I just recently bought a 1996 gt 4.6 from a close friend and i'm blind when it comes to buying the right parts.. The car has 53k and is in mint condition. The car does have alittle problem i'll get into in a minute. Has far has mods the car has a BBK CAI in the fender. It also has a nice clutch upgrade and 4:10 rear. The car also has h-pipes and flowmasters 2.5inches i believe but a stock header.

What are the next performance upgrades i should do??

i've read alot of books and thier really are'nt many upgrades for this year car. I've seen a upper plenum,throttle body at 70-75mm and a bigger Mass air sensor,header..

What are the smart parts to buy and which 1's are'nt worth the money??

I was told by a local shop to just spray it but i don't really want to beat on a low mileage motor..

The issue with the car is on top of the motor is a plug he ran it unplugged and it causes the car to idle really low. If you plug it up and rev it up the car idles down really slow. He told me someone told him it needed a bigger Mass airflow sensor does this sound right?? He said it was getting more air from the CAI in the fenderwell but that does'nt sound right to me.. The car also acted kinda crazy for about 10 minutes the other day bucking hard under slow acceleration in 1st and 2nd gear only then went away it's only done it that 1 time.

the car also came with a superchip that he has unplugged he said he found out it would make the car run like crap so he removed it.

Any thoughts??

Please point the newb in the right direction..

 

And the car has no cats and no o2 sensors so the check engine stays on..

 

k..first off...get rid of the in fender CAI....it throws off ur AF ratio...second...get a tuner to turn off the O2 sensors.....that could be a cause too...

the next i would do is suspension if u havent already....

 

I say a PI head swap...that will give you the biggest gain

 

+1 Absolutely make that your next mod. Get them ported and polished while you're at it.

 

So trash the bbk fenderwell kit??

Also the pi head is that the patriot head? I saw it for 1200 but it said other mods needed to work on a 96 gt..Is this basically a bolt on??

This car is quick off the line but does'nt have anything up top it just dies at 5k..

 

PI upgrade is a Performance Improvment. 99-04 GT's are PI, 96-98 are NPI (npn performance improvment)

A PI upgrade is literally taking 99-04 GT heads, cams, and intake onto your 96 GT. Should add somewhere in the neighborhood of 40HP, but will yield much larger gains later on with more mods.

There's a lot of stuff you can do. You don't need to get rid of the BBK.
Click on this link, this will be much better and save some money. Anyone here will vouch for this. https://mustangboards.com/general-te...?highlight=MAC

Other than that, it sounds like the mods chosen and done should set a good foundation for the future. ESPECIALLY if you do PI.

IMHO however, before you really do ANYTHING and start modding it. Get the car serviced/checked/whatever it be and get it running smoothly.

Good luck, happy modding, welcome to the boards.

 

only downside to the PI swap is its going to raise your compression to 10:1. you'll have to run premium fuel, and it will be dangerous to add a supercharger or nos.

 

where can i buy the head??

 

modularpowerhouse.com has them for $375 for the pair.

 

Also this thing has underdrive pulleys and it runs alittle warm just a tick past halfway in traffic or when ac is running..

I also had eibach springs put in today they called for 2.0inches in the front and 1.8 in the rear. I had about a 5inch gap in the front with cobra 17's and 275-40-17's inch tires. Now it looks great but the flowmaster occasionally scrape and it will bottom out sometimes if i punch 1st from a stop. I wanted to get new wheels these have some chipping and was gonna go with a 18 inch but now i'm thinking 20inch. Anybody have any pics of a gt with 20's??

How much will a 18 raise it up??

I talked to a mustang shop in VA today he said the heads can be bought at ford for 600 and 1500 labor to put them on then he says the IM should be added, i'm looking at 3k almost..

 

slow down man learn more about ur car before u go to modding the hell outa ur car. uc ant port plastic IM can u? go with a 18 inch tires give u a lil lil bit more clearance, 20 inchers are gunna be expensive. get a complete fluid flsuh and start running synthetic if u havent already

 

1. Dont put 20 inch rims on your car it will look like crap. I wouldnt go higher than 18 trust me. Not to mention you might rub with that kind of drop you have.

2. Find another mustang shop because that price is ridiculous, there are kits out there for a PI head swap its fairly common now for less. That shop is charging way to much for labor.

 

I found a shop in PA who said the PI swap kit would be 1400 and 850 for labor so 2250 total..He said the car would'nt need tuning though is that true??

 

There is an ongoing article in MUSCLE MUSTANGS and FAST FORDS magazine about your year 4.6 Mustang. Thier goal is 300 HP with bolt ons. It is called RED HEADED STEP CHILD. I have been following it for the last few months, good coverage on everything from suspension,brakes,power adders,etc.

 

10:1 compression is VERY nitrous friendly. Compression loves nitrous... general rule.

With your PI heads you'll be getting PI cams which are a damn sight better than the previous units. You should swap to a PI intake manifold. It saves some hassle with the heads and adds a little power of its own if what I read is right. Plus the aluminum crossover is a lifesaver on the 01+ manifolds. 10:1 compression isn't a death sentence to a blower either... you just have to keep the boost low and the tune rock solid.

You will need to tune the thing after the swap. An X-Cal2 should help you. Have a shop with a dyno and experience do the actual tune. You should see as much as a 60hp increase from the swap and tune.

If I were you, I'd go on ebay and buy myself a 99+ complete 4.6 motor and just drop it in. Save yourself some hassle and expense and leave a little room for more boost later. You can find used 99+ GT motors for 800-1000 bucks pretty easily anymore. Then you don't have do dik with the whole 8-10 hours of labor for a head swap and you have a fresh motor in your garage to start building for a more hard core iteration of the car, or a backup for /ifwhen you blow the PI motor.

Oh yeah.. and people with 20's on <05 mustangs should generally be shot. They just look bad all the time. So horrible... shiver shiver shiver

 

For about $2500 from Steen Racing you can add a 100 hp to your car with ported heads and cams. That does not include labor.

What shop in PA did you call? I live in PA and can make some recomendations.

 

i'm not sure what shop it was i got his number out of the fast ford mustang book.He said he is near Philly or in Philly i can find out the name when i get back to work monday thats were the book is..

Thats not a bad idea just buying a 99+ motor and would probably be cheaper overall with a spare low mileage motor..

What the difference in the HP numbers??

Are they different blocks or are they the same??

Could i put in a older style 302??

Is my tranny compatible with the 99+ motor or a older style 302??

i'd like 300hp to the wheels..

 

ok... quick answers:

It's a great idea, not a not bad idea.

About 40rwhp right off the bat, potentially more.

Same block, slight diffs in the internals but it doesn't matter.

No. Well yes but it's not street legal in most states and it's a MFPITA.

96-04 trans mounts for V8's are all the same at the bell housing.

Good, buy a blower and you'll have 320-360 or at 8-10psi.