When it was introduced in 1964, the Ford Mustang was an instant hit with young and old people alike who wanted reliable and sporty transportation at a modest price. And of course the Mustang is generally credited with starting the whole pony car trend, which quickly led to the muscle cars of the 60鈥檚 and early 70鈥檚.
Fast forward 45 years, and the Ford Mustang is going strong again, appealing to the same types of buyers that made it an icon in the 60鈥檚. Available in 4 basic models in either coupe or convertible form, and with literally dozens of available packages, special editions and options, the new Mustang can be delivered in many styles and equipment levels. Whether it鈥檚 a basic V6 model, the GT with 300 horses under the hood, the iconic Bullitt edition or even the serious 500 horsepower GT500 Shelby model, there are always ways to personalize it further and make it even more enjoyable. Because of the overwhelming popularity of this car in all its variants and the huge selection of aftermarket equipment available, it鈥檚 a prime candidate for audio and security upgrades.
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Starting Off
The Mustang comes from the factory with one of several audio system options. The basic models come with an AM/FM radio and a single CD player. From there you can upgrade to a 6 disc changer, and 8 speakers, which Ford calls the Shaker 500 package. The rather dreadful sounding system is by far the one most commonly found, but there are other options. Some Mustangs are ordered with the even worse Shaker 1000 system which adds two 鈥渟ubwoofers鈥� in the trunk and is rated at 1,000 watts. And as bad as it sounds, this system isn鈥檛 cheap either, as a whopping $1,088 upgrade.
For $1,676 you can add a GPS Navigation system with a touch screen and DVD maps, but because of the way things are offered by the factory, you cannot have the Navigation system with the Shaker 1000 system. As you can see, the factory audio systems for the Mustang are both expensive and limiting in terms of available features and functions, not to mention that none of them sound good. This is where the savvy Mustang owner turns to the aftermarket. Of course there are literally dozens of brands and hundreds of models of all sorts of gear available for the Mustang. Everyone likes something a little different, so by all means before spending any money, make sure you have auditioned the gear you are looking at buying. I鈥檓 going to make some recommendations here based on my testing and experience. When it comes to audio, always trust your ears, and listen to things before laying out the cash. If you do choose products similar to the ones I recommend, you should be in real good shape as your desire to make the system continues and eventually replace the entire factory audio system.
JBL GTO8607C component speaker system![GTO8607cGrou[4]_opt](/images/stories/1101/Budget_Build/Budget-Build---Mustang-11.01-V2-web-images/GTO8607cGrou[4]_opt.jpeg)
As with almost every OEM system, the best place to begin with your upgrades are the replacement of the factory speakers. This upgrade will net you the most improvement for the least amount of money. The Mustang uses 6x8-inch speakers and separate tweeters in the front doors and 6x8-inch in the rear deck. This makes upgrades easy, as most aftermarket companies offer coaxial or component systems that will readily fit in these openings.
If you are on a tight budget, check out the JBL Grand Touring component speaker system. Its high-efficiency design uses a special lower impedance design to perfectly complement the OEM amplifiers output, and will deliver great sound with much improved clarity and output. The JBL GTO8607C component speaker system features a pair of 5x7-inch / 6x8-inch polypropylene cone woofers, suspended with heavy duty rubber surround. The woofer cone uses a special design that offers a larger surface area than other similarly sized speakers, for increased bass output and efficiency.
JBL鈥檚 innovative My-Ti tweeters use a special diaphragm material blended from titanium and Mylar that delivers smooth highs without being strident. The ingenious I-mount system allows you to custom install the tweeters in almost any location, and JBL鈥檚 Starfish mounting bracket lets you install the tweeters in most factory tweeter locations. Best of all, 2 pair of these high quality component systems will only set you back about 400 bucks and will completely transform the Mustangs sonic quality. For those who want or need more, the JBL GTO8607C are still a great choice, and the next place to spend some dough is on a real subwoofer system.
MTX Audio 12-inch Thunderform
Traditional car audio enthusiasts immediately will think 鈥淚 need a pair of 12鈥檚 and a big amp鈥� when it comes to a subwoofer system. But I have had very good experience with more modest systems that don鈥檛 take up the whole trunk and still provide very good low frequency performance. If your goal is to win SPL contests, or bounce coins off the roof, by all means go that route. But for the daily driver that has to carry cargo once in a while, I like the vehicle specific enclosures that are available from a number of manufacturers.
The gang over at MTX Audio has developed an excellent system for the 2005-2009 鈥楽tang that includes a 12-inch Thunder 4500 series woofer and a high efficiency 200 watt Class D amplifier. The woofer system fits both coupes and convertibles, and provides really good bottom end with a minimum of lost space. Utilizing a high-density polyethylene resin material that鈥檚 molded to custom fit the space available, you get a strong enclosure that has the right amount of air for the woofer, but only takes up a fraction of the space a regular MDF enclosure would.
The kit includes everything you need to connect it to the factory system, and in case you continue upgrades, it鈥檚 also fully compatible with aftermarket head units as well. The system features innovative touches like Smart Engage auto turn on, and even includes a remote mounted External Bass Control so you have full control over the bass level from the drivers seat. The Thunder 4500 woofer used is a special 12-inch low impedance version of the Thunder 4500. This proprietary 0.35 ohm woofer has a long excursion voice coil, and is specifically designed for the amplified ThunderForms. A carbon-filled polypropylene cone is connected to the heavy duty basket by a polyether foam surround, and provides increased cone rigidity for reduced distortion and improved reliability. Additionally, and important in a harsh vehicle environment, the cone is also very resistant to environmental extremes. MTX woofers use a technology called Asymmetrical Linear Drive System (ALDS). This system consists of a flat, progressive spider that improves suspension linearity and an extended vented pole piece for improved voice coil control at all excursions. The result is high output and lower distortion.
The MTX Thunderform kit including the amplifier and wiring harness sells for about $550 in the U.S. (a little more in Canada) and will put some serious bottom end in any Mustang. Of course there is really no limit to the upgrades and changes you can make to a car like this, but by using gear like the above examples, for under a grand, you can have an excellent sounding, high quality, very reliable aftermarket system. Considering the rather horrendous sounding Shaker 1000 system costs close to $1,100 bucks, once again the aftermarket offers better performance at lower prices.
Still want more? Good, me too!
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