Well its new to me anyways. Its a 2001 ECSB 5.3 A4. I have saved up $1000 and wondering what mods i should do. I want to keep it NA and no NOS.

 

CONGRATS ON THE NEW RIDE .THE FIRST THING I WOULD DO IS GET A GOOD TUNE FROM NELSON,PUT A NICE SET OF PIPES ON IT.THEN AFTER THAT THE LIST OF CHOICES IS OPEN.DRIVE ON

 

Congrats on your new purchase.... Pics Pics Pics....

 

I won't have any pics for a while. Im planning on spending most of my money on the ride. I dont have any other money for a digital camera.

 

Good choice. Put it all in the ride!

 

Any more input guys?

 

A cold air intake, a free flowing cat back exhaust and maybe an underdrive pulley. Then a set of long tube headers with an x-pipe and high flow cats. A set of 3.90 or 4.10 gears would help a LOT. A 2800 stall converter with a new valve body. Then a cam and a set of heads. That should really wake that truck up and you will still be NA. Don't forget to get a good tune.

 

I don't know what your goals are, appearance or performance. I have pretty much the same truck, and managed to run 14.9x's with under that amount of money. I'd go Magnaflow catback ($340), intake (my AEM was $236), and HPPIII. I bought my Hypertech new for $310 but you can usually find used ones on here or Ebay for less then $200. Then if you upgrade later to a custom tune, you can still resell the HPPIII and get most of your money if not more back! So say $350 for exhaust, $250 for intake, and $200 for HPPIII = $800! You still got money left over to get your windows tinted or a toneau cover or whatever floats your particular boat! If its more performance you want you could maybe get like a underdrive pulley or something with the $200 left over. Just my .02. After those simple bolt-ons I think the converter should be next. I knocked another 4 tenths off of my ET in not as good track conditions. Congrats on your new ride, and good luck with it!

 

If you seek performance, I'd skip all the over rated mods like t/b spacers, underdrive pulleys, maf's etc and go right for the basics first : good intake like the Volant or something that keeps the filter sheilded from engine bay heat, then either a catback kit ($$$) or just a muffler ( www.hottexhaust.com ) and have an exhaust shop put it in and dump it or put it out back with a tip or whatever you want - you'll end up saving $150 or so over a kit. Headers make good power (long tubes at least) but sometimes I wish I hadn't messed with them (Dynatech Supermaxx system) because the clearances suck and the header hits the frame.

Dont get a hand held programmer, spend a few hundred more and get a custom tune from Nelson performance - its worth it and its something you'll end up doing anyways.

With 1k you should be able to do intake+exhaust+tune which is going to help your motor breath easier and lean it up / advance timing for more power and better mileage

 

I agree. Programmer or Nelson tune, exhaust. You can fab a good intake cheap,several have pics of theirs on this site.(I copied goshawk23's). Thats enough to handle most Hemi's and unsupercharged Fords. How's it geared?
Yank coverter's are helpfull, or long tube headers, but your out near a grand on either installed.

Caution performance is addictive and expensive.