I'll keep this short, but I've been reading a lot of your guys posts and I'm a little confused. Realize I'm a pre-94 mustang guy who is thinking on a 2000 or waiting for a 2001. Us mustangers knew that computer chips were a waste of money...no wait if that was the only thing you were going to do and with exhaust, maybe a little bit of horsepower gains. You could get the same results by increasing your base timing, since the chip just mostly increased your timing curve...same results since the computer controls it from the base point you set. Some say it also increases your fuel curves but again, other, cheaper methods are available. I realize (i think that is) the L has the
EEC-V, right? Can you remove a spud connector like the old EEC-IV mustangs and increase your timing to just before detonation (pinging) in a higher gear, under load? Then put in a 160 or 180 degreee thermostat with a K&N filter and a good cat-back exhaust. How about gears? Sounds like 4.10's would be the ones to get. There's more, but then I would be giving away ALL my old cheap fuel injection hod rodding secrets. Anyway, has anyone done these things yet, or all of you bent up on the chip thing....I wasted $350 for a Hypertech years ago...used once, checked for increased drag times, actually slowed down by almost .5 sec if my memory serves correctly...
Have fun with your rides and let me know if these things are available for the L

89 GT HB
12.28 @ 116.47 (best time on M&H street slicks and a whole bunch of mods w/stock injectors)

 

The big thing with the L's is a chip and filter modification on average improving your times by .4-.5. They do the usual fuel/timing things but the biggest factor I think is the shift improvement. Stock has them dropping 4 cylinders out and going through some slushy-*** shift and then resuming the rocket ride. The chip eliminates this and increases trans oil pressure so the shifts snap your neck(actually had my '99 squack the tires shifting into third @ 85MPH one night, not bad for a 4670lb. truck with 2 adults in it).

Guys who have done headers show little improvement to justify the big $$$'s

Some have done the gears(3:73,4:10) and picked up a couple tenth's if I'm not mistaken(they'll correct me ).

Haven't heard much on thermostats so no comment.

------------------
Red '00 Lightning,
Adopted 4/19/00,
Power Surge Performance enhanced,
Sound effects provided by Flowmaster,
Track time pending...

 

Remoford,

Some of the old tricks don't work on the "mod motored Lightning". The Pro-M good for a few HPs along with a couple tenths. Big thing is timing and fuel, that's were the chip comes in. The '99-'20 Lightning have coil pack sitting on top of each spark plug. There is no distrubor or plug wires as we are used to.

Gears are always a good bang for the buck but it gets tougher to fix the speedometer, not like changing the speedometer gear in the transmision as we did on the 5.0 Mustangs. Now you gotta fool the computer to make the speedometer work correctly.

We are beginning to see more "computer" tuners now.

John Armstrong
2000 Red Lighnting

** Chipped by Swanson
** http://www.swansonperformance.com

[This message has been edited by jarmstro (edited 06-20-2000).]

 

ACTUALLY YOU CAN GO TO A GOOD DEALERSHIP AND HAVE YOUR L'S COMPUTER RECONFIGURED, THEY CAN CHANGE THE OCTANE SETTING, SHIFT POINTS, SPARK ADVANCE, AND EVEN CHANGE YOUR SPEEDO FOR A NEW GEAR. WENT LAST WEEK AND HAD MY OCTANE AND SHIFT POINTS ADJUSTED, TRUCK FEELS BETTER BUT NOT SURE IF IT CHANGED PERFORMANCE (NOTHING FEELS BETTER THAN BEATING SOME GUY THAT DID A CHIP EXHAUST AND FILTER ON HIS 89 LX, AND HIS FRIEND IN A 95 L AT 1:00 IN THE MORNING ON MOUND ROAD

 

Remoford,

I myself can relate to what your saying about chips not making an improvement.I also have wasted tons of cash on chips for stangs. But I must tell you that times have changed.I have picked up more than .6 tenths in the quarter with just a chip alone.So are you asking are they worth it I would have to say Hell yes. So, when and if you decide to purchase a Lightning you should consider all choices(search always helps) or you can just wait for the chip shoot-out....

------------------
Spiro-TEAM PSP
99 SVT Lightning
BLK. #1476 5/20/99
------------------
Bassani catpipes
Bassani catback
Mickey Thompson E.T. Drag`s
------------------
Cervini`s 3-inch Cowl Hood
A-pillar Phantom Boost Guage
Fuel pressure guage
Redline Water Wetter
Sportmaster Flip tonneau
CD changer

Best run to date
13.064 @105.33
Best 60` 1.84
Best m.p.h. 106.66

"Empty Pockets Racing"Drag Race Team NJ-DE

LAUNCH HARD

 

Hey Spiro.
Your posting good times, how do you find the bassani, is it bearable, i'm considering.
Is that your only mods..psp combo and exhaust

 

Remoford,

I've been in the same boat as you. In fact, the only hot-rod in my collection I don't tune by MYSELF is my '99 L.

As you can relate, chips (at least generic ones for rather stock applications) do nothing for an EEC-IV Mustang, or really anything else from that era.

However, as has been mentioned, there's no distributor to turn on these. I'm not even sure if there's a FP regulator (many of the '99+ vehicles are REQUIRED by law to have no return line to the tank...so fuel _flow_ is even dictated by the computer). Plus, with an auto trans...a chip can do a lot. Stick trans is another story.

My advice upon purchasing one of these is to get a chip ASAP.

------------------
Wes Tarbox
90 LX 5.0 (10.69 @ 134.7)--597rwhp/590rwtq
96 Cobra (12.63 @ 114.5)--390rwhp/441rwtq
99 Lightning (13.20 @ 103.3)--362rwhp/444rwtq
00 Expedition XLT 5.4
http://members.aol.com/Wa2fst/index.html

 

Ya Ya I went to my dealer yesterday and he also changed my shift points.Plus he even put on hi flow windshield wipers.Also the liquid nitrogen headlights for better night time driving.The last thing he did was he took the flux compasiter out and put in a 9 volt instead for better acceleration.Did I mention he changed my gear ratio for my 410 gears