Can a case be made for leaving it bone stock?

[dpAtlanta]

I’m beginning to think that maybe I should save up the GT mod money and put it toward a second Mustang like maybe a Shelby.

I believe you have solved your own dilemma with this statement above.... pure genius if you ask me!
The Shelby is a whole different beast that only needs one mod... resonator delete.
The high rpm torque is something you will have to get adjusted to... but boy what a rush!

BOTH are GREAT cars...!!!!

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[ddeluce]

Since this came up I’ve got to ask something I’ve wondered about ever since I signed up here. Why in the name of all that’s holy would Ford build a car that couldn’t be jacked up normally without damaging the vehicle, thus requiring an aftermarket piece? Is that for real? Seems hard to believe but what do I know?

The car can be jacked up safely without jacking rails if you are careful. The jacking rail makes it much easier and allows you to jack up one side of the car instead of one wheel at a time. If I remember correctly, CJ Pony Parts has a pretty good video on how to properly jack up the S550.

 

[kz]

Since this came up I’ve got to ask something I’ve wondered about ever since I signed up here. Why in the name of all that’s holy would Ford build a car that couldn’t be jacked up normally without damaging the vehicle, thus requiring an aftermarket piece? Is that for real? Seems hard to believe but what do I know?

Well - you're onto something. It obviously can be and does not require any aftermarket pieces.
The "need" for jacking rails is a marketing nonsense from companies that make them. There are thousands of Mustangs and millions of cars lifted using pinch welds every day.

This need for rails is so stupid it's mind blowing. Magically Mustangs need them, but their wives' Camry does not. Like they lose ability to think logically when it comes to mods someone tries to sell people (which to be fair - is how all these mods are being sold )

 

[MidwayJ]

I don't plan any power mods but I'm happy with the mods I've done (wheels/tires, exhaust, springs, stripes, and other minor cosmetic stuff). The tires, especially on non PP cars, are too small for a car of the GT's power and weight. And one thing Camaro did better than Mustang is making stock wheels more flush with the fender. I wanted more volume than the stock non-active exhaust, which also sounds tinny. (If I had active exhaust I would do an H-pipe and leave it at that.) Overall, I think the mods make the car better and more enjoyable. Stock exhaust and wheels can easily be put back on to trade in.

But if I had a GT350 I think the only mod I'd do is a resonator delete.

 

[Balr14]

I was all set to change gears and add a supercharger to my GT convertible. But, after driving it for awhile, I came to the conclusion this isn't the 60s, when street racing was the thing and performance cars were common. Between the current read conditions, traffic and general vehicle population, there just isn't anyway to utilize more power. Even if there was, I don't want to race SUVs, 4 door pickup trucks and Kias.

I am considering an E85 tune. It's $1.00 per gallon cheaper than 93 octane.

 

[Rapid Red]

My car is mostly stock too. I like it that way...

[/QUOTE]

I think you left out a word LOOKs ............. LMAO sleeper

 

[T.O.Bullitt]

Added something like 50 rwhp with this.
In my mind.

Good enough for me.

 

[schmeky]

Ran mine bone stock for 2 years and loved it. Very satisfied. Then when I started looking at ZL1's and Hellcats out of curiosity, I decided to upgrade my 2018 GT. Cheaper to upgrade than to trade and buy all over again.

SO GLAD I DID!! Added a Procharger, remote tune, axle back exhaust and have roughly 625 whp.

Car runs and drives absolutely perfect and the abundant power is there if and when you get the itch. Reliability has been flawless since the upgrade.

Stock is great, properly upgraded these cars are incredible.

 

[NotQuiteAverageJoe]

Stock or modded is 100% up to you. The car has enough power and looks that are great to look at and fun to use anytime, especially is you don't track your car. The one thing that held me back from buying a mustang was that I didn't want to have a car that is everywhere, so I went with the drop top CS that adds just a little bit to the styling (IMO, styling is also 100% subjective). I also love loud gnarly exhausts, so had to do that.

Two mods that I would suggest that even a "non-modded" car should have is the hood struts and oil catch can.

 

[Ewheels]

Mod or not mod comes down to whether or not you plan to sell the car later on.
I threw away my resale value when I started cutting holes in the hood for vents. #becauseracecar

 

[jweggy]

Ran mine bone stock for 2 years and loved it. Very satisfied. Then when I started looking at ZL1's and Hellcats out of curiosity, I decided to upgrade my 2018 GT. Cheaper to upgrade than to trade and buy all over again.

SO GLAD I DID!! Added a Procharger, remote tune, axle back exhaust and have roughly 625 whp.

Car runs and drives absolutely perfect and the abundant power is there if and when you get the itch. Reliability has been flawless since the upgrade.

Stock is great, properly upgraded these cars are incredible.

Who did your remote tune?

 

[ice445]

I'm mostly stock, because I already can't really use the power I have. I put an axle back on, tint, a catch can, removed the engine cover because it's ugly, removed the sound tube because it's stupid, then added some PP items that are OEM. That's most of my cars, I just do the little things that make the most impact.

 

[olerodder]

My 2014 TrakPak had heavily mod'd suspension and a remote tune along with GT 500 spoilers and wheels and tires. When I bought the car it was bone stock and pretty much a pleasure to drive. After I finished I could corner carve with some cars that should have been out of my league, but it became a pain to drive around town...out on the road it was nice, although on bad roads your butt felt the ruts. I have a 2019 PP1/A10 and it fare surpassed the 14 in the 1/4 by 2+ seconds, bone stock accomplishing low 11.9's @ 117...yes, I made a number of runs adjusting tire pressure, taking the CAI filter out, trying every mode until I finally got under 12 seconds. I've put the FPP X pipe on, jacking rail, and changed tire sizes to 265/40's and 285/40's...and I like the car. I bought the M-9603-M8B kit and haven't installed it yet, still debating if I should do it or have the dealer do it, but all in all I like the car the way it is.
If you want a fast car, keep your Mustang stock and build a drag car that will do high 9's in the 1/4, or if you want to go faster build an 8 second car! The picture is my Maverick, 9.8's @ 136 in the 1/4 with "All Motor", no N2O, blower, supercharger...just a single carburetor.

Personally, street racing is for people who are one sandwich shy of a picnic basket, if you want to race go to a drag strip and see who is fastest from a dead start, not this rolling 30/40mph nonsense. Maybe it's because I've been drag racing for 45 years...street racing is just dumb, or stupid, take your pick...IMHO

 

[Rapid Red]

My 2014 TrakPak had heavily mod'd suspension and a remote tune along with GT 500 spoilers and wheels and tires. When I bought the car it was bone stock and pretty much a pleasure to drive. After I finished I could corner carve with some cars that should have been out of my league, but it became a pain to drive around town...out on the road it was nice, although on bad roads your butt felt the ruts. I have a 2019 PP1/A10 and it fare surpassed the 14 in the 1/4 by 2+ seconds, bone stock accomplishing low 11.9's @ 117...yes, I made a number of runs adjusting tire pressure, taking the CAI filter out, trying every mode until I finally got under 12 seconds. I've put the FPP X pipe on, jacking rail, and changed tire sizes to 265/40's and 285/40's...and I like the car. I bought the M-9603-M8B kit and haven't installed it yet, still debating if I should do it or have the dealer do it, but all in all I like the car the way it is.
If you want a fast car, keep your Mustang stock and build a drag car that will do high 9's in the 1/4, or if you want to go faster build an 8 second car! The picture is my Maverick, 9.8's @ 136 in the 1/4 with "All Motor", no N2O, blower, supercharger...just a single carburetor.

Personally, street racing is for people who are one sandwich shy of a picnic basket, if you want to race go to a drag strip and see who is fastest from a dead start, not this rolling 30/40mph nonsense. Maybe it's because I've been drag racing for 45 years...street racing is just dumb, or stupid, take your pick...IMHO

Hell man, with your background that M-9603-M8B would be a piece of cake, an afternoon at the most.

Knowing it is installed correctly is the big plus. BTW, nice HotRods, and well said....

 

[ctandc72]

Let me say right off that what anybody does with their car is clearly no one else’s business. Period. I get that.

Agreed.

When I got my GT Premium convertible last fall I started dreaming about what I might do to it. My first thought was a warranty friendly supercharger. Then I thought nah, too much trouble and expense. So next I thought about the Ford CAI/throttle body/tune kit. But even that requires a reflash.

So then I got to thinking: how much more could I realistically use on the street? And what about the expense and subsequent diminishment of reliability? Here’s a non-scientific factoid I’ve noticed: many, if not most of the problems guys post about here seem to be related to an aftermarket tune. If you’re willing to put up with that it’s fine I suppose. Each to his own. But if we have cars where changing out a stereo can screw with the traction and stability systems, in the long run are we smarter than the Ford engineers?

I think one thing that no one has really mentioned (if someone did, and I missed it -that's on me) is that most (not all ) owners who go forced induction and start making high power levels in the Mustang (or most makes / models for that matter) don't tend to daily drive that car. They might drive it most every day, but it's not the car they get in most every day and drive to work, to the store, road trips etc. Depending on locale, most highly modified (for power) car owners don't drive it when it's raining or there is snow on the ground.

In fact, I have personally known more than a few people who have modified their vehicles to the point they bought another car / truck to drive everyday. In reality, that's what you mention as an option, just coming at it from the other direction.

Now the line about 'being smarter than Ford Engineers'.......automobiles are simply using more technology than they have in the past. Those same technological advances that require research and modifying certain things (like programming different modules with FORSCAN to add a digital instrument cluster for example) is just the price you pay....because that same technology allows anyone to go buy a new car that makes over 400 HP, has a 5yr /60K power train warranty and gets better gas mileage than many non-performance cars did 20 years ago.

"Tuning" or "reflashing" a Mustang is NO different than tuning a carburetor for better fueling (more performance) and recurving a distributor (For more / less timing and better efficiency / more power) was before computers and EFI appeared in mass-produced vehicles.

I've done both. Reflashing an ECU is a helluva of a lot easier than changing metering rods / jets / messing with primaries and secondary opening rates, getting distributors recurved (or changing vacuum advance units for different advance rates with timing) then making 1/4 runs or WOT runs and reading spark plugs.

In fact - I'd argue that without the "tinkerers" who continuously tried to improve the performance of the internal combustion engine - we likely wouldn't have the vehicles that we have now.

I might change my mind but I’m beginning to think that maybe I should save up the GT mod money and put it toward a second Mustang like maybe a Shelby. I guess I have a low tolerance for inanimate objects that don’t work right.

This not meant to offend you, or anyone for that matter, but if you aren't comfortable with modifying / troubleshooting your car OR you don't already have a shop / mechanic that you trust can do the same, odds are correct about modifying your Mustang.

You mention buying a second Mustang "Like maybe a Shelby"..........do you think a Shelby (that hasn't been highly modified correctly) is somehow less dependable than your current Mustang? Do you not think you'll run into the same things that are deterring you from modifying your current car? Unless you are talking about an older - much older - Mustang / Shelby. If that's the case, older vehicles (regardless of mileage / condition) come with their own sets of issues.

It seems like you're not comfortable modifying your car, for various reasons, and that's your business. It's your car, your money, your time after all. But it also seems (if I am misinterpreting what you're saying, that's on me) like you are trying to justify that feeling by defending your position.

You don't need to.

It's all a learning curve. If you are making major modifications (like a supercharger) regardless of whether or not you install it yourself or pay someone to - there is a greater chance of having issues to take care of. When you add more power - and try to regularly put that power to the ground - you of course have a higher chance of damaging / overwhelming another part of the car that wasn't designed for that power.

That's the nature of the beast.

There's an old saying when it comes to building cars / trucks.

Fast, reliable, cheap.

Pick two.

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