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24 year old kid who needs advice on doing all his own mods

Pierangiolo

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Good afternoon. I recently picked up (like a couple months ago) a '19 Mustang (non PP) GT 6 speed and I am interested in modding her. I daily drive the car. I plan to have the car become a track car for the road while retaining most of its functionality. I do want to take her to the track as soon as they open up the courses again. I plan on upgrading wheels, coil overs, brakes, transmission, all bolt ons (shy of E85) and just about any other performance mod you can think of. I want to do all the modding myself (over time) but the issue is (besides changing breaks and filters on my dads car) I have no experience working with vehicles which also means I dont have any tools to perform any of the modifications I wish to do. I have always wanted the experience of building a car from the ground up since I was a kid and I finally bought my perfect platform to do it on. I can always take it to a shop and do all the mods for me but I suppose that may not be as satisfying to me. I am just wondering if I am way over my head. I was wondering (in tools) how much do you guys think I would need to spend to perform the modifications, I was thinking at least a few grand. Do you think the car is easy enough somebody like myself can do most of the modifications? I know there are thousands of resources online to assist me which gives me a little bit of confidence going into this journey.

Thank you for your time
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bdm219

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At some point in our lives, we were all at the same stage as you. You buy what you need when you need it not before. There isn't any need to buy stuff you don't need at this point. Invest in a good jack and great jack stands. Get jacking rails for your car. They're literally 4 bolts per side and make lifting the car easy. You have an advantage that I didn't have when I was your age...internet and Youtube. Start small and work your way into bigger things as you gain experience.

3;/8" & 1/2" drive SAE & Metric socket sets
Vice Grips
Needlenose pliers
Channel Locks
Screwdriver set
Panel removal tools
Hammer

You can get a lot done with that for starters
 

Zrussian13

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Go to cj pony parts and watch their install vids before you start a project. That way, like stated above, your not buying tools until you need them.
 

TriYellowYote

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I was wondering (in tools) how much do you guys think I would need to spend to perform the modifications, I was thinking at least a few grand.
I don't think you'll need to spend nearly that much on tools. Most of the tools you need would be included in a set like this for example:

https://www.sears.com/kd-tools-telescoping-mirror/p-00999030000P

Add a good jack/jack stands, a screwdriver set and a torque wrench. Then buy the rest of the tools as you need them.
 

Elp_jc

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AWESOME that a millennial is doing this. You're literally the first one I ever hear asking for help, so kudos to you :D. My first advice to you, since you're starting, is always get GOOD TOOLS. If they don't last you a lifetime, at least several decades, so you don't have to do it again in a very long time. You don't have to buy the most expensive, but always good brands, Resist the temptation to buy cheap Chinese crap; your life could literally depend on those tools, especially jack stands, jacks, and the like.

Come back with specific projects, and I'm sure you'll get all the help you need. But the bottom line is this: You ABSOLUTELY can do if not all of what you want to do, most of it, and in your own garage. And it's indeed satisfying as heck to do it yourself. I still do all the maintenance in all my vehicles, because I know it's done right, with my 58 years, cancer, and all. It's part therapy for me; I enjoy doing it because I know it's done right, so don't mind getting a little dirty. Your dad should be proud of you :D.
 

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catchthecarp

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At some point in our lives, we were all at the same stage as you. You buy what you need when you need it not before. There isn't any need to buy stuff you don't need at this point. Invest in a good jack and great jack stands. Get jacking rails for your car. They're literally 4 bolts per side and make lifting the car easy. You have an advantage that I didn't have when I was your age...internet and Youtube. Start small and work your way into bigger things as you gain experience.

3;/8" & 1/2" drive SAE & Metric socket sets
Vice Grips
Needlenose pliers
Channel Locks
Screwdriver set
Panel removal tools
Hammer

You can get a lot done with that for starters
Great advice, proper tools are a necessity before you can start wrenching on a car. Buy good tools, used if your wallet is light. Good tools will last a life time if taken care of. YT is a great resource for any task you've never attempted before. There is no substitute for experience and the only way to gain it is by doing. Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes. - Oscar Wilde.
 

jd_cobra

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24 year old kid?! You’re a grown ass man! On a serious note though, we are lucky to born in an age with technology. When I first started working on cars 12 years ago when I was 18, I’d turn to forums, YouTube, and other sources of help online if not in person.

I learned early on that you can’t be scared to do something and you’ll break things from time to time or things may even go wrong during a simple install. Don’t let it discourage you if it happens, it’s happened to all of us.

Home Depot sells husky toolboxes and tool chests for decent prices. If you’re not sure you it’s something you’ll want to do forever, buy craftsman tools or even stuff from harbor freight to save money. If you find out it’s not for you, it’s not a lot of money wasted and you won’t have to feel too bad about it.

If you have any questions just hit us up on here. Best of luck to ya and I’m sure you’ll enjoy wrenching, it’s pretty therapeutic.
 

BLUE DEVIL

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First off congrats on the car. You have found a great resource with some very knowledgeable enthusiasts, ask for advice about products and mods before buying. It'll save you $$$$ money on day one!!! Don't be shy about asking for advice or help about installs, and don't be shy or upfront if you make a mistake. It'll help the guys understand how to help you fix that mistake.....we've all done stuff the wrong way!

Have fun!
 

jd_cobra

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First off congrats on the car. You have found a great resource with some very knowledgeable enthusiasts, ask for advice about products and mods before buying. It'll save you $$$$ money on day one!!! Don't be shy about asking for advice or help about installs, and don't be shy or upfront if you make a mistake. It'll help the guys understand how to help you fix that mistake.....we've all done stuff the wrong way!

Have fun!
That last sentence couldn’t be more true!
 

ice445

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First of all, congrats on the nice new car at your age. I was driving a crapbox back then. With that said, as someone who followed a similar path to you, I'm gonna give the advice of what worked for me. When I was around 23-24 (I'm 28 now) I decided I wanted to learn how to work on cars. I started by doing tons of research on the jobs I wanted to do, including scouring forums, watching youtube videos, the works. The more knowledge you have before a job or mod, the more successful you're going to be. Tools wise, just start by buying a wrench and socket set and a decent ratchet, and then from there buy tools as you need them. There's no need to go all out when you're just starting, that's actually detrimental. You'll realize what you need over time and slowly accrue stuff.

Now, time for the REAL shit. So, the beginning will be awful. Every job that people tell you is easy will seem hard, and you'll doubt yourself a lot. Just push through it. Even simple shit like which way to turn the ratchet can be confusing in the beginning. Just keep going. Secondly, you WILL make a mistake and break something at some point. You need to be able to deal with this. Even if that means tapping out and phoning a mobile mechanic, or having to take the bus to work because you now need to order parts to fix your screw up. I've been in those shoes, and it sucks. But unless you have another car to drive, this will be a reality at some point. Make peace with it now, and don't get mad at yourself. Even professionals break bolts and such, stuff happens. I have a ton of successful jobs under my belt, but all my mistakes and bad days taught me more than anything else.

And finally, if you do some jobs and decide you really hate doing it yourself and it seems like too much hassle, then there's no shame in tapping out and paying someone to do what you want done. That's how most people do it. Also, realize that the "perfect" build doesn't exist. It's a spectrum. You're either on the track side or the daily side, you can't really have that much overlap. You have to decide what's important to you and how you're most likely to use the car. Hope this advice helps.
 

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Biggus Dickus

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Here's a formula you may want to consider:

100% of Mod Money --> 5 yr CD --> cash out CD --> down payment for next car.

What did I do when young:

100% of Mod Money --> Mods --> Blackhole --> The realization that I never reflect on my prior money pits as money well spent.
 

Ebm

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Don't let some of these people steer you down to spending more money than you have to. There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to Harbor Freight and finding everything you need. People crap on Harbor Freight. These same people never realize their tools they bought from Lowe's or Home Depot are made in the EXACT SAME factory in China as Harbor Freight tools. What's the difference? A higher price tag at Lowe's or Home Depot than Harbor Freight. Their hand tools are lifetime guarantee. You break a ratchet, you go back to Harbor Freight and they give you a brand new one. You don't need expensive tools, especially on a brand new car that hasn't been subjected to the elements.

I work on old Jeeps that have seen mud, rust, dirt, every type of automotive fluid you can imagine leaking, etc. I've only ever broke a Harbor Freight tool twice. 1 instance was a ratchet in an instance where I should have used a breaker bar. The other instance was a ball joint press. Harbor Freight's ball joint press kit is utter garbage. Never had an issue with any of their other stuff. I've used their floor jacks and jack stands going on 6 or 7 years now. Not a single problem. Yes, they recently recalled jack stands, mine wasn't one of them. Don't let that scare you. Mustang's have had recalls as well that were just as dangerous(airbags spitting metal pieces at you in the event of an accident). Lesson here is jack up your car and put jack stands underneath. Use the floor jack as a secondary support point.

I would recommend the below tools for a starter based on experience:
- Low profile 3 ton floor jack(This actually works out great for low cars and lifted trucks)
- 3 ton jack stands
- 3/8 breaker bar
- 1/2 breaker bar
- 3/8 ratchet
- 1/2 ratchet
- 3/8 and 1/2 socket set(mixture of 3/8 and 1/2 SAE and Metric sockets with extensions and adapters(the adapter will allow you to use 1/2 sockets on 3/8 ratchets and vice versa)
- Needle nose pliers
Magnetic pick up tool(In case you drop a nut, washer, or bolt. This is inevitable. We all have at some point.)
- 3/8 torque wrench(can be click style or digital)(I recommend Tekton from Amazon for a click style or CDI for a digital. I have both and they have been great. Torque wrenches aren't cheap btw.)
- Disposable gloves
- Gloves with knuckle protection
- Safety glasses
 

Ebm

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Might wanna check up on those from HF, don't wanna get crushed under a 2 ton car.
Might wanna actually read the entire post instead of a sentence.

The recall was a very small number of jack stands. Mine weren't in the recall. I'm not a rookie when it comes to working on cars bud. I'll be okay.
 

kz

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Skip SAE sockets for now if you need to prioritize. Everything on this car is metric.
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