Mustang owners are a rare breed. Where most people research emissions, safety equipment, and residual value when buying a new car, Mustang owners need look no further than under the hood.
One of the most appealing characteristics of this particular Mustang, however, was that the original owner purchased a seven-year Ford factory warranty. Clearly he had planned on keeping the car for some time, but after starting a family with his girlfriend, he was forced to trade in his beloved car out of familial necessity.
Although having the peace of mind of a full warranty was no doubt one of the selling features, this meant a limited amount of modifications could be made to the car without voiding that documented reassurance. Of course, while that immediately ruled out any supercharging potential or intrusive mods that would add some serious punch to this Pony, there were other options available to squeeze out a few horses here and there.
The proud owner of this 40th Anniversary Mustang GT convertible, Dustin Woods, begins by confessing that he had not originally intended on buying a Mustang at all. "I grew up in a General Motors family," he says. "My dad has owned Suburbans as long as I've been alive, my mom has always driven a Buick, and my sister a Pontiac. I just figured I would buy a Camaro or Trans Am when I was old enough to afford one."
A combination of factors drove Woods to the decision to step away from his family affiliation with the General. "First off, GM discontinued production of the F-body back in 2002. Despite getting better engines and improved performance through the '90s, frankly I thought the last two generations were hideous." When the time came to put his money where his mouth was, Woods surprised his friends, family, and neighbors by pulling into the driveway with this Charcoal Gray Mustang. "She caught my eye as I drove past the Ford dealership," he says, "so I decided to go for a test drive. As soon as I cranked her over and heard that rumble, I fell in love instantly."
SG Motorsports' Sasha Anis...
SG Motorsports' Sasha Anis (right), along with his sidekick Chad, loosened the existing clamps, hangers, and bolts using an impact gun.
Once the connection to the...
Once the connection to the H-pipe is disconnected and all hangers are removed from their rubber isolators, the old system, which is welded, is lowered until it rests on the axlehousing.
To save the time of disconnecting...
To save the time of disconnecting the rear shocks, springs, and tires in order to remove the welded pipes as one piece, most people simply cut the system in two. Chad made the cut just after the muffler assembly as Anis and Woods held the system at either end. Simply repeat these steps for the other side.
With the old system out of...
With the old system out of the way, inspect all rubber isolators and metal hangers for damage, and repair or replace as necessary before beginning the installation of the new system.
After dropping out the old...
After dropping out the old system and getting it out of the way, we unpacked the aircraft-quality T-304 stainless steel system from Borla. Visually, the difference is night and day between the old and new systems. The mufflers and stainless steel pipes looked great, but the gleaming chrome tips will be what people will be looking at most often.
The Borla system uses the...
The Borla system uses the original hardware, which involved some serious cajoling to work loose.
The flared front pipe and...
The flared front pipe and flange assemblies were placed into position and tightened by hand. A clamp was then placed over the expanded end of the muffler assembly to hold them in place before hangers were placed into the existing rubber brackets.
The muffler hangers were negotiated...
The muffler hangers were negotiated into the rubber isolators.
A clamp was placed over the...
A clamp was placed over the expanded end of the tailpipe assembly, before the tailpipe itself was installed onto the end of the over axle pipe and into the exhaust tip's rubber isolator.
A BBK cold-air intake was installed that likely added a few horses without any negative repercussions. Another common project known to add power and presence is an exhaust-system upgrade. It was that modern muscle sound that sold Woods on the first Ford in his family, so he was originally reluctant to change the familiar notes he knew and loved. He decided on a Borla Performance Cat-Back system after hearing a number of recommendations and personal confessions about the company. A quick perusal online proved that the company did indeed manufacture a system for the '04 4.6 V-8 Mustang GT. A phone call later, and a big box from Borla was on its way.
Having some automotive know-how but not owning a hoist or dyno, Woods went to SG Motorsport to have the system installed. The local shop had a good reputation for being honest and affordable, which is often hard to come by in this industry. Owner Sasha Anis personally worked on this project, as he previously had little experience with Mustangs. "I mostly work with sport compacts, but I love getting the chance to work on different cars," he says.
The first thing Anis did, of course, was strap the Mustang to his Dynapack dynamometer for a baseline reading to see what kind of numbers the car was currently putting to the tire, so we could measure the Borla system's improvement. After warming up the car and running through a few good pulls, Anis was satisfied with the initial reading of 218 hp and 238 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. With a baseline established, it was off to the shop lift for the actual R&R work.
At this point, you should...
At this point, you should make sure that the system has sufficient clearance and that the tailpipes and tips are in the desired posi-tion. Woods was on hand to provide his opinion, which had the pipes sticking out from the rear bumper just enough to show off the Borla inscription.
The flanges were then tightened...
The flanges were then tightened before the system was aligned to ensure ideal fitment and that it was properly secured in place.
After the pipes were aligned...
After the pipes were aligned one last time, they were then tightened. The Borla Performance instruction manual recommends between 32 and 35 ft-lbs.
Then the car was lowered from...
Then the car was lowered from the hoist and placed back on the dyno so that we could see the power difference.
Once the dyno testing began,...
Once the dyno testing began, the real transformation was revealed. The results were unanimous-this system sounds nice! Anis then shared his findings as the numbers appeared on his PC-228 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque were the final numbers, which means the system added 10 hp and 10 lb-ft of torque at the wheels. Not bad power gains for a couple hours of work. Regardless of the power increase, the Borla system sounds fantastic. Neither overly loud nor obnoxiously intrusive, the system brought the tone down a few octaves to a deep, growling rumble.