Tuning: Here Comes the Smart by TCC Team (2/7/2005)
Two seats, tiny spaces, and tons of options for tweaking it yourself.

By Conor Twomey

The hottest car in tuning right now has to be Ford's new Mustang.

Although the first customer cars only reached dealers a few weeks ago, there's already a lot of chatter on Internet forums and enthusiast Web sites about the new pony car, mainly thanks to the dozen or so tuners who build modified and race-spec Mustangs for the SEMA show in November. So naturally, I had to get my hands on one to see what all the fuss was about.

You may have seen a few new Mustangs on Ford lots recently, but those are mostly V-6 models and are really not a good place for a fun-loving tuner to start. Despite the lure of 210 hp for $19,410, the 4.0-liter V-6 is rough and pretty asthmatic. Most are automatics, too, blunting performance further so if you want some poke you'll have to go for the 300-hp GT version. Worthwhile factory options include the $450 interior upgrade package, which adds a leather wheel and brightens up an otherwise oppressive cabin, and side airbags - useful considering the Mustang doesn't need a lot of persuasion to travel sideways. The Premium package adds a decent Shaker six-CD sound system and leather seats for just a couple of hundred bucks more. Even at that, the price is still only $27,000, which remains fantastic value.

On top of offering a lot of horses for the money, the new Mustang is also a very respectable driving machine. The driving position is excellent, for example, and the seats are comfortable so there's no need to go ripping out the interior straight away. The 4.6-liter, three-valve V-8 produces 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque and makes a satisfying sound in the process, so you don't have to spend money there for a while, either. And the steering and brakes are both sharp and confidence-inspiring so we can leave those alone for now as well.

Starting underneath

Where the Mustang does need some help, however, is in the suspension department and the first to go will be the standard wheels and tires.

There's a lot of space in the Mustang's wheel wells to cram in 20-inch rims without too much work, but if you'd actually like to enjoy your Mustang instead of veering around potholes, I'd go for some 18-inch wheels similar to the gorgeous HRE 945s that 3D Carbon fitted to their award winning SEMA show car. To be fair, the standard 17-inch wheels look fine under the Mustang but because of the high profile of the standard tires the Mustang rolls a lot in corners and there's not much steering feel. Some 18-inch rims with 255/45 18W Kumho Ecsta ASXs would improve the looks and reduce body roll, but leave enough rubber between you and the road to smother bumps and keep noise levels down. Because those Kumhos wear well and offer great wet and dry traction they're ideal for most warm-weather conditions, but at around $125 each they're also a smart buy.

Plus, if you intend to exploit the Mustang's tail happy handling and straight-line grunt, then you're going to need some affordable replacement tires.

The Ford's ability to exit every intersection like it's starring in '70s cop show has a lot to do with its old-fashioned solid rear axle. On the plus side, the rear axle should be able to take a beating but the downside is a very jittery and unsettled ride quality. Ford has also had to sacrifice some body control for ride comfort, so to stop the car leaning so much in corners you'll need to fit some new springs and dampers. I've already heard good things about Steeda's sport springs, which not only lower the car about an inch but also vastly reduce the amount the Mustang leans in bends. H&R and Eibach also offer high-quality spring upgrades while Koni has special dampers as well.

The ride's going to be a little firmer, but it's not exactly a magic carpet to begin with so it's well worth the compromise. Some upgraded anti-roll bars are a good idea, too, and both Saleen and Steeda do easy-to-install kits. Another area in need of improvement is the manual gearbox's shift action, which is precise but a bit longwinded. Steeda's Tri-Ax short-shifter kit comes highly recommended for around $250.

Pumping it up

At this point your Mustang is nicely set up so you might be thinking about some extra performance. C&L, Steeda, BBK, K&N, and Saleen are just some of the companies offering cold-air induction kits. Once the engine is breathing easier you could the engine electronics remapped with a SCT Xcalibrator. A sweet Magnaflow or Bassani exhaust system will help free up a few more horsepower and really let the Ford's sonorous V-8 sing, but if you're after even more power then you've got three realistic options: bolt on a supercharger, drop in a new engine or wait for the Mustang Cobra to arrive in 2006.

Ford has made no secret of the fact that the engine and drivetrain are over-engineered in anticipation of tuners wishing to get more from their cars. Therefore, you shouldn't have too many problems if you install a Vortec V2S or Saleen Series VI twin-screw supercharger and an intercooler. Adding a supercharger won't be cheap, but it should boost your total power output to around 400 hp. Ford will offer a similar bolt-on supercharger soon, which can be dealer installed if you'd like to have more power without sacrificing your warranty. If you'd prefer to do-it-yourself, Ford will stick a supercharged, four-valve, 5.0-liter 'Cammer' V-8 in the mail for you, complete with full installation instructions for around $15,000. The kit even includes plug-and-play electronics so there's no need to spend weeks calibrating the thing once it's fitted. The 420-hp engine is actually a competition unit so it should be both robust and reliable, as well as tuner-friendly. And it'll be easy to replace if you blow it up.

With around 400 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque now writhing around under the hood, you might want to think about stronger engine mounts and some strut-tower braces to keep the car feeling tight. So far, only Steeda seems to offers both at reasonable cost. Brake upgrades might also be a good idea and Saleen fits the 14-inch rotors from the Ford GT to its tuned S281 derivative of the new Mustang. Alcon and Roush also do brake-upgrades and Brembo has larger rotors and more powerful four-pot Gran Turismo callipers on offer, too, which will not only help reign in all that power, they'll also look fantastic peeking out from behind those HRE rims.

Bod mods

In terms of styling, Roush offers a full range of parts from chin spoilers to aluminum pedal trims. 3D carbon has an absolutely stunning body kit complete with a grooved hood and a carbon-fiber, D1-style rear wing, and Street Scene also does a very tasteful and well-integrated styling kit. Classic Design Concepts has gone a step further by offering a specially developed, all-glass roof, which is the exact same size and shape as the Mustang's original roof panel. It doesn't open, but it does brighten up the interior without sacrificing structural rigidity. It won't take long, though, before the market will be flooded with aftermarket styling kits. Most true-blue tuners prefer to concoct their own kits anyway though for me personally, there's nothing like low-key performance. I'd add Ford's own racing stripes and get a matte-black finish on the rear valance.

If all that sounds like too much work then there's always the Mustang Cobra due in around a year. By some reports, the solid-axle rear suspension is ditched in favor of an independent rear suspension and it will produce at least 390 hp in stock trim. At somewhere around $35k-$40k it, too, will represent a great value package, but it won't make quite the same statement your own, completely unique, tire-smokin' steed.