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

Shifting_Gears

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Research before you buy parts. There’s a pretty narrow number of brands that really stick out in the Mustang world as QUALITY and “worth the money” purchases. Don’t get fooled by advertising claims either.

You mentioned suspension. This is a HUGE component to a vehicles performance and done wrong, will ruin ride quality, destroy related parts (tires, ball joints, bushings, etc.) if the correct parts aren’t selected and installed properly. The best handling factory Mustangs don’t use coil overs. There’s nothing wrong with using them but there’s a hell of a lot that goes into suspension geometry and proper set up.

Since you have a base car, there’s a LOT of options of factory take off parts from GT PP cars, GT350 goodies, etc. Wheel and tire selection is right up there with suspension. When I was 24, I thought “tires were tires” but couldn’t have been more wrong.

Everyone covered tools... and safety, but you can’t overstate safety. Never get under a car that isn’t properly supported by jack stands. You can use a floor jack in conjunction with stands, but not ONLY a floor jack. I’ve had the biggest, baddest jacks fail and it’s usually without warning.

Get a good set of mechanics gloves as well. They will save your hands and fingers from cuts, scrapes and bruises. Don’t do stuff like get brake fluid on your bare hands, fuel, etc without washing it off immediately.

And finally, never, ever bring brake cleaner around fire. The fumes are toxic, fatal or at the very least neurologically damaging.
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Rpinaiii

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Start with very easy mods and your confidence will build as you go. Look up YouTube vids and watch each install many times before you actually do it. Buy your basic type tools and as you go along your tool chest will grow as your confidence grows. One easy mod that might seem tough at first is adding a x or h pipe, resonator delete. Simply take out the exhaust by removing bolts and hangers. Then cut the stock resonator out after measuring with the H/X pipe then piece back together with clamps, bolts and hangers. And the accomplishment is all in the sound of the exhaust after..believe me!! :) good luck and congrats. I have an 18 Base Mustang GT manual. Bare minimum because I was going to mod anyway lol.
 

Meat coyote racing

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If you want to mod your car and make it an occasion track car, by all means, have a great time.

HOWEVER, a huge factor to consider is can you swing the bat if you break it i.e. do you have the money to fix it or other means of transportation.

There are more than a few stories on Mustang6g of folks that financed a car, then finance a Supercharger kit, then grenade the motor. What's sad is they can't figuratively swing the bat once it breaks and are stuck with debt up to their eyeballs with car that can't be driven and is their daily driver.
 

ice445

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Research before you buy parts. There’s a pretty narrow number of brands that really stick out in the Mustang world as QUALITY and “worth the money” purchases. Don’t get fooled by advertising claims either.

You mentioned suspension. This is a HUGE component to a vehicles performance and done wrong, will ruin ride quality, destroy related parts (tires, ball joints, bushings, etc.) if the correct parts aren’t selected and installed properly. The best handling factory Mustangs don’t use coil overs. There’s nothing wrong with using them but there’s a hell of a lot that goes into suspension geometry and proper set up.

Since you have a base car, there’s a LOT of options of factory take off parts from GT PP cars, GT350 goodies, etc. Wheel and tire selection is right up there with suspension. When I was 24, I thought “tires were tires” but couldn’t have been more wrong.

Everyone covered tools... and safety, but you can’t overstate safety. Never get under a car that isn’t properly supported by jack stands. You can use a floor jack in conjunction with stands, but not ONLY a floor jack. I’ve had the biggest, baddest jacks fail and it’s usually without warning.

Get a good set of mechanics gloves as well. They will save your hands and fingers from cuts, scrapes and bruises. Don’t do stuff like get brake fluid on your bare hands, fuel, etc without washing it off immediately.

And finally, never, ever bring brake cleaner around fire. The fumes are toxic, fatal or at the very least neurologically damaging.
Only chlorinated brake cleaner burns toxic, and it's getting harder every day to find that stuff in stores.

If you want to mod your car and make it an occasion track car, by all means, have a great time.

HOWEVER, a huge factor to consider is can you swing the bat if you break it i.e. do you have the money to fix it or other means of transportation.

There are more than a few stories on Mustang6g of folks that financed a car, then finance a Supercharger kit, then grenade the motor. What's sad is they can't figuratively swing the bat once it breaks and are stuck with debt up to their eyeballs with car that can't be driven and is their daily driver.
That sounds like quite an expensive lesson to learn.
 

Ebm

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What lol. I bought my GT PP1 brand new last year at 25. I feel like this isn't really a rarity?
It isn't rare for someone in their 20s to finance a car and have a high payment like $600 or $700 because the car is $50k or $60k. What is rare is a person in their 20s that paid cash for the $50k or $60k car on the spot when they bought it. Almost no one in their 20s has that much cash to just throw around. They either had a trust fund, help from mom and dad, or got super fortunate with a job out of high school or college.
 

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Wheysted

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24? a kid? lol

few hundred on tools
buy as you go. Learn as you go

if you can follow instructions and get a grasp for things then you can do all bolt ons as far as super charging / gears etc by just following instructions and learning
 

2morrow

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Congrats OP! Hit my Youtube link in my signature for some tutorials of common performance mods. DM me if you have any questions.
 

Lorne34

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Find someone local who can assist and mentor you. I know there are probably a lot of mechanics who wouldn't mind helping you after hours for a case of beer or a few bucks. They can steer you in the right direction.
You tube is great, but there is nothing like having someone next to you assisting and showing you want needs to be done.
There are some great DIY people on You Tube that can give you some inspiration. Check out Woman Driven's channel. She's fun to watch and is not afraid to tackle some of these Mods.
Also, go watch the move "Gran Torino" and follow Clint's Eastwoods advice about collecting tools ...start slow and buy what you need as you need it....
.
.
gran-torino-1.jpg
 

Rapid Red

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Good attitude, good luck, hope OP, is mechanically intuitive, and possess the associated common sense.

Pick a mod, buy only the tools required for install. Go to next and repeat.

Pay attention, no left over parts, or fasteners. Something does not work go back to the last place worked on.

BTW, the venders that are on this site. Offer some excellent install videos. Tell what tools are needed for the job. Do a good job showing the amateur how to get er done.

Driving around youtube, looking up stuff. Big waste of time seek out specific how too's

You want to put mods on your car. Where do you get the mods? From a vender, who just happens to put up install videos for what you bought

What a novel concept

:thumbsup:
 
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Lorne34

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Yeah, the manufacturers installs are pretty good. I did run into some issues however where they might have left something out or someone had a good time saving Hack.
Bill from CJ Pony Parts is a really down to earth guy who offers practical time saving advice when installing mods...
Want to install a different start button?
a. ford says remove the dash
b. Bill says grab a pick and a microfiber towel
LOL...
 

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JPSTANG

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I would have to put in here as it was kind of stated elsewhere. Remember some mods effect other areas of the car. Like mentioned the supercharger made the nose heavy, well it also effects the drive train, clutch/transmission, axle, half shafts, gears, and of course tires. Always think about things in series, if I do this what should I do first or second or anything at all. my 2 cents. Otherwise as stated have fun and have a back up plan cause you will break stuff, it happens to the best of us (some wont admit it though, lol)...
 

br_an

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A lot of great advice here... I'll just add one thing I've learned: left handed drill bits might just save your ass if you break off a bolt.
 

e30og

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To the OP:

I did light mechanic work for a few years and managed to mess things up here and there. I have been 'modding' cars since I was a teenager and I love it. Here are some insights:

- Invest in a nice pair of Mechainx gloves that are tight/form fitting and have all the rubber padding etc., your knuckles & fingers will thank you!
- Invest in a brake depressor. its a rod that anchors to the steering wheel and presses the brake pedal. Remember, handbrake only holds the rears. If you need the fronts to be stationary (such as tightening wheel lugs), unless you have a friend around to hit the brakes for you its impossible to tighten the lugs. I carry one in the trunk and have used it every time I take the fronts off
- finishing a project and realizing you forgot something is inevitable lol. Prepare to take that ish all apart all over again, ugh hahaha
- Hand tools. Feel the nuts, bolts, panels, etc. tighten and thread (or mis-thread!) so you get a feel for tightness/breaking point
- With oil changes make sure you re-fill engine oil before starting the car :-/
- Some things need muscle but always take your time to wiggle/work it out. I cant count the amount of panels & pieces ive bent or broken. Maybe you should just accept you will break stuff. Yeah.
- "It" will never go back in place perfectly or as tight as factory. This is especially true with interior panels & body pieces. Ex. expect creaking for removed dash pieces
- TIME! it will take FOREVER the first few times of any new project, just out of learning and caution. That is fatiguing, but be patient and plan for it to take 4 times as long as you thought
- Dont get lost in diagnosing. If the car is acting a certain way and you can't find anything obvious, dont be scared to get professional help and call it a day. You can get lost in forums for days and days, and no one can feel your car's abnormality from a keyboard
- For a DD: Just be aware of the cost of modifying and tracking a car. Your insurance wont pay diddly if its damaged/totalled on a track, and whatever part of the car you modify will be deniable for warranty claims, no questions asked. Unless you have a backup vehicle, projects/racing/accidents all can put the vehicle out of use for a long time

One last thing:
- DONT EVER DO ANYTHING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD!!!!! drive that thing grand theft auto style and ruin the wheel if you have to but do not ***EVER*** change a spare on the shoulder or the grass. People get killed. My wrecked parked car we rolled all the way to the grass was hit by a maniac, and that was in stop & go traffic. I was standing in the grass in front of my car, awaiting tow trucks talking to the other driver. The next thing I know I am pinned to my own hood. 5 minutes prior to that I was emptying my trunk out and I would have been smashed to death if it happened then
 

kz

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- Invest in a brake depressor. its a rod that anchors to the steering wheel and presses the brake pedal. Remember, handbrake only holds the rears. If you need the fronts to be stationary (such as tightening wheel lugs), unless you have a friend around to hit the brakes for you its impossible to tighten the lugs. I carry one in the trunk and have used it every time I take the fronts off
Might be nice to have and don't be offended by it's about one of the most useless things suggested in this thread - I swap wheels about 100 times a year, I never loosen the lugs on the front before the car is up and never ever use a brake depressor, neither anyone is holding the brake. Magic !!
 

e30og

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Might be nice to have and don't be offended by it's about one of the most useless things suggested in this thread - I swap wheels about 100 times a year, I never loosen the lugs on the front before the car is up and never ever use a brake depressor, neither anyone is holding the brake. Magic !!
Im a car nerd I dont care haha offend away

How do you tighten the front wheels? Please dont tell me you put it on the ground first haha
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