My idea is to stiffen her up with strut tower bracing and sub-frame connectors for now, so that she'll be ready for go-fast mods later.

That sound about right?

Then, once it can breathe, give it some mechanical advantage by way of lower gears.

I ordered my body stiffening parts - strut brace, sub-frame connectors & the cross-brace to go between the subs. I got the chrome-moly brace & subs just because they weren't all that much more; when you buy quality you only cry once.

Steve, is there a full exhaust system you can recommend? I'm talking headers & the whole rest of the system as a package, if possible. Probably not as a full package, maybe, but all from the same manufacturer. Seems like that kind of compatibility would make bolt-together & fit easier.

Or any other exhaust system I should know about?

Long tube headers will give you more HP and low end torque, but they are more difficult to install. Ya gotta raise the engine...at least on the Fox Body's you do...not sure about the SN95's.

Also, you might want to consider whether you want equal or unequal length headers. A rule of thumb I've been told is, unless you're gonna do some serious track racing, you might not want to mess with equal length, as they can be a pain in the posterior.

Again, like the long tubes, it comes down to PIA vs. performance results. Is it worth it to you? That's the only thing you need to worry about.

Brand names. Just about anything out there will do well for you. I personally like JBA headers because their reputation for Mustang headers is like Edelbrocks rep is for Mustang heads. They're great!

Hooker, Hedman, BBK, Dynomax, Flow Tech, even FMS. I guess what it comes down to here is how much you want to spend. JBA's are one of the best made, but they are also one of the most expensive. Just make sure that whatever brand you get, you make sure the flange is one piece. Very important!! ONE PIECE FLANGE!

Now, from the headers back you can go with 2.5" offroad X or H-pipe. Supposedly the X is more efficient, but for street machines, I think it's just advertising. I have an H-pipe I'll be installing on my 5.0 along with JBA's when I finally get it back from the body shop.

Then come the mufflers. If you don't want the Flowmaster 2K rpm whine, then go with Dynomax. I think the one's I'm thinking about are called Magnum something or other. Or Race Magnums...or something like that, LOL!! Anyway, those Dynomax mufflers are quiet at freeway speeds, but produce a really nice big block rumble at WOT.

I understand the Flowmaster 40 series Delta flow mufflers are quieter than the standard Flowmaster mufflers at freeway speeds too.

If you don't want to piecemeal it with seperate components, I understand Dynomax has a complete system you can buy. From headers all the way back to tips.

Stewart

------------------
Got Milk? :-)~~
If you go fishing, bring a fishnet ;) you might catch a hummingbird