Throughout the last six decades, automotive enthusiasts have looked to both the OEM (Original Equipment
Manufacturer) and the aftermarket to help them tastefully modify their vehicle for a specific purpose.
These could be anything from merely wanting to get a little more horsepower and torque for a better
driving experience or adding a distinctive look to their car's exterior. No vehicle is more tailored to
this mindset than the Ford Mustang. For over fifty-five years, America's pony car has become the staple
for enthusiasts to turn to for a sports or muscle car. Thanks to the efforts of companies like Steeda
and various aftermarket companies, it has made it easy for Mustang enthusiasts to modify their pony to
make it stand out from the rest of the herd. Like all Mustang generations, they can be modified to the owner's liking thanks to an abundance of
aftermarket parts and accessories. Recently, no Mustang generation has been more fortunate to the
aftermarket than the S550. Debuting in 2015, the S550 is the most technologically advanced and
sophisticated Mustang ever to come out of Ford's stable of ponies. With the push to continue being the
most modified muscle car on the market, new owners are being enabled to put their own unique touches to their cars by various companies like: Chances are if you're new to the automotive world and especially the Mustang community, you're probably
wondering where to start modifying your S550 Mustang? Well, there is no need to worry; Steeda has you
covered with our complete guide below that will educate you on everything you need to know to get
started on modifying your 2015-2021 Mustang!
S550 Mustang Exterior
S550 Mustang Interior
S550 Mustang Powertrain
S550 Mustang Exhaust
S550 Mustang Suspension
Throughout its nearly six decade history, every Mustang has been a marvel of engineering and automotive
design. Few performance vehicles in history have created a segment of cars from its inception. Some
could argue that the Mustang is the reason Ford is as successful as it is today. The Mustang's key
design characteristics such as the long hood, short rear deck, shark bite grille, tri-bar tail lamps,
fastback roofline, and broad rear haunches helped create the presence of Mustang known for so heavily in
the performance community. Luckily, these characteristics trickled their way down to the S550 to help
its
road presence, unlike any other stallion before it. When it comes to the 2015-2021 Mustang, it is an entirely modern take and interpretation of the original
1960s pony car. If you are new to the Ford and Mustang segment, you must understand that most
enthusiasts will modify their Mustang with the exterior styling before power adders. New enthusiasts to
the S550 Mustang world need to know that a common goal among the community is to get your pony to stand
out from the herd of stallions; exterior styling is key to getting this completed. Thanks to many different companies like Anderson Composites and Cervini's, they aid owners in the ability
to add unique exterior styling mods such as: Functional
Hood: From the factory, Mustang designers and engineers implemented the
most functional hood ever to debut from a factory-built Mustang, helping the stallion command
presence and functionality. Fortunately, there is hope for you, the enthusiast, who seeks even
more style and functionality. You can get many different hoods that use ram-air induction and
heat extraction options to set yourself apart from the rest.
Spoiler: For
decades, the Mustang rear-end design has
been defined by using a race-inspired spoiler; the S550 stallion is no different from this
influence. If you're the type of new 2015-2021 Mustang enthusiast looking for subtle styling to
your trunk-lid or wanting to go all-out with a pedestal style spoiler, both will give the form
and function your modern pony deserves.
Rear
Diffuser: For many years, rear diffusers have been
derived from racing technology and aerodynamics to promote better air efficiency.
Recently they have made their way down from Mustang race cars to the street pony to promote
style, speed, and functionality. They're most often considered to help with ground effects and
stance while promoting racecar design for the street. Whereas if you're the proud new owner of a
2015-2021 Mustang, wanting to head out to your local autocross or road course, they will help
diffuse air out from underneath your stallion.
Front Chin Spoiler &
Splitters: With over fifty years
of incredible
design and performance, one variable among all six Mustang generations remains the same: a front
splitter. A front splitter is going to do several things for your S550 Mustang; it will add
racecar inspired design to the front end of your stallion while promoting both downforce and
give your Mustang a more aggressive stance. Nowadays, these are offered in various options,
including carbon fiber, composite, and injected molded plastic, to provide new enthusiasts the
choice of what suits them best without breaking the bank.
The Mustang interior is just as important as the exterior because it is where you will spend most of your
time taming the stallion. For decades, enthusiasts have become accustomed to the legendary design and
implementations that Ford engineered into all six Mustang generations. The S550 is no different from
this philosophy of innovation and legendary Mustang design cues for its interior. Many 2015-2021 Mustang
owners have the most exceptional interior ever integrated into America's original pony car. Enthusiasts that have been around the Mustang community for many years are very familiar with the
interior characteristics Ford made so famous over the last six decades. Key elements such as the double
brow dashboard, fighter jet-like gauges, and driver-focused center console are what make the Mustang
interior so unique, just like its exterior design cues. To improve these fantastic innovations, owners
look to the aftermarket to add even more creature comforts, technology, and functionality to increase
the already outstanding interior quality. Race Inspired
Seats: Chances are if you weren't able to pick up an S550 Mustang with
factory Recaro seats, then you have the base or premium seats. Most S550 owners are always
looking for better comfort and functionality in the form of sportier seats than what Ford
implemented. Fortunately, Steeda provides a wide variety of race-inspired seats that will hold
you better while giving you more comfort and functionality.
Steering
Wheel: The factory steering wheel on the S550 Mustang is excellent for the
average enthusiasts and offers excellent grip and feedback. Although, if you're not satisfied
with the OEM steering wheel, Ford Performance offers a more race-inspired steering wheel with
better materials such as premium leather and alcantara to enhance your driving experience.
Shift
Knob: Besides grabbing onto the steering wheel like the reigns of a wild
Mustang, a shift knob gives you not only great style to your stallion's interior; it allows you
to kick it gear when needed. Adding a performance shift knob will provide you a more personable
touch to your S550 interior while adding more race-inspired styling.
Among the entire American automotive industry, one variable that can be agreed upon unanimously is the
sound of a roaring V8 flying down the highway or street. The Mustang is exceptionally familiar with this
characteristic; without the theatre of sound that the S550 Mustang produces, it wouldn't be the most
successful modern stallion to date. In today's world of sound regulation and emissions, new enthusiasts
are always wondering how they can get more volume, rumble, and performance out of their pony's exhaust.
While Ford has done an excellent job of freeing up their OEM exhaust components', true enthusiasts are
always looking for ways to unleash American muscle. Like a cold air intake, adding upgraded exhaust will only help your 2015-2021 Mustang breathe better over
the factory components. The balance of air properly-being brought in and out is crucial to ensuring a
proper air/fuel ratio to promote acceleration and power throughout your S550 Mustang engine RPM band.
While gaining better airflow is excellent for horsepower, torque, and efficiency, most new and veteran
enthusiasts are always seeking more growl from their Mustang engine to promote the Fast, Fun, and
Freedom lifestyle that only the Ford stallion can bring! Mid-Pipe: What a
mid-pipe will do for you is the
ability to create a more crisp and deep exhaust note while at the same time creating an increase
of horsepower and torque. It will depend on if you choose a X-Pipe or
H-Pipe because each of them
establishes power and sound different due to the design in which they hold exhaust backpressure
and distribute airflow.
Axle-Back
Exhaust: For many years, companies have been
creating various axle-back exhaust systems to give new and experienced Mustang enthusiasts the
ability to acquire a specific exhaust note that suits them. One thing that needs to be
understood is that exhaust tone is subjective, and every exhaust setup is going to sound
different to each enthusiast.
Throughout Mustang's legendary history, performance has been at the center of each stallion to roll out
from Detroit. Every single pony since 1964 has strived to push the boundaries of what is possible in
powertrain and engine performance. Like all Mustang generations, Ford knew that as technology advanced,
so must America's original pony car powertrain. Luckily for enthusiasts new and veteran to the Mustang
community, they got fortunate in 2015 when both the second generation of the legendary 5.0L Coyote
engine and 2.3L EcoBoost four-cylinder engine debuted. Both engines offered the ability to market
themselves to potential new enthusiasts and consumers in a way that hadn't been done beforehand. The characteristics that make these two engines so unique are the ability to have easy access to
performance modifications on-demand thanks to the automotive aftermarket. From the factory, both the Gen
II/Gen III Coyote 5.0L V8 and 2.3L EcoBoost engine became so easy to modify with an abundance of
performance parts that will enhance throttle response, acceleration, horsepower, and torque thanks to
the help of many aftermarket companies. Now for the new S550 owners out there, you will want to plan out
what goals are for your modern pony in terms of driveability, reliability, and how much power you are
seeking to put down to the ground. Well, no need to worry will help put your mind at ease with some of the performance parts that we offer
here at Steeda that will be a great start to get your 2015-2021 Mustang running with the rest of the
herd. Below are some modifications for your powertrain that will get you the added horsepower and torque
you need without breaking the bank. Cold
Air Intake: Throughout the entire automotive aftermarket and industry, one
performance modification for your vehicle and Mustang can help in power, efficiency, and airflow
is to add a cold air intake. From the factory, the S550 Mustang air intake is designed to bring
in a sufficient amount of air while still promoting more efficiency to meet federal regulatory
standards. The more air you add to your Mustang engine, you will be promoting better performance
and power throughout the RPM range.
Intake
Manifold: As Ford has continued to evolve the
legendary Coyote engine, so has intake manifold technology to promote better CFM (Cubic Feet Per
Minute) and efficiency for your Mustang's heart. It will help boost horsepower and torque at a
dramatic pace to help you run with the rest of the pony's on the street or track while not
breaking the bank.
Throttle Body:
A characteristic and variable that new
S550 Mustang enthusiasts need to understand are without the throttle body; you wouldn't be able
to provide the air into your Mustang engine. The OEM throttle body on both the EcoBoost and the
Coyote engines is designed to give excellent throttle response but not what enthusiasts expect
maximum performance. That is why bolting up a larger throttle body will allow for more CFM and
airflow to produce more horsepower and torque.
When it comes to Mustang suspension, it has had its critiques over the years due to the outdated live
rear axle that it came equipped with for many decades. Fortunately, the Ford and Mustang engineering
team concluded that they needed to bring the S550 Mustang suspension to the twenty-first century by
integrating independent rear suspension. Adding IRS (Independent Rear Suspension) engineers could give
the S550 pony more balance, better handling characteristics, and revolutionizing the ride quality.
Unlike the live axle found in the S197 Mustang, engineers implemented variables that would take the
legendary American pony car to the next level on the race track or street. During its debut in 2015, aftermarket companies like Steeda knew that to make it the best-handling
Mustang ever, they had to find out the characteristics in which it had flaws that Ford did not implement
to address from the factory. When it comes to new and experienced enthusiasts geared towards the S550
Mustang, it is essential to know your suspension goals and what application you intend to use. Some
people are looking for better ride quality, stance, and handling when it comes to upgrading your
2015-2021 Mustang suspension. Shocks &
Struts: From the factory, the S550 Mustang is
hands down the best riding pony to be assembled from Ford. With the integration of the IRS
(Independent Rear Suspension), better bushings, more sophisticated suspension geometry, and
dampening, enthusiasts can enjoy a much more excellent ride while not having to worry about the
rear-end staying planted at full throttle. To better ride quality, enthusiasts will need to look
to even better shocks & struts for better ride quality and handling. Why should you upgrade your
factory OEM shocks & struts? The reason for this is because, unlike the factory equipment,
aftermarket shocks will allow you to adjust the rebound and dampening. In contrast,_x000D_
the factory components won't allow you to change your dampening because it is continuous valving
when the suspension is in motion.
Lowering
Springs: The significant characteristic about lowering springs is they
check off so many variables with a straightforward modification. Unfortunately, the ride height
has always plagued the Mustang from the factory. Thanks to companies like Steeda, you can solve
this problem from a stance standpoint by adding either linear, progressive, or dual-rate
lowering springs which add the benefits of increasing handling response & ride quality, while
reducing body roll!
Ultimate Mustang Brake Pad Guide S550 Mustang Brake Improvements Top Five Road Racing Mods For Your MustangBeginners Guide To Modifying Your S550 Mustang
S550 Mustang Exterior
S550 Mustang Interior
S550 Mustang Exhaust
S550 Mustang Powertrain
S550 Mustang Suspension
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