Ok i've been on this forum a lot here lately, and i've been a mustang board member for a loooong time, and i hate it just as much when people ask the same questions over and over, but I do not know a lot about this formula i have so i am hoping you guys can help.....

I have a 1989 formula 350 TPI...and i want to get started on some mild modifications and upgrades. So what do you guys suggest, I'm pretty well mechanically inclined, but i don't know where to go with this engine.....what exhaust and basic bolt-ons or adjustmenst should i pursue first. Thanks in advance, sorry to ask the same old retarted question.

 

Welcome to TGO.

Is your formy stock end to end? If so, I'd suggest that you consider the first up-grade to be the exhaust system, cat-back to headers. A new free breathing air filter along with a complete tune up should be on the must do short list. Those suggestions should keep you busy for a while.

Have fun!

 

yes as far as i know its completely stock. and you're right i would definately like to do exhaust first, but all i know about is mustang exhaust. I don't know what y-pipe, cat-back etc....to buy. WHat would you suggest

 

Pretty much all the available cat backs are the same physically with the difference being in sound. How loud do you want it and how aggresive? Flowmaster, SLP, Borla, Hooker and edelbrock all offer quality kits. As for headers will you be required to maintain emissions or not? If emissions is required I'd recommend Edelbrock as they have all the fittings for emissions and they have factory style connections from the header to the Y pipe and their F body kits cover every catalytic converter type GM used. Hooker and Hedman are similar as well.

 

i want something kinda loud, but still deep and smooth. I have flowmasters on my mustang, and i'm changing it to SLP.I'm in alabama so no emissions testing, Where can i get a good y-pipe, and what brand is good. Also How hard is it to do headers in these cars. Its an 8 hour job for the mustang.

 

My buddy and I installed emmisions deleted coated headers & y piple plus an all new cat back system into my IROC in about 8 hours. The car was on a lift so, cant really say if we were just slow or if we just took our time? Like to think the latter...

The coated headers and coated y-pipe that I chose were ordered from http://www.jet-hot.com The cat back I used was a Flowmaster package system ordered from http://www.summitracing.com

Have fun, do a few searches on the board. You'll find lots of good info.

Good luck

 

thanks...what about after exhaust, i am making a list while the car is still sitting, so i can do a lot of it at once.

 

After exhaust, rebuild the suspension. Add subframe connectors, replace the torque arm, panhard rod, bushings, springs, steering linkage... There are several aftermarket companies that offer quality products to choose from. Check out the site supporters.

What does the car have for a rear end? 9 or 10 bolt? Check your rpo codes to see if you can determine what the gear ratio is. If it's a 10 bolt with 3.23 or better you're probably okay street performance wise. If it's 2.73 - 3.08, you might consider other gears. If you have a 9 bolt with 3.27's or better, I'd leave it alone. Otherwise, well, that's up to you.

Do the free tpi mods. Check out the tech section forum.

Maybe preventative maintenance but, one thing that rarely gets mentioned is to replace the upper OE door hinge pins with greaseable repair kits. Sooner or later your 3rd gen's doors will sag or drag. Then, you'll be doing this project anyway. Check out Top-Down Solutions on this site for the repair kit.

Have fun!

 

The Hooker 2055 headers come with a Y pipe.

 

If it's an auto flush the tranny. These boxes like clean fluid, and shift significantly better with it. I'm not even sure that all the bits I put it made as nice of a difference as this did on my 700R4.

 

Get the hooker 2055's and it comes with a 3 inch y pipe with a o2 sensor bung in it. I LOVE my hooker headers.

 

Hooker 2055's are very popular, but they have air pipes for smog, so you may want something else, or you can cut off and weld the air tubes. Most install "shortie" headers and use a Y-Pipe to merge into a single exhaust "I-Pipe" back to the muffler. Jet Hot ceramic coating is also very popular.

Install a 3" catback, and a 3" one in, 2.5" two out muffler system. Some like MagnFlow, I like DynoMax. Get a CATCO cat, 3" in 3" out if you are going to use one at all.

It's also popular to replace the old fuel injectors with Ford SVO's, and install an AFPR, Holley is popular.

And new rockers, lots of folks like 1.6 full rollers, but they may not easily fit under the stock valve covers. I like steel rockers with roller tips, Comp Cams makes those in 1.52 or 1.6 ratios and they fit under the stock valve covers.

Taylor makes nice spark plug wires.

You can get some of this stuff on EBay for less than at Summit Racing.

 

great guys thanks a lot....I'm going to finish up this interior, and then i am going to tackle the exhaust....

What about a shiftkit in this car...I put one in the mustang and i love it

 

What kind of mileage does the tranny have on it? Has it been well maintained?

Along with a shift kit you might also consider up-grading at least the 1-2 servo. If you elect to do that, you'll probably end up pulling the trans to get it in. Might be the right time to have the trans rebuilt if it has high miles and also replace the torque converter.

 

well the car has 104,000 on it, I am the second owner...ever. And i know the guy very well, and he kept records of all service done to it. EVerything has been very well maintaned but i don't know when it was changed last. I would have to check.

 

You have an advantage knowing the previous owner and having access to the car's history. However, with 104K miles on the tranny you might want to have it serviced and evaluated first by a shop that specializes in performance transmissions before you install the shift kit. Just my