Performance pack or Not? Help me decide!

[Scstang04]

So I’m planning to buy a 2018-19 mustang GT, 10 speed automatic with the intent of twin turbo’ing it as a weekend highway fun car. I know I want leather seats, and I would like to have the performance pack as well... problem is, I can’t seem to find a GT with Automatic trans, leather seats And PP within hundreds of miles of my house. Not to mention a color I would like...

So here are some of my thoughts:

1: buy one with PP but cloth seats and possibly try to find leather seats to put in it later, Or...

2: buy one with leather seats and no performance pack.

The real question is: do I need the performance pack options for a highway car? I could always buy brembo brakes for about 1500 aftermarket and install myself. Other than brakes, what am I really getting in PP that would benefit me? I’ll be replacing wheels no matter what, so keep that in mind.

All thoughts and advice will be appreciated!!

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[Hi-PO Stang]

Cloth seats will be cooler under the Carolina Sun.

 

[gregsdart]

Your choice of tires and rims might not fit with brembo front brakes. But that can be fixed.So check on the combo you want to run. You may not like a miss matched interior either. Running twin turbos i would definately want the pp1 or 2 for the gauge cluster because it comes with gauges you need like cylinder head temp and vacuum/boost. Oil temp also. The rear differential housing is beefier withe a pp1 or2 .The torsen differential acts like a spool under load, and these two items only come with pp equiped cars. The rear half shafts are said to be stronger. So IMHO pick your favorite three colors, and hunt for the car you want. It is no big deal to buy a car out of state. After finding what you want and thoroughly checking its condition by video and records, take time off, get on a plane if you have to and go get it. I have flown from Minneapolis to Vegas to buy a car, and from Palm Springs CA to Georgia to buy a motorhome and drove them home.

 

[cosmic charlie]

So I’m planning to buy a 2018-19 mustang GT, 10 speed automatic with the intent of twin turbo’ing it as a weekend highway fun car. I know I want leather seats, and I would like to have the performance pack as well... problem is, I can’t seem to find a GT with Automatic trans, leather seats And PP within hundreds of miles of my house. Not to mention a color I would like...

So here are some of my thoughts:

1: buy one with PP but cloth seats and possibly try to find leather seats to put in it later, Or...

2: buy one with leather seats and no performance pack.

The real question is: do I need the performance pack options for a highway car? I could always buy brembo brakes for about 1500 aftermarket and install myself. Other than brakes, what am I really getting in PP that would benefit me? I’ll be replacing wheels no matter what, so keep that in mind.

All thoughts and advice will be appreciated!!

Agree on the PP1. The last thing I would worry about are the seats. You can always do the seats in Katzkin leather which is nicer than the leather Ford uses.

 

[Hack]

You absolutely don't need PP for a street car, twin turbo or not. If it were me I would buy a used car a few years old since the warranty isn't going to be there after you add the turbos. Save the money for sticky tires and drive train upgrades such as stronger half axles.

 

[BmacIL]

The torsen differential acts like a spool under load

False. In cornering it biases torque across axle and puts approx 75% of the available torque to the wheel with more grip. If grip is exactly equal between both (like straight line), it will do the same as an open diff and put 50% to each. Also, the housing is the same iron one for all manual transmission cars. PP doesn't make it stronger.

OP, Unless you only like drag racing, highway pulls, the pp is worth it.

 

[gregsdart]

My pp1 in a low apeed turn acts too much like a spool under load in a low speed turn. And i am not talking about end switching power. That tells me it is much more effective (and long lasting by design) than the standard diff, and Ford wouldn't have put it in the option pack if it wasn't. It is also nice to have the optional modes IMHO to keep the rpm up in spirited driving. True, it won't cost more for firmer shift and rpm programing since you will do that with a tuner for the turbo, but you will have only two options instead of four? So pick your poison carefully. I never thought i would appreciate the pp1, and bought my 19 with it because the discount i got on it was enough to make it worth it versus other deals locally. But i will not be without it now! Also on a used car check the values of a used car with and without. It might make a used pp1 car a better choice since it won't be the full $4000 difference.

 

[MaskedRacerX]

When I was shopping there were plenty of cars, are you looking at used cars? Or just new, leftover cars? Surprised you can't find something, I look at CarGurus, Cars.com, etc., and see a ton of cars I could drive to within 3-4 hours.

FWIW, wheels are no sweat, there are hundreds of options designed for Mustangs (including cars with front Brembos).

You get quite a few improvements with the Perf Package, and like you said, the wheels/tires aren't a factor - I won't post an itemized list, but in short better handling (shocks/springs/tuning), better braking, improved cooling, TORSEN rear (3.55 on an A10). Can that be done in the aftermarket? Sure, and if you're already talking about doing a massive aftermarket modification like TTs, I'd assume that's not an issue.

The other huge perk (which isn't something that's easily handled aftermarket) is a PP car has the option for Magneride suspension, and it's pretty fantastic, both from a pure performance standpoint, and for casual cruising (It's even beneficial for things like a draq mode start). Of course, now with PP + MR, you're looking at a $6K set of options.

FYI, you can get the 3.55 rear end, it's not a TORSEN, but is it an LSD, as a stand-alone option, cheap, it's like $500 I think. However, I have zero perspective on whether you even want that vs. the standard 3.15 if you're talking about an 800HP car ...

If you want leather, you're talking a Premium model, and with a Premium, at that point, I'd also want the 401a for the really kickass 12" LCD dash, plus all the other perks.

Personally, I've always been a little flexible on color, you know, like the general color family, i.e., Black/Magnetic/Silver.

 

[13razorbackfan]

You absolutely don't need PP for a street car, twin turbo or not. If it were me I would buy a used car a few years old since the warranty isn't going to be there after you add the turbos. Save the money for sticky tires and drive train upgrades such as stronger half axles.

Yeah that's my thought as well but it depends on how "fast and crazy" he wants to get I suppose. I've driven plenty of fast cars in my day and the 19GT Premium 401a A10 has all the creature comforts and for the street is WAY more than enough. If roughly 425whp isn't enough for the street then idk. Mine is plenty fast and handles really well plus stops on a dime

 

[Cdnspeed]

I always Advocate for the Performance pack cars. Yeah you will probably replace the suspension if you're modding, but the other parts, Larger Radiator, Spherical bearings, Torsen, Dash gauges, Brakes are much cheaper when you buy it in the PP1 package.

 

[Hack]

I always Advocate for the Performance pack cars. Yeah you will probably replace the suspension if you're modding, but the other parts, Larger Radiator, Spherical bearings, Torsen, Dash gauges, Brakes are much cheaper when you buy it in the PP1 package.

It just seems like wasted money to me. Not as much of a waste as a twin turbo kit, but you don't need all that stuff on the street. Now if he was planning to go to HPDE events - then a GT350 would be a better choice because he will need cooling. But for the street it's not needed. Unless he "lives in Mexico" and is planning to drive around at 190 mph everywhere, the car will stay nice and cool.

 

[gregsdart]

Lots of info and opinions hear, all good for those that responded. So after enough info comes in, you can make your list of what is important to you. Maybe a call to a couple of turbo companys that work with mustangs a lot, as well as tuners that do what you want to do will bring in more info Good luck and report back!

 

[Vstang2]

I went with the non-PP on purpose. While I do miss a few things I would have gotten with the PP like torsen , larger radiator , and the PP spoiler I would have replaced most everything else. I didn't like the PP wheels , the suspension was all replaced on mine with Steeda , the PP gauges didn't match the digital dash or work with my color. It was more important to me to get the creature comforts with the 401A package and add on the performance I wanted. Ive replaced my suspension , wheels and tires , intake mods , full cat back and am looking for a new spoiler now. I've no intention to drop 7K+ on FI as this car is already a rocket , if anything I'll pick up a Ford performance power pack or aftermarket tune down the road to add a little more zip.

 

[Brandon_SVT]

check auto tempest and try to find what your looking for. that is how i found mine, flew from Texas to Georgia and drove the car back home. mine is a 18 Premium performance pack 1 GT. 1 owner, 700 mile dealer trade in. i payed 30k for my car( 32k after tax and title).

 

[Brandon_SVT]

I went with the non-PP on purpose. While I do miss a few things I would have gotten with the PP like torsen , larger radiator , and the PP spoiler I would have replaced most everything else. I didn't like the PP wheels , the suspension was all replaced on mine with Steeda , the PP gauges didn't match the digital dash or work with my color. It was more important to me to get the creature comforts with the 401A package and add on the performance I wanted. Ive replaced my suspension , wheels and tires , intake mods , full cat back and am looking for a new spoiler now. I've no intention to drop 7K+ on FI as this car is already a rocket , if anything I'll pick up a Ford performance power pack or aftermarket tune down the road to add a little more zip.

My gauges change with my color( i assume your talking about the two gauges above the radio on PP cars)? is it different on the 19s?

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