[The Real Bingo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RamonGTP

I've found that you CANNOT do better on your own. Not if you want to combine both performance AND reliability. Fact of the matter is that the R&D that goes into aftermarket parts is nowhere near as good as what you find on the car from the factory. Granted there are exceptions to every rule and there are people out there with enough knowledge, time, and resources to properly mod a car themselves and still retain reliability and have an edge in performance, but by in large, that is not the case.

I disagree. I pay attention to the 2005+ Mustang community, and the guys who drag race are hardcore. They run low-11s and drive back home, and they probably didn't spend $50k on their car and mods. Some of these guys put on 20k miles per year.

Of course, the faster you want to go, the more you'll have to pay if you don't want something breaking every pass...and even then, it's a craps shoot. It's the nature of the beast...you gotta pay to play. There are weak links, no matter how fast you go - the clutch and tranny come to mind. After that, it's the engine and the rear, depending on how much grip you have. You know this.

The manufacturers have their own aftermarket brands, so you know it's the same quality as what you get on the car. Steeda, Saleen and Roush, all Mustang aftermarketers, work closely with Ford to develop and perfect their parts. I would feel 100% comfortable putting any of those name brand parts on my car.