Hey all-

New to the forum, and if the pieces fall together tomorrow, new to a 2004 mustang v6 5 speed!! Should be picking up my car from the dealer tomorrow if my tires and manifold came in and were installed as I'm hoping. But to get to the point, I've been looking @ some mods to put on the car and read the sticky and came away with a few questions..

1.a: I live in North Dakota and knowing the winters here are the 3.73 gears and a T-lok a bad idea with winter coming up? I'm nervous about it enough already never having drove a rwd vehicle without 4wd in the winter. Will mostly be in-town driving except for the weekends when I may put some highway milage on to get away from classes/homework.

b: What exactly does a T-lok do for the vehicle besides make both wheels spin together? How/why is this beneficial? (Non-mechanical, more of a tech guy who would have the mechanics installing most of these mods btw.. haha)

2. I noticed that when I test-drove it the shifter was very rigid and there wasn't much play in the stick at all. Coming from a 1988 Chevy Sprint beater and the 1986 Ford Ranger 5 speeds I have drove this is a whole different feel. Would a short throw shifter be smoother or is this just something I'll have to adjust to?

3. I thought it was fast as hell coming froming from that Sprint and the 92 Park Ave I had before that, should I just forget about mods and pretend there is no such thing as a GT? haha

4. What is an underdrive pully and what does it do for a car? I've been reading multiple sites in the past couple weeks and haven't seen much of anything about them, though they are listed on the tier 1 list of mods on the sticky.


I'm just looking forward to having a car to take me to and fro rather than my bicycle. (21 speed FTW) hehe..

But anyways, thanks for any input that you be able to help me out with!

I'll be posting pics asap!

 

Welcome to the site.

1. 3:73 gears and a T-lok would be the best thing you could do to increase the performance of your Mustang. Even with snowy winter, the gears will not ruin traction, and the T-lok will help increase traction. Close to stock v6 Mustangs honestly don't have enough power to be dangerous to drive. I have never driven one of my mustangs in the snow though, TEXAS. Get the gears.

The T-lok is just a type of differential that allows power to be transfered equally to both rear tires, rather than just having one tire do the pushing. Benificial becuase you will have more traction. T-lok = GOOD

2. I'm suprised you think the stock shifter is stiff, I guess it's becuase of the other cars. My stock shifter felt like it was loose and wobly. An aftermarket shifter like MGW will only be stiffer and more precise. Make sure you don't already have an aftermarket shifter. You'll get used to it, and then want a short-throw shifter.

3. You will eventually get used to the speed, and then want more, just like everyone else. Just try not to ever drive or ride and faster cars than your v6 haha. I used to think my v6 was fast, got used to it and thought it was slow, then I got a GT, still think it is sorta fast but I want more power.

4. Underdrive puleys are just aftermarket pulleys that will reduce parasidic drag on the engine and run the accesories as a slower speed. I had some on my V6. Just frees up some horsepower, some claim better gas milage. Some people experience dimming lights when the RPM's drop low. I never had a problem with mine.

 

FR explained it pretty well..

However, with gears and a tlok, you will need a tuner to recalibrate your speedometer..

Expect to spend close to a grand for the parts + installation.

And if you want to mod a v6, more power to you, there are guys out there that actually prefer modding a 6, myself I guess, included.

 

Well I LOVE my car so far. HUGE upgrade from my buick hehe.. Most likely if I do anything it'll be the T-Lok and 3.73's or 3.45's. But I'll probably end up driving it through the winter first to see how that goes and if I even want it to go faster with these winters..

I do have another question though.. How would I go about disabling that god forsaken seat belt reminder light/beeping?

 

modding v6 ftw! lol

Buy a turbo! haha

 

You can Deactivate the Belt Minder two ways. First, you can deactivate it temporarily for your current "run cycle", that is after you have started your car and it's still running. Second, you completely deactivate the Belt Minder so that it never reminds you again, or at least until your reactivate it...

The first method, temporary deactivation, or one time disable: After you have started your vehicle, buckle and then un-buckle your safety belt. Be sure to buckle back up.... This will disable the Belt Minder only for that ignition cycle.

The second method, permanent deactivation: There are 9 steps you need to follow to deactivate or activate your Belt Minder system. Before doing so, make sure that:
The parking brake is set.
The truck/car is in Park (automatic), Neutral (manual).
The ignition is OFF.
All doors are closed.
The driver's safety belt is un-buckled.
The parking and headlights are OFF.
Then follow these 9 steps:

Turn the ignition switch to ON, but DO NOT START.
Wait for the safety belt warning light to go OFF(1-2 minutes).
Steps 3-5 MUST be completed within 60 seconds!

Buckle, then un-buckle the driver's safety belt 3 times, ending with the belt un-buckled.
Turn on the headlights, turn off the headlights.
Buckle, then un-buckle the driver's safety belt 3 times, ending with the belt un-buckled.
After step 5, the Safety Belt Warning Light will be turned on for 3 seconds.

Within 7 seconds of the safety belt warning light turning OFF, buckle then un-buckle the safety belt.
This will disable the Belt Minder if it is currently enabled, or enable the Belt Minder if it is currently disabled.

Confirmation of the disabling of the Belt Minder is provided by flashing the safety belt warning light 4 times per seconds for 3 seconds.
Confirmation of the enabling of the Belt Minder is provided by flashing the safety belt warning light 4 times per seconds for 3 seconds, followed by 3 seconds with the safety belt light off, then followed by flashing the safety belt light 4 times per second for 3 seconds again.
After confirmation, the deactivation/activation of the Belt Minder procedure is complete.

Source: http://www.fordf150.net/howto/beltminder.php

If you have the manual, I forget what page, like p.132 or something, but it's in there also.

 

Very interesting I believe you but part of me is waiting for a haha gotcha

 

Yeah that sounds a little crazy, however I will give it a shot. Haha, thanks for the help

 

Hi dusty!

Most of your other questions have been answered, but being one who enjoys snowboarding and having a 2003 v6 manual Mustang as a daily driver, I can tell you it's not bad (even without ABS and traction control, which mine doesn't have - and I prefer it that way). I got mine last January, and as far as RWD, here's the trick: just don't punch the gas too hard. If you do, the rear tires will spin (both will, even without t-lok) and your rear end will start to slide out. When this happens, just let off the gas and they will regain traction. Drive slow just as you regularly do in hazardous conditions.

Last February I was making a 5-hour trip home from the mountain early because they had to close it -- and if the weather's too bad for skiing, what does that say about the roads? It wasn't bad at all driving home. Of course, when I was almost home I did see a one-car wreck involving an upside-down white 05+ mustang in the highway's median, but a lot of people are clueless when it comes to driving in snow down here.

Just remember to drive slow in icy weather and you'll do fine.

 

What, ya'll don't believe me Lol? I've done it before, it works if you do it right. I

 

Well sure as heck it worked. Amazing and thank you very much.