[musselman86]

Hi all, brand new to the forum, but here's the skinny. I have a 2001 convert 3.8 v6 completely stock. I am looking to upgrade as much as i can throughout this winter before i put on the new paint. First of all price is really not a factor, Im willing to spend $5,000+ (no im not getting a GT i do not want one, i like ford 6's). I want to keep it semi-street legal, and most of the work will me done by me and my buddy (who is a mechanic at a ford dealership) I already know i want it more for the low end but with the ability to drive on the interstate cross country if i so choose. Def going for supercharger over turbo. Wondering mainly about exhaust, would it be better for me to work on the car replacing most of the bolt on's then bring it in a mufler shop after all is said and done and getting a true dual exhaust set up installed, or should i get that done before i start with everything else. I know there are alot of questions and i dont expect answers for all of them but any input would be appreciated. basically i just want to know in what order i should piece this together, again price is no object, i'd rather put 5-10k into my trusty stang than buy a new car. I forgot to mention it is an automatic and i want to keep it that way (my wife will never forgive me if i convert it to standard) is there any way i can make the auto work as performance, like i said i want to keep it semi street legal, i'll bend a few rules, it's going ffrom DD to summer/fall only on nice days.

thank you in advance and sorry for the novel.

[05horse]

welcoem to the pages! explorer express has a SC setup made for stock motors.... then beef from there

[musselman86]

thanks, i've been trying to find the supercharger posts or w/e but im really wondering, the 3 big questions, and maybe this will simplify my original post, would it be better to wait till after everything else to get my exhaust set up? or do it b4 i start...and will my stock 3.8 be able to handle the all the upgrades, intake, exhaust, supercharger, cams, heads, etc.... and should i just upgrade my existing rear end right away or just make the existing one posi? sorry for all the questions but i really want to upgrade as much as possible without bringing it to a shop (probably gonna have to for the true dual exhaust)

[Playboiplay]

Glad to hear that you're going the S/C route. I prefer their quick response & low-end power over Turbos as well. Your order of operations kinda depends on the expected timeframe between mods. If you expect to accomplish all of your mods in approx the same timeframe, I would go in this order if $$$ was no object. Oh yeah, true dual exhaust should DEFINITELY be one of your 1st mods.

1.) True Dual Exhaust (shoppe fabricated H- or X- midpipe + catback of choice)
2.) CAI (K&N recommended)
3.) 8.8" Rear Differential [to handle the significant increases (300+ HP) in HP & Torque]
4.) 4.10 Gears or 4.30 Gears (Motive)
5.) Tuner [Check with local Dyno shop(s) for brand recommendation(s)]
6.) Ceramic Long tube headers (...if legal in Wisconsin)
7.) Stage 3 Powerpack: Forged/Ported Engine Internals (trust me...)
http://www.supersixmotorsports.com/p...1PowerPaks.pdf
8.) Supercharger + Intercooler + DYNO/Tune (Kenne Bell, Vortec, Roush, Saleen, Edelbrock, etc.)
9.) CompCam + DYNO/Tune (included in Stage 3 Powerpack) (see #7)
10.) 65mm Throttle body + Spacer (Optional w/Stage 3 Powerpack) (see #7)
11.) DON'T FORGET ABOUT SUSPENSION & BRAKES!!!
If you wanna GO FAST, you gotta STOP fast as well...
12.) A Good Quality Radar Detector!!!!!!!!!

With all of these mods, you'll definitely have a beast on your hands. It'll be much faster than most GTs out there. I may have left something out cuz it's late (1:20am) so I hope others will chime in on anything important that I may have left out. Best of luck with your mods. Keep us abreast as your build materializes & the final order of operations you settle on.

NOTE: Don't let anybody try to convince you to get UDPs because they'll be a waste of $$$ since you're going forced induction with a S/C which will render them useless for this build.

[musselman86]

Originally Posted by Playboiplay

Glad to hear that you're going the S/C route. I prefer their quick response & low-end power over Turbos as well. Your order of operations kinda depends on the expected timeframe between mods. If you expect to accomplish all of your mods in approx the same timeframe, I would go in this order if $$$ was no object. Oh yeah, true dual exhaust should DEFINITELY be one of your 1st mods.

1.) True Dual Exhaust (shoppe fabricated H- or X- midpipe + catback of choice)
2.) CAI (K&N recommended)
3.) 8.8" Rear Differential [to handle the significant increases (300+ HP) in HP & Torque]
4.) 4.10 Gears or 4.30 Gears (Motive)
5.) Tuner [Check with local Dyno shop(s) for brand recommendation(s)]
6.) Ceramic Long tube headers (...if legal in Wisconsin)
7.) Stage 3 Powerpack: Forged/Ported Engine Internals (trust me...)
http://www.supersixmotorsports.com/p...1PowerPaks.pdf
8.) Supercharger + Intercooler + DYNO/Tune (Kenne Bell, Vortec, Roush, Saleen, Edelbrock, etc.)
9.) CompCam + DYNO/Tune (included in Stage 3 Powerpack) (see #7)
10.) 65mm Throttle body + Spacer (Optional w/Stage 3 Powerpack) (see #7)
11.) DON'T FORGET ABOUT SUSPENSION & BRAKES!!!
If you wanna GO FAST, you gotta STOP fast as well...
12.) A Good Quality Radar Detector!!!!!!!!!

With all of these mods, you'll definitely have a beast on your hands. It'll be much faster than most GTs out there. I may have left something out cuz it's late (1:20am) so I hope others will chime in on anything important that I may have left out. Best of luck with your mods. Keep us abreast as your build materializes & the final order of operations you settle on.

NOTE: Don't let anybody try to convince you to get UDPs because they'll be a waste of $$$ since you're going forced induction with a S/C which will render them useless for this build.

wow super awesome thank you playboi, very excellent post bar none. as for 4) on your list i think i might go with something under 4 just so i can drive from wisco to arkansas without doing some damage or is this just a myth? also one question on point # 7) will that be something me and my friend can do or will i have to bring that in to a shop to get it done? and also thanks or the tip on the headers, i really dont care if they are legal, i can get them lol my best friend is store manager at AAP. and also thank you for the side note on UDPs iwas leary about those from the get go but wasn't sure. oh yea before i forget, i will still be able to keep this car automatic transmission with all these mods right?

if anybody else has suggestions i would love to hear them

[Playboiplay]

Originally Posted by musselman86

wow super awesome thank you playboi, very excellent post bar none. as for 4) on your list i think i might go with something under 4 just so i can drive from wisco to arkansas without doing some damage or is this just a myth? also one question on point # 7) will that be something me and my friend can do or will i have to bring that in to a shop to get it done? and also thanks or the tip on the headers, i really dont care if they are legal, i can get them lol my best friend is store manager at AAP. and also thank you for the side note on UDPs iwas leary about those from the get go but wasn't sure.

if anybody else has suggestions i would love to hear them

Ok that's cool... 3.73 Gears should work or you could pick up a set of Motive 3.90 Gears like I did for my stick. With 4.10s at 70 MPH your RPMs should fall somewhere between 2.5k-3k RPMs (please correct me if I'm wrong Auto owners w/4.10 Gears).That is a bit high for long trips IMHO & puts more stress on the engine than is desirable.

The components in the Powerpack are all just upgraded replacements to existing parts. Since your Budd is a mechanic @ a Ford dealership, ya'll should be able to pull this off in your garage.

Glad my post was helpful. Gotta tell ya though, I'm a lil green with envy when it comes to the LT headers. They're illegal here in CA--even with cats--and I don't have any insider plugs who would allow me to pass visual smog. This makes me sad...

AFM is a great group of guys & ladies with a vast wealth of knowledge pertaining to our favorite hobby (far more than I...). They've helped me along & I still rely on them as I continue to learn the ropes. Just paying it forward.

[musselman86]

thanks again playboi you helped me thoroughly, very awesome, i'll be able to free up some funds in 2 months to bring it in the muffler shop and have the true dual installed, got all that time to decide on what i want to throw onto that, then 4 months and i'll be able to complete the car, i'll definately post pics as i work on it, cant wait till it's done. I was looking at the 3.90 gears for the 8.8" rear end, they seem to be just what im looking for, anybody else know if these are viable in an automatic?

[cody's v6 stang]

yes they are, the only thing that really matter for gears is your axle size, 7.5(stock V6) or a 8.8(stock GT). but 3.73 is suggested for stick and 4.10 is suggested for an auto, i went with 4.10's and i hit 2700 rpms going 70mph, but i try to drive 65mph were it sits closer to 2400rpms. if you have anything else you need help with just let us know

[shinerstang]

I think we can figure out your best setup. I know someone with a P1SC who is looking to go turbo, so it will be up for sale soon. We build all types of cars at our shop, so we can assist when the time comes to purchase parts. There is nothing worse than buying parts you don't need......

[Playboiplay]

Hey, I was just lookin around at some Pacesetter V6 L/T headers on the Stage3 website & I see that they say they only fit manual trans. So unless this only applies to Pacesetter L/Ts, you may have to nix #6 from my list or go for shortys instead.

[Carl Tex]

Dave, I just recently fell into a bone-stock 02 convertible with similar miles that was too clean and cheap to pass up, and instantly fell in love with the car so I understand your passion... Only problem, it wasn't nearly as fast as it looked. I started with BBK shorties, a true dual setup with standard 40's and a CAI, and love the direction the car is taking. I will resume in the spring with gears and a tune and probably leave it there, other than perhaps wheels and tires. The car is a blast and sounds great, and will be way too much fun for what I paid for it. Good luck with your project, and post some pics of your ride, would ya?