Back in Feb I traded the truck for a Mustang GT convertible. Since then I made a few modifications. I started with a Ford racing X-pipe/resonator delete and a pair of Ford racing axle back sport mufflers made by borla. Those really opened up the exhaust and when I get on it you can hear it about a quarter mile away. I then added a Ford racing short throw shifter and a blowfish racing shifter support, it moves the mount of the shifter from the underside of the trans tunnel to the trans itself thus eliminating the shifter bind when the engine and trans rock side to side under load.

I then tried to go the cheap route and get an 87mm throttle body and a custom tune. After finding out the 87 mm TB has a different bolt pattern than the stock 80 mm unit I had to buy an adapter plate twice, the first one was the wrong one so I had to try again. After I amassed all the correct parts and spent almost 6 bills, I installed it all only to find out the tuner I chose could not get the engine to run correctly with the 87 mm TB, it would hunt and surge at lower rpm and part throttle. It would get better as rpm rose and the throttle opened up more but it was still there and noticeable. So I pulled everything off and put it back to stock and returned what I could. Out of the 6 bills I spent I got back 3, I had to eat the other 3. I then did what I should have done in the first place and bought the Ford racing stage 2 power pack. It comes with the 87 mm TB, an adapter plate to mount the TB, a GT 350 CAI and filter assembly, and a Ford racing tune. Ford claims a 21 rwhp gain and 40 ft/lbs at 1500 rpm on 91 octane, but LMR (late model restoration) did an install and test and gained 26 rwhp on 93 octane. Best 800 I ever spent, it runs a lot harder now and in first and second gear from a roll under 2000 rpm it will break the rears loose at will, I had to relearn how to drive the car all over again.

https://lmr.com/item/M9603M8A/15-17-...k-2-m-9603-m8a

And finally just last week I ordered a CDC (classic design concepts) convertible light bar from LMR and it was delivered yesterday. I installed it today.

 

That has to be a lot of fun!

 

Trust me it is. More than once I got on it a little too judiciously while getting on the highway and I was at a buck 20 before I knew it. This car is a rocketship compared to the truck.

My next step is a set of stainless works long tubes and they are local so I'll just drive over there and have them do the install. Besides why get dirty when they do free installs for veterans.

A little FYI for any one who is looking into buying an S 550 mustang, look at my third pic from above. See the A/C vents above the radio, on regular mustangs there are only 3 vents holes and they are all vents. On performance pack models like mine, the outer two are vents, the inners are factory gauges. The left one is oil pressure, and the right is a vacuum gauge. On Ecoboost performance pack models they swap out the vac one for a combo vacuum/boost gauge. It didn't take long for some one to try a swap of an eco gauge pack into a gt. Turns out it is plug n play and not only does it work, the my color works, it is factory and the boost function works without any additional hardware. The swap has become so popular that ford took notice and now offers the factory eco cluster thru ford racing. Both LMR and American Muscle sells it for 269.99

http://www.americanmuscle.com/frpp-c...r-1517eco.html

 

Looks good -- I really like the look of a light bar on a convertible like that......

 

Looks great! Would love a 5.0 Mustang.

Does stainless works do discounted installs for in-person customers?

 

They do free installs for veterans, but you have to make an appointment. IDK about discounts for walk-ins

 

I really like the Grabber blue especially with the black wheels.... those really set if off!

We have a couple of Mustangs in the family, my wife drives a 2011 GT and my son drives a 2014 MCA V6. Both cars are a lot of fun.

 

Did the bar add any stiffness? Or is it cosmetic only?


Looks great either way!

 

Cosmetic

 

Thanks, When I found a grabber blue convertible, I had to have it. The wheels tho, I like the design but I'm not a fan of black wheels. When I wear out the tires, I'm getting new wheels too, in any color but black.

I don't like the murdered out look, it may look ok on a honda, but not on a good old american muscle car.

 

I'm not really a "murdered out" fan either, my F150 has the PVD wheels which I like, but I wouldn't really consider yours having that complete blacked out look.

There are a couple of grabber blue mustangs, one a vert like yours, in my town with silver wheels and they just don't look as good to me as those with black or mostly black wheels. The colors just seem to go together IMO. But regardless you have a very nice car!

 

Take a pic of it straight on the side - then you can play with photoshopping different wheels on it.

 

No need. I already have an idea of what I want. And they have photos posted of customers who already bought the wheels for their car, and a video also.

https://lmr.com/item/WK-122013A/must...graphite-15-17

 

I just bought the long tube headers from late model restoration, cost me a little over 1100. I got the stainless power ones, they are made by stainless works, and are identical. The only difference is the works branded ones get a lifetime warranty, and the power branded ones get a two year warranty but are 450 bucks cheaper. Next week after they get here, I'll take a run down to summit and pick up a set of stage 8 locking header bolts. I decided to try to tackle the job myself, since I'm on vacation until March 4.

 

Very nice looking cars!