Best bang for your buck

[mikeyt0207]

So currently have a 22 mustang gt. Tuned on 93, CAI, h pipe, borla s type. Really wanting headers but it’s really pricey for a good set. Should I eat it and spend the money for the extra hp or switch from 3:15 to 3:55 gears. I’ve heard it’s night and day difference driving. Any opinions welcome.

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[OldbutNew]

Gears. PP1 manuals come with 3.73.

 

[Ole Texan]

Get 3.73, no hp gain but will increase mechanical advantage of torque.
Headers increase HP very little on 5.0s for a lot of money. Search threads for dyno results with headers.

 

[RNM]

Suspension offers great bang for the buck. Made the car so much more fun to drive.

 

[TonyT930]

So currently have a 22 mustang gt. Tuned on 93, CAI, h pipe, borla s type. Really wanting headers but it’s really pricey for a good set. Should I eat it and spend the money for the extra hp or switch from 3:15 to 3:55 gears. I’ve heard it’s night and day difference driving. Any opinions welcome.

Switch gears. They will get you more than header ever can

 

[wingnutt]

Best bang for the buck?

GT500 or maybe a C8 Z06…

…oh dang, my bad, carry on

 

[MAGS1]

What are you look to get out of your car? Some suspension mods and gears will transform the way the car drives. If you want a power boost, centri blower is a really good bang for the buck IMO. And they sound really frickin cool

 

[Paris MkVI]

I'd go for at least 3.55 rear gears in a heartbeat (3.73's if you're OK with kissing your mpg's goodbye).
I had 3.55's stock in the '06 GT, and they really made a difference with the 3-valve 4,6L power plant.

 

[2015 Silver GT]

Gears will make very little difference and will also be very expensive. Headers are also very expensive with little gains vs cost. I would work on suspension first.

 

[Johnny maverick]

I was always told to make your car stop and steer before making it fast. Build your suspension and brakes then just bite the bullet for a blower of choice. The gear won't matter after that. It would be good for those long pulls. Just one man's opinion. have fun doing the mods.

 

[NGOT8R]

Headers will make the car sound really good and make some hp gains, but if no headers, consider an E85 tune for now and rework your suspension.

 

[NightmareMoon]

3.73 are going to give you 18% more torque in 2nd gear but 2nd will be done at redline at 60mph. 3.55s are ~13% more torque in the same gear. Its like adding 75 horsepower, but you gotta shift sooner.

So they're pretty great for street driving, 6th will still be your highway cruise gear.

For an automatic, I'm not sure if its worth it, as the transmission is going to try to keep you at the optimal RPM all the time anyway. For a manual, certainly yes I'd do it.

Headers will get you like 30hp, and then getting past emissions tests and not getting a dash light from the ODBII system will be a pain, and the car is significantly louder too.

If you want to pay header money, might as well go for a centrifugal blower for nearly the same cost, but you'll get a couple hundred or more horsepower instead of like 30.

 

[Bob Lob Law]

If you want to pay header money, might as well go for a centrifugal blower for nearly the same cost, but you'll get a couple hundred or more horsepower instead of like 30.

What kind of headers are you talking about that are anywhere near supercharger money? I have $7k in my supercharger set up and that is going with a refurb kit. My headers where $1550 to my door for KOOKs. That is without any labor for install, just parts.

 

[NightmareMoon]

What kind of headers are you talking about that are anywhere near supercharger money? I have $7k in my supercharger set up and that is going with a refurb kit. My headers where $1550 to my door for KOOKs. That is without any labor for install, just parts.

Well ya not nearly the same, sure.

My point is the power per dollar isn't very good for headers, compared to just biting a bullet doing a blower.

 

[deanm11]

3.73 are going to give you 18% more torque in 2nd gear but 2nd will be done at redline at 60mph. 3.55s are ~13% more torque in the same gear. Its like adding 75 horsepower, but you gotta shift sooner.

For an automatic, I'm not sure if its worth it, as the transmission is going to try to keep you at the optimal RPM all the time anyway. For a manual, certainly yes I'd do it.

You made a superb point about the gearing and the percentage advantages. Torque multiplication is like magic. You just need enough rpm range and gears to not run out of room...
Sometimes people thing rear gears are about keeping you in the powerband.. that can be part of it but the torque multiplication is a major deal. We have enough rpm and gears to allow lots of gearing.

But then I lost you with that next statement. If you keep your foot in it enough, the computer should not just try to drop RPMs on you. And again, as you point out, even if it did, at any specific rpm in any gear, there will be more power to the wheels with the higher numerical gear.

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