Pimp my ride!

October 7, 2008 4:56 AM

I want to (crazily) upgrade my Mustang....

I have a 2003 3.8 V6. She's not much on the inside, but on the outside she's a beautiful red with white stripes, and she's got a lot of sentimental value to me. Up until about 6 months ago, I was driving a '94 GMC Suburban (gifted to me 5-6 years ago by my grandparents), so my mustang is my first real "car."

I have a fantasy (which I may be able to fund, soon) to turn my current mustang into a GT or GT-equivalent. I realize this sounds crazy (I can already hear the "You can buy a new one for less!" shouts), but bear with me. My current car is gorgeous and she means a lot to me, so I don't want to just discard her (especially since she's only got about 90K on her, and I got her for about half the KBB value [don't ask]). I'm very attached to my car, and I want to upgrade her. I don't want to get a GT and then repaint it. I don't want to buy a brand new GT. I want *my* car. (One day I want to get a '69 GT 500, but that's the subject of a completely different fantasy.)

Assume that I have all the money to fund this venture (I know we're probably talking tens of thousands of dollars). How much would it cost to replace the engine with a supercharged V8, add NOS, etc, etc, etc (we're about at the limit of my current car-term expertise).

Thiis is currently just a thought experiment, but it may very well be the basis for what I really do in the coming year or two, so keep it realistic but at the same time, go wild and tell me what would really pimp my ride!

posted by omnipotentq to travel & transportation (10 comments total)

I couldn't possibly put dollar value on what you're suggesting, but I'll offer some bullshit speculation for you. Getting a low mileage 4.6 or 5.0 isn't going to be too much of an issue (wrecked Fox-body Mustangs are a dime a dozen), but going through it piece by piece and upgrading it to handle significant boost and/or NOS is going to be costly. Given that you seem to have very little mechanical experience, you'd probably be better off ordering a complete crate engine, or contacting a local engine builder to help you out there. I wouldn't expect a complete engine from a reputable builder to cost more than $7 or 8k.

What's really going to eat you up cost-wise is upgrading everything else in the car to deal with the massive spike in power. Will the stock transmission and axle be able to handle 300 additional horsepower? Will the stock brakes be able to prevent you from meeting your death at 180 miles per hour? Will you be okay with constantly shredding through tires? The list goes on, and can easily run into the tens of thousands. These are all things that you need to research before you begin your project.

Speaking of research, the fact that you're asking this question here, and not on one of the two dozen or so major Mustang forums, is sort of odd. If you're serious about going through with this, you need to start by spending the next few weeks reading everything you possibly can about the options you have. I would all but guarantee that several people have already completed projects very similar to the one you have in mind, and will have left a strong record of the costs and labors involved.

The other thing I'd suggest; fuck supercharging it. Once you've got the V-8 sourced, slap some turbos on that puppy.
posted by saladin at 5:37 AM on October 7, 2008

Just so you know NOS is a brand of nitrous.

Since you said this might be the basis of what you do realistically I'd recommend just turbo on the current engine and for you to save for your dream car. (or do nothing to this car)

Doing the conversion you're talking about is just pointless...how much will it still be your "old" car after having to gut the tranny, engine, repainting, etc...?
Also since you don't know anything about cars this is going to cost you so much in labor it will be ridiculous.
posted by zephyr_words at 6:02 AM on October 7, 2008

What you ought to do is find a good Mustang forum (there must be dozens) that is focused on upgrades/etc and lurk there for a few weeks/months. This will answer almost all of your problems.

I'm an import guy, not a Mustang guy, so I can't price things for you, but to make your car sound, handle, and most importantly, have the power of a GT, you will not only need to upgrade the engine, but a lot of other bits as well. At a minimum you should think hard about:

Engine
Duh!

Transmission.
The current transmission may not be robust enough for more power. Also, do you want stick shift? (It's way more fun and gives you street cred too!)

Powertrain
You may need to upgrade the driveshaft. You may need to upgrade the rear differential. You may need to upgrade the whole rear axle!

Exhaust
You may need larger diameter piping all the way back. You're certainly going to need new headers, so I would guess the whole thing should be replaced. Get a nice catback (do the domestic guys even call it that?) while you're at it.

Shocks/Springs
A V8 is heavier so the front will need stiffer springs. Also, a GT should have stiffer springs and probably sit a bit lower to the ground, etc, for better handling.

Brakes
I would be surprised if the GT doesn't have better brakes.

Misc
You will need a new ECU. You will need new engine mounts. You will need lots of other bits and pieces (wiring harnesses, etc)

Fun stuff!
Why do a project like this and not turbo/supercharge the motor. If you do this, you may want to upgrade the internals of the engine. This can be expensive! Only getting a lot of advice from forums/tuning shops can tell you if this is necessary, or if the V8 is robust enough with stock internals.

If you're going to do this, I would suggest you try to do as much DYI as you are comfortable. It's a great way to feel more involved in your project, to really own what you are doing. With a Haynes manual and a minimum of mechanical skill you could easily do brakes, exhaust, and, gaining more confidence, shocks/springs.

Finally, you may want to think about skipping the new engine and just turboing the hell out of your V6. There's no replacement for displacement, but if you get your V6 built and then put on 1 (or 2!) nice big turbos, you can get a lot of bang for your buck!
posted by no1hatchling at 6:05 AM on October 7, 2008

Also, I would not attempt this if seeing $10,000 disappear in the blink of an eye will bankrupt/change your standard of living. If you can't do any of this work yourself, I think it will cost you at least this much. And then, you will never, ever, get it back. You cannot sell a built up car like that for even half of what you put into it, you could wreck it (be sure to update the insurance with all the new bits!), someone could steal it (a big problem in the import scene), etc etc etc.

On the other hand, if the money isn't that much of an issue, live the dream!!!
posted by no1hatchling at 6:08 AM on October 7, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

You can get a turn-key 4.6l aluminum crate motor with all the fixin's for around ten grand, and maybe another grand to have the local grease monkey drop it in for you. Google "Mustang Crate Motor" and have fun... it ranges from a low-mileage used GT motor for under two grand, all the way up to fifteen grand for a new-from-Ford SVT race engine.

Suspension is another story, figure on five or six large to swap in an '03 Cobra suspension and aftermarket brakes.

You can go cheaper, but it will require you to do the work yourself, in increments. Hot-rodding is a pretty rewarding hobby, but expensive, time-consuming and intensely difficult.

Also, never mod your main ride! Sucks if you need to drive to work, and your cam-shaft is still on the kitchen table because you haven't figured out how to get it back in.
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:46 AM on October 7, 2008 [2 favorites has favorites]

Seconding the outlandish cost involved here. I am a gearhead and while you can probably find a wrecked Mustang GT/Cobra/Rousch to pull the drive train out of, and other parts (brakes, springs, etc) too, labor costs are going to be massive. This is not something that a novice mechanic should get into, even if you did have all of the proper tools to pull something like this off.

If the car means so much to you, I would not "upgrade" it. Do you have skill in handling a high-powered sports car? There is a reason why it is easy to obtain a wrecked Mustang out of the junkyard- too much car, not enough skill.

Another thing to consider is that if it is your only car, it will be torn apart for weeks, if not months. What are you going to drive in the meantime?

I can relate to the love you have for your car (I recently sold my first car, a hot-rodded 67 Pontiac Tempest, I still regret it, but financial obligations left me no choice). But I would start saving the "tens of thousands" of dollars and putting it towards the 69 GT.

Also, start reading the Mustang Forums.
posted by peewinkle at 6:54 AM on October 7, 2008

I found some things with a little searching: here, here, and here. Most people are saying the swap is easiest and cheapest if you find a wrecked donor car with a V8. Here's a swap with a parts list, prices, and advice.


Alternatively, many recommend supercharging your V6. Here's a list of V6 mods.

But your best online resources are Mustang forums such as the ones linked above. Most likely, you'll find lots people who DIY this and can offer tons of advice.
posted by luckypozzo at 6:59 AM on October 7, 2008

Thanks to all for the suggestions! I'm going to start getting involved with some Mustang forums over the next few weeks, but I wanted to bounce this off of MeFites before I went into one. I know just enough about cars in general to make myself look dumb/be dangerous, and getting my feet wet with questioning in this (relatively) forgiving place is nice to do.

This is my "main" car, but my wife and I have two other cars, and we both work from home, so having it out for a while isn't a problem.

@luckypozzo, thanks for those links; that clarifies a lot for me and gives me a solid list of parts to put on the dream list.

Finally, I do realize how outlandish the cost will be (I think I stated that in my initial Q), but like I said, this is part fantasy, part hope-it'll-become-reality. I love my car, and I really don't want to get rid of her (even after I get my '69 GT), put I'd love to put some equipment under the hood to match her exterior.

Thanks again to all! I'm marking luckypozzo, saladin and no1hatchling best answers, but everybody helped tremendously.
posted by omnipotentq at 7:40 AM on October 7, 2008

Oh, hey! Hot Six! Great idea, luckypozzo... these kinds of rides are becoming more and more popular, which means the go-fast parts are more and more available. Great way to get your feet wet as a wrench-turner, too.
posted by Slap*Happy at 7:46 AM on October 7, 2008

Chiming in a little late here, but I have a 2003 GT (with the Centennial Premium Package, though) - and I wish you all the best of luck in upgrading/customizing your ride.

The other thing is, since you talk about spending the money to do this, which leads me to believe you'll be looking around for a good shop - make sure you get recommendations, talk to a few of them, and ask questions until you start to feel like you're being annoying. I used to work for a shop that restored (older) Pontiacs, and sometimes work took months to complete, but it was always easier when the customer stayed involved with questions like "What's going in this week?" rather than "Wheeeen am I getting my caaaaar back?" Of course, the flip side of that is - if the shop keeps putting you off, and won't let you stop by to check on progress, find another place to have the work done.

And if you feel like you're being pooh-poohed or made to feel car-ignorant when asking any question, run. :)

Good luck!
posted by HopperFan at 8:23 AM on October 7, 2008