Project EcoBoost:</br> More Power & More Noise
Before The New Car Smell Wears Off

Despite the fact that I’ve made a career of immersing myself in the culture that surrounds heavily modified vehicles, I have to admit I’m still a bit apprehensive about the concept of taking a brand new car and immediately hopping on the modification train. I can’t be the only one who thinks this way, right? Don’t people buy new cars so they don’t have to replace parts? Yes. A normal, sensible person thinks that way. But we are gearheads and we operate a bit differently.

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Whether it’s an antique machine or something that just rolled off the showroom floor, we think about what we want to do to our cars as much as the cars themselves. It’s what makes us more than just simple consumers – and it was actually future aftermarket potential which in many ways attracted me to the EcoBoost Mustang in the first place.

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Not only was I excited to see how the aftermarket would embrace the new 2015 Mustang platform and its turbo engine, I was also excited at the idea of sharing my findings with you guys. It’s been a little over a month since I acquired the car, and I’m happy to say that the upgrades have been coming even quicker than I originally imagined. There’s a lot to share in this update, so let’s backtrack a few weeks and start from the beginning.

Ecoboost-Project-01

When I was younger, I remember thinking ‘tunes’ or ‘chips’ on otherwise stock cars were kind of bogus. It was the kind of thing people would sell on Ebay claiming that you could instantly pick up 20 horsepower and a ton of fuel economy that was somehow hidden in your Civic’s SOHC motor. It was like snake oil for car guys, but things are different now. Today’s engines – particularly turbocharged ones – actually leave quite a bit on the table in order to be accessible, hit fuel economy and emissions targets, and to play nice with low octane fuel. It’s amazing what can be done with a simple re-map, and that’s why the first upgrade I planned for the Mustang was a COBB Accessport V3 tuner.

Ecoboost-Project-03

COBB has made quite a name for itself with its applications for turbo cars like the WRX, Evo and GT-R. Ford’s line of EcoBoost vehicles was a natural place for the brand to go next. Not only would adding one of Cobb’s off-the-shelf 91-octane (damn you California) tunes make for a nice initial bump in power and torque, the Accessport will be a crucial part in optimizing the car for any future upgrades that may be done.

Ecoboost-Project-02

Installation was easy. You plug it into your computer to make sure everything is updated, then you plug it into your car’s OBD port and wait for it to install the map. Simple as that. It took around 10 or 15 minutes in total, and with just the basic 91-octane tune, the increase in torque was immediately noticeable, and the car overall had a much more lively feeling. You can even change maps on the fly should you want to switch to fuel economy mode or another one of the preloaded configurations. It’s quite impressive.

Ecoboost-Project-04

But there wasn’t a whole lot of time to enjoy the new tune, because another box had just shown up. This one was much larger and contained a complete cat-back exhaust system from the folks at Ford Racing Performance Parts. I couldn’t wait to get it on the car.

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The Touring model exhaust is actually made for Ford Racing by Borla, and while I wasn’t expecting a massive power bump from simple street-oriented cat-back, I was very excited to hear how it would sound. With simple jackstands it took my dad and I just over an hour to remove the factory system and fit the replacement.

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Compared to the stock exhaust system (pictured above) the Ford Racing exhaust deletes the resonator box behind the down pipe and replaces the large factory mufflers with high-flow units finished with larger tips.

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Aside from any horsepower increases and the change in exhaust note, the exhaust also sheds about 20lbs of weight when compared the factory system. Shaving pounds is never a bad thing.

Ecoboost-Project-10

Exhaust note has been one of the primary points of discussion when it comes to the EcoBoost Mustang, and my feeling is that the Ford Racing cat-back did a fine job of adding some life to the car. The sound is noticeable, but it’s not at all obtrusive under normal cruising – perfect for a daily driver in other words. While the noise this car makes will never be the same as a V8, the new note is much deeper and more refined than what you might imagine from a four cylinder. I’ve got some video clips so you can draw your own opinions, but I’ll get to that in a moment.

The Dyno Is My Friend
Ecoboost-Project-12

A few days after fitting the exhaust system, I found myself taking a road trip. My destination was FFTec Motorsports in the San Francisco Bay Area – a shop which has become known for building some of the fastest turbocharged street and race cars in Northern California. I was greeted by Anthony, Sean and the rest of the team who quickly got to work doing their thing.

Ecoboost-Project-11

Up until this point, FFTec has focused primary on imported cars like Porsches, BMWs, Evos and GT-Rs, and I’ll have more on the shop and its projects later. For now, I want to focus on FFTec’s recent venture into the EcoBoost world. Last fall they picked up a ’15 Mustang knowing they could use their experience with high horsepower turbo cars to start developing a line of upgrades for the EcoBoost. The plan for the day was to fit my car with one of their recently-released EcoPro intercooler kits, as well one of their cold air intake systems. Just as importantly, we’d strap the car onto their dyno for a custom tune to make the most of all the upgrades made so far.

Ecoboost-Project-14

First off we put my car on the dyno to see exactly what kind of numbers it was making in its current form. If you go back to my last project update, you’ll remember that I took the car to a local Mustang dyno when it was bone stock and it put down 263 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels.

Ecoboost-Project-15

Now keep in mind that this is a different dyno on a different day, but with just the COBB Stage 1 tune and cat-back, the car threw down 267 horsepower – and more importantly 337 pound-feet of torque – at its peak. That’s a serious jump in torque with just an ECU flash and exhaust, and our day was just beginning.

Ecoboost-Project-18

Next up the, factory airbox was removed so that FFTec’s new intake could go in its place. Like the exhaust, this upgrade had another benefit besides improved power and sound – it deletes the large, heavy factory airbox assembly saving a few pounds and freeing up even more space under the hood.

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The FFTec intake has a straightforward design that uses a K&N cone filter which grabs air from just beneath the driver side headlight. It’s also finished in stealthy black, which I quite like.

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Going from a stock airbox to an aftermarket intake can also make a massive difference in sound on a turbocharged car, and that’s very much the case here – but I’ll get to that shortly.

Ecoboost-Project-20

The next step was to fit the intercooler and that meant to pulling the Mustang into one of the service bays beside some of the highly modified GT-Rs hanging around the shop.

Ecoboost-Project-29

If anything it was a little intimidating having my little four cylinder Mustang surrounded by such high horsepower machinery, but the atmosphere just goes to show that FFTec certainly knows a thing or two about handling fast turbocharged cars.

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In fact, at one point when the guys were busy working on my car, I slipped away for a moment so I could take the shop’s EcoBoost Mustang development mule for a quick test drive.

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It’s safe to say this car is one of the most heavily modified EcoBoost Mustangs in the US right now. It already has a prototype turbo upgrade, strengthened internals and is putting down 400 horsepower to the rear wheels. If you were looking for an EcoBoost car that has the capability to embarass V8s, this is it. It’s slam-you-in-the-seat fast while still being plenty docile on the street, and it took just one mash of the throttle to tell me that the EcoBoost Mustang has a bright and fast future indeed.

Higher Numbers, Better Music
Ecoboost-Project-24

Anyway, back to my car. Once the front bumper was removed, the factory front mount intercooler was removed and we put it next to the EcoPro to gauge the difference in size between the two. Pretty big change, eh?

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Of course, the primary reason for an intercooler upgrade on these cars isn’t so much for increased power, it’s for more consistent power. Dyno tests have found that heat soak sets in quite quickly on the EcoBoost Mustang, and an intercooler upgrades will do a lot to combat that. It uses a Garrett core and is TIG-welded in house with aluminum end tanks.

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Here’s another view of the new intercooler fully installed before the front bumper was reattached. I expect this to become a required upgrade for anyone looking to get more out of their turbo ‘Stang.

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With everything installed, it was back to the dyno. This wasn’t just to see what kind of power the car was making with the intake and intercooler, it was so Sean could get to work on a custom tune so the car could maximize the benefits from all of the new upgrades.

Ecoboost-Project-31

On a car like this, even bolt-on parts aren’t going to provide their best results unless they are accompanied by a new flash to fully take advantage of them.

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We must have done six or seven pulls, with Sean making adjustments via the COBB Protuner software after each one. He pretty much has tuning down to an art form.

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And the final result? Well it came out looking like this. 284 horsepower and an eye-opening 387 foot pounds of torque to the wheels. That’s nearly 20 additional horsepower and 40 more foot pounds than what the car had when it rolled in. When compared to stock, I think these are very solid numbers for three basic bolt-on upgrades and a custom tune.

Ecoboost-Project-20

But of course, numbers just tell part of the story. In stock form the car had the feeling of ‘wow, this is pretty quick for a four cylinder’. With the upgrades I’d say it’s now crossed into the realm of being a genuinely quick – with a strong burst of midrange grunt and a healthier top-end feeling. It might not be quite at 5.0 level yet, but it feels a helluva lot closer! The fun factor has also been upped significantly and it’s still getting over 30 miles to the gallon on the highway. For a daily driver, it’s hard to imagine wanting a whole lot more than this. But who knows?

And if I’m honest, what’s excited me just as much as the additional power and torque is the change in sound. In stock form this car is very muted, but opening up the intake and exhaust have given it an entirely different personality. You can hear the turbo spooling, the blow-off when you take your foot off the throttle, and the much more aggressive exhaust tone out the back. The other day I recorded some quick video clips to give you an idea of what it sounds like. While it might not make muscle car noise, it certainly sounds like a proper turbocharged performance car now – and I like that a whole lot. Have a listen for yourself and let me know what you think.

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So there you have it – a very successful opening around of upgrades for Project EcoBoost. Of course, there will be a whole lot more to this project besides just increased horsepower and cooler noises. In fact, here’s a quick teaser of the latest parts to arrive.

Things are about to get even more interesting, so stay tuned.

Mike Garrett
Instagram: speedhunters_mike
mike@speedhunters.com

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1

teasing us with that Rays box.......
The stang is sounding good - I think you made the right choice in mucking around with it. I'm really looking forward to the next installment!

2

Relax im also doing the same with a brand new car. A bit strange feeling but hey its still just metal.

3

My god to me it sounds so weird not being a V8 but still keep up the good work

4

!It sounds amazing. Did you change the blow-off too?

5

Can't wait to see the new wheels and hopefully suspension. The torque increase is just insane!

6

I think an entire article on an increase in HP that's less than 9% is kinda lame...
I'll skip this this whole ecoboost thing from now on.
Can't keep falling asleep behind my computer.

7

SachaAlbarda You're kinda lame.

8

Love it! I'm glad to see that the ecoboost is as responsive as the 3.7 to upgrades and making horsepower. An inline and a v6 that can both be made to run over 400rwhp at the wheels is awesome and something that before required at minimum a GT. Awesome time in the mustang lineup.

9

Impressive numbers! Great article, I am really enjoying this coverage. Keep it up.

10
Speedhunters_Bryn

SachaAlbarda This is more about an all round considered approach to modifying. What about the the impressive torque gain? That's far more relevant in a real world driver like this.

11

Speedhunters_Bryn SachaAlbarda anyone that can't appreciate the apprehension of modifying a brand-new car, modifying it yet staying within California regulations and factory warranty, yet gaining 9% power and almost 20% torque off of three, off-the-shelf cheap parts (considering) deserves to be sleeping. 

I drive a Honda. I can only dream of those gains for under $2k.

12

Wish I had the money to grab one of these, strip it out, cage it, and play with it on a track. How much front end weight is lost between the V8 and the I4? What are the torque numbers for the V8?

Also, it looks like half the intercooler is blocked by the support...

13

blow off is a bit overdramatic but otherwise it definitely sounds better than stock

14

That Mustang makes strange noises.  Does not compute.

Overall, I'm extremely impressed with this version of the Mustang that Ford has put out, and even more impressed by the performance of this EcoBoost version.

15

Awesome progress on the car, really enjoying this build. Though it is an odd sound coming from a mustang, its definitely a nice sound.
I was about to comment that the modifications so far are very good, but I am hoping to see something a bit different. I am excited about the last picture.

16
Nicholas J OGara

Horsepower hunters

17

At first I was heavily skeptical about this car and even "hated" on this model, but after seeing this car and taking a test drive in an ecoboost mustang yesterday. I may have to trade my jeep in for one.

18

Good read right up until the end pic... Rays, Rays, bloody Rays yet again. There are sharper, less common, far more individual rims out there people.

19

Rays Charles Not so much on a Mustang though, right? :)

20

Dimitri A Very strange. Sounds just like a 60hp 206 Pug with a Halfords rear box. Peculiar.

21

apieceobacon Nice. Let me know how it goes!

22

SN95 Lover Thanks much. Plenty more on the way!

23

Dimitri A It certainly gets some interesting looks on the street.

24

sonic2896 That sound is much quieter when just driving normally at least.

25

Mike Garrett Rays Charles There's a reason for that! Save them for the occasional track day and get some proper rims for the street..  \:^)

26

AZMIDLYF EcoBoost is about 150 lbs lighter than a GT, with pretty much all of it removed from the nose. 2.3 is rated at 320 ft lbs and the 5.0 is at 400 ft lbs.

27

Mr Tanuki Glad you are enjoying it!

28

Wildcardfox Yep, something for everyone indeed. Just wait til the GT350 gets here!

29

SachaAlbarda You are certainly entitled to your opinion but 20+ whp and more than 100 lb feet with a few bolt-ons seems pretty solid to me.

30

@Joel Nope not yet, that's all from changing the intake.

31

DjaranJones Will do!

32

day_old_tofu Thanks much!

33

I can't wait to see where this goes. I hope to see it while driving around the Bay Area.

34
CharlesSangollo

Almost got the pony out the mustang, good job, lovin it !

35
JoshuaWhitcombe

Rays Charles Nothing wrong with Rays, they are strong, genuine, quality wheels, plus if Mike likes them that's all that matters

36

Id never own a Mustang but find this project very interesting.

37

Lol @ "It might not be quite at 5.0 level yet..." Considering the '87 5.0 had 300 lb-ft. at the crank and you now have 387 lb-ft. at the wheels I'd say you're not at the 5.0 level [I]anymore[/I].

38
StinkyPinky101

BubbaDubya Who talks about old fox body 5.0's anymore? He's referring to the coyote 5.0

39

Mike Garrett AZMIDLYF That's some weight off of the front you should feel. Torque numbers coming in line with the 5.0 as well. Very nice!!

40

@StinkyPinky101 BubbaDubya lol@me!  I'm stuck in the past. :)

41

Rays Charles Mike Garrett I know I wouldn't be complaining about getting a set of Rays.

42
AndresCampitelli

Mike Garrett The project is looking good my friend...but personally i'll do something with the engine bay...its looks too ''plastic''...you could paint the cam covers and match it with someting...maybe with those Rays that you got there :)
Greetings from Venezuela

43

Daaaammnn.. Very impressive bump on the torque! The crash bar is somehow blocking the bigger intercooler. Are you gonna do something with it?
What's next Mike? Good job! Can't wait for the next article

44

That sounds great!

45

If i close my eyes it sounds great but then i open them and it just seems wierd coming from a mustang, definitely Gonna take some getting used to

46

Rays Charles They're also a sponsor.

47

This is so incredibly wrong and sacriligeous. I hate it.

48

Febrian XR Yeah, as far as I can see the new intercooler is completely blocked by the chassis. It's getting no more airflow than the stock one. Weird design choice.

49
Slappy Pistons

This is excellent, Mike.  I'm stoked we actually get a RHD version here in the UK.  It seems like Ford really has picked up the baton from the Japanese on affordable, tunable, boosted driving.

How did that R33 get to FFTec?  Not a road car?

50

sad day to see a mustang sound like a renault megane

51

At first I was unsure, but I'm loving it now!

52

收学徒么

53

wojiushishinengbunengfazhongwen~~~~gaga  T _ T~~~

54

Now I'm torn between the FRS and the ecoboost...

55
Slappy Pistons

mlc5309 but like what if I dunno maybes perhaps probably you could be the first person (probably) to drop an ecoboost motor into an FRS/BRZ/86?  That will definitely be an awful lot of work, time, and money, so I would say probably go with the Mustang?  Yes that.

56
Speedhunters_Bryn

Big Pooky Rays Charles Rays are a sponsor of the site, yes. When faced with 100% funding a new set of wheels or getting them cheaper/sponsored from Rays then it's hard to turn down, especially as they make some killer designs that are the real deal. We don't make a whole heap of money doing this, so naturally we'll look to get the best for less if we can :)

57

Rays Charles Dimitri A 
Yeah always lots of turbo hiss and BOV noises on those..

58
scrambled eggs

xd___ woshimojomikatiprancermanjamramjamwohoblackbettybambalam~~~~madonna K _ K~~~~

59
AnthonyJohnson3

Why not go with the companies who have experience with Mustang Tuning, SCT, Livernoise, Diablo? I have no issues with Cobb, but there are companies out there who know more about Fords.

60
LowFairlady_NZ

They Better not be RPF1's ... they are the new TE37  every Tom Dick and Harry has them...

61

The car sounds great!

62

I'm not into Mustangs, but this got me interested and will be a start of something new for me.

63
Nicholas J OGara

Yah know, some import guys hate when an RX-7, 240sx or Miata ends up with a V8. Now this happens....from the factory.
My father's 73' Plymouth = 340ci v8
My 90' 240sx project.... >;)

64
JoshuaWhitcombe

@LowFairlady_NZ They wont be, those are Rays boxes, not Enkei.

65

AnthonyJohnson3 But if everyone did that, new companies would never appear, and the market stagnates. I see what you're saying, but a bit of variety never hurt anyone :)

66

It Chuu Chuu's really good i like it...tell anyone and ill kill you...

67
AnthonyJohnson3

Robo_No1 AnthonyJohnson3 I wouldn't call Cobb a "New" company. If you see some of the results the other companies are getting, and the price points I just didn't see the reason for going with Cobb. Also if you are trying to expose the masses to new companies, how many people who frequent this website know anything about the companies I just mentioned unless you are into Mustang performance? I guess suspension mods will probably be from the Tein catalog! To each their own I guess, but I do enjoy the write up on the second coming of the SVO!

68

Well, there goes the warranty.. haha ;D

69

mlc5309 Found On Roadside Dead. Just something to think about

70

Mike Garrett SN95 Lover  Hey Mike -- I know a lot of this stuff is done at a discount, BUT how about some real world costs on these upgrades,,, Are you still below what a V8 costs????

71

I dont understand why people are talking about this engine beating a 5.0 it seems like no matter what (no offense to the 4 cyl drivers) that the engine is gonna make less hp and I'm referring to a stock state. As for mike doing his upgrades he can do that all he wants like other drivers of this car but all I'm saying is give me the same amount of money he's spending on this build for a 5.0 and its fair to say the 4 cyl would get its ass whooped!!! for every upgrade he does if you think about it is only half of what it could do for a 8 cylinder and in a maxed state i think we all can agree the v8 will make more power. So please think about that when you talk about his car or another 4 cylinder car beating a v8 because 4,000$ on a v8 = 6,000$ on a 4 banger figuratively speaking of course. 

Awesome article mike and love the project car coverage!!!  And i was wondering is this car going to see coil overs soon?

72

oldschoolcat No worries. I'm enjoying it. :)

73

jacobherman14 Lots of suspension stuff in the works.

74

Nicholas J OGara Haha.

75

AnthonyJohnson3 Yes it's a Mustang, but it's a brand new motor so there's not really any big established names when it comes to a 2.3. If it was a 5.0 it'd be different obviously.

76

Slappy Pistons It's a customer's car so I'm not entirely sure. They just work on it.

77

bagged83dime Yep, part of the fun,

78

Febrian XR From what I've seen all the intercooler kits use a similar shape. Not sure how many people will remove the crash bar.

79

AndresCampitelli Mike Garrett Thanks. I've actually thought about doing something like that. We'll see what happens.

80

CharlesSangollo Thanks.

81

Smiggins I'd call that success.

82

Mike Garrett oldschoolcat This is with a stock bypass valve correct? I think it sounds damn good for a little 4 banger!

83

The blow off valve YOO

84

AnthonyJohnson3 I would trust COBB to tweak a turbo-4 over anyone you mentioned.

85

To me there's something undeniably cool about a "domestic" making all kinds of "import" noises.  I'm really on board with this combo, and a lot of that is because it's unique.  Not just another 5.0, V8 muscle car (as much as I do love the new GT and 350 versions).

86

AirLift_Lucas Mike Garrett oldschoolcat Yep, all the turbo noise is from the intake.

87

Steve Hayward Thanks man! Lots more to come.

88

Does anyone make an aftermarket turbine housing for these yet? Seems like that'll be the choke point down the road.

Mike, car is awesome but you gotta get an aluminum flywheel... bad!

89

AnthonyJohnson3 
I think I would trust a company like Cobb who has already been in the Ford turbo 4 cylinder market over companies who have only been doing V8's. Plus the accessport has far more features than the SCT and Diablo devices.

90

Love it! I can just see the screw faces you must get from people when they see a Mustang making all those noises! 

Very cool to see the power figure jumps you've had with the basic bolt on upgrades. 

Looking forward to seeing the new wheel/tire set up!

91

With how much you've put into the car, where does it fall in comparison to a v8?

92

ndropkin I can't imagine it even being that much.
I have a 2014 Focus ST which has the 2.0 Ecoboost, and with intake, catback, downpipe, tuned and new intercooler I'm like only 1800 into the car.

93

oldschoolcat that's actually the stock bypass valve, no blow off.  so that's just heard from the bypass value putting it back into the intake tract.

94

AnthonyJohnson3 Cobb has the market on the Ecoboost Fiesta and Focus, and other than displacement, this stang is no different.  I'd use them before I'd ever use SCT.

95

TheDude69 mlc5309 that 1960's era acronym really changes the game.  I'm pretty sure that poor old african american also really does think his Pontiac is a Cadillac.  Archaic thinking.

96
AnthonyJohnson3

Mike Garrett AnthonyJohnson3 Look up Livernois motorsports, you will be surprised.

97
AnthonyJohnson3

milkplus AnthonyJohnson3 12.64 with an exhaust intake and tune with Livernoise, they have been tuning SHOs from the get go, go ahead and stick with COBB.

98
AnthonyJohnson3

@Nick AnthonyJohnson3 Again Livernois, they probably got hands on the Turbo-4 before it was released to the public, all I am saying there are other option out there. They might be less "glamorous", but they are out there.

99

DanielleKoran ndropkin Yeah depending on which exact companies you go with, the stuff done to this car should run right around what Danielle said.

100

matthewyaa Thanks Matthew. It's always fun seeing people's reactions to this thing.

101
AnthonyJohnson3

DanielleKoran AnthonyJohnson3 Do you think ford tuned the turbo any different from any other turbo engine they make? The TT-V6 has been out longer than both the Focus ST and Fiesta, the more established Ford tuning companies have knowledge to what work and doesn't work inside the Ford tunes. Cobb might not be new to tuning, but they are new to Ford. I like Cobb, I am waiting for them to Come out for an access port for F10 535I and i am in, but in this case I think there was a better option.

102

milkplus Not sure if anyone has released a housing yet. And yes a lightened flywheel would be quite nice :)

103

milkplus AnthonyJohnson3 Yeah, I have to second Anthony on Livernois, they have a few mean Ecoboost SHOs and a coupla FLex's under their belt. All making decent power well before and in spite of little aftermarket support.

Another company that put the Ecoboost 3.5 over 600hp on stock internals is http://www.ecopowerparts.com/. The Did a Ford Flex that is over 600hp. I'm sure they already have a Ecoboost stang in the garage, and will easily be putting out stupid numbers before long.

104

AnthonyJohnson3 DanielleKoran Nothing against any of the companies on my end. I've known a lot of people who have had good experiences with Cobb stuff and they were very open to working with me on the project. Don't think you can go wrong with any of them.

105

These numbers are MIND blowing for this 4 cylinder, wow iam very impressed.

106

NEEDS CAMS with more overlap! I was so hoping for that deep British sports car sound ala a street tuned SR20DET.


But overall not bad. I'm sure the Ecoboost Stang will be a street terror in a few years. And that Torque curve!! It comes in healthy and strong at just 2500rpm! Can you say lazy, loafer, drift machine...

107

From MSRPs:
Cobb Access Port: $500
Catback Exhaust: $1,549
EcoPro Intercooler: $899
FFTEC Intake: $194
TOTAL: $3,142

Not including dyno&tune costs, installation, or discounts.

108

And since you're in California, have fun taking all those parts off for your smog check.

109
BottlefedGT500

DanielleKoran TheDude69 mlc5309 Hahahaha!  I tip my hat to you.  Well. Played.

110
BottlefedGT500

SachaAlbarda Don't worry, there are bound to be some "HELLAFLUSHMAYNE MEGA CAMBERGANGBROS YO!"cars that will be just your speed and style not far off.

111

Is a good look Mike Garrett , looking foward to this ecoboost project , much respect from Jamaica :)

112

Nice round of mods Mike Garrett! What led you to the Cobb and FFtec intake/Ford catback? I've been shopping around myself and reading up on the Mustan6G forums and like what I'm seeing from the MAPerformance team with their project Ecoboost. So far they're making decent power on the stock turbo and prices seem a little more reasonable. Just wondering what helped you decided on your parts?

For those interested - MAP's Ecoboost site: maperformance.com/mustang-ecoboost-performance-parts/

113

Ford's doing a great job of making me hate Ford less with all these smaller displacement, turbocharged engines.

114

MattM Power Mike Garrett Thanks!

115

PolyMEDrummer Don't have to worry about that for quite a while on a brand new car ;)

116

mrkollos Mike Garrett A big part of the reason I went with FFtec is because they are located here in California. It's nice being able to actually go to the shop and see what they are doing, although I've also been in touch with MAPerformance and they do indeed have some cool stuff going on.

117

AndrewCinch I also love the fact that these turbo motors are complimenting badass V8s :)

118

Febrian XR It's all about thermal mass.  More mass = longer to increase the temperature of the mass.  A bigger intercooler not only lowers the pressure drop through the intercooler, it takes longer for the temperature to rise. 
You don't need more airflow per se, you need more thermal mass and bigger cross sectional area (lower pressure drop).  This type of oversized intercooler does both.

119

This is why I love SpeedHunters! I don't get to read magazines like "5.0 and Fast Fords" often so this keeps me somewhat up to date. Thank you for taking the time to document the mods with dyno tuning, it is invaluable! 
Re: the sound, I too at first was a little weirded out especially with the rear view but then I thought "Hey it's a Silvia!"  

What are your thoughts on this EcoBoost 'Stang vs the 2015 Nissan 370/NismoZ?

Finally, I'm super stoked on your results just from bolt-ons...we dyno'd a stock 2012 Mustang GT and got 376hp/364tq to the wheels.

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haodamao Febrian XR oooh, i see. Thanks for the explanation!

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awesome!

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Ramah_Nyang Thanks. I love these kind of projects.

124

Is it 4 or 6 years on a new car? And honestly swapping out an intake and switching back to the factory tune isn't much work at all for a smog check. Some people swap out entire engines. The intercooler COULD fail your visual but I don't know if smog techs would bother to look inside the front bumper, other than to see that an intercooler is in the right place

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I want to see someone slap 2 of these ecoboost turbos on a coyote. I'm sure there will be plenty of low miles stock units for sale when more people start playing with the ecoboost cars. Quick spool v8 twin turbo? Hell yee

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Cobb is definitely the better option. I used Cobb on my previous cars, and on the new ecoboost mustang it offers way more options and tricks than any other device, even more so than on other Cobb tuning platforms. And I have also used SCT and Diablo. The Cobb give you much more parameters to control, launch control, ffs.... on the fly map, launch, and fuel changes, burnout mode, anti-lag. Anyways, I never use the Cobb for its OTS maps, only custom tuning so the more the handheld has to offer the better. Cobb definitely wins in that department.

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The car sounds like a giant bumble bee on a drunk being beat into submission. I think the turbo sounds good. I am also not being a but H, I am just stating a opinion, and everyone has one. I would try to get a better flowing exhaust, with a still quiet, sleeper sound(because you cannot make a loud 4cyl mustang , sound like a mustang) and Practice to be quick on a stick, or get a auto, if I could not be quick and smooth. Thanks for sharing your info!

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Destabilizator

What I love on all the articles here, is that at least somebody finally realizes that making a video of basically any car with music in the background sucks for us, swan song lovers.
Engine sounds ftw!

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I'm thinking about buying a new car. Are there any of them that come with these kind of parts? Otherwise, it looks like I will have to install them myself. Maybe I should do some research as to where to go to find the right stuff for my engine to keep my car running for a long time. http://www.autodream.ca/

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LaurenAdams Just contact FFTEC Motorsports. They can put together a package to suit your needs. They can handle installation, and if you're not local they can arrange transportation too.

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@Destabilizator Haha, it's funny you should say that. Have you seen the track vid that FFTEC did  last week? The car is making 520HP now and it sounds great!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxJD-oUs02s#t=20

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Well, Mikey, first off try to sound like you know what your talking about. When measuring power, it's call lb-ft (pound-feet), not ft-lbs-(foot-pounds)... It's a measurement and you can put one into the other but not a 180 from that. One can put a lot of pounds into a sq foot, but there is no room or space in a pound because it's a mass. Duh, so please, at least sound like you know what your talking about, you'll look better to gear heads. Next, I'm surprised you got suckered into the aftermarket CAI upgrade world. Those things have been Myth-busted the world over. They might add 1-2 hp, but that's it. Only on a upgraded turbo, will a aftermarket CAI truly work as intended. With the cat back exhaust, you probably picked up 5-6 hp max. The tune is no longer a power adder once other parts are on the car that need adjustment, it's just there to make things all work together. FYI: no tune is needed for exhaust or intercooler upgrades, unless a down pipe and header are added.
Now, as for the power, it's not to bad, but honestly, these turbo cars need more mid range. I see the ecostang still falls on its face above 5k rpm.
Lastly, more power requires: More fuel, more air and more timing. Anytime those things are increased, mpg's will suffer and drop. Not get better as sooooo many people think. And, as for mileage, a focus SE that is rated at 36 hwy, only averaged 28 on the hwy from SF to LA running at 70, on the posted limit, I really doubt any ecoboost, let alone modded one, is going to average over 30 mpg on the same hwys. I had a Focus ST rated at 25 city/34 hwy, but it never did better than 19 city in 5th gear, short shifting at 1700 rpm or 29 hwy at the limit. CA has to many hills for decent mpg. Plus I heard from a relative retired from Chevron Fuels in SF that our crappy CA fuel has chemicals that come from China, making it dirtier, not cleaner. Those same additives make our cars run worse, which in turn hurts mpg and makes the air bad. He also stated that the Catalyitic converters actually cause part of the pollution, not the other way around. And that most of SoCa's air pollution comes from, yup, China. He was at a big meeting with top brass (of which he was one) in Dec 2013 and they showed meteorological satellite photos of this massive thin layer of what looked like ozone drifting east from China. Well, it was tested by aircraft and guess what, it was pollution, not ozone. So CARB is just a revenue generator for the greedy politicians spending habits and nothing more. So, no wonder my cars ran better in AZ, NV and WA on their fuels. No crappy excessive chems from China.

133

I've been in hot rodding and tuning for over 28 yrs. and owned a exhaust business. There's also no such thing as a high flow cat. Sure people sell them, but they are no good. You either have cats or you don't. I would not waste the $. We have secretly gone to emissions stations without our cats and passed with cleaner scores than with our cats, so I'd rather pull the cat than keep it on. Besides, they run very hot and get clogged full of junk, under high hp, high rpm driving. On 95% of vehicles, a aftermarket CAI and cat back exhaust just add sound, maybe 5-6 hp total, but to me, it's not worth it. Just pull the muffs or replace with a muff of choice and play with different resonators, or get rid of that too.

134

Oh, last thing Mike. The car does not have a blow off, it's a recirc valve. Your hearing air going through the K&N filter on your kit, vent a little. That is unless you put a blow off valve on.

135

I have a question, I just bought a 2015 ecoboost Mustang. It's my first time trying to tune/modify a car so I know very little about it. I want to put the Roush cold air intake on my car, but I was wondering if I will still be able to get the Ford Racing tune when it gets out. Does anyone know if putting a tune on your car is still possible after putting a cold air intake on it? 
thanks a lot!

Max.

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DutchMax Roush would be aftermarket, Ford Racing tune would also have Ford racing intake and other parts and it would just be calibrated for the parts included.
If you want Roush or anybody else you're going to want to go through somebody else that tunes these cars.
Also to note, Ford's tune/kit will be very conservative, and not extract much power.  These cars have a LOT left off the table that a proper aftermarket tuner will be able to do.  I'd imagine with intake, exhaust, intercooler and tune, they will be going toe to toe with a GT Mustang.  This is my guess from my results in modifying my Focus ST which has the smaller 2.0 and it's picked up nearly 80 hp with the above mods.

137

Thanks for replying!
I don't want to risk losing my warranty, is it possible to uninstall tunes when I get a problem that could be covered by warranty? Without Ford noticing it of course.

138

@Sparks lb-ft and ft-lb are directly equivalent.

Torque is a force applied at a radius.
To increase it, you either increase the force or the increase radius.
Hence longer spanners.

2 * 10 = 20
10 * 2 = 20

He should, perhaps, have said Newton Metres, but that's a very different conversation.

139

I have never liked mustangs because my dad owned nothing but fords and mustangs. So when i could drive i wanted something different and my first car was a 96 GSX eclipse. Ever since then i been addicted to turbos and anyone that has driven a car with a upgraded turbo knows why boost is addicting as any drug. But the fact ford made a good quality turbo 4cyl and didnt dumb down the look of the mustang like they did to all the other non v8 versions makes me even more impressed.Doesnt hurt its one of the best looking mustangs in the modern era. Id still probably go with the new Focus RS since i have been driving awd turbo cars for most of my 13 years of driving between the GSX and a few WRX's and wrx powered legacys. I can say i dont hate the mustangs much anymore that is for sure.

140

Sal 2015 EcoBoost and I have done everything that you guys have done in ino 343 pounds of torque it ran at the track 13.47 101 miles per hour I'd like to get into the twelves what else can I do to my turbo

141

I have recently purchased the 2016 Ecoboost and I was wondering if I could do the same modifications and get the same results even though my car is an automatic

142

I have a mustang ecoboost 2015 around how much would I spend for intercooler exhaust and tune? I already have the aftermarket cold air intake

143

AlanRosas1 It depends on the type of exhaust and intercooler you want.  You should call FFTEC and talk to them, they have several different options.

144

Inspiring! On the lookout for a new ride now - the EcoBoost Mustang is a real contender. Reading this, and seeing the car on TE37's sort of made ma fall for this badboy, even thought I'd ever be looking at a Mustang ad first proper car.

145

BrendanBowen DSM huh? Then you already know you can't downgrade to a slower car. Go with the Focus RS. :)

146

Although well written and entertaining... This was stupid as shit to do. You could have spent the same amount (or less) just buying the 5.0 and I would be faster, look better, and sound better right off the lot. The "3 basic bolt ons" you mention, plus the flash tune port and the cost of a custom tune 7 DYNO PULLS is fucking expensive dude!! Cool that YOU did it but I would much rather just start with what I want.

147

DeeGee4 That's not what everyone wants.  I have a Fox Body with a 302 and intake and aluminum heads ands roller rockers and and and....  So now I also have a new Ecoboost and I wanted it for a daily driver but I will also mod it to get the most out of it I can... So don't ASSume that just because someone buys an ecoboost that they would rather have a GT ... My Fox Body gets maybe 10mpg ... Again not what I want to drive every day...

148

DeeGee4 You're ignorant.

149

Good for you man. I happy you seem to have a abundance of money to waste .... I have a CTS V and it looks drives and sounds excellent without having to do anything extra to it... Any time you wanna line up, let me know!

150

Haha, why am I ignorant? Because I don't think wasting money is a good idea? You know what, I actually like this generation of Ford Mustang but I would never buy one and risk being lumped in with you fucking idiots.

151

DeeGee4Cadillac cant even keep the doors open without government assistance, so thanks for supporting dying companies that have robbed the American ppl of their hard earned money and stuffed it right intothe pockets of GM EXECS. Youre ignorant, your shit is probably leased you broke ass loser. Maybe check out a ctsv forum.

152

You fuck stick... You don't know shit about shit! Maybe you should read up on who took money from the bailout and who didn't not to mention Cadillac sales are at an all time high AND THEY PAID BACK THE MONEY PLUS INTEREST! I bought my car and don't need to lease cause I'm a man that can make a good living, pay his taxes (so your family can eat) and buy the car I want without having to buy all kinds of mods to make it fast! I came to this site because my WIFE was thinking she wanted one of these lol and thank God I talked her out of it and saved us from riding around on weekends looking like a redneck POS. Go to hell son!
http://www.factcheck.org/2011/09/ford-motor-co-does-u-turn-on-bailouts/

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BrendanBowen I'm going to be real pissed when I get my ass kicked by a Focus. I still think the Mustang is way better looking, but that Focus RS is seriously bad ass. I love this new era of power!

154

BubbaDubya AlanRosas1 $2500

155

DeeGee4. Are you stupid? this is a performance package 4 cylinder mustang that costs $29k and a 5.0 is another $4k on top of that. I dont think this guy spent $4k on 3 mods and a tune. Not to mention the monthly insurance for a brand new 5.0 you might as well just be lighting money on fire. Throw some more money in that fire when you get to the gas pump, and then throw some more in when you decide to mod the 5.0 because you are on speedhunters.com

156

There is only one mod needed for the street - Cobb Access Port Tuner.
- Cold Air intake, repeatedly proven to make no improvement and often some loss.
 - Exhaust, almost never makes a difference on a turbo (buy it for sound if you must, but sorry no HP)
 - Intercooler, not necessary on the street (no heat soaking) - buy it for the track.

You can use the Stage 2 tune with a stock engine and get all the benefits for $500 vs $3200.

157

inblack99 A downpipe that is larger will make a difference in Turbo lag. Thus giving you quicker response. a free flowing exhaust also reduces spool time, thus reducing turbo lag. I agree a cold air intake does not really give you Horse power, but depending on the filter element, make make it easier for your engine to breathe.

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DeeGee4 Mine is bigger than yours! LOL children please!

159

Drew1717 yes, should have no issues.

160

I got a 2016 ecostang, just did the tune and a cai last week. Didn't hit the dyno yet but response times are quicker with shifts and it definitely has more pull and the midrange isn't falling off. If anything it falls flat around 6500 but assume a new intercooler will fix that. OH and before these mods I was getting 26/28 mpg depending on the weather highway. Getting a solid 36 now. I am more than willing to post videos/pics to prove my numbers.
This car is fun even if it isn't very Mustang like. Can't wait to get that downpipe

161

You could always go for a stage 2 COBB tune, but you'd be looking at dropping some big bucks. And you have the option of throwing an AEM wastegate and Blow Off Valve. CJ Pony Parts has a video on them!

162

How much did it cost to get what you had done. I'm buying a 2016 today and I'm not to mechanical but I'm looking for the power....I also love that you are getting better gas mileage....ofcrdog@mac.com ...I'd love any ideas, part names, etc to do to my new Stanger, thanks

163

I have a 16 Ecoboost and I had the flash pack installed that Roush offers. I am trying to to find some other mods that won't ruin my warranty, so it will probably have to be a Roush product installed by a dealer, but I am looking for some opinions on the other Roush products if anyone can give me some advice. Also, any specific tires or rims that are known to have great performance as far as handling? This is my first Mustang and first time adding any mods to a car, so any advice for any mods is great, Thanks!

164

Hello, very interesting article but I'm quite confused with the figures;
I own a 2016 ecoBoost Mustang and it's 317HP stock, no tune, no flash, no extra;
The only difference is that it's a european model as I live in Europe;

165

What was the 0-60 time after the mods?

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