"first mods" for my 1998 3.8 auto?

[CruizinKev]

hi folks,

I'm kinda noob and want to know which mods for my 3.8 auto. its pretty stock, just a MAC catback.. headers are not and option because I'm in Germany - its too loud and stuff...

so, next mod are 3.73 gears.. but what else I could get for lower $$? Ported/polished upper intake? underdrive pulleys? or what else?

....I dont want a race-car or anything, but what else you can suggest?

thanks,

-Kev

 

[v6mustang94]

How much can you spend?

I think an X-Cal2 is one the best mods... especially for an auto. The shifts feel so much better. About $400 USD though, but well worth it.

 

[engineman312]

with an exhaust, a cold air intake and a throttle body might give it a little more pep. maybe combined total of about 430 or so. check out americamuscle.com. ones of the best websites i've ever bought parts from. honestly, when i need something, i always check there first, before i look anywhere else... also, free shipping, on EVERYTHING. even rims. this may come in handy for you Mr. I-live-in-germany-and-have-a-mustang.

 

[v6mustang94]

Those mods won't do much. A TB won't do anything without porting your heads and intakes. The stock TB is large enough to feed the stock intakes about as much as they can take. Exhaust, which he already has, will get him around 5hp but cause the low end to feel sluggish. A CAI will net him little to nothing. Probably 1-3hp. All great bolt ons but they work at their best when in conjunction with other modifications.

 

[CruizinKev]

I heard about that j-mod valve body (/mod), this is one of next things plus a B&M tranny oil cooler..

..and last weekend we installed my MAC catback (true duals) and B&M hammer shifter :banana:

 

[justinschmidt1]

wow...bolt ons on an auto single port 3.8


save up and buy an m90....youll go from like 17 second to 14 second 1/4

 

[CruizinKev]

I really think about that split port swap now.. found this guy/shop on an another forum sellin swap-kits: http://crtperformance.webs.com/splitportswaps.htm

also found some shops they offers ported & polished lower and upper single port intakes - suggested with 56mm throttle body..

now whats the better thing? split port swap or polished/ported single with 56mm throttle?

...and still have this in mind - the split port fits under the stock 98 hood? cus I know the windstar intake won't fit under stock 98 hoods....

 

[Tbuck07]

Not a bad looking setup idea..its gonna be a sleeper! :banana:

 

[justinschmidt1]

split port will make you = to 99-04 v6s with 190 hp instead of 150.

The other shit you said will probably give you 10 hp if that.

Why dont you save your money, sell that thing, and buy a 94-98 GT atleast?

your gonna have to spent like 10k to get that thing into the 13s.

 

[CruizinKev]

when I stay single-port - what can I do without supercharger or turbo?

I searched a bit on here about ported and polished intakes (upper and lower).. what do you think?

 

[quik67mustang]

when I stay single-port - what can I do without supercharger or turbo?

I searched a bit on here about ported and polished intakes (upper and lower).. what do you think?

too much money spent to still be slow, that wont do anything unless you have a gnarly cam :nonono:

 

[Nater]

Guys, him selling it and getting a GT is also not an option...The tax he would have to pay for it would be more than what the car is worth. I helped him install that hammer shifter (originally out of mine before I went manual) and his exhaust.

 

[Mustang68]

id vote for a shift kit to firm up that shift, oil cooler and a tune... if you want to do gears id go with 4:10's.. theyll perform a little better with that auto than the 3.73's..

 

[Nater]

I would honestly stay go with the 3.73s as speeds over here are just a tad bit faster than in the states.

 

[Tiffany97]

One of the most favorite things I have done to my auto so far was a J-mod shift kit. It firms the shifts up more than a tuner will and it makes you shifts very fast. Since ive installed it I chirp gears now in the v6 auto. So id say that was a pretty impressive and cheap mod.

 

[CruizinKev]

yeah I really wanna get me some 3.73s ..yesterday I just bought a J-modded separator plate from VAP! :thumb: also a UDP set is already on the way to me, cant wait to get the stuff in :dancing6: yeah a tune would be cool especially when I get my new rims and later the 3.73 - so I can adjust all stuff and the speedometer... but dang the X-cal is kinda expensive.... :wall:

 

[quik67mustang]

yeah I really wanna get me some 3.73s ..yesterday I just bought a J-modded separator plate from VAP! :thumb: also a UDP set is already on the way to me, cant wait to get the stuff in :dancing6: yeah a tune would be cool especially when I get my new rims and later the 3.73 - so I can adjust all stuff and the speedometer... but dang the X-cal is kinda expensive.... :wall:

you cant adjust your speedometer to accomadate new gears with an xcal since you have a pre99, your speedometer isnt computer controlled, you need a dallas mustangs Speedcal to do that :thumb:

 

[Tiffany97]

Yup quick67mustang is right. I had to get a speedo gear. They dont cost much and they are really easy to install. The speedo gear only took 2 min to put in. A tuner will still be a nice upgrade though. :thumb:

 

[quik67mustang]

Yup quick67mustang is right. I had to get a speedo gear. They dont cost much and they are really easy to install. The speedo gear only took 2 min to put in. A tuner will still be a nice upgrade though. :thumb:

word :thumb: and make sure you get your tuner from justin at vmp, his mail order tunes are the best

 

[blackmustang98_]

There was a local guy in NC selling a m90 with everthing you need to put it on a v6. it came off his v6. he wanted 450 for it but i already had the money spent on a 5.0 engine...so i didnt take it.
Let me see if he still has it around.