Hotrod-Hell.Net : Ford Mustang Tech Article : Junkyard Warrior : A Guide To Free And Cheap Mods For Fox Mustangs

Junkyard Warrior
A Guide To Free And Cheap Mods For Fox Mustangs

Most of us want to upgrade our five-oh's, but not all of us have much cash to spare. Don't worry, there are quite a few free or cheap modifications for our Fox platform cars. This is my guide to those mods. There are a lot of performance and weight oriented ideas here, but some cosmetic and comfort options as well. This article is for those of us that are broke, but still wanna do something to our 'stangs or just for a rainy day when you've got nothing better to do and don't feel like spending cash. There are ideas here ranging from 5 minute mods to multiple hour/day projects.

WARNING : USE THIS INFORMATION AT YOUR OWN RISK! HOTROD-HELL.NET IS IN NO WAY LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR INJURIES! ALWAYS HAVE A CERTIFIED AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN PEFORM ANY MAINTENANCE AND MODIFICATIONS! CHECK FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY MODIFICATIONS! MANY OF THE MODIFICATIONS LISTED ARE INTENDED FOR TRACK OR SHOW CARS ONLY! THESE ARE GUIDELINES, SO YOU MAY NEED TO DO MORE RESEARCH REGARDING SPECIFIC YEAR, MAKE, MODEL, ETC...

Air Bag Delete
Getting rid of the air bag system can drop a few pounds off of your Mustang. The steering wheel airbag, crash sensors, control module, and even the air bag indicator bulb can be removed to get every ounce. Scrapping the air bags is only for track cars. They are safety devices, and it is illegal to remove them in most cases.
Very Useful Airbag Info

Air Silencer Removal
Removing the air silencer is a free and easy way to pick up a small amount of power. It is reported to add 2-3HP. The air silencer is located in the fender by the airbox and can be removed with basic hand tools in a matter of minutes. Remove the air filter and airbox. At that point, you should see the bolts to remove the air silencer. Remove the silencer and re-install the airbox and filter.

Alternator Upgrade
You can find 100-130 amp "3G" alternators to upgrade your weak stock alternator for next to nothing in some junkyards. You can also get them new/rebuilt from your local parts supplier. Look for them in these vehicles :
1993-1996 Ford Taurus 3.0
1994-1998 Ford Mustang 3.8
1994-1995 Ford Mustang 5.0
Here is an article with more details on the swap.

Aluminum Rear Bumper
Aluminum rear bumpers are a lightweight alternative to some stock bumpers. They are found in 1979 Ford Pace Car Mustangs and possibly other variations, but are not easy to get your hands on. You can make your hunt easier by carrying a magnet along to check for steel vs. aluminum bumpers.

Aluminum Driveshaft
The 1992-1994 Ford Aerostar AWD has an aluminum driveshaft that can be used in a 5.0 Mustang. You will need a different universal joint (NAPA P/N 353) to make it fit.

Arm Rest Removal
Factory center arm rests can be quite heavy in Mustangs. Removing this will shave off a nice chunk of weight, although I find it uncomfortable in a driver. You can find arm rest delete panels from some retailers, and (if you're lucky) from a junkyard.

Ashtray And Cigarette Lighter
There's not time to smoke while racing, so why do you need the weight of the lighter and ashtray? You can't even see them with the lid closed.

Ashtray Door Swap
Metal ashtray doors were used in 1987-1991 Mustangs and plastic doors were used in 1990-1993 Mustangs. The plastic doors are a little lighter, although they may require slight modification to the door or brackets for proper function. On the other hand, if you have a plastic door and don't care about weight, the metal doors are a little more sturdy.

Bolts, Nuts, And Screws
If you are truly dedicated to having the lightest Mustang possible, this one's for you. If you just want to knock off a little easy weight, skip over this one. Racers replace steel bolts, screws, and nuts with aluminum bolts, screws, and nuts. Some racers use plastic cable ties to hold non-essential items instead of metal hardware. One crucial point here, do not replace any load-bearing, drivetrain, etc... hardware with weak hardware. This is best suited for interior and trim parts. Another trick is to grind off unnecessary length from bolts or replace them with shorter bolts. Once again, don't sacrifice safety here and go too short.

Boxed Upper/Lower Control Arms
With a little bit of steel and some welding know-how, you can box your control arms yourself for next to nothing. Here's an article from Old West Racing.

Bumper Removal
Removing the front and rear bumpers and their supports is another way to lose a little weight. I don't recommend it on a street car, and obviously it would be illegal. I would consider it a track only mod, and it may not be a good idea there either... you can still crash at the track.

Carpet/Padding Weight
Removing the carpet from your Mustang's floor can shed a bit of weight, although completely removing it isn't a good choice for most of us. You can lose a pound or two by stripping the padding from the stock carpet. That option leaves a stock appearance with slightly less weight. Some people use rolls of non-molded replacement automotive carpet that weighs next to nothing. I'm sure it can be done, but usually this option doesn't look as good as leaving the stock carpeting in place.

Catalytic Converter Removal
Track Mustangs can remove the catalytic converters from the H-pipe to shed some weight and improve flow. Most racers will probably buy an aftermarket H-pipe without cats and larger diameter pipe. If you are on an extreme budget, you could simply cut out the converters and weld a section of pipe in their place. This is certainly not street legal.

Charcoal Canister
The charcoal canister, also called the evap or evaporative canister, is used to make venting your fuel tank more pleasant and efficient. It keeps your car from smelling like gasoline (not usually noticeable unless the car is in a closed garage) and vents fuel vapor into the intake to slightly enrich the cruise mixture. It can be removed, but of course this is not emissions legal and possibly a hazard in a closed garage because of the fuel vapor. If you do choose to remove it, you will need to route the vent from the gas tank to a location that will not create fumes in the cabin or be near heat. A couple of popular choices are to lengthen it to reach the very front of the car or cut it to stop in the fender. You can also remove the canister solenoid in the fender and some hoses attached to the canister.

Convertible Top Motor
If you never plan to raise and lower the top on your convertible you could remove the top motor and electrical acessories located between the trunk and rear seat.

Cooler Thermostat
The stock thermosat is 192 degrees. By using a cooler thermostat, the computer will think the car is not completely warmed up and enrich the fuel mixture a little. This trick is often used after the addition of air intake or exhaust mods. You should be able to pick up a 180 degree thermostat and the gasket very cheap from your local parts store.

Cruise Control Delete
If you never use the cruise control, why not take it out? Removing the cruise control and air bags (if you plan to remove them) at the same time is a good plan. Then you can swap the air bagged steering wheel out for an aftermarket wheel with no cruise controls. There is also a cruise control module in the driver side fender, toward the rear of the car. The module is the most weight of the system. You also get to toss out one more vacuum line, be sure to plug the empty spot of course.

Cutting Coil Springs
Coil springs are commonly cut to lower vehicles without spending money on aftermarket springs. The added bonus is this, anything cut off is also a weight reduction. Always use the proper tools when working with springs. Springs can be very dangerous. Never attempt to cut the springs while they are on the car. You will want to start with a small amount of the spring, maybe 1/2 coil or so, possibly less. If you cut off too much you can't just put it back, so it's worth the effort to take out small bits at a time. Springs will often settle after use, so you may want to leave yourself some room instead of dropping it as low as it can go. Keep in mind that you still have suspension travel, front wheel turning, etc... that can cause serious problems if you go too low. If you are looking for a big drop you should find appropriate springs. Cutting too much off can allow the spring to pop out of place. Here is the bad news... you will need an alignment after changing your ride height, and it is likely that you will need aftermarket caster/camber plates for proper adjustment.

Dash And Console Frame/Supports/Brackets
The dash and console area is full of metal brackets, supports, and of course the dash frame. The large dash to console bracket and the knee bolster metal plate are a couple of examples. All of these could be removed with the use of a few custom brackets. A lot of these things shouldn't be removed on street cars for safety and durability purposes.

Door Bar Removal
Mustangs, and many other cars, have door bars inside them to protect the driver and passenger in the event of a side collision. They should never be removed in a street car, but they can be cut out of track only cars equipped with roll cages that offer good side protection to lose more weight.

EGR Delete
The EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) system is primarily used to reduce emissions. It can be removed to clean up the engine bay and remove more weight, but this is another non-emission legal mod. Some have reported part throttle issues after removal and others claim no issues. You will need to build or buy an EGR block-off plate or a spacer without EGR passages. You should also have the EGR functions turned off by a tuner. Don't forget to cap off any unused vacuum ports.
Removing The EGR System

Electric Fans From The Junkyard
Replacing your mechanical fan with an electric fan is a great way to increase the cooling capabilities of your 5.0. Aftermarket electric fans can be pricey, and there are high flowing fans available from cars that may be in your local junkyard. Two popular choices are the Lincoln Mark VIII fan and the Taurus fan. Here are links to information on both.
Lincoln Mark VIII Electric Fan
Taurus 3.8L Electric Fan

Emblems
5.0s have plenty of emblems that can be tossed, although they may leave holes in body panels. 5.0/GT/Cobra emblems on each front fender, Ford emblem in the front bumper cover, and a Ford emblem on the hatch or trunk, as well as any emblems a dealership may have stuck on. They may all add up to a pound or so.

Engine Bay Clean-Up
Cleaning up the engine bay by re-routing wires, hoses, lines and cables is another free or cheap way to make your Mustang a little nicer. It is generally much more time consuming than money consuming, unless you are going to go all out with professional paint and body work under the hood. Here are a couple of links that may help.
My Artice On Engine Bay Clean-Up
Another Article About Hiding Wires

Exhaust Dumps
Many Mustang modders throw their tailpipes in the junk pile. This is not only for a deeper tone, but eliminates the weight of the tailpipes. When you get rid of the tailpipes, it is a good idea to put on a set of dumps to aim the exhaust toward the ground and away from the rear axle.

Fiberglass Front Bumper
1979-1986 owners can swap their front bumpers for 1987-1993 front fiberglass bumpers that are significantly lighter. The fiberglass bumper will require some modification to fit.

Four Cylinder Coil Springs
If you are looking for a cheap way to improve weight transfer for drag racing, you could swap in the front coil springs from a four cylinder Fox Mustang. They have a lower spring rate than the V8 front springs. This causes many people to describe the ride with four banger springs as "squishy" and report poor handling. You do not want the rear springs from a four cylinder, because you actually want to stiffen the rear for drag racing.

Front Sway Bar Removal
Eliminating the front sway bar is a trick used by many drag racers to eliminate weight from the front end. This is another mod that is not for everyone. The front end is "floaty" without a sway bar and some report a rough ride. Many racers like to remove it fro track day, but re-install for street use. The front sway bar mounts could also be cut off if you never want to use a front sway bar again.

Front Sway Bar Swap
If you have a V8 Mustang and want to lighten up the front end a little without completely ditching the sway bar, you could swap in a 4 cylinder sway bar. Likewise, if you have a four cylinder and want to improve handling, swap in a V8 swaybar.

Fuel Pressure Regulator Vacuum
A trick used by some Mustang owners is unplugging the stock fuel pressure regulator's vacuum line. This should increase fuel pressure slightly. It is generally used just for a race, not for driving. Any open vacuum lines need to be plugged.

GT Fog Lights/Bracket Removal
Aero GTs are equipped with a heavy steel bracket to hold the fog lights. This bracket and the fog lights can be removed to save a good bit of weight. If you like your fog lights, you can keep them but just remove the bracket between the two.

GT Ground Effects
If outward appearance is the least of your worries, or you just like the look of an LX, you can remove the GT ground effects. They really don't weigh that much so it's not a great idea to scrap them if you like them at all. Removing the GT ground effects may expose a need for body work. There are brackets attached to the fenders to hold the GT parts in place, which will leave holes to be filled. You may also notice paint fading or scrapes and scratches. You should be able to grab LX front and rear bumper covers from a salvage yard if you do choose to eliminate all the GT items.

Gut It
There are a lot of weight reductions listed here, but you may have noticed some obvious possibilites are missing. I'm leaving them to the gut it category. If you truly must have the lightest Mustang possible, a rear seat delete and removing some carpet padding alone just won't suffice. You'll need to strip everything that's not 100% necessary out of the interior. Of course the carpet, passenger seat, dash, door panels, console, panels, and headliner can go. Once all that is gone, get the little things like door switches, mirror, etc...

Hatchback Storage Cover
A lot of hatchback models have a cover that rolls over the cargo area to hide or shade items stored there. It can be easily removed.

Homemade Cold Air/Ram Air
Cold air and ram air kits can be pretty expensive. If you are looking for a low budget alternative, check out these articles.
Homemade Ram Air
Homemade Cold Air

Homemade Subframe Connectors
If you (or anyone you can trick into helping for free) has the ability to weld and work with metal well, you can build a set of subframe connectors for very little cost. Here's a how-to artice that may help.

Hood Mat And Brace
If you still have the stock hood you can remove the mat attached to the underside. It doesn't weigh much, but every little bit adds up and some people prefer the look without a hood liner. Some people also cut out part of the metal bracing on the underside of the hood.

Hood Pins
A lot of people don't like the look or function of hood pins, but if you don't mind them you can get rid of another pund or two. Aluminum hood pins are pretty cheap (you can pick up a new set for $10-$20) and they weigh less than the factory latch, cable, and lever assembly.

Horn Removal
Most Mustangs have two horns stock. Some people like to remove one, others remove both. Removing the horns is a illegal and a safety issue for street cars.

HVAC Removal
Removing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system can save a bunch of weight, but be warned it is not for everyone. If you are going for a strictly track car, this is probably a great option for you. If your Mustang will be street driven, it can get a little hairy. If you remove the whole system you will lose the ability to defrost your windows, which can prove to be dangerous. You also lose the ability to aid engine cooling, although very slightly, by cranking the heater. It also reduces the capacity of the cooling system. The more street-friendly choice is to remove only the air conditioning components. This will leave you with the windows down and often sweating, but still eliminates a good bit of weight without so many safety issues. When removing the A/C, you may need to purchase an A/C eliminator bracket. Eliminator brackets are available from FRPP and others through many retailers, and can be found in some non A/C cars with power steering.

Inner Fender Liners
The plastic inner fender liners can be removed if you are looking to chunk every last pound.

Intake Plate
The 5.0 H.O. intake emblem/plate can be easily removed to cut off yet another pound.

Junkyard 1.7 Roller Rockers
1993 Ford Mustang Cobras came with 1.7:1 ratio roller rockers that would give you a little more valve lift.

Junkyard Heads
When you're looking for upgraded heads for your 5.0, you don't always have to spend big bucks on aftermarket options. Sure a set of AFR heads will flow more than these, but you're on a budget, remember? Here are some options for replacing your stock E7TE's.

GT-40 (Iron)
1993-1995 Ford F-150 Lightning
1993-1995 Ford Mustang Cobra
1996-1997 Ford Explorer 5.0

GT-40P
1997 1/2-2001 Ford Explorer 5.0

Junkyard Injectors
You slapped a set of heads on from the junkyard, but now you need larger injectors. Bigger injectors are gonna kill the budget... unless you find them in the junkyard too. Here are some sources for different injector sizes. Note : I'm not 100% sure of the impedance ratings and exact years on all of these, so you may want to do more research or test them. This should at least get you started.

24# Injectors
1993-1998 Ford Mustang Cobra
1995-1998 Lincoln Continental
1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
1988-1997 Ford Trucks and Vans with EFI 460
GM LS1 (Rated 26# by GM, but work with 24# MAF calibration)

30# Injectors
1989-1993 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe
1995-1996 Ford Ranger 4.0
1995-1996 Ford Explorer 4.0

35# Injectors
1987-1988 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe

36# Injectors
1994-1995 Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe

42# Injectors
Ford F-150 Lightning

Junkyard Intakes
Yet another upgrade that may be found in a junkyard near you. Here are the popular choices, and where they may be found. The Cobra intake flows slightly better than the Explorer intake, but is often very hard find in the local boneyard.

Cobra Intake
1993 Ford Mustang Cobra

Explorer Intake
1996-2001 Ford Explorer 5.0

Junkyard Throttle Body
1996-2001 Ford Explorer 5.0's are equipped with 65mm throttle bodies (stock 'stang throttle bodies are 60mm). They do require some modification to work. Click here for an article
detailing the process of installing an Explorer TB on a Mustang.

Junkyard Turbo
Using turbos and piping from salvage yards, you can build a turbo kit relatively cheap. It's probably still going to cost a bit, but not the kind of money an aftermarket kit will run. This type of mod often requires a lot of welding and fabrication. Luckily there is some great help and information out there.
TurboMustangs.Com (Even has a dedicated Junkyard/DIY forum)

Junkyard Underdrive Pulleys
If you don't care about shiny new underdrives, you can get some of the effect from junkyard parts.

Smaller Crank Pulley
1993 Ford Mustang Cobra

Larger Water Pump Pulley
1979-1980 Ford Mustang 5.0
1985-1986 Ford Mustang 5.0 5-Speed

Larger Power Steering Pump Pulley
Mid 1980's Ford Thunderbird 3.8
Mid 1980's Mercury Cougar 3.8
Mid 1980's Ford Mustang
Mid 1980's Mercury Capri

K-Member Cross Brace
Convertible Mustangs have a brace under the K-member shaped like an X, actually made up of two V shaped braces. These braces are supposed to provide extra rigidity for the front of 'verts, but many people think they do little to nothing. They can be removed to save a couple of pounds if you wish.

Kick Panel Footrest
Some Mustangs have a steel plate by the driver's kick panel that is used as a footrest. This can be removed to save about a pound.

Larger MAF
You can find larger 70mm MAF's (1986-1993 Mustangs used a 55mm MAF) on some stock Ford cars that will nearly bolt right on. They can plug into the stock wiring on a 5.0 Fox Mustang, and only need and adapter to connect to slip-on intake pipes. The adapter is available HERE. Here is a list of vehicle with the 70mm MAF.

1994-1995 Ford Mustang 5.0
1994-1995 Ford Mustang 3.8
1992-1994 Ford Crown Victoria 4.6
1992-1994 Mercury Grand Marquis 4.6
1992-1994 Lincoln Town Car 4.6

Lifter Valley Tray
You can avoid heat from the lifter valley and hot engine oil from raising intake temperatures with a lifter valley tray/heat shield. A heat shield can be made of sheet metal for very little cost. Just cut a piece of thin steel or aluminum to the size/shape of the bottom of your lower intake manifold and attach it. Be sure to avoid contact with any moving parts. Some racers fill the spaces between the heat shield and lower intake with a high temperature foam.

Lighter K-Member
Owners of 1979 through 1985 Fox five liters can drop around 10 pounds by swapping in the K-member from a 1986 to 1993 Mustang.

Lightweight Seats
Stock Mustang bucket seats can be a bit on the heavy side, especially the GT variety. Swapping in lighter seats from the junkyard is low budget option for reducing weight, and sometimes even increasing comfort and appearance. This almost always requires modification to the seat rails or mounting hardware, but can be worth the trouble. Take a look around, you are not limited to Ford cars (although the Escort GT seats are a popular choice). Lightweight bucket seats are often found in small sports cars like the Mitsubishi Eclipse, Hyundai Tiburon, Mazda Miata, and RX-7 to name a few.

Manual Steering
Switching from power to manual steering can eliminate a few pounds and free up a small amount of power, but it's not for everyone. Obviously you can remove the power steering pump and lines, but do you stop there? A power rack without any power assistance requires real effort to steer at low speeds. Swapping to a manual rack will decrease the amount of steering effort, but is still not favorable to many drivers. You can pick up manual steering racks from many early Fox platform cars.

Manual Windows
Converting your power windows to manual will drop some weight off each door. Aside from the mechanical swap parts, you may need the arm rests or whole door panels from a non power window 'stang.
Manual Conversion How-To

Mass Air Flow Conversion
If you are planning to do serious mods to your speed density Mustang, you may want to consider converting to a mass air flow setup. Mass air systems will respond better to modifications and allow you to use a larger cam than a speed density setup can handle. Buying a conversion kit can be pretty expensive, but that's not your only option. If you go junkyard picking and check ebay for deals you can put together an MAF conversion kit for very little cost in comparison.
MAF Conversion How-To

Mini Starter
If you have a pre 1992 Mustang, you can get the mini-starter from 1991 and up five liters to knock off a couple of pounds and improve clearance for long tube headers.

Molding Removal
The molding that runs down the outside of the fenders and doors weighs a few pounds per side and can be removed. Keep in mind that it matches up with the front and rear bumper lines. Many people don't like the look because it breaks up the lines of the car.
A few pics of 'stangs without side molding

Oil Pan Baffles
The stock oil pan can be baffled to keep oil around the sump for next to no cost. Make some strips of sheet metal, approximately one inch wide, and weld them to the inside walls of the base pan around the oil sump. They should be placed slightly above the oil level when full.

Parking Brake
The parking brake lever, cable, and parts in the rear brakes can be removed to save weight. It is a safety feature, so I don't recommend this one to anyone but track cars and even then the emergency brake is nice to have at times.

Passenger Seat
You can remove the passenger seat to shed a good bit of weight.

Polishing
Polishing is an affordable way to have a great looking engine bay. It can be very time consuming, but with patience the results can be amazing. Here is some info about polishing.
YouTube Metal Polishing Tutorial
Polishing How-To
Polishing Guide

Mustangs have a plethora of stock parts that can be polished. Here are some examples, but there is much more that can be done.
Upper/Lower Intake
EGR Spacer/Valve
Throttle Body
Idle Air Control
A/C Compressor
Power Steering Bracket
Idler Pulley/Tensioner
Alternator
Timing Cover
Valve Covers
Hose Clamps

Power Steering Cooler
The stock Fox Mustang power steering cooler isn't much to speak of. Other cars have better coolers that can be adapted to fit and increase cooling and durability. SN95 coolers are a popular choice.

Quad Shock Removal
Removing the quad shocks from the rear of a Mustang is a free way to gain more clearance for larger tires and knock off a little weight. The quad shocks are supposed to reduce wheel hop, and should actually only be removed if you have aftermarket upper and lower control arms installed. Many have reported no difference when removing them in stock suspension cars. I have also heard of flipping the quad shocks to gain clearance, but have no personal experience with it.

Rear Seat Delete
Getting rid of the rear seat can be a great method of weight removal for many Mustang owners. A lot of use never carry more than one other passenger anyway. You can also remove the rear seat belts once the seat itself is gone. If you don't like looking at an unfinished floor, rear seat delete kits are available from many retailers, and ebay auctions. You could also design your own custom seat delete, just lay down some carpet, or buy plans to build a delete kit from ebay sellers.

Seat Bolt Covers
The front seats in many Foxes have plastic covers over the ends of the brackets and bolts that hold the seat in place. They don't weigh much, but most people won't notice them missing.

Seat Track Modification
The stock seat tracks can be modified to give you a little more leg room. The article below shows a newer Mustang, but I believe it can be done for some or all Fox 'stangs.
Mustang World's Leg Room Mod

Short Belt
If you don't want to scrap all of your engine accesories to make a few horsepower, you could simply run a shorter serpentine belt on race day to bypass them. Here's a link to belt routing diagrams.

Smog Pump Removal
Removing the smog pump (Thermactor Air Pump) is an excellent option for track cars without catalytic converters, but is not legal for street cars in the United States. You reduce weight as well as parasitic drag by scrapping the air pump. You can also remove the diverter valves located behind the smog pump, the tubing going to the H-pipe, solenoids, and the crossover tube connected to both heads. The holes from the crossover pipe will need to be plugged with threaded plugs.

SN95 Fuel Rails
The fuel rails on 1994-1995 Ford Mustang 5.0s will flow a bit more fuel than the 1986-1993 fuel rails. Here is an article on the swap.

Sound Deadening/Insulation
Mustangs, like most other cars, have sound deadening material applied to the floor, firewall, trunk, doors, and other areas. If you don't mind some added noise, and sometimes extra heat, removing this stuff will knock a few more pounds off your Fox. Some of it is a hard tar-like substance that must be scraped, heated, or chiseled off, some is more like padding and fairly easily removed. Removing all of the noise killing material is not a small job, so be prepared to get dirty and stay dirty for awhile.

Spare Tire And Jack Removal
The spare tire and jack are basicly useless on a track car. Spares and tools can be kept on a trailer or in the pit instead of weighing down your Mustang on the track. Street cars should keep their spare tire and jack in place in case of emergency. Steel wheeled spares can be replaced with aluminum wheeled spares from Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupes .

Spare Tire Well Delete
Some racers delete their spare tire well by cutting it out and welding a flat piece of sheet metal in. The flat floor has less surface area than the contoured floor so, assuming the material is the same, it should weigh less. This also provides a flat sureface for mounting a fuel cell. It would require modifications to use a stock fuel tank in this configuration.

Speed Holes
Drag racers often drill holes in parts to drop some weight in their cars. If you choose to go this route, be very careful not to drill out structural pieces, create leaks, etc... You could easily cause yourself more problems than a small amount of weight would be worth.

Stereo Removal
If you don't need tunes, you can throw out a few items. Depending on the stereo in your Fox, you may be able to get rid of dash speakers, door speakers, rear speakers, the head unit, amps, wiring, and even the antenna. Maybe you just want to save a little weight and keep some music in your ride. You could remove only the front speakers, or only the rear speakers. Maybe you don't listen to the radio, you wouldn't miss the antenna too much.

Sun Visors
The sun visors can be taken out ro drop a couple of pounds that won't be terribly obvious.

Tail Lights
A lot of Fox GT owners would prefer LX tail lights instead of the stock GT lights. You could pay an arm and a leg for a set of covers or whole light assemblies from a retailer, or you could look around your local salvage yard and snag some cheap. If you have an LX and like the GT lights, just ask a GT owner to trade, he may happily agree.

Tilt Steering Column
If you have a 1989-1993 without tilt steering, you can swap in a 1987-1989 tilt column. Other years and models have tilt columns that can be made to work, but I believe 1987-1989 are the simplest. You may also need some of the trim around the column to make it look right.
Column Swap How-To

Timing Advance
This is where many Mustang enthusiasts start, because it is a free mod that really works. Most stock five-liter 'stangs are advanced 10-12 degrees (BTDC) initial/base timing. 14 to 16 degrees of initial/base timing are commonly used to increase performance. Be sure to listen for pinging under load. If you hear ping, also called spark knock, retard the timing 1 or 2 degrees and re-test.
Changing Timing

Tire Pressure
Dropping rear tire pressure is one of the free methods of getting a little more traction often used by drag racers. Even street tires can usually see the benefits of reduced tire pressure. Different tires will respond well to different pressures, but be sure not to go too low. Remember to return tire pressures to the recommended specifications for street driving so you don't cause premature wear, poor fuel economy, or other drivability issues.

Torque Box Reinforcement
Your upper and lower control arms attach to the torque boxes. Mustangs with a lot of power and hard launching Mustangs can damage these mounts. The torque boxes are merely spot welded from Ford, so welding around them can improve their strength. Kits are also available to further stregthen the torque boxes and some people build their own reinforcement plates.
DIY T orque Box Reinforcement Plates
Welding The Torque Boxes

Trunk Bracing
Cutting out the braces on the underside of the trunk lid will knock off a couple of pounds.

Trunk Lid
If you have a Fox with a trunk and a luggage rack , you may be able to find a trunk lid that matches your paint without the luggage rack in the junkyard. Even if it needs to be painted, you won't need to fill all the holes from removing the luggage rack on your lid.

Trunk Panels And Carpet
Fox Mustangs have carpet and trim panels to make the trunk more appealing. Removing all of that can drop a little weight from an area most people won't see anyway.

Tune Up
I realise this sounds so basic to many readers, but it is often forgotten. Keeping your engine tuned up is essential for making power as well as reliability. Be sure to check your spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap, and rotor. Check the timing. Set the idle and TPS voltage. Replace the fuel filter and clean the fuel injectors if necessary. Adjust fuel pressure, if you have an adjustable regulator. Check the air filter. Looked for any clogged, cracked, or worn hoses and components. Change any fluids that are dirty or contaminated, and continue a regular maintenance schedule. Here are some links that you may find helpful.
Fixing A Surging Idle & Setting TPS
Good Budget Plug Wires, Cap, And Rotor
Great Info On Adjusting Fuel Pressure From A 5.0 Mustang Arcticle

Turbo Coupe Aluminum Spares
The aluminum spare wheels from Turbo Coupes can be used as cheaper alternative to expensive aftermarket front runners. CLICK HERE for more info from Jason Fltcher's site.

Unnecessary Wiring
Some Mustang owners have reported pounds of savings by removing unnecessary wiring from their 'stangs. This is certainly not a task for everyone, but if you have experience with wiring and some good diagrams you can remove some unwanted weight and clutter.
Wiring Diagrams

Vacuum Tree
Once you have removed some acessories that use vacuum, you can eliminate the vacuum tree on the firewall and route the remaining hoses to the intake vacuum ports. It probably only weighs a few ounces, but removing it also cleans up the engine bay a little.

Vibration Damper Removal
If you have changed your rear gear ratio, you can safely remove the bone-shaped weight attached to the rear. It is intended to reduce noise and vibration when using the stock gear ratio, but is useless with other ratios. Yet another way to remove a little weight for free. You may want to re-attach the upper portion to contact the pinion snubber.

Windshield Washer System
The windshield washer pump, resevoir, and lines can be removed for a little more weight loss.

Windshield Wiper Motor
The windshield wiper motor and wiper arms/blades can be removed in track only stangs. If your car is a street car, leave the wipers in the pits while you run.

If you still have questions, try searching your favorite Mustang forum and/or search engine. If you have welding and fabrication knowledge, I'm sure there are still more upgrades you can fabricate. I know there are things that could be removed that I have not listed here, but the best way to find everything is to go over the whole car and use common sense/knowledge and research to know if you can or cannot remove particular items.

This information has been compiled from many sources as well as personal experience. I make no claims on the accuracy of this information. Thank you to all the sources listed below and their contributors.

Sources : The Corral, StangNet, Mustang Forums, Jason Fletcher, Old West Racing, Dugger Racing, Ford Muscle, Carbd Ford, T. Moss Porting, R.A.C.E. Systems, Monte Smith, eighty9gtfiveoh, Triple Alliance Racing, Mr5oh, American Mustangs, PoMoFo Racing, All Ford Mustangs, Very Useful, PoleringsGuide, DSM Tuners, TurboMustangs, 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords,