There might be signs the economy is improving, but for many of us, the last few years have been anything but fruitful. The one constant many of us have for comfort and enjoyment, however, is the four-wheeled horse we have in the garage or driveway. Whether it's a full restoration, a weekend toy/project, or even your daily driver, getting in and twisting that ignition key takes us to another place, a place where money and job woes, the economy, and all that bad news we see every night on the television disappear for a while. That "happy place" means an awful lot to us, and like you, we want to give our Mustangs a little love with some upgrades, repairs, and custom touches when we can. Thing is, money is tight and there's just nothing you can upgrade your car with on the cheap. Or is there?
We took to the task of finding some low-buck upgrades for both classic and late-model rides that wouldn't break the bank and allow us to make noticeable improvements to our Mustangs. From LED lights to bumper lettering and more, we looked for upgrades that could be easily tackled in your driveway with the most basic of hand tools and no prior or specific installation knowledge. All of these parts are easy to install and offer immediate gratification. Best of all, some can be had for less than $50! That's right, for fewer than $50 you can spend a little quality time with your steed and make that next visit to your happy place that much better. So take a look at what we found, some of which we even installed on our project cars in mini-tech stories, at three different price points--$50, $100, and $200 limits.
Billet accessories are popular...
Billet accessories are popular with the late-model crowd and we rarely find a Mustang without billet A/C control knobs. If you're one of the holdouts, it's hard to pass up these clean looking knobs from Latemodel Restoration Supply (LRS) for just $44.99.
Have a late-model 5.0L HO...
Have a late-model 5.0L HO engine swap in your '65-'66 Mustang? These High Output labeled flag emblems will look the part while subtly letting people know what you're packing under the hood at just $14.95 each at NPD.
To finish off the look, NPD...
To finish off the look, NPD also offers the 5.0 “V” emblem to add to your '65-'66 Mustang's front fenders as well. Alone or with the High Output backer, the 5.0 emblem will look great and retails for just $13.95 each.
Sway bar end links don't always...
Sway bar end links don't always age gracefully on late-model Mustangs. As such, you'll often hear the gentle rattle of end link washers contacting your control arm or sway bar when you hit a bump. Get rid of that embarrassing sound and improve your Fox Mustang's handling with new urethane end link bushing kits from LRS. For a cool $24.99, you'll be riding in style (and noise free!) once again.
If you own a '10-'12 Mustang...
If you own a '10-'12 Mustang and you're liking the look of the new '13 Mustang and its blacked out trunk lid panel, then you're in luck. For just $39.99, you can score this black out panel from LRS and best of all it is magnetic! Change the look of your ride at your whim, or remove it for cleaning.
Ford welcomed back the 5.0...
Ford welcomed back the 5.0 Mustang with the new four-valve 5.0L modular "Coyote" engine in the '11 Mustang GT. The iconic 5.0 engine badge once again resides on the Mustang's front flanks with a revised, muscular look. These badges use a self-adhesive emblem tape for easy installation and look great on any Mustang with a 5.0 swapped into them. LRS sells these for $21.34 each.
Vintage Mustangs were built before the age of the cup holder, but that doesn't mean you can't add one to your ride. National Parts Depot (NPD) offers this slick unit that slides into the ashtray opening of your '65-'66 for just $40.50. Color matched to your interior, be sure to order the right interior color!
Bumper/Ground Effect Decals
An easy upgrade for late-model...
An easy upgrade for late-model owners is to add bumper/ground effects decals to highlight the lettering on your car. You'll find a multitude of colors and selections like "Mustang," "COBRA," and more. We're adding '99-'04 Mustang bumper letters to this '00 V-6 coupe. The letters come as one long strip, but we cut them into individual letters for easier installation.
Using a solution of water...
Using a solution of water with a few drops of liquid soap, the bumper letter recesses are given a liberal spray of the solution, as are each decal as they are applied.
While the decal is still wet,...
While the decal is still wet, the letter is inserted into the bumper recess, carefully aligned, and then excess water and trapped air are carefully pressed out to the edge of the decal with a cotton towel.
The finished bumper looks great and the job took about 20 minutes to complete. Best of all, these bumper letter sets from LRS cost only $29.99.
Early Mustangs often suffer...
Early Mustangs often suffer from a little sag in the hind quarters. Give your vintage Mustang a simple "butt lift" with these nifty shackle kits from NPD. They look stock, but are one-inch longer to give the back of your Mustang a little more height, often enough to just level the car out for a clean look. Our before measurement was 24-3/4-inches.
Raise and secure your Mustang...
Raise and secure your Mustang with jackstands, then use a floor jack to raise the rear axle/suspension as needed to take the pressure off of the shackles. Unbolt and remove your old shackles.
The new shackle kit from NPD...
The new shackle kit from NPD includes bushings, so if yours are questionable, or if you are running the smaller 1/2-inch ID bushings, swap them out for the supplied bushings.
Installed and tightened, the...
Installed and tightened, the shackles look stock appearing, yet you gain a nice little ride height increase for your Mustang.
Our "after" measurement of...
Our "after" measurement of 25-3/8-inch means we gained just under 3/4-inch in ride height improvement, which leveled out our '66 coupe nicely. No more droopy butt and NPD's extra-length shackles are just $17.95 each!