2011 GT...More Mods or Upgrade or Newer style?

[Ironman_GT]

I love my car and its in flawless condition. Fairly low miles (44k)...it's primarily a grocery getter since I work from home. Not a ton of mods but a few in past year....I've owned it almost a year exactly and it is my first mustang. I'm so hooked.

Mod list:

Nitto/Rovos Durbans 20"/8.5x10
Steeda sport springs
Panhard bar
Tail light sequencers
New bullit GT gas cap
Tower strut bar
Side louvers
Blacked out 5.0, rear GT and rear spoiler
Borla S-type axle backs
Resonator deletes
Vinyl graphics professionally installed



Runs great for a bone stock car. Put down 388 rwhp on dyno and guy said would have been even better had not been for rev limiter with stock wheels. Runs real real strong and I love it.

So end of year bonus comes - I'll get my half and Disney will get the other lol. So I'm debating between JBA LT headers, CAI and quality tune OR trading towards new body style 15' GT with low miles. I absolutely am in love with the competition orange and new body style and there are a couple good deals near me on 15's - under $26k. I'm debating whether to put my $$ towards a new ride or more mods on my existing 2011. I'd love to have significantly more HP but I'm not sure FI is in my future....I'm guessing that's a minimal $5k with SC, more needed bolt ons, tune etc. Wife is not HP friendly. She just not get the allure of it so not much I can do there. I do owe a little on my car but definitely have equity.

Keep and add mods or upgrade??

 

[Bouttime09]

Great looking car. Personally, I'd do something with that front facia. Maybe put a little more into suspension mods, some bolt-ons, maybe some interior creature comforts and enjoy it for a little while longer. I'm not really drawn to the 15 and ups. Well, that GT350 is another story.

Our cars are the last of their kind, for who knows how long. American styling, solid rear axle. I think they are going to retain their value better than previous model years, or even the S550's.

To each their own though. Do whatever makes you feel good.

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[StalkerStang]

If you really have a thing for the 15+ body style then go for it. Longer you wait or the more miles you put on the 11', the less its worth; and a dealer isn't gonna give you shit for it as it sits now let alone with more miles.

I love my 11, and now that it has some extra things done to it and is making pretty decent power, I'm keeping it for a while.

 

[tj@steeda]

You will be in love with the 15s once you take it for a spin!

Go get new, you deserve it

TJ

 

[hand-filer]

You will be in love with the 15s once you take it for a spin!
TJ

If you can overlook the quality/fit & finish issues.

 

[Famine]

Trade in the wife and upgrade

 

[Rusnak_322]

I got to agree, your car is looking tight. Add a splitter or ?? In the front and it will pop. Love the wheels.

Sure, adding miles to your car will lower its worth, but it isn't like new Mustangs are appreciating.


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[kdaly]

Probably not a popular vote but I'd try and pay it down/off with your bonus. Then mod the shit outta it with boost. I learned the hard way with expensive mods trying to gain HP. The only mod that will put a smile on your face is suspension and boost. The others are too costly for the added benefit. Buying a used form of boost is cheap. 4k most the time. Full exhaust with install gets close to that price alone.

 

[Famine]

Probably not a popular vote but I'd try and pay it down/off with your bonus. Then mod the shit outta it with boost. I learned the hard way with expensive mods trying to gain HP. The only mod that will put a smile on your face is suspension and boost. The others are too costly for the added benefit. Buying a used form of boost is cheap. 4k most the time. Full exhaust with install gets close to that price alone.

You are correct. Its nice not having a payment. I paid mine off and went with a vmp blower and suspension and never looked back. Saving now for 6r80 conversion and aluminator in the future. Building it brings you closer to your car. More sentimental value.

 

[Paul.]

My '11 has 37,000 miles on it, and I was in a similar situation recently. I was either going to buy a '13/'14 Shelby, or a GT350. Decided to keep my car and mod it.

My suggestions:
- Whipple or VMP TVS
- Put some nice brakes behind those big wheels
- Boss front end and GT/CS foglights
- Different grille
- Boss rear lower valance

An S550 will just tank in value like all mustangs do. Drive it. Beat on it. Enjoy it.

Paul.

 

[Sizeth3]

Probably not a popular vote but I'd try and pay it down/off with your bonus. Then mod the shit outta it with boost. I learned the hard way with expensive mods trying to gain HP. The only mod that will put a smile on your face is suspension and boost. The others are too costly for the added benefit. Buying a used form of boost is cheap. 4k most the time. Full exhaust with install gets close to that price alone.

This +1 million

After adding boost to my car, I would never do the N/A mod route again. Car makes 600 rwhp, feels fast every time I drive it, turns heads. If/when I get bored, I can convert to E85 and go faster.

 

[Zemedici]

Probably not a popular vote but I'd try and pay it down/off with your bonus. Then mod the shit outta it with boost. I learned the hard way with expensive mods trying to gain HP. The only mod that will put a smile on your face is suspension and boost. The others are too costly for the added benefit. Buying a used form of boost is cheap. 4k most the time. Full exhaust with install gets close to that price alone.

This. Best car mod = not having a payment.

 

[Ironman_GT]

What's a realistic expectation of cost of everything that's needed for SC, etc? I'm not super familiar with it and not sure $5k+ is in the budget right now.....seems like I saw VMP TVS on one of the sites for $3200 ish but not sure what it did not have that was needed. Certainly installation, tuning etc is additional cost....

 

[Zemedici]

What's a realistic expectation of cost of everything that's needed for SC, etc? I'm not super familiar with it and not sure $5k+ is in the budget right now.....seems like I saw VMP TVS on one of the sites for $3200 ish but not sure what it did not have that was needed. Certainly installation, tuning etc is additional cost....

Ballpark:

Injectors / BAP = $1200
Blower $3-5k (depending on options)
Clutch - $1500 (if you're manual, auto you're fine)
Installation $ 1500ish
Tune $750ish
Exhaust?

 

[kdaly]

Gonna edit Zemedici's just a hair but he is dead on for the most part



Injectors / BAP = $1200 You can get them used for 800 from what i've seen
Blower $3-5k (depending on options) YUP
Clutch - $1500 (if you're manual, auto you're fine) YUP but you can get 3k mile take off as well, or you can use your stock one if you are at the 600 and under mark. Plenty of ppl are using their stock one but I wanted the piece of mind.
Installation $ 1500ish about right. You can do it yourself or I paid a guy 1k cash and he did it.
Tune $750ish , if you already have a tune its cheaper.


Also you can get a paxton BeefCake Special for 5400 new with the injectors and tune. And that is before you haggle or offer cash price if he is willing. I see VMP takeoffs all the time too.

 

[stang99x]

The benefit of the 15.......a more refined look, IRS and if you drive a manual the shifter is light years better on that car. The downfalls (to me anyway) are the IRS and that god awful set of dash switches that look like old GM window switches in the center under the Navi. I drove a 15 and loved a lot about it, but I couldn't see leaving my 13 and that solid axle for the newer IRS setup. I'm not a road track guy.......I'm just a light to light who's got a bigger swinging "richard" at this moment type.

As for the blower, $5k would be a steal depending on model. Figure more in the $7k range.

 

[Paul.]

The Whipple Stage 3 kit comes with absolutely everything you need to take a 100% stock Coyote to 591 rwhp on 91 octane fuel. EVERYTHING. Plug 'n' Play. No issues. No drama. Starts, runs, and drives perfect the very first time.

Ask me how I know.

 

[Zemedici]

The benefit of the 15.......a more refined look, IRS and if you drive a manual the shifter is light years better on that car. The downfalls (to me anyway) are the IRS and that god awful set of dash switches that look like old GM window switches in the center under the Navi. I drove a 15 and loved a lot about it, but I couldn't see leaving my 13 and that solid axle for the newer IRS setup. I'm not a road track guy.......I'm just a light to light who's got a bigger swinging "richard" at this moment type.

As for the blower, $5k would be a steal depending on model. Figure more in the $7k range.

seems like all subjective complaints tbh. The IRS on the 2015s acts the exact same on the street as a solid axle, still an extremely predictable mustang. Not to mention the 'weak IRS' complaints are a thing of the past, I've got 4 cars at my shop making 4 digit power on basically stock IRS still....

and he's looking at used blower kits / new from Beefcake is like $5500

 

[nate714]

If you like the new 15+ cars get one. They have their advantages. I think the 11-14 look better. I haven't run against any minor bolt on 15+ GT's yet, but in stock form the 15+ are easily embarrassed racing light to light.

The 15+ motor is better suited for boost if that's in the cards. I'm curious to see what they do in the next refresh. 2018+ might be worth upgrading to.

 

[PaxtonShelby]

Your car looks great. Best color!! Love those wheels! Keep it and mod away. I didn't feel any significant handling improvement of a '15 over my stock '14 GT TP. With good suspension upgrades a SRA '11-14 will handle as well as about anything out there. Of course a '15+ 5.0 will handle more boost but if you're not exceeding 600 to the wheels you're fine with a good tune. And either car will need a clutch if you go FI with a manual.