is it worth it to mod or improve a 1998 mustang gt 4.6L automatic ? if so what ?

[steam29]

i just received this mustang as my first car it was Christmas gift.

i was wondering if it is worth modding or upgrading it because its an automatic or would everything be purely cosmetic if i were to upgrade it?

what i was trying to get out of it was better handling(most important) and just make the engine look generally cleaner because the car on the outside looks cherry but on the inside the engine seems to be pretty dirty.

i was also looking to change the head lights and i need to change the rotors and brake pads also as well as the seats (i want the interior to look nice)

im pretty new to the car world and would just like some suggestions i guess, the car has 130k miles but supposedly has a new transmission (that is what i was told) and i have "drove" and ridden in the car and haven't had any problems with it. grandpas a master mechanic his sons a mechanic and his two brothers are ford mechanics so i dont think i will have trouble with instating anything :laugh: thanks for your time.

CAR: http://imgur.com/a/v2em8

 

[punched281]

Definitely worth doing what you want to it, its YOUR car! Suspension will make a world of difference. Just research whay people do and look up some parts for it. A handheld will help with the performance in an auto as well.

Just keep reading what people do and compare it to what you like. But warning! Once you start you can't stop, and it can get expensive!

Mine started as a stock v6 and now its ended up as a built v8 ready for boost haha.

People are awesome here and are very helpful, and of course welcome!!

 

[clflorida]

Look through some of the build threads in this forum. Theyre great for ideas and kool to look at! If youre gonna start modding yours a lot I would suggest you make one too!

 

[steam29]

Definitely worth doing what you want to it, its YOUR car! Suspension will make a world of difference. Just research whay people do and look up some parts for it. A handheld will help with the performance in an auto as well.

Just keep reading what people do and compare it to what you like. But warning! Once you start you can't stop, and it can get expensive!

Mine started as a stock v6 and now its ended up as a built v8 ready for boost haha.

People are awesome here and are very helpful, and of course welcome!!

Thanks!! and whats a handheld? and i would like to do what i want but i read here its better to have a goal than to just buy a bunch of parts and have some parts cancel out other parts and waste money ;/
and yea haha i barely got the car and im already looking into a bunch of stuff that i could upgrade and change haha

and i hope so i always have bad experiences with fourms.. usually everyone picks on the noob or bashes the shit out of them for posting something in wrong are on accident

 

[steam29]

whats a build thread? is it like you post what you start with and then just keep adding as you change it?

 

[clflorida]

Ill start with some bad news.

You posted in the engine/drivetrain thread. Which was the wrong place. Well I think it might be wrong not too sure. Maybe try the member's section. Lounge I think.

Thats pretty much it.

Go to members>and I think Builds. And thats where most of the build threads are.

 

[steam29]

Ill start with some bad news.

You posted in the engine/drivetrain thread. Which was the wrong place. Well I think it might be wrong not too sure. Maybe try the member's section. Lounge I think.

Thats pretty much it.

Go to members>and I think Builds. And thats where most of the build threads are.

ohhh.... well shit, should i just copy and paste over there ?

 

[clflorida]

No a mod will move it if its wrong.

I think this section is mainly for tech and you kind of asked a random/opinion question. But Im not sure exactly.

Dont worry about it tho its fine.

 

[steam29]

ah ok then ill sit and wait and its because i don't know where to start to be perfectly honest, im looking through the builds and most of these guys are taking there whole car apart this is my only car so i dont think i could do that XD and i think theres are manual i think :

 

[blackdemon007]

If you are looking for handling as stated above, aftermarket suspension parts are well worth the prices and are pretty simple to install - just time consuming.

Springs and shocks/struts will go a long way, just be careful on how low you go with the springs, make sure they are friendly to the streets around where you live.

Handheld is a programmable tuner for the cars computer - http://www.americanmuscle.com/94-98-mustang-chips-tuners.html

Welcome to the site.

 

[Burninriverdiver]

Welcome, from the pics it looks like a great car! The nice thing about these vehicles is the availability in parts. You can get interior parts for a good price on here and craigslist usually. Good luck and feel free to ask questions

 

[punched281]

Just keep browsing around and read the rules for each section, you'll be fine.

A handheld tuner, like the SCT xcal. Its a good little unit.

 

[DropTopPony]

basic mods to get the most out of your car,

subframe connectors
PI swap (read stickies at top of this section)
JMOD (shift kit) google it, great for 4R70W auto trans.

Suspension and brakes.

With the right used parts you could build a nice setup for relatively cheap.

 

[steam29]

basic mods to get the most out of your car,

subframe connectors
PI swap (read stickies at top of this section)
JMOD (shift kit) google it, great for 4R70W auto trans.

Suspension and brakes.

With the right used parts you could build a nice setup for relatively cheap.

so so far i got this on my to do list
-Springs
-shocks
-struts
-PI swap
-sub frame connectors
-jmod (shift kit)
-brakes

few questions though
1. will the jmod worth with an automatic ? and is that the name ? jmod
2.most of these are handling fixes right ?
3.would any tuner work or does it have to be a brand name tuner specifically for 1998 mustang gts?
4.would you change anything else with the motor ? to maybe make it last longer or a little faster ? im not a real speed demon but i love it when an engine is looking clean !

THANKS

 

[steam29]

Welcome, from the pics it looks like a great car! The nice thing about these vehicles is the availability in parts. You can get interior parts for a good price on here and craigslist usually. Good luck and feel free to ask questions

THANKS ! and could you recommend and interior parts like seats and or dashes or door frames pretty much anything that would match the exterior ? i like getting reviews from people rather than buying random parts and not liking them in the end

 

[Burninriverdiver]

THANKS ! and could you recommend and interior parts like seats and or dashes or door frames pretty much anything that would match the exterior ? i like getting reviews from people rather than buying random parts and not liking them in the end

I have the Black and Tan interior and didn't like it at all, when I threw out my dirty tan carpet and replaced it with black it really changed the look of the interior. I would start with black carpet and go from there

Example:

Before


After


not bad for $40 off craigslist

 

[96blak54]

I could tolerate the tan interior with the black carpet, that actually looks good.

 

[JerZeyStangz]

I have the Black and Tan interior and didn't like it at all, when I threw out my dirty tan carpet and replaced it with black it really changed the look of the interior. I would start with black carpet and go from there

Example:

Before


After


not bad for $40 off craigslist

I love that black carpet, giving me ideas for my interior since I have saddle too! And its the good saddle with two tone not like 97/98's all peanut butter.

 

[DropTopPony]

I actually like the two toned interior especially when you do the black carpet. I did black inserts on my seats and two toned leather shift and ebrake boots to tie it in more.

 

[steam29]

that looks amazing i wanna do black carpet now