Here's Some Basic Mods To Level Up Your SN95 Mustang

The fourth-generation Ford Mustang SN95 went on sale in late 1993. It came with a brand-new retro-inspired body and an updated Fox-4 chassis, inherited from its third-gen Fox Mustang predecessor. The SN95 Mustang got a restyled body for the 1999 model year, and is popularly known as the New Edge Mustang. The changes include more potent V8 engines, and the addition of hardcore Bullitt, Mach 1, and Cobra variants by 2004.

Under the hood of an SN95 Mustang is a 3.8-liter V6 or a 4.9-liter 215-horsepower V8 motor, mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. Ford introduced its 4.6-liter modular V8 in 1996, while V6-powered New Edge Mustangs got a more potent 260-horsepower V8, or a 190-horsepower V6.

The power figures are low by modern standards — 2024 Mustangs with a 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo four-cylinder engine have 315 horsepower to play with — but the aftermarket tuning scene is overflowing with basic mods to unleash more muscle from your SN95 pony car.

Installing an aftermarket cold air intake will do wonders for your V6 or V8-powered SN95 Ford Mustang. A quality set will come with larger-diameter hoses, a less restrictive filter element, and heat shields to ensure the engine gulps cooler and denser air, unleashing more power and torque from a simple do-it-yourself upgrade. For example, K&N promises an increase of up to 10 horsepower and 11 pound-feet of torque from its SN95 Mustang cold air intake kit.

The next mod is an aftermarket exhaust kit. The SN95 Mustang heralded the platform's first significant redesign since the Fox Mustang debut in 1979, but it never lost its muscle car DNA. Fitting an aftermarket axle-back or cat-back exhaust kit will unleash more fury from your Mustang's tailpipe, and quality ones could significantly reduce engine backpressure and improve the exhaust flow. New exhaust can help unleash more performance, while fortifying your muscle car's barrel-chested presence.

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Meanwhile, you could opt for a nice set of long-tube or short headers to unleash more engine fury and sound, but most header upgrades require an ECU remap to match the computer software with the higher intake/exhaust flow. Still, replacing the stock headers in your SN95 Mustang is ideal for racing or drifting applications.

When adding more power, improving the suspension and braking is critical to harness the extra grunt as well. Despite coming with disc brakes from the factory, adding a set of aftermarket brake discs — like the Callahan Slotted Disc Rotors — would not only look cool behind a set of lightweight wheels, but those things would enable your pony car to stop on a dime. Granted that installing new brakes requires more profound mechanical knowledge, it's essential to consider a brake upgrade when adding more power to any project car.

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On the other hand, upgrading the suspension will improve the looks and handling capabilities of your SN95 Ford Mustang. Performance coilover suspension is the easiest and best route when desiring ride height adjustability and track-capable handling, but lowering springs are more affordable and less hassle to install. 

Fiddling with the suspension will give your Mustang a sportier, less comfy ride quality. Still, the best brands feature progressive-rate springs or adjustable dampers to deliver a softer ride when you're not gunning it on the dragstrip.