Upgrade Non PP?

[BGM]

I just did pretty much that. I added BMR springs, sways, vert links, toe rods, cradle lockout, Koni yellow shocks/struts and FR strut tower/cowl brace. And also Gibson exhaust. This is on a base GT auto that I bought new. I wanted the PP but did not want a manual for own reasons. I drive it everyday but I was somewhat let down by some of the characteristics of the car, such as:

Body float, body roll, wheel hop, unpredictable handling accelerating hard through sharp corners. It tends to bounce around sometimes. The car corners well, but the deflection all over the place, particularly from the rear of the car, holds it back.

Now with these mods, the car feels completely different. The handling is crisp, and the car feels really planted and super connected now. A lot more confidence inspiring. Body roll in corners and over bumps is gone. There's no bounce after hitting a bump either. Even with my lame Pirelli 18" tires, it hooks. New tires will be needed to get the most out of it but it is, just great.. And wheel hop is pretty much gone too. And I can feel with the sway bars, it's just asking you to take it faster.

If you're think it's worth it to you- I absolutely say do it. I didn't install the parts so I had a Mustang shop do it and glad I did. Even just after two days it's a different car. Immediately I could feel a difference and each drive has been a blast! Can't wait to learn it more and drive it.

This car is not your average muscle car anymore it means business. I did this because I'm going to keep this car many years. I love what Ford did with this Mustang. It's an unbelievable car for 30 grand. With some improvements it's a beast. I love the car and now I've made it even better. For me I will get more enjoyment out of it and so therefore it is worth it.


Btw, I also came from a 2013 V6! This was my first Mustang, this is my 2nd and probably won't be my last.

My car history is a '90 Geo Prizm -> '04 Impala -> '13 Mustang. Trying to continue the trend of going up ~100 HP! With the last two, "I thought, wow, who needs anymore power than this?"

On my GT test drive I just referenced above, I didn't really focus on the handling, as a.) seemed better than what I have and b.) I was so thrilled with the engine.

But how much did your setup cost roughly, if I may ask? Total noob with regards to the aftermarket so relatively clueless.

Sponsored

 

[mustang1]

I wouldn't get too hung on mods. Get a base GT, in your transmission of choice. Drive it around for 5 years, run out the warranty, and then bolt on a supercharger.

 

[dentalguy]

I had a 14 GT track pack, traded it for a 15 auto. If you are getting a manual do not skip the power pack, but if you are getting an auto at least get 3.55 gears.

 

[SpeedLu]

I had a 14 GT track pack, traded it for a 15 auto. If you are getting a manual do not skip the power pack, but if you are getting an auto at least get 3.55 gears.

I think you mean Performance Pack, not power pack. And you don't need 3.55 gears, they're not faster than 3.15. This has been proven.

 

[hiccup]

Op, try to give both GTs a test drive..non pp vs. pp..

 

[ForTehNguyen]

3.73 gearing in the PP results in more frequent shifting and small reduction in mpg

 

[Bluemustang]

My car history is a '90 Geo Prizm -> '04 Impala -> '13 Mustang. Trying to continue the trend of going up ~100 HP! With the last two, "I thought, wow, who needs anymore power than this?"

On my GT test drive I just referenced above, I didn't really focus on the handling, as a.) seemed better than what I have and b.) I was so thrilled with the engine.

But how much did your setup cost roughly, if I may ask? Total noob with regards to the aftermarket so relatively clueless.

I was pretty much a noob before I joined this forum. Now I am slightly less of a noob lol. With everything that i did, FR Strut Tower, all of the BMR stuff, AND the Gibson catback with labor, it was about $4,500 all told. This is with a quality Mustang shop in Baltimore. For all of that stuff, I feel that the price was fair and worth what I paid. It's a lot of money and I've never done this type of thing before but so glad I did.

Now I've got super handling and a sound that is necessary for a V8. Don't get me wrong, the stock exhaust sounds fine. But it is just way too tame for this car. Now it's like a V8 symphony. And the stock car handles well, but I like some others wanted to improve upon it and I accomplished that.

Now I think my setup is most likely better than the PP would have been and I have it the way I want it. Of course I've never driven the PP so I don't know for sure. But it seems like the aftermarket parts are far superior to what would've come on the PP stock.

 

[Bluemustang]

But you don't have to do all that stuff. You can start with catback, then maybe springs and sways and then go up from there incrementally. I decided to do it all at once because I felt that if I didn't, I would talk myself out of it and never end up doing it. So I bit the bullet but I'm stoked now.

Considering the BMR stuff was like $2 grand by itself, I feel I did good. Originally I was gonna with ford racing track handling pack only, but I think this setup is better. The cradle lockout kit and the strut tower brace really tied things together. The new shocks/struts though, big difference.

 

[wireeater]

Even thought I typically mod parts off my car, I went with PP because I plan to keep it stock for awhile as I just jumped out of a heavily modified WRX and was tired of dealing the the issues and paranoia of aftermarket parts so PP made sense to me. It gives me the ability to have a car that feels a bit better handling over non PP with some other decent upgrades. I also paid under 3500k on the MRSP which made it seem worth it to me. Will I eventually lower it, probably so there goes the need for the PP springs. Aside from that I don't see myself changing anything else for quite some time. So I guess in the end it will just really depend on how aggressively you mod your cars. The PP includes a lot more stuff other than springs and wheels which is usually what people seem to bring up the most.

-Performance Package
• Strut-tower Brace
• Larger Radiator
• Unique Chassis Tuning
• Upsized Rear Sway Bar
• Heavy-Duty Front Springs
• K-Brace
• Brembo™ 6-Piston Front Brake Calipers with Larger Rotors
• 19 X 9-inch (F) 19” X9.5” (R)Ebony Black-Painted Aluminum Wheels (Summer Tires Only)
• Unique Stability Control, EPAS & ABS Tuning
• 3.73 TORSEN® Rear Axle
• Gauge Pack (Oil Pressure and Vacuum)
• Spoiler Delete

I was asked why I didn't go NON PP but premium which makes a little more sense because a lot of the premium features you get can not be added, or near OEM later. However, I thought I wanted all the limited gadgets and features on my last purchase and in the end realize I could really live without them and definitely for a 4-5k increase in price. Plus being that this car is already a little heavy I wanted to try and have the lightest curb weight as possible.

 

[tritus]

I just did pretty much that. I added BMR springs, sways, vert links, toe rods, cradle lockout, Koni yellow shocks/struts and FR strut tower/cowl brace. And also Gibson exhaust. This is on a base GT auto that I bought new. I wanted the PP but did not want a manual for own reasons. I drive it everyday but I was somewhat let down by some of the characteristics of the car, such as:

Body float, body roll, wheel hop, unpredictable handling accelerating hard through sharp corners. It tends to bounce around sometimes. The car corners well, but the deflection all over the place, particularly from the rear of the car, holds it back.

Now with these mods, the car feels completely different. The handling is crisp, and the car feels really planted and super connected now. A lot more confidence inspiring. Body roll in corners and over bumps is gone. There's no bounce after hitting a bump either. Even with my lame Pirelli 18" tires, it hooks. New tires will be needed to get the most out of it but it is, just great.. And wheel hop is pretty much gone too. And I can feel with the sway bars, it's just asking you to take it faster.

If you're think it's worth it to you- I absolutely say do it. I didn't install the parts so I had a Mustang shop do it and glad I did. Even just after two days it's a different car. Immediately I could feel a difference and each drive has been a blast! Can't wait to learn it more and drive it.

This car is not your average muscle car anymore it means business. I did this because I'm going to keep this car many years. I love what Ford did with this Mustang. It's an unbelievable car for 30 grand. With some improvements it's a beast. I love the car and now I've made it even better. For me I will get more enjoyment out of it and so therefore it is worth it.


Btw, I also came from a 2013 V6! This was my first Mustang, this is my 2nd and probably won't be my last.

How much did you end up spending in total? I am considering all the upgrades that you mentioned just wanted to get an idea how much would that set me back. Thanks!

 

[BluByeU]

Bro give me your mancard.

I'm going to teach your wife how to drive stick. Afterwards you can have your mancard back and then go buy your PP GT.

Haha toooooo funny!

 

[F0J]

Depends on your budget. PP is a decent deal because it's OEM tuned. It's not "perfect" though.

Depends on application. Do you plan to push the car on a track or a strip? Casually or competitively?

I was in a similar boat. I went base GT because the PP stuff isn't ideal for track use (limited adjustability, staggered wheels, etc.) and (wife approval pending) my budget will allow for some much better parts. My biggest problem is that I think that I'll have to do all the work myself since there's no domestic mod shops anywhere close by (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada). The dealerships aren't interested either :/

 

[Bluemustang]

How much did you end up spending in total? I am considering all the upgrades that you mentioned just wanted to get an idea how much would that set me back. Thanks!

About $4,500 in total including labor for ALL that stuff. The shop really took their time to do it right and it shows. I am sure I will not regret this. This feels like a complete performance suspension now.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

The PP includes a lot more stuff other than springs and wheels which is usually what people seem to bring up the most.

-Performance Package
• Strut-tower Brace
• Larger Radiator
• Unique Chassis Tuning
• Upsized Rear Sway Bar
• Heavy-Duty Front Springs
• K-Brace
• Brembo™ 6-Piston Front Brake Calipers with Larger Rotors
• 19 X 9-inch (F) 19” X9.5” (R)Ebony Black-Painted Aluminum Wheels (Summer Tires Only)
• Unique Stability Control, EPAS & ABS Tuning
• 3.73 TORSEN® Rear Axle
• Gauge Pack (Oil Pressure and Vacuum)
• Spoiler Delete

Don't forget diff oil temp sensor to warn of high temps and also even throw a CEL if it gets so high it's toast.

Probably other things we forget or don't even know (yet).

 

[dentalguy]

I think you mean Performance Pack, not power pack. And you don't need 3.55 gears, they're not faster than 3.15. This has been proven.

Did I say gears make you faster? No? I'm pretty sure common sense would tell someone gears don't make you faster. What they do is keep the car in the power band more, which helps immensely with the automatic.

Sponsored