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Car Forum / Ford / Ford Mustang / March 2008Upgrades for a 2006 V6 Mustang
My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the exhaust and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been opposing the changes. Assuming I relent,, I'd like to hear recommendation for a better exhaust system and headlights. He wants duals and HID headlights. What should he look out for? Ed > My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the exhaust > and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been opposing the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ed louder exhaust are cop magnets - does not improve power, and sport/turbo mufflers can have a constant drone all the time when driving the car. . > > My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the exhaust > > and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been opposing the [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > . sorry but you are completely wrong about the performance... the S197 V6 muffler is incredibly restrictive! You can get a 10RWHP simply by swapping the stock muffler out for a better one, including a cheap GT take off muffler! This has been proven time and time again on the dyno.... That being said, going to duals doesn't give you much performance... may 2 or 3 RWHP... duals are more about look and sound.... no performance... >> > My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the >> > exhaust [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > may 2 or 3 RWHP... duals are more about look and sound.... no > performance... You are not burning more fuel per unit time, so how could it gain HP ? 10 hp is hardly noticeable, and it is really about 2 to 3 HP gain, which you could not accurately measure. I would stick my money on good summer performance tires, they make a huge difference. Beware the sales pitch for a lot of the add on products, way over hyped. > >> "Ed White" <cewhi...@mindspring.com> wrote in message > [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > You are not burning more fuel per unit time, so how could it gain HP ? ???? Ummm.. You are removing a very restrictive muffler, which lets motor exhale easier... motor doesn't work as hard to exhale means more HP... > 10 hp is hardly noticeable, and it is really about 2 to 3 HP gain, which you > could not accurately measure. I didn't say 10HP... I said 10RWHP! And that is NOTICEABLE... especially since you can get it that gain for $40 with a GT take-off muffler... Multiple people at multiple shops have shown this gain on a dyno... > I would stick my money on good summer performance tires, they make a huge > difference. ???? Tires don't make that big of a difference... not on an S197 V6 until you address other suspension issues... like the extra mushy stock springs and shocks... and lack of a rear sway bar in non-pony package V6's... > Beware the sales pitch for a lot of the add on products, way over hyped. That is very true... most over hyped product i've found so far is some of the CAI and the crank UD Pulley... Check out my website for some pics, dyno sheets, vids, reviews, etc.... www.v6john.com >>>> "Ed White" <cewhi...@mindspring.com> wrote in message >> [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > Check out my website for some pics, dyno sheets, vids, reviews, > etc.... www.v6john.com I support John's contention with regard to improved performance with a less restrictive muffler. I found a Ford Racing Performance Products M-5230-GTA muffler on eBay for 65 dollars delivered. It bolted in as replacement with no problems, and was one of several transformative changes in the V6. It's a bit louder than a standard GT take-off muffler, pleasant at cruise, authoritative at wide-open throttle. I sensed more powerful performance, and it gave a new dimension to the driving experience. The V6 is quite peppy on its own, so unless you're going to compete in some kind of racing, there's no real need to boost power. A second inexpensive addition/replacement is the GT take-off sway bars. I drove my V6 convertible stock foe a few weeks, then added the GT rear bar: BIG difference, but still an understeerer. Then swapped-in the GT front bar: another big difference, and plenty good for nearle everyone's purposes. the Pony Kit bars are good, but smaller diameter. There's my recommendation for actual, useful improvements for cheap: GT take-off muffler, GT take-off sway bars. It's the way Ford should have put them in to start with. Plenty of other "mods" available, but those two should result in a very satisfactory car. In addition to John's suggestion re: the Collective, you might search http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/ and http://www.mustangforums.com/ and http://forums.stangnet.com/ for discussions of the questions you've brought up. They've all been thoroughly "done" over the S197's lifetime. There are dozens more Mustang forums, too. One more note: among the high-volume take-off sellers, you'll likely encounter one in particular who have good feedback ratings and plenty of satisfied customers. I'm not one of them; you can see my experience here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/fyougitive/sets/72157603826441123/  SignatureFrank ess > My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the exhaust and > headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been opposing the changes. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ed Best bang for the money is to get a couple of GT take-off mufflers from e-bay or such... you can pick them up cheap on e-bay,etc. Drivers side mid-pipe can be had from the dealership pretty reasonably too... or you can opt for complete dual kits... more money but have everything you need... For the bumper, you can simply cut a the drivers side... looks just fine... although some prefer to get a GT take-off bumper.... a good place for 4.0 information is www.mustangcollective.com It was started as a S197 V6 site with LOTS of info... >> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the >> exhaust and [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > drivers side... looks just fine... although some prefer to get a GT > take-off bumper.... Will the GT exhaut bolt up to the OE cats? > a good place for 4.0 information is www.mustangcollective.com It > was > started as a S197 V6 site with LOTS of info... Thanks, I'll check that out. Ed > >> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the > >> exhaust and [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Will the GT exhaut bolt up to the OE cats? won't bolt right up... but any competent shop should be able to do the job very easily... basically you cut the stock Y pipe, fab up an X or H pipe, use the drivers side mid-pipe from a GT and a couple of new mufflers... the bolt holes are already there on the drivers side for the muffler hangers... however the muffler hangers from Ford are expensive... Pype's sells some cheaper hangers... Also i think the JBA dual kit comes with hangers... and I believe the Pypes does too... > My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the exhaust and > headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been opposing the changes. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ed Real HID is expensive; IIRC, >1000$US. Fake HID is just blue-tinted bulbs, which produce less light than stock bulbs. SignatureCheers, Bob >> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the >> exhaust and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Real HID is expensive; IIRC, >1000$US. Fake HID is just blue-tinted > bulbs, which produce less light than stock bulbs. This is what I thought as well. However, my son showed me several kits that use different bulbs and a ballast. The bulbs are not just the blue tinted bulbs. They fit into the OE headlight housing and you mount the ballast nearby. Some kits include relays, some don't. I am worried they are a rip off (cost around $150 to $200). There is a very expensive Saleen Kit ($800) that also includes new housings, but I can't see that being worth the money. Ed >>> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the >>> exhaust and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Ed I don't know how true this is, but from what I've read these kits are mostly illegal because they are not mounted in a projector. The light is not focused to a beam but scatters outward blinding oncoming drivers. I just read this little "how to" > http://tinyurl.com/2lvoje It's a fox, so doing it for a late model would be different, but it gives an idea of what it takes to graft on a projection system. SignatureTropic Green Y2K Mustang GT W/bits & pieces http://tinyurl.com/2uqoat >> This is what I thought as well. However, my son showed me several kits >> that use different bulbs and a ballast. The bulbs are not just the [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > It's a fox, so doing it for a late model would be different, but it > gives an idea of what it takes to graft on a projection system. Any and all changes other than actual OEM or OEM identical parts are by the letter illegal even if they are DOT registered, because as soon as you make any change from original the DOT reg is no longer effective. So even that fabrication is illegal. my personal experience is that the cars with HID projectors are more blinding as oncoming traffic than a conversion is. There are also cars out there that apparently have OEM xenon lights that have no projector lens. Now I have to suppose that not all housings are created equal, the ones on my Nissan work very well with the xenon lights. A housing that has a smooth reflector and a faceted lens will definitely cause a problem with throwing glare in the wrong places. I've had an objective safety inspector look at mine and give me his opinion. After looking from inside and out, I think he bought a set for his F150. The pictures on that website referenced on the forum look like they are retrofitting a xenon HID lamp into a projector housing meant for a halogen bulb. Now I can see how that would cause a lot of problems since HID projectors have a blocker built in to cut off the light on a sharp line just under oncoming drivers eyes. You also have to make sure your lights are properly aimed as well. Signature"I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges?" -- TazAMD >> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the >> exhaust and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Real HID is expensive; IIRC, >1000$US. Fake HID is just blue-tinted > bulbs, which produce less light than stock bulbs. You are incorrect on the nature and cost of true xenon lights. HID xenon refit kits can be bought for less than $100 now, about $30 or so more for bi-xenon required to replace dual filament bulbs. Signature"I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges?" -- TazAMD >>> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the >>> exhaust and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > HID xenon refit kits can be bought for less than $100 now, about $30 > or so more for bi-xenon required to replace dual filament bulbs. Do they have the problem with light scattering I see mentioned? The last thing I want is for my Son to ride around pissing off the rest of the world because he has super bright but poorly focused headlights. Ed >>>> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the >>>> exhaust and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > Ed I think the biggest problems arise when you put a xenon kit into a projection housing that is made for a halogen bulb. IMHO the projection lamps make less surrounding glare, but blind you more when head on. Any glare around my lights may obscure my vehicle, but is not going to affect oncoming drivers like they say. I've never had a complaint and I've even asked people point blank about it. The complaints I get result from being Civic drivers heading towards a fullsize truck with a rocker panel sitting at eye level. Of course Joe will want to know if it will void the warranty and tell you that looking at my pictures there is no visible difference. Oh I tried to send you a link in email but got that reply from EL. Normally I refuse verification because it's a bad solution, but I clicked the link, then it wanted names and emails and all kinds of stuff. I wasn't about to fill all that stuff out so you may not get it. Signature"I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges?" -- TazAMD >>>>> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the >>>>> exhaust and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > stuff. I wasn't about to fill all that stuff out so you may not get > it. All consideration-for-oncoming-drvers aside, what good are the conversions? If they actually have some value, how often does it come into play? SignatureFrank ess >> Oh I tried to send you a link in email but got that reply from EL. >> Normally I refuse verification because it's a bad solution, but I [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > conversions? If they actually have some value, how often does it come > into play? Well hell, why bother upgrading to halogen? the old standard incandescent sealed beams worked just fine. Signature"I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges?" -- TazAMD >>> Oh I tried to send you a link in email but got that reply from >>> EL. Normally I refuse verification because it's a bad solution, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Well hell, why bother upgrading to halogen? the old standard > incandescent sealed beams worked just fine. Good "answer". > My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the exhaust and > headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been opposing the changes. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ed I just stuck some BF Goodrich G-Force T/A KDW NTs on my 2006 GT Coupe. IMHO, that was a HUGE improvement over the normal G-Force T/A KDWS that were on the car prior to these. Handling and off the line acceleration has been improved drastically. The only downside is I probably will suffer from wear issues faster due to the softer compound, but it is worth it to get a better tire. > My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the exhaust > and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been opposing the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Ed I did a bi-xenon conversion to my 05GT and it was a BIG TIME improvement. Got the kit from visionbulbs.com. Less than $200 for the H13 hi/low kit. Comes with dual ballasts, install is pretty simple, bulbs snap right in to the headlight housings. And I just passed inspection with them. They have a discount code you can use to get 10% (if I remember right) off the price and offer free standard shipping. As for the exhaust, like everyone else has said, get a set of GT exhaust off of ebay. Hawgman www.s197forum.com >> My son's car is a 2006 Mustang V6 Coupe. He wants to upgrade the exhaust >> and headlights. Being an old stick in the mud I have been opposing the [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > discount code you can use to get 10% (if I remember right) off the price and > offer free standard shipping. Ooo, I've wanted to know how well those bi conversions work. Flipping that bulb works as well as the original 2 filament bulb? And is yours in the standard style housing or does it have the projector lenses? Signature"I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges?" -- TazAMD > Ooo, I've wanted to know how well those bi conversions work. Flipping > that bulb works as well as the original 2 filament bulb? And is yours in > the standard style housing or does it have the projector lenses? Stock housing. They actually work quite well. No lag or "blinking" when you switch from low to hi. And they don't blind oncoming drivers. >> Ooo, I've wanted to know how well those bi conversions work. Flipping >> that bulb works as well as the original 2 filament bulb? And is yours in >> the standard style housing or does it have the projector lenses? > > Stock housing. They actually work quite well. No lag or "blinking" when you > switch from low to hi. And they don't blind oncoming drivers. Yes, there would be no blinking, it's the same bulb repositioned to point at a higher angle. I may try a set in my Mustang. Signature"I wonder how much deeper the ocean would be without sponges?" -- TazAMD
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