Need advice re GEARS and EXHAUST please :)
 

Hey all

I have a 1986 Mustang GT. I'm looking to make my first mods to this all-stock beauty, and have settled (with the help of some advice from people on this site) on doing the gears and exhaust first.

RE GEARS, i've read the posts about 3.73 vs 4.10 and i'm still at a loss. my intentions/goals with the car are to build a car that is (1) for pleasure/hobby only - this will NOT be a daily driver (2) will be for the street, with occasional strip runs (we're talking 1-2 week-ends in the summer only - otherwise she'll be driven on the street). so what should i go with? i've heard the 4.10s are a good idea on the 4.6's, but mine's a 5.0L and goes pretty good right from idle. should i go with the 3.73's, or get the 4.10's and, most importantly, WHY one over the other?

RE EXHAUST, i want to replace everything from the headers back. my goals are (1) improved performance/HP and (2) loud, aggressive tone that's legal for the street. my only limitation is that it has to be something i can install myself WITHOUT cutting/welding/bending ie: it has to clamp/bolt on as it comes in the box. with that said, my question is what combo i should go with, what brand and model, etc etc? i'm looking at ceramic Hooker headers and maybe flowmaster 40 series, magnaflow or flowtech back from there, but i really don't know much about what's out there. Any advice you guys can give would be much appreciated!!!

Thanks so much guys! always love the advice i get on this forum - i'm a mustang convert!!!!!

cheers

steve rockon:

Im not much of an exhaust guy.

But im sure 99% of people will tell you run 3:73 on a 5.0.

its only the 4.6 guys that need that little extra get up and go of the 4:10, 4:30's.

For gears, go 3.73-no bigger. A stock 5.0 stops making power at 5grand but has good power to that point, so with 4.10s you'll be hurting your 1/4 e.t. because you'll prolly have to shift more to stay in the engine's powerband, not to mention you'll be revving the engine higher and reducing it's useful life. A 4.6 needs bigger gears because it makes minimal power in the lower-rpms and needs to get over 3k to start to shine.

As for exhaust, Hooker makes nice headers, but get regular shorties, not equal-length and not long-tubes, they're a pain to install and you may gain an extra 1hp if that. Flowtech is a lower-end exhaust manufacturer but would be fine for an h-pipe, for cat-back I'd go Magnaflow personally, but Flows are louder. Flows with no cats and headers are almost intolerable and will give you a headache if you do any cruising, they also restrict flow because of the chambered design. Magnaflow are a sweet-sounding muffler and make great power.

THANKS PONYRYD!!!!
I was thinking 3:73 for the reasons you stated, but every once in a while some guy comes along saying you gotta go 4:10 minimum without giving a reason for saying so, and that had me wondering if i was making the right choice. you've made my decision much easier and i'm comfortable with it now.

re the exhaust, my brother said pretty much the same thing re magnaflow vs. flowmaster; they sound great on his truck too. think i'll go with the magnaflow instead of following the pack on the 40 series flows; and the tip on the hooker headers (reg shorties instead of even length or longer) is a great tip - i had no idea.

thanks again for your feedback guys!!

steve

Hey ponyryd:

PS: your emoticon (not really an emoticon, but not sure what to call the beauty zipping/unzipping beside your username) rocks! where did you get it?

Thanks, I kinda like her tooAttachment 23177, I stole it from another site.rockon: Good luck with your project.

Exhaust, BBK also makes good stuff(headers, h-pipe, x-pipe) I like the sound of the x-pipe and Flowmasters personally.
Gears, 3.73 best choice for basically street car.

geeze you red fox sounds like the same stuff in my red fox. lol . i like the flowmaster 2 chamber muffs , i also have the bbk shorties . rockon: thumb:

I have bbk headers and h pipe for sale new in the box for $150 plus shipping

This thread is from 2007.