Free ModificationsHome | Free Mods | Intake | Ported Heads & Manifold | Exhaust | Gears | Transmission | Brakes | Parasitic HP | Fuelling | Interior | Weight | Performance | HP Gains | PartsSome performance modifications cost absolutely nothing or cost mere peanuts. Too good to be true? Think again. Below you can see the "freebie" mods that I did to my 1995 Mustang GT. You can also remove some unnecessary items from the vehicle to reduce the curb weight. Since acceleration is directly proportional to the power/weight ratio, you can increase that ratio by removing weight from the vehicle as well as by adding horsepower/torque. Weight removal costs nothing except time, and each 3% reduction in curb weight results in a 1% reduction in 1/4 mile ET and a 1% increase in 1/4 mile trap speed. Ignition Timing Advance The factory base ignition timing is 10 degrees BTDC with a maximum advance of 26 degrees BTDC. A stock Mustang 5.0L engine has been shown to respond well to the base ignition timing being advanced to 15 degrees BTDC, producing a dyno-proven 3-6hp gain. Naturally I couldn't pass up the opportunity to advance the timing on my engine, and the result was a slightly improved throttle response.
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Removed Smog Pump
Yes, that's right. This emissions-diluting relic from the early 1970's energy crisis came as standard equipment on 1995 Mustang GT's. Many owners remove the smog pump and piping to gain some underhood space and shed 10lb of weight over the front wheels. Here's the link to an excellent article detailing the removal of the smog pump equipment on a '94-'95 Mustang: |
Removed EGR
This is another one of those pesky emissions-diluting relics from the early 1970's that was installed as standard equipment on 1995 Mustang GT's, and this too can be consigned to the scrapheap. Removing the EGR valve from between the intake and exhaust manifolds creates even more underhood space and makes a small addition to the vehicle's weight-reducing diet. |
Removed Air Silencer & MAF Mesh Screen
The elephant trunk shaped pipe (right) that goes through the passenger side fenderwell and is attached to the air filter housing narrows down to just 60mm in diameter. It's designed to reduce intake noise but it also chokes off the air supply to the engine, so removing it allows the engine to breathe a little easier. This article shows how it's done: |