My 2021 EcoBoost Journey

[ABEcoBoost]

I wanted to post about my 2021 EcoBoost journey. I took 10 years off from owning a Mustang but now this is my sixth Mustang and it’s my baby!

I got a great deal on my used 2021 Ecoboost with very low mileage in August of 2024 with the 101A package and I had the bold idea of turning my car into a premium car with as much as I could modify to get close to the 201A package. Also, I wanted to get everything that the “Black Accent” package had as well as the 2022 “Stealth” package. And I got pretty damn close! All the time, research, and money really paid off. What’s fascinating to me is that it seems like no one from what I can tell online has ever done what I’ve done with my car. Other owners have done certain mods that I’ve done but either quit, or had to go through extremes with complicated wiring, harnesses, etc. Shout out to Sam Reeves who programmed my digital cluster and has been very communicative with all my Forscan questions, as I’m definitely not an expert!

To give more context, I was able to get everything to work/power on like factory by enabling the fog lights and puddle lamps via Forscan “easy mode”, and the ambient lighting to work via the upgrade to the digital gauge cluster (via Sam Reeves) along with installing the premium BCMB in the trunk; without this the ambient lighting will not work. Note: my car didn’t come with any of these things mentioned above but luckily the 101A package has all the necessary harnesses and wiring for the ambient lighting, fog lamps, premium side mirrors, etc. All I needed was Forscan, which has been a godsend. My local Ford dealer had no idea how to power any of these things on, they recommended I needed a new BCM, which in reality, I didn’t! I was able to power everything on with Forscan, and I had no idea what I was doing at first! That boggles my mind, how expert techs have no idea what they’re doing. Anyway, after my rant, my mods are below:

OEM Mods:

12” LCD digital gauge cluster with MyColor

Mustang GT gloss black grille

Mustang Premium front turn signals with LED fog lights

Mustang Premium gloss black side mirrors with integrated turn signals/puddle lamps/heated

Gloss black Front Grille and Rear Decklid Mustang Emblems (black accent package)

Mustang Premium aluminum accelerator, clutch, brake pedals

Ambient lighting – door sill scuff plates, cup holders, footwell lights + Premium door panel with leather trim inserts, bright finish speaker surrounds, ambient light in door handles

Premier trim with color accent group: premium wrapped center console with leather wrapped knee bolsters with color accent stitching, shift boot with accent stitching, and stitched center console lid (with light inside – this was only on the premium trims)

Mustang GT premium angled brush aluminum instrument panel trim

Polished aluminum bright finish power seat switches (discontinued after 2019, I believe)

Front floor mats with pony logo

Other Mods Done:

Katzskin two-tone (white/black) leather seats

GT Performance Pack style gloss black 18x18.5 rims

Mustang GT350 style 2017/2018 “track pack” rear wing

MBRP Armor BLK Axle-Back exhaust w/ 4 ½’’ black tips

3M gloss black vinyl wrapped roof

3M limo window tint all around

Air Design gloss black hood scoops – functional

Mustang GT350 style leather wrapped flat steering wheel with red stitching

K&N 57 Series cold air intake

K&N cabin air filter

SR Performance black strut tower brace

Euro style LED taillights, black housing, clear lens

S550 Euros LED mirror turn signals, clear lens

Diode Dynamics LED interior lights – map lights, vanity lights

Diode Dynamics LED reverse light

Raxiom LED license plate light

Form Lighting LED rear reflectors, red – functional

Raxiom Axial Series LED side marker lights, clear lens

UPR matte black 2.3T fender emblems

SpeedForm Modern Billet black shift knob

Drake Muscle matte black fuel door

SEC10 matte black hood stripes

SEC10 matte black hash marks

Matte black “Mustang” rocker stripes

SpeedForm Modern billet under hood dress up – oil cap, radiator cap, washer fluid cap, brake fluid cap

In conclusion, I’m so happy with my car as I feel it’s now exactly how I envisioned! The only things that I don’t have are a heated steering wheel or memory/heated/cooled leather seats, but I don’t care! I’m good!

P.S. – There’s one more mod I’m considering, which is a center black hood stripe which when done, the hood will look similar to the S650 black stripes on the Dark Horse.

-AB

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[NicksGTR]

If I may ask, what is your total investment to date?

 

[ABEcoBoost]

If I may ask, what is your total investment to date?

Oh, wow, it's tough to say exactly but definitely over 10K.

 

[2021CSGTJH12]

I don’t mean to be rude (this is serious. Not trying to be rude). 10k into ecoboost. Why? Just go get GT. I see you have a manual transmission which many don’t event consider. So after dumping 10k into a 4 banger (reality) with a turbo. Why!? I like your car. But common bro!

 

[laotiz]

If I may ask, what is your total investment to date?

If I may ask, what is your total investment to date?

Where did you get this sweet lift for the whole side? i put bmr jacking rails on so this would totally work without causing pinch weld damage.

 

[wingnutt]

Oh dang, TLDR once I saw 6th Mustang…you sir, have the patience of a nun

 

[MD18EcoStang]

I don’t mean to be rude (this is serious. Not trying to be rude). 10k into ecoboost. Why? Just go get GT. I see you have a manual transmission which many don’t event consider. So after dumping 10k into a 4 banger (reality) with a turbo. Why!? I like your car. But common bro!

Some people actually want a 4-cylinder turbo vs a V8. If you don't get it, you don't get it.

 

[Adam the Lighting Guy]

Some people actually want a 4-cylinder turbo vs a V8. If you don't get it, you don't get it.

I drive both and both have their merits.

 

[GJarrett]

I don’t mean to be rude (this is serious. Not trying to be rude). 10k into ecoboost. Why? Just go get GT. I see you have a manual transmission which many don’t event consider. So after dumping 10k into a 4 banger (reality) with a turbo. Why!? I like your car. But common bro!

I like to take my EcoBoost on HPDE events on road courses.. I spent money modifying it to have nearly Coyote hp but it is 200lbs lighter in the front end. On a road course, I love how it handles compared to a front-heavy GT. Plus it still gets over 30 mpg on the highway when I don't kick the turbo in. I do wish it had the V8 sound, but there are many reasons to choose an Ecoboost.

 

[2021CSGTJH12]

Some people actually want a 4-cylinder turbo vs a V8. If you don't get it, you don't get it.

. I see. I had a WRX I get it.

 

[ShadesOfBloo]

I don’t mean to be rude (this is serious. Not trying to be rude). 10k into ecoboost. Why? Just go get GT. I see you have a manual transmission which many don’t event consider. So after dumping 10k into a 4 banger (reality) with a turbo. Why? I like your car. But...

Reasons could include better gas mileage, lower insurance rates,
and some people talk like that 1% difference in weight distribution makes a night-and-day difference in handling. Or at least how the car feels.

I considered the EcoBoost until I watched a few too many videos comparing exhaust sounds.
I've heard 4-cylinder engines that sounded good to me, and Ford didn't build any of them.
One of my best friends had a Neon SRT-4 that sounded pretty bad-ass.
Someone in my local sportscar club has a Golf (of all things) that sounds meaner than most of the Corvettes.
I've also spent a lot of time around Hondas and Miatas that sound like angry kazoos.

...So I did a lot of listening before I decided I had to have the V8.

 

[sdskinner73]

Reasons could include better gas mileage, lower insurance rates,
and some people talk like that 1% difference in weight distribution makes a night-and-day difference in handling. Or at least how the car feels.

My GT is cheaper on insurance than my ecoboost was. 2 years newer and literally 2-3x the value. A lot of insurance companies don’t actually care what engine it has. I found this out when one quoted me $290 a month for a 2014 v6.

 

[ABEcoBoost]

I don’t mean to be rude (this is serious. Not trying to be rude). 10k into ecoboost. Why? Just go get GT. I see you have a manual transmission which many don’t event consider. So after dumping 10k into a 4 banger (reality) with a turbo. Why!? I like your car. But common bro!

It's a somewhat complicated answer but the short if it is I was in a shitty lease that I wanted to get out of (and I wanted a car that I loved again and made my happy like my other Mustangs) and I had to buy that car and then trade it in but I ended up being upside down after I sold the car to the dealer where I got my Mustang, which added to my overall loan, plus I couldn't/can't afford a monthly payment for even a base GT even if I wanted to (which I don't want a base GT). Furthermore, I knew I wanted a Mustang again and I've had GTs in the past, but I wanted better fuel economy. That's all to say that I'm so happy with the EB because it has enough power (I'm actually impressed driving it on the highway in Sport+ mode, and I don't track it, so it's more of a daily driver than anything else) for me.

 

[High Velocity]

My opinion for what it's worth is this. The only reason I dislike the v6 and EcoBoost models is because there are already so many Mustang's on the road as is.

I feel like the car would be way more rare if those models did not exist. I mean for every 10 Mustang's I see on the road, maybe 2 of them are v8's. Other than that though, I think the EcoBoost can be a really cool little car.

Especially in places like Europe where gas is like $8.00 a gallon. But then again that is just my opinion and at the end of the day, my opinion doesn't matter. If your happy with the car that is all that matters.

Keep building your car if it makes you happy man because even if you had of bought a GT, people would just say why didn't you buy a Roush or a Mach or a Shelby. It's never ending with social media.

 

[NicksGTR]

Where did you get this sweet lift for the whole side? i put bmr jacking rails on so this would totally work without causing pinch weld damage.

They're just Quick Jacks by Ranger BenPak.

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