what can one do to get some more horsepower without taking it to a speed shop? ie a flex fan and headers will give you some more horse but what other ways are there of gaining more horsepower without taking it to a speed shop? im talking bout just doing some things in the garage ,no milling heads and stuff like that.
Make sure the car has a good tune up. Get a higher output ignition coil. You can advance the timing alittle to get better acceleration. Keep the A/C off during a speed run. Turn traction control off (if equipped). Turn overdrive off or keep in 3rd. I'm sure there are a couple more tricks.
Without taking to a shop there are alot of bolt ons that you can do in the garage. Example; underdrive pulley's.
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Building it right from the beginning is always better than starting over to build it better because it was temporary.
93' LX hatch, 460 with mods, TH400 trans, 9" w/ 3.89 spool. Best (so far!) of 10.18 @ 131 mph with 1.39 60'
New heads if you can do it yourself will definatly help. An intake, 4 barrel carb, electronic ignition of some sort, headers and exhaust. A good tune up if needed can help. if you want all the horsepower you can get then you can go with roller rockers, electric fan and electric fuel pump which should all free up a few ponies.
Another great idea, if you have the tools & know-how, is to put in a rear end with lower (higher numerical) final drive ratio. This will make the car "feel" more powerfull without actually changing the engine. Don't go too far for a street driver though. 3.55:1 is about right for a street car. Do that, with the other stuff already mentioned (intake, carb, better ignition, headers, good quality 21/4" dual exhaust) and you will have a nice performing pony.
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1969 Boss 302 (Vintage Race Car) Calypso Coral
2002 Saleen SC281 True Blue
1967 Coupe, 5-speed, Grabber Orange
what can one do to get some more horsepower without taking it to a speed shop? ie a flex fan and headers will give you some more horse but what other ways are there of gaining more horsepower without taking it to a speed shop? im talking bout just doing some things in the garage ,no milling heads and stuff like that.
I see what you are doing here. You want cheap and easy. The others have good ideas but more involved. stang93mustang has the idea. I am guessing you have a classic Mustang. A hotter coil is good. it will allow you to open the gap if needed for a more complete burn. In fact, a good tune up is also a good idea. Less resistive plug wires. better flowing air filter.
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97 Cobra-03 Cobra t56 and alum DS, SPEC111 clutch, FRPP 4:10,T&J Performance Forged 4v(8.9:1), Manley rods, Novi 2000 w/ Fast Track A/A I/C, Barry Grant Fuel syst., BBK longtubes and H-pipe, MSD ignition, Detroit True Track, Magnaflows, 315 NT01's on 17 x 11's, KB BAS, SCT tune and about a million other things. 575 RWHP. Going into the shop this winter, looking for 650 RWHP.
Cheap and easy doesn't usually go hand in hand with appreciable power gains. Yes, making sure your engine is tuned properly is the first place to start. Remember the basic principles for making power is getting enough air, fuel, and fire. That being said, there have been some good suggestions, however you didn't indicate your budget or mechanical ability.
Along with swapping your intake and carb, consider installing a larger camshaft. An ignition upgrade is a must as is a better fuel pump. If you care to get a little more adventurous, look into some of the nitrous systems out there. Cheapest way to make noticeable gains. Be careful, you can get carried away with the "dope" and blow your motor.
cheap easy extra horsepower..... 
