Installing TruCarbon’s Carbon Fiber GT500 Style Rear Wing

January 15, 2013 Leave a comment

If you’re looking for the ultimate in carbon fiber body accessories look no further than TruCarbon. TruFiber’s carbon fiber division is well known for making hoods, diffusers & other high quality carbon parts for the new Mustangs. We decided to install their GT500 style rear trunk wing on our project 2013 5.0 to match our carbon hood vents. The isntall was very straightforward & took about an hour using only a flat head screwdriver, a dremel, double sided tape & a 10mm socket.

Start by opening the trunk and removing the push pins holding the inner carpet liner tot he trunk lid.

IMG_1163

Once the inner liner is removed locate the two 10mm nuts on either side of the trunk lid holding the factory wing in place. Remove all four bolts (2 on each side) and set them aside, they will be re-used to fasten the new carbon wing.

IMG_1164

After removing the four bolts the next and most difficult step is removing the double sided tape from under the factory wing. The best way to loosen the adhesive is to use a heat gun & fishing line. Be careful with the factory wing when removing it, it’s made of brittle plastic and will break if pulled too hard. Take your time with this step. Once you get a foot or two up on one side the rest gets easier.

IMG_1166

Once the factory wing is removed clean off the old adhesive & make sure all surfaces are clean before installing the new double sided tape. We opted to use very little tape as the four bolts do a good enough job of holding the wing in place. Use just enough tape to keep the carbon wing from rubbing on the paint.

IMG_1169

We needed to widen one hole slightly to make the studs line up for the carbon wing. Being a hand made part every wing will be slightly different but other than this one small fix the part’s fitment is absolutely spot-on. We used a small dremel bit to make the one hole a few millimeters wider.

IMG_1170

Once the wing is in place, tighten the four nuts holding the wing to the trunk lid and you’re finished! The last finishing detail is the wing lip that fastens using double sided tape. Remove the protective backing from the adhesive and stick the lip in place.

IMG_1171

IMG_1175

You can find all of our TruCarbon body components for 10-13 Mustangs on StangMods.com by clicking the following link – http://www.stangmods.com/Trucarbon-Mustang-Carbon-Fiber-s/688.htm.

Here are some images of the finished product

tru-carbon-mustang-gt500-wing

gt500-wing-stangmods

carbon-fiber-gt500-wing

tru-carbon-gt500-wing

tru-carbon-mustang-wing

gt500-wing-carbon-fiber

The same GT500 wing can be found on StangMods through this link: http://www.stangmods.com/TruCarbon-DCA42KR-Carbon-Fiber-GT500-Style-Wing-p/2780.htm

2005-2009 Mustang owners click here: http://www.stangmods.com/TruCarbon-Carbon-Fiber-GT500-Wing-p/2885.htm

Filed under Aero Parts, Install Guides, New Parts, Visual Mods Tagged with , , , , , , ,

2010-2012 V6 Mustang Foglight Kit Installation

November 26, 2012 Leave a comment

We teamed up with V6Mustangsonline to bring you this in depth installation article on Starkey Products V6 Mustang foglight kit.

Simple hand tools are required to perform the installation. Some wiring is required but nothing major. Follow along as we go over the complete installation process.

This is whats included in the kit. Step by step installation instructions are included for further reference.

Before starting, disconnect the negative battery terminal.

 

Now you’ll want to lift the car using a jack or ramps. This will make accessing the foglight area much easier.

 

Once the car is in the air you’ll want to remove the (9) 7MM screws holding the factory splash guard in place.

 

Next we will be removing the factory bumper bezels. Wrap a flathead screw driver in a soft cloth, and very carefully pry the plastic bezel inserts on the side closest to the center of the car. These are hooked in by plastic tabs, and take hardly any force to remove.

Bezel completely removed and ready for foglight installation.

 

Using a short flat head screw driver mount the fog lights from behind the bumper with the six included screws. Both fog lights are identical so it does not matter which side you mount them. Install the fog light with the electrical connector facing down, this will make it a lot easier when plugging in the harness later on.

 

Once your fog lights are mounted, go ahead and pop the new plastic bezels in that came with your kit.

 

Now you’ll want to focus your attention underhood for the necessary wiring. Remove the plastic radiator cover by pulling out the (8) plastic retainers as shown below.

 

Now locate the fusebox on the passenger side of the car and open it up. You will want to locate the 12 volt supply cable entering the box where the lid closes. Remove the nut holding the 12 volt supply in place.

 

Grab your wiring harness and locate the orange wire with the ring terminal at the end. Place this ring over the stud that you just removed the nut from, and reinstall the securing nut.

 

Remove the fuse in location 39 using a set of long nose pliers, and replace it with the supplied fuse with fuse tap attachment. Install this new fuse with the tap facing towards the drivers side of the car. On your wiring harness locate the red wire, and connect it to the just installed fuse tap. Run the wire out of the fuse box near the 12 volt supply cable so that you can close up your fuse box.

 

Locate the ground cable on the radiator support and attach the black cable from your wiring harness.

 

Take the rest of the wiring harness and route it on top of the radiator to the drivers side of the car. Try to follow the group of existing cables for a clean install when finished.

 

At this time run the wiring for each fog light down to the fog light locations and connect the fog light connectors to each fog light under the car. I also used some zip ties to secure the wires out of the way down there.

 

The next step it to run the control wires around the engine compartment and up to the firewall in front of the driver side of the vehicle. Locate the black rubber grommet in the driver side firewall between the fender and brake booster. Using a knife cut an “X” in the grommet to allow you to push the wires through.

 

On the inside of the car locate the headlamp switch. Using a flat head screw driver wrapped in a soft cloth gently pry out the top left side of the switch housing. ***Do not pry out the whole switch as the housing will be secured to the dash by a screw!***

 

Using your flat head screw driver wrapped in your cloth pry down the dash panel located just below the switch. On the bottom left hand corner of the switch is the small screw. Carefully remove this screw. Once you’ve removed it you can now pull the head light switch panel out of the dash and disconnect the wires.

 

Now release the three small tabs that secure the headlight switch to the housing and slide it out. Then simply slide the new one in its place.

 

Refer to the instructions that were included in your kit, and locate the wires in the factory harness that plugs into the back of the switch. Using one of the supplied red wire taps, close the tap around the wire and snap it shut. DO NOT CUT THE WIRE. I had to unwrap the covering from around the bundle of wires to access the individual wires. Connect the blue wire from the fog light harness to the connector you just installed. Locate the second wire listed in the instructions and connect the other wire tap to it. Connect the red wire from the harness to this connector.

 

Reconnect the factory wiring harness to the new switch you just installed. Reinstall the headlamp switch and panel into the dash. Make sure to replace the screw you removed earlier. Make sure that the dash panel under the switch is pressed back into place.

 

This completes the installation process. You now just need to reinstall the radiator cover and splash guard. Enjoy your new foglights and check out our site for upgraded H11 bulbs.

 

 

Filed under Install Guides, Lighting Tagged with , ,

Installing Starkey Products Lower Valence Foglight Kit 2013 Mustang GT

November 10, 2012 1 Comment

The write up below goes over the installation process of Starkey Products lower valence foglight kit for all 2013 Mustang GTs. Our project car got some updated looks in the way of a Boss 302S grille a few weeks back. While we loved the factory LED foglamps, we’ve never been big fans of the upper grille mounted lamps. In removing the factory grille and LED foglamps for the Boss 302S grille we knew we’d eventually install foglights in the lower valence. The complete kit by Starkey Products makes the perfect upgrade for owners looking to do the same. Follow along as we go over the installation process and finished product.

Tools Required

  • Jack or vehicle ramps
  • Flat head screw driver
  • Plyers
  • Electrical tape
  • 7MM & 8MM Socket/Wrench

The hardest part of the installation process is removing the factory bezels. Removing your Mustang’s front bumper is not required but will make the job much easier. The first step was to get the car in the air so we had more working space. We started on the passenger side and placed the jack under the front control arm.

Once the car is in the air you’ll want to remove the undertray splash guard. There are (17) screws that need to be removed using the 7MM & 8MM socket. Once these screws have been removed the splash guard can be set aside. You now can gain access to the foglight area.

The bezels are held to the car with (5) tabs as shown below. These are fairly hard to remove and it will take some force to get them off the car. Take your time, start at the top and work your way down. It makes it easier to depress the tab as you are pulling on the bezel. Eventually it will come off.

Removing stock bezel by depressing 5 tabs shown with arrows. Top tab is hidden in picture.

Once you’ve removed the bezel the hard part is over. You are now left with an opening in your bumper that will be replaced with the new foglight/bracket.

Comparison shot of the factory bezel (left) vs. new foglight bezel to be installed.

The next step in the process is to install the new foglight bezel. Secure the new bezel to the car using the tabs. Push the bezel onto the tabs to lock it into place. You should hear it click to know when its secured. The kit includes (4) screws that secure the bezel onto the car. Install those using the flat head screwdriver or socket. On the passenger side, the windshield washer fluid reservoir makes things a little tight. Removing the bumper will avoid this problem but we chose to work around it as best as we could.


Once the new foglight bezel is installed you are ready to install the actual foglight and bracket. The process is very simple and is attached to the bezel using the supplied screws (4). There are two alignment pins as well. Line these up with the foglight/bracket and secure the screws. You are now done with the passenger side and can move over to the driver side foglight.

Foglight is shown installed in the new lower valence bezel. At this point you are half way done!

This completes the hardest part of the job. There is much more room to work with on the driver side and it will take less time to complete. You will need to repeat the process completed above on the driver side.

Now we are ready to make the necessary wiring connections to get power to our new foglights. Some of you maybe a bit apprehensive about doing any electrical/wiring work but trust us the next few steps are very simple and can be completed by anyone with limited wiring experience.

Power to your new foglights is taken from the OEM foglight harness. Included in the kit are quick splice taps which will allow you to get power to the new harness without cutting any of the factory wires. The first step you’ll need to do is remove the radiator cover which is held on with (8) plastic push pins.

Once the radiator cover is removed you’ll need to find the OEM foglight harness. Remove the electrical tape found near the plug and pull the black plastic wiring loom to uncover the wires going into the foglamp plug.  Do not cut the plug or any of these wires.

The passenger side foglamp harness with wire loom pulled back and wires exposed. We are getting ready to tap into the two wires on this foglamp plug.

There are (4) thin wires going into this plug. We will be tapping into the BROWN/YELLOW and BLACK/YELLOW wires only! The other two wires will remain untouched. Using the supplied quick splice connectors place them over the wires and use pliers to clamp the connector down. You should hear it click to know a solid connection is made.

Quick splice connectors shown installed on brown/yellow and black/yellow wire on factory foglamp plug.

We are now almost done with the wiring. Included in the foglight kit is two wiring harnesses with male spade connectors. Simply slide the male connectors into the ends of the quick splice connectors to complete the wiring portion of this job.

Included wiring harness is connected to quick splice connectors which were installed in previous step. This completes wiring portion of job.

This is optional but we chose to wrap the OEM foglamp plug in electrical tape to ensure no moisture gets inside the plug.

Factory plug covered with electrical tape will help keep moisture out of harness.

The final step in the installation process is to snake the wiring harness down to the foglight bulb. There are numerous openings that will allow you to pass the harness down to the foglight.  Once the end of the harness is passed down all you need to do is plug it into the new foglamp and you are done! You will need to repeat this process on the driver side.
Here are a couple of quick shots we took with our Starkey Products foglight kit and Go Green LED H11 foglamp bulbs installed. We love the aggressive look of the lower valence foglights!

Foglight kit installed with our Go Green H11 LED bulbs

Filed under Install Guides, Lighting Tagged with , , , , ,

K&N Performance Filters – Installing One In Your Mustang

August 2, 2012 Leave a comment

Since adding K&N’s full line of intake products on our store – Click Here For Our Full Selection – we decided to give one of them a try on our 93 LX project car. We opted for a large filter unit that replaces the stock airbox and rubber piping. The install was very straight forward and took only a few hand tools. Install took no more than 45 minutes to complete.

K&N filters are special because of their high flow characteristics and their superior engine protection. By using an oiled element they are able to trap the most dirt and dust compared to a factory paper filter or a standard replacement filter. Not only do they flow and filter better, but they are completely re-usable and will last the life of your vehicle’s engine. By using K&N’s Filter Recharge Kit you can clean and re-oil your filter back to new. They recommend you clean your filter every 20,000 miles to ensure the best protection and performance. After several years and a hundred thousand miles, the K&N filters practically pay for themselves. You actually CAN save money while gaining performance, reliability & economy…who woulda thought? Now on to the install for foxbody Mustangs:
Tools Needed:

1/4″ Drill

12mm socket

11mm wrench

Flathead screwdriver

Start off by removing the two 12mm nuts that hold the factory airbox to the engine bay.

Next, remove the clamp below the MAF sensor using a flathead screwdriver.

Once the clamp is removed, pull the factory intake assembly out of the engine bay.

Once the airbox is removed, you will need to use your 1/4″ drill bit to slightly enlarge a hole for the K&N filter’s bracket mounting position.

Once the bracket bolt fits through the hole, fit the bracket in place and tighten it. You will have to reach under the bumper to tighten the nut from the bottom of the bolt.

Once the bracket is in place and is snug, it’s time to install the new filter. Get the filter in place and make sure the threads on the end of the filter fit inside the bracket. Tighten the 11mm nut on the end of the filter.

Next tighten the hose clamp at the filter opening to ensure there will be no air leakage.

That’s it! You’re done! Below are two photos comparing the factory intake and the new K&N filter.

Filed under Engine, Install Guides, Intake, Performance Mods Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Installing A Billet Aluminum Shorty Antenna On Your 2010-2013 Mustang

July 20, 2012 Leave a comment

Even though they improved the look of the antennas on 2010 and up Mustangs by moving it to the rear quarter panel, it’s still too tall and looks kinda silly on the Mustang’s new sleek body. We have an affordable solution that will improve the look of the antenna while retaining radio signal and functionality. Our 4″ billet aluminum antennas come with all hardware and tools needed for the installation. Install takes about 20 minutes. View our shorty antennas here: Shorty Antennas at Stangmods.com
Tools Needed:

Pliers (optional)

Start off by unscrewing the factory antenna, it should twist off easily.

After removing the stock antenna, use the included tool to unscrew the piece that holds the stock base to the car. Ours was too tight to remove by hand but came loose easily with a set of pliers.

Once the metal part that holds the stock base is removed, the base should come right off. You will be re-using this part to mount the new billet base so make sure not to misplace it.

Reinstall the new billet base and screw the factory metal piece in using the included tool to secure the base of the new antenna. Do not over tighten this, just enough so the base doesn’t move around. Over tightening could damage your paint.

Once the base is secured, screw one end of the threaded pin into the antenna itself. Once this is tight, install the upper base piece and screw the antenna in through the base. Make sure this is tight enough that the upper part of the base does not spin freely.

That’s it, all done! The install is a breeze and the shorty antenna looks much better than the factory mast. Thanks for reading! You can find this part on our store in either powdercoated black like the one shown here, brushed aluminum or chrome. This antenna will fit all 2010-2013 Mustangs.

Filed under Install Guides, New Parts, Visual Mods Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Changing Out Your 2013 Mustang’s Hood Vents

July 17, 2012 2 Comments

One of the most exciting changes on the new 2013 Mustang line are the new hood vents that come standard on the GT & Boss 302 Mustangs. These fully functional vents allow the engine bay to run a bit cooler which in turn improve intake temps and ultimately improve power and efficiency. Plus, they look plain awesome. Changing the vents to black or any other color is a breeze since these vents are easily removed with a deep 8mm socket and by un-clipping them from the hood. Follow along below to see how it’s done in a few easy steps.

We sell the factory OEM Ford vents on our site unpainted, these are great for someone who wants to paint them a custom color themselves. You can find them here: http://www.stangmods.com/2013-Mustang-OEM-Hood-Vents-sold-in-pairs-p/2303.htm
Tools Needed:

8mm deep socket

Ratcheting socket wrench

Start by removing all of the clips holding the under-hood insulation on. Leave the bottom row attached, as you just need to remove enough to get to the bolts and clips holding the vents on.

Next, remove the 8mm nuts on the bottom of each vent. On the passenger side, remove the plastic clip holding the washer fluid line in place.

Once the nuts are removed, squeeze the clips on either side of the vents and push upwards, use your other hand to pull gently from the top side of the hood to free the vents from the hood itself. Do not use too much force, patience is key here.

Once the vents are free of all their clips, they will easily come free of the hood. Reinstalling the new vents is just the reverse of the steps above. Make sure you get all the clips snug when installing the new vents and remember to reinstall the 8mm nuts on the bottom of the vents as well as the washer line on the passenger side vent.

Here are photos of the factory painted vents and the new vents we installed (factory unpainted). In the next few weeks we will be posting new vent finishes including matte black and carbon fiber. Stay tuned!

Filed under Aero Parts, Install Guides, New Parts, Visual Mods Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Swapping Steering Wheel Buttons On 2010-2013 Mustangs

July 13, 2012 1 Comment

When installing a new performance steering wheel on your newer Mustang, you may need to retain some function on your factory wheel that your new wheel may not come with. For example, our project 2013 GT came with Sync, and our Boss 302 alcantara wheel didn’t have the correct buttons to retain this function on the new wheel. We decided to swap the buttons from the factory wheel on to the new Boss wheel, problem solved!

For this install you will need to remove wiring harnesses, remove the buttons from the steering wheels and swap them around. Doing this took about 30 minutes and a lot of patience. There are small parts and springs you must be careful not to lose track of.

Tools Needed:

Torx T27

Torx T20

Assuming you already have the airbag removed, (See this link for instructions on removing the airbag HERE) begin by removing the trim pieces surrounding the buttons on either side of the factory wheel. These trim parts are held on by plastic fasteners that seat in rubber behind the trim. Carefully pull them toward you with even pressure to ensure you don’t crack them. There are no clips or anything, just pull them with enough force and they will slowly come out. Once they are out, the buttons will come free.

Next, remove the tree T27 torx bolts that hold the horn bracket in place. This bracket has three springs on the backside of it, make sure you don’t lose these or your horn will not work. Once the three bolts are removed, pull the bracket and springs off. There is a red wire clipped to the top of the bracket, remove this and pull the bracket free from the wheel and set it aside with the springs and bolts.

Next, remove the single T20 torx bolt that grounds the wheel harness to the wheel itself as shown below. Once this is done, remove the harness and it’s two white clips.

Here is the factory Sync harness removed. Set this harness and it’s buttons aside and repeat the process above on the Boss 302 wheel, removing it’s harness and buttons.

Below are the buttons that come on the Boss 302 wheel, remove these and it’s harness and replace them with the harness and buttons from your factory wheel with Sync.

To install the new buttons, first reinstall the trim pieces that surround the buttons then snap them into place.

Once both side’s buttons are in, reinstall the harness, connect the black ground wire and it’s T20 torx bolt and plug the harness into the new buttons. Ensure everything is plugged in and solid before moving on to the next step.

Next, reinstall the horn bracket, ensure that the three springs are seated and are properly installed before putting the three T27 bolts back. Again, if these springs are not installed properly your horn will not work right.

Tighten the three black torx bolts and replace the red wire that clips to the horn bracket.

Next, reinstall the airbag unit, plug the wires in to their corresponding colors (grey or black) and press the airbag into the wheel. Replace the two 8mm bolts on either side of the wheel as well as their cover caps and you’re done! Reconnect the battery and ensure all your buttons work properly. Enjoy your new wheel!

To view to the full wheel install guide, click HERE

To find this Boss 302 steering wheel in our online store, click here: Boss 302 Alcantara Steering Wheel for 2010-2013 Mustangs

Filed under Install Guides, New Parts, Performance Mods, Visual Mods Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Installing The Boss 302 Alcantara Steering Wheel In 2010-2013 Mustangs

July 13, 2012 4 Comments

If you are looking for a change from the factory cheap rubber or leatherette steering wheel we have your solution. For under $300 you can own a real Boss 302 steering wheel with the plush alcantara covering and install it in any 2010-2013 Mustang! This is a real Ford part, the same wheel you will find on all 302s that roll off the production line. The install is pretty straight forward and takes about an hour and a half, uses simple tools and will make your Mustang feel like a race car every time you put your hands on the wheel.

Tools Required:

24mm socket

8mm socket

Socket extension

Optional Tools (If swapping buttons)

Torx 20

Torx 27

Start by removing the negative terminal on your Mustang’s battery. Give the car 20 minutes to fully drain the charge to ensure it’s safe to remove the airbag from the car. It’s unlikely the airbag could deploy, but it’s one of those situations where it’s way better to be safe than sorry.

Next, remove the two caps covering the 8mm bolts that hold the airbag unit in place.

Remove the 8mm bolts on either side of the wheel using a socket and ratcheting wrench.

After removing both 8mm bolts, carefully and slowly pull the center airbag unit straight out, be careful not to tug on the airbag’s harness when removing it.

Disconnect the large black plug (steering wheel harness) next to the yellow airbag wire.

Next, remove the clips carefully on the back of the airbag unit itself. The plugs are color coded to match their clips, one grey and one black.

Set the airbag unit aside in a safe place. Now that everything is disconnected, you can remove the 24mm bolt in the center of the wheel that holds the old wheel in place.

Once this bolt is removed, the wheel will come off, be sure to thread the wiring through the wheel when removing it to ensure you don’t break any clips or wires.

Now that the wheel is removed, check out these comparison photos of the factory wheel vs the Boss 302 wheel.

If your Mustang is a 2013 or comes with sync, you can swap the buttons from your factory wheel onto the new alcantara wheel so you don’t lose any functionality. You will have to remove the buttons and the wiring harness from the old wheel and swap it to the new wheel. To view that write up, follow this link:

How To Swap Sync Buttons To Your New Boss 302 Steering Wheel

Now all that’s left is to reinstall the new wheel in the same manner you removed the factory one. Start by bolting the wheel in with the 24mm bolt. Ford says to torque this bolt to no more than 45ft lbs, do not over tighten this bolt or it could strip out. Make sure to line up the wiring harness plugs through the top hole and pull the wires through as shown below.

Plug in the main black plug for the wheel harness and put the airbag clips in their respectable plugs. It’s very important to ensure you put the grey clip in the grey plug and the black clip[ in the black plug.

After everything is hooked up wiring wise, carefully reinstall the airbag unit in the wheel. Make sure the unit is lined up with the side bolt holes and reinstall the two 8mm bolts on either side. After making sure the bolts are snug (don’t over tighten) replace the bolt cover caps and you’re ready to go!

Now it’s time to enjoy your new Boss steering wheel! Reconnect the battery once you’ve double-checked all the wiring and bolts. Make sure all your buttons are working properly. Enjoy!

To find this wheel for sale on our online store, click the following link: Boss 302 Alcantara Steering Wheel for 10-13 Ford Mustangs

Filed under Install Guides, New Parts, Performance Mods, Visual Mods Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Installing An Axle-Back Exhaust On The 2011-2013 Ford Mustang GT

July 10, 2012 10 Comments

For our second modification on our new project car we decided to try out Borla’s Atak axle-back exhaust system. Borla is one of the biggest names in domestic performance exhaust and it’s easy to see why when looking at the build quality and fit & finish on their systems. Their sturdy, lightweight construction is superb, and more importantly, the sound they produce is nothing short of stellar. Being an axle-back system we were expecting a mild sound, however this system really screams. Not in a bad way though, it really suits the new 5.0 very well. There is no rasp whatsoever, just a deep, powerful tone that screams Mustang 5 liter power! Even better than the sound when you’re on the throttle is the gurgling and popping you get when decelerating in gear. This axle-back is perfect for someone looking for a nice grunt on throttle, an aggressive deceleration pop and gurgle and when you’re just cruising around it’s very composed. Nothing that will annoy your neighbors or Johnny Law. Now on to the install guide. It took us about 2 hours to do the install with the car on jack stands. Please note that this guide is based on the new 2013 Mustang and the process may slightly differ from 2011 and 2012 GTs.

Tools Required:

13mm Socket

Socket Extension

Ratcheting Socket Wrench

The first step is to jack up the rear of the car and secure the rear of the car on jack stands. Never work under a car with a floor jack, always be sure to use jack stands and shake the car to make sure it’s safe to work under it.

After the car is safely in the air, the first bolt to remove is the bolt on the exhaust clamp that holds on the rear mufflers. This clamp will be re-used on the new axle-back system so be sure not to damage it. Once you remove the clamp bolt, be sure to retain all the factory hardware and set it aside so it can be used when installing the clamp on the new system. The clamp is welded to the stock system by a small tab that we will remove when the muffler is off the car.

Next, remove the muffler hangar from just behind the rear bumper.

Next, there are two bolts holding the hangars at the rear of the muffler tot he underside of the car. This bracket must be removed from the car and re-used on the new system. The image below shows the location of the 13mm bolts that hold the bracket to the underside of the Mustang.

Be sure to support the muffler when removing this bracket, once it is remove the mufflers will drop from under the car. We learned this the hard way! The photo below shows the passenger side muffler removed with the hangar bracket attached.

Follow the same steps on the driver’s side muffler. Remove the clamp hardware first and then the hangar right behind the rear bumper.

The driver’s side muffler has a slightly different hangar design, instead of using two 13mm bolts it uses three. After removing the three bolts in the locations shown below, the muffler will drop from under the car.

Below is a comparison of the stock muffler next to Borla’s Atak axle-back muffler. Notice how much smaller the Borla muffler is and the larger tip. It’s a fantastic looking system that fills the rear opening better as well as saves weight over the stock mufflers.

Now that both mufflers have been removed, it’s time to transfer the necessary hardware to install the new system. First remove the factory clamps from the stock mufflers. They are welded on by thin metal tabs. We simply moved them back and forth (sort of like breaking a paper-clip) until they broke free from the tabs.

The next step is to remove the hangar brackets and install them on the new mufflers. Make sure you install them in the correct orientation or the exhaust won’t bolt up properly.

Now you’re ready to bolt the new system under the car. Start by slipping the new hangar into the hangar bushing behind the rear bumper. After that’s in, bolt the hangar bracket at the back of the muffler to the underside of the car just as you removed it. Once all the hangars are in, simply reinstall the factory clamp and tighten it to complete the installation. Make sure the clamp is on straight to avoid an exhaust leak.

Repeat these steps for both sides and you’re done! Now it’s time to enjoy the new sound! The photos below show how the Borla Atak mufflers look from behind. Great fit and finish for an aftermarket system.

In conclusion, we definitely recommend replacing the rear mufflers on the new 5.0. From the factory they already sound good, but in order to really give the car that signature Mustang sound you can’t go wrong with an axle-back system. Not only are they affordable, they don’t make the car too loud. If you’re looking for something low key that will still turn heads, look great, not void your warranty and please your ears, you can’t go wrong with the Borla Atak axle-back system for the 2011-2013 5.0. You can find this system on our store by clicking the following link: Borla Atak Axle-Back Exhaust System for 2011-2013 GT & Boss 302

Filed under Exhaust, Install Guides, Mustang News, New Parts, Performance Mods, StangMods News Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Installing A 3rd Brake Light Pulser In Your 2010-2013 Ford Mustang

July 5, 2012 Leave a comment

The first mod we did on our new 2013 GT project car was Webelectric’s plug-in 3rd brake light pulser for 10′-13′ Ford Mustangs. This is an extremely easy and fast install for those of you who aren’t really comfortable taking things apart. Simply remove the trunk lid liner and plug the small harness in. Simple as that! You can find the part on our store by following this link:  Webelectric Brake Light Pulser for 10′-13′ Mustangs

Tools Needed:

Flathead screwdriver

First step is to remove the trunk lid’s felt liner. This liner is held on by a bunch of plastic clips, use the flathead to remove the clips gently as these will be used to replace the liner when the install finished.

After removing all the plastic clips, this is what you should see. Be sure to pull the emergency trunk release through the liner’s opening.

Next, remove the plug that powers the 3rd brake light.

Clip the pulser harness into the car’s plugs. You’re done!

Before reinstalling the inner trunk liner it’s a good idea to have someone put their foot on the brake to ensure the pulser is working properly. After you’re sure it’s working as intended, reinstall the trunk liner and the clips holding it on. Simple as that!

Below is an animation of how the pulser works. Please note that the light will only flash if you’ve been off the brakes for over 15 seconds as to not distract drivers in stop and go traffic or at a light.

Filed under Install Guides, Lighting, New Parts, StangMods News, Visual Mods Tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

← Older posts

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.