Upgrade List

[Dino Dino Bambino]

Unless you don't mind spending thousands on the car right now and getting yourself into debt, forget about adding forced induction or doing an engine swap (especially a Coyote 5.0 since it would cost less to simply trade up to a GT).
You didn't mention whether your V6 is a manual or automatic but either way, I'd start with a 3.73 axle gear swap and a custom ECU tune. These alone will transform the car into a different animal. The stock airbox isn't restrictive enough to warrant replacement with a CAI, and a larger TB and/or a TB spacer are a waste of money. As your budget allows, you could do LT headers plus midpipe and axlebacks of your choice later on, and I'd stop there in terms of power mods.

 

[Meteorb64]

Unless you don't mind spending thousands on the car right now and getting yourself into debt, forget about adding forced induction or doing an engine swap (especially a Coyote 5.0 since it would cost less to simply trade up to a GT).
You didn't mention whether your V6 is a manual or automatic but either way, I'd start with a 3.73 axle gear swap and a custom ECU tune. These alone will transform the car into a different animal. The stock airbox isn't restrictive enough to warrant replacement with a CAI, and a larger TB and/or a TB spacer are a waste of money. As your budget allows, you could do LT headers plus midpipe and axlebacks of your choice later on, and I'd stop there in terms of power mods.

It's an automatic, I'll edit the OP to include that.

I'm not expecting huge amounts of V8 power, I'm just looking to mod what I have.

If I do an engine swap at all (which would be years down the road) it would be to a 3.5L EcoBoost from the F150 that somebody mentioned above; not because it's more efficient than just buying a Ford GT, but since I can't afford a GT (and likely never will be able to) or even a GT500, it's something to build towards.

 

[Pentalab]

Trade it in on a 2012+ GT. Then u get a real eng. There are too many differences between the V6 u have, vs the 2012+ GT. Everything from brakes, ( too small) Drive shaft,( explodes > 115 mph), rear gear, ( 2.73) tranny differences, (V6 is lighter duty), differential is a 7.5" ( vs 8.8" in the GT),
suspension, (softer), wheels, ( too narrow), tires, ( too small)... and a bunch of other items.

By the time u add the blower to the V6.... you could have bought the V8. Fix and upgrade all the other items... and now u are in the hole.

475-600 crank hp with the pro-charger on a V6. Add new LCAs, LCA relocate kit, eaton LSD, UCA, 8.8" rear end, DSS-DS, 3.73 rear gear, adjustable PHB....... and a bunch more.... just to handle the added power.

If you just add the Pro-charger to your V6.... and no other supporting mods, you will have a death trap on your hands. Replacing the 7.5" rear end + DS would kill it right there for myself. What you are proposing just is not cost effective..... it's 8 steps backwards.

 

[Meteorb64]

Trade it in on a 2012+ GT. Then u get a real eng. There are too many differences between the V6 u have, vs the 2012+ GT. Everything from brakes, ( too small) Drive shaft,( explodes > 115 mph), rear gear, ( 2.73) tranny differences, (V6 is lighter duty), differential is a 7.5" ( vs 8.8" in the GT),
suspension, (softer), wheels, ( too narrow), tires, ( too small)... and a bunch of other items.

By the time u add the blower to the V6.... you could have bought the V8. Fix and upgrade all the other items... and now u are in the hole.

475-600 crank hp with the pro-charger on a V6. Add new LCAs, LCA relocate kit, eaton LSD, UCA, 8.8" rear end, DSS-DS, 3.73 rear gear, adjustable PHB....... and a bunch more.... just to handle the added power.

I'm starting to see this "by the time you add the blower to the V6" idea a lot - but the blower's only 6k, and a used 2012+ GT is still in the 15k+ range. Is it really 9k worth of upgrades to get the V6 driveshaft, suspension, and brakes upgraded?

Bear in mind, I'm still not even sure I want to SC this V6...

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

If I do an engine swap at all (which would be years down the road) it would be to a 3.5L EcoBoost from the F150 that somebody mentioned above; not because it's more efficient than just buying a Ford GT, but since I can't afford a GT (and likely never will be able to) or even a GT500, it's something to build towards.

The problem there is that you'll need to upgrade the laundry list of items that Pentalab mentioned and you could easily end up spending $20-30k.

 

[Pentalab]

I'm starting to see this "by the time you add the blower to the V6" idea a lot - but the blower's only 6k, and a used 2012+ GT is still in the 15k+ range. Is it really 9k worth of upgrades to get the V6 driveshaft, suspension, and brakes upgraded?

Bear in mind, I'm still not even sure I want to SC this V6...

See edited post #23. The V6 comes with a 7.5" REAR END... + 2.73 REAR GEAR...+ junk LSD. The entire rear end would have to be replaced ! And you have barely got started.

 

[MrAwesome987]

A GT rearend is probably pretty cheap and easy to swap.

 

[01yellerCobra]

I think the suspension is a moot point to argue. Even if he had a GT everyone would be telling him to upgrade to match whatever power he was planning on making.

 

[RED09GT]

I'm starting to see this "by the time you add the blower to the V6" idea a lot - but the blower's only 6k, and a used 2012+ GT is still in the 15k+ range. Is it really 9k worth of upgrades to get the V6 driveshaft, suspension, and brakes upgraded?

Bear in mind, I'm still not even sure I want to SC this V6...

I'm not understanding the math, are you currently valuing your car as worth zero dollars? If a GT is in the 15k range and you sell yours for 10K, you are still $1000 ahead of putting a blower on the V6 with an inferior drivetrain.
To upgrade to the same as the GT drivetrain with used parts you are looking at $800-1500 to upgrade the transmission, driveshaft $150, used 8.8 $800, so tack on another $2K. At that point you only need to sell your car for $7k and you will still be better off with getting the GT and financing the difference.

If you are planning on doing this over several years, chances are Procharger won't be even making that kit anymore as I see the American Muscle website lists the kit as unavailable. At that point, the market for 3.7L V6 performance parts will be so small that you'll be relegated to finding stuff on the used market or having to engineer your own stuff-which brings the 3.5 ecoboost swap to a much more viable option.

 

[Meteorb64]

I'm not understanding the math, are you currently valuing your car as worth zero dollars? If a GT is in the 15k range and you sell yours for 10K, you are still $1000 ahead of putting a blower on the V6 with an inferior drivetrain.
To upgrade to the same as the GT drivetrain with used parts you are looking at $800-1500 to upgrade the transmission, driveshaft $150, used 8.8 $800, so tack on another $2K. At that point you only need to sell your car for $7k and you will still be better off with getting the GT and financing the difference.

If you are planning on doing this over several years, chances are Procharger won't be even making that kit anymore as I see the American Muscle website lists the kit as unavailable. At that point, the market for 3.7L V6 performance parts will be so small that you'll be relegated to finding stuff on the used market or having to engineer your own stuff-which brings the 3.5 ecoboost swap to a much more viable option.

I'm not expecting my 100k mile V6 to sell for much, tbh. And I agree, the ecoboost swap is the far more viable option; as I said above, if I do an engine swap, it will be to the EcoBoost engine, I really like that idea.

Maybe there's an avenue where my high-mileage V6 is worth more; and if I can find it the GT is an okay option then, but it feels less "mine" when I just buy a used one, but that's just my take. I like the idea of having bought my car new and being able to hang onto it, which is another reason the ecoboost swap sounds like a blast, but I'm a little concerned with everything that would have to go into that.

I'm not trying to make the fastest mustang humanly possible, I don't have that kind of money.