The Ultimate Mustang Parts Buying Guide: What Every Owner Should Upgrade First

The Ford Mustang is really one of the most iconic muscle cars around, and for good reason. They look great, get a refresh every five to ten years or so, and offer plenty of smiles per gallon at an affordable price. While owning a Mustang is pretty sweet, every Mustang owner eventually comes to the realization that a little bit of personalization goes a long way. Plus, with a massive amount of aftermarket support for every Mustang generation, there are thousands of modifications you can make to your ride. So, where do you begin? Stick around because in this guide, we take you through some of the first Mustang upgrades you should make.

Performance Upgrades that are Unlike Your Mustang’s True Power

The first performance upgrades that you should make tend to include upgrades to the intake and Mustang exhaust systems. After all, you want to maximize how much air can flow through your engine, and your intake and exhaust systems are the best places to start. To keep things simple, it's a good idea to start with a cold air intake and exhaust system to establish a foundation. Then, you can move on to intake manifolds, headers, and even forced air induction. Learn more about these upgrades and how to make them work together below.

Cold Air Intake

Sure, your Mustang comes from the factory with a roaring V8 engine, or even a great-sounding V6 or EcoBoost platform, but what if you could get more out of your engine without breaking the bank? Well, this is where cold air intakes come into play. These simple intake upgrades help you ditch the stock airbox that tends to pull in warm air and allow you to replace it with an aftermarket airbox that pulls in colder air, which improves power. Even if you don't gain a ton of horsepower, a cold air intake will transform the way your Mustang sounds. In fact, cold air intakes are what produce that awesome swooshing sound.

Exhaust Upgrades

A cold air intake is a great place to start, but if you want to make even better power gains, you'll want to pair it with a new exhaust system. While you can start with a budget-friendly axle-back exhaust that improves the way your engine sounds, it's not a bad idea to get a cat-back system, especially if you plan on adding forced induction, headers, and other intake upgrades down the line. These systems make your exhaust system more efficient, which improves horsepower. This is because cat-back systems reduce exhaust back pressure and improve the flow of exhaust gases through the system. It's also important to note that a cat-back exhaust system can improve the way your Mustang looks and sounds, especially older models that only have one tailpipe.

Handheld Tuners

Upgrading your vehicle’s intake and exhaust system will help you unlock a lot of power, and these mods will transform the way your Mustang sounds. That said, if you want to make the most out of your horsepower and torque gains, you'll want to pair them with a handheld tuner. Brands like BAMA offer great options, and these tuners allow you to notify your vehicle’s ECU about the addition of modifications. This ensures that the necessary changes are made to the system to recognize and account for better exhaust flow and air intake. Without these changes, your ECU won't know that air and exhaust flow are improved, so you'll be leaving power on the table. We also recommend getting yourself a handheld tuner right out of the gate because it helps you keep an eye on your engine. If you have a Check Engine Light that turns on, you can read the error code with it. What's more, you can make adjustments and tweak OEM settings to make your vehicle run better, even without additional modifications. Ultimately, a performance tuner gives you the tool necessary to tweak your build.

Visual Upgrades to Help You Make Your Mustang Unique

We know that every Mustang owner loves to add more power to their vehicle, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't leave any room for customization. After all, performance is only half the battle when it comes to turning heads, so it's time to set our sights on some powerful visual upgrades. When just starting out, it's a good idea to keep things simple. In other words, come up with a color/style scheme you want to pull off, and then set the foundation with some decals, wheels, and tires.

Wheels and Tires

When it comes to visual mods for your Mustang, we always recommend starting with your wheels and tires. While wheels are the visual aspect, it's a good idea to consider pairing your nice new wheels with a new set of tires. Not only do tires improve the way your vehicle looks, but they also ensure that you can put the power you're making down to the pavement. When it comes to wheels and tires, the world is your oyster. Still, you should consider choosing the right wheel and tire sizes, and for the best results, it's a good idea to connect with our sales techs when you shop online. They'll take your style considerations into account and then help you find wheel and tire packages that help you knock out your wheels and tires in one shot.

Decals, Racing Stripes, and Stickers

Wheels and tires are a great place to start, but the next visual mod we recommend is a decal-type add-on. We love these subtle changes because they help your Mustang stand out, but you'll also find that you'll start to get more comfortable messing around with your vehicle’s exterior. Plus, pairing new wheels and tires with a set of racing stripes will dramatically improve the way your vehicle looks.

Take the Leap into Modifying Your Mustang Today

Whether you want to start by transforming the way your Mustang looks on the outside or you want to get some quick horsepower gains, you've come to the right place. You can find all of the mods we covered in this guide within our extensive online catalog. Connect with our sales techs for more help finding the best parts and accessories for your Mustang.