the HP Motorsports driveshaft loop, but this was the only damage. |
 Underdrive Pulleys Another...  Underdrive PulleysAnother sure-fire way to increase power is by reducing parasitic drag on the engine. And you can do this quite easily with a set of underdrive pulleys. Underdrive pulleys work by slowing the speed of the driven engine accessories, thus reducing losses due to drag created by the accessories. The result is an increase in power at the wheels. Typically, you can notice a gain of 5-12 horsepower at the wheels. |  Rearend Gears Changing the...  Rearend GearsChanging the rear differential gears in your Mustang to a lower (though numerically higher) ratio will give your car greater torque multiplication, and that will allow it to accelerate more quickly. Stock 5-L Mustangs were equipped with 2.73, 3.08, or 3.27 gears, while later '96-present models get a standard 3.27 ratio, save for the '03 Cobra that has 3.55s. In most cases 3.73 are optimum for either a 5.0 or 4.6 2-valve Mustang, unless a taller tire is used. If the latter is true (or you have a '96-01 Cobra), a 4.10 might be the best way to go. Either way, you can expect a reduction of .2 to .4 of a second in the quarter-mile after installing your new gears. |  Performance Shifter If you...  Performance ShifterIf you row a T-5, T-45, T56, or Tremec 5-speed transmission you should seriously consider an aftermarket shifter, unless you already have one. Shifters made by B&M, Hurst, Pro 5.0, and Steeda bolt in with little hassle and provide positive shift feel and a shorter throw. In addition, most aftermarket shifters have positive stop bolts that prevent the shifter from being rammed too far, which, in turn, can bend shift forks inside the transmission. |  Subframe Connectors If you...  Subframe ConnectorsIf you plan on racing or driving aggressively on the street, we recommend that you install a set of subframe connectors. When properly installed, subframe connectors strengthen the unibody structure and help to prevent the unibody from twisting or flexing. When the unibody flexes, the suspension pick-up points can move, even if only by a small amount, and this will lead to poor and unstable handling. |  Drag Tires Another high-ranking...  Drag TiresAnother high-ranking modification is a good set of sticky tires. Without traction all the horsepower in the world will be wasted in plumes of tire smoke. Thankfully, these days you can have your traction anyway you like it, such as with street slicks, drag radials, or conventional racing slicks.We've tested just about all the hot tires on the market, and we believe there is a good place for all the different types and brands. The drag radials by Nitto and BFGoodrich work well in street/strip applications, especially when an automatic transmission is used. However, stick applications tend to like a softer sidewall (and lower pressure) tire, such as the Mickey Thompson ET Street. Dedicated drag cars will most likely benefit from full racing slicks that are sized properly. Quality tires are available from Goodyear, Hoosier, Mickey Thompson, and Phoenix. Cost is generally under $250 and you can gain as much as a half of a second or more in the quarter with the right tires. |  Performance Chip The performance...  Performance ChipThe performance chip market has really taken off over the last few years, and for good reason. These chips can be designed to increase fuel economy, add power, or both. And they can do so on a variety of engines, from 5.0s to 4.6s and diesels and even the big V-10. Stock Lightnings have seen as much as 30-50 horsepower with a chip, while gains of 5-20 can be noticed on other passenger car applications. |  Steeda Timing Adjuster Owners...  Steeda Timing AdjusterOwners of 4.6 Mustangs cannot simply turn the distributor and bump the timing for more power. They can, however, install the Steeda Timing Adjuster that gives mod motor owners the ability to manually set ignition timing. The anodized unit bolts to the crank pulley, while a separate sensor bolts to the block, and this allows you to move the timing a total of 20 degrees. Advancing the timing on 4.6 GT engines has been worth as much as 10 rear-wheel horsepower, so we'll consider it a worthwhile modification. | | |
 Mass Air Meter The mass air...  Mass Air MeterThe mass air meter is an integral part of any '89-present Ford engine and we've seen big gains in power by switching the stock meter to an aftermarket unit. Stock or mildly modified 5-liter engines work well with a 75mm Bullet or a 73mm C&L unit, while the 4.6 engines like a slightly larger meter (they come with an 80mm unit from the factory). Performance gains in the 5-15-horsepower range are common with this modification. |  Nitrous Oxide Nitrous oxide...  Nitrous OxideNitrous oxide is one add-on that can give your engine the biggest bang for your performance buck. For around $500 you can increase the power of your engine by about 150 horsepower, and you can do so in just a few hours. Nitrous has lots of benefits; one is that can be turned on or off, which is nice for street driving, and most kits can be upgraded if additional power is needed. |  X- or H-Pipe Aside from adding...  X- or H-PipeAside from adding a nice rumble to your Ford, a high-flow aftermarket X- or H-pipe will increase power and torque on stock and modified engines. There are a few manufacturers making exhaust parts, some for street and some for racing (without cats). Stock vehicles can gain as much as 15-20 horsepower and equal torque, while gains might be event bigger with modified engines. |  Intake manifold One of the...  Intake manifoldOne of the biggest drawbacks to the stock 5-liter engine is the long-runner EFI intake. The stock upper and lower unit is designed for low-rpm operation and to make lots of low-rpm and mid-range power. In this application it does a fine job, but it is not adequate for engines with big cams and/or high-flow heads. Simply swapping the stock intake for a Edelbrock Performer, Cobra, or TFS Street Heat intake will instantly add 15-30 horsepower, and you can find extra power when the manifold is combined with the properly sized throttle body and mass air meter. | | |
 Cylinder Heads With the exception...  Cylinder HeadsWith the exception of superchargers or nitrous, aftermarket cylinder heads will give your engine one of the biggest boosts for the money you'll spend. Most aftermarket aluminum heads are priced around $1,200 (for a complete pair) and they can offer as much as 30-60-horsepower increase in "out-of-the-box" trim. With the right cam, intake, and heads, an otherwise stock 5.0 short-block can make about 350-400 horsepower. When it comes to heads, bigger is not always better. We suggest that you start off with heads designed for the street, such as the Edelbrock Performer, Holley SysteMax, Ford GT-40X, or Brodix ST5.0. Another benefit of aluminum heads is that you'll shed about 40 lbs. from the nose of your pony. |  Performance Seats While you...  Performance SeatsWhile you may not consider aftermarket seats a performance item, we can tell you first hand that supportive seats are a must in a road racing/open track car, or in a fast drag car. A quality performance-oriented seat will provide comfort, but it will also feature proper leg and waist side bolstering to keep the driver in place during tight cornering. Racing seats (when used with a 5- or 6-way harness setup will also keep the driver in place in case of an upset or an accident. In many cases, racing seats are lightweight, which is a performance advantage, and there are dozens of manufacturers and models on the market, as well as a few different materials to choose from. The least expensive racing seats are made from fiberglass. They are light but are very stiff, and some consider them uncomfortable for street use, even with a padded cover. Aluminum seats are more expensive, but there are more designs to choose from, including straight back and lay back, and there are also many widths available. These too, can be a little hard on the back during street use. Lastly, you'll find aftermarket seats designed for the street/track with performance and style in mind. In this category you'll find a wide range of seats, and prices, too. |  Supercharger When it comes...  SuperchargerWhen it comes to modifying your 5.0 or 4.6 engine, there is hardly a bolt-on that will increase the horsepower as much as a supercharger will. Today's supercharger kits are designed specifically for each application, and they include all the nuts and bolts to make installation a snap. You can expect a horsepower increase of 75-150 horsepower depending on the boost level you select. This means your new 4.6 GT, which has a factory rating of 260 horsepower, can be making as much as 400 ponies after about eight hours of work. And best of all you can do this without even lifting a cam cover. In addition, most blower kits have a series of pulleys that change the drive ratio and can increase (or dare we say) lower the boost to match your desired output. Kits are available for virtually all '86-present Mustangs and most Ford trucks from companies like Allen, ATI ProCharger, BBK, B&M, Ford Racing Performance Parts, Kenne Bell, Paxton, Powerdyne, Saleen, and Vortech. |
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