Am I crazy? 99 Ford Windstar

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jamesA

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I have that weird itch to modify my work VAN.

We all know that if you setup a vehicle to breathe easier it'll be more efficient, thus get better gas mileage. Off a 22 gallon tank, I run between 250-300 miles weekly, which at 2.58/gal, costs the company 50-60 a week in gas.

I've been contemplating a short ram, headers, (yes with an s) and a full 2.25-2.5" exhaust. Not to mention getting some better rims/all season tires since it rides on 15" steelies with hubcaps now.

I'd see no monetary gain other than using less gas, even though I don't personally pay for it.

Am I crazy to think about modifying it?
 
nah, go for it man, i personally cant have ANYTHING stock it's just how i am...
 
It's already stripped down in the back since its not a passenger van, all that shit is gone. lol
 
Family company, job security, money savings, and I have to drive the damn thing 5 days a week. I'd love to get it a remote start/keyless entry and cruise control. When it finally warms up I'm putting my cd player into it & replacing the speakers.
 
The real question is, where in the blue hell would you even GET headers for a windstar? I know it's basically a Taurus with a different body, but still.
 
fix your windows in the house.... all of them
 
Am I crazy to think about modifying it?

Mostly.

I at the very least put K&N filters in everything I drive.. They flow better, get you a little better mileage, but the kicker is, you never have to replace it.. So it pays for itself many times over.

After that, read up on hypermilling driving techniques.. You can almost double the fuel mileage in a vehicle just by driving it very carefully.. I play with my jeep all the time, Normal commute nets me 17mpg. If I baby it, I can get 26. Not double, but a significant gain, just using a different driving style. No mods at all. Mostly works in city driving though, if you're pounding out miles on the interstate techniques aren't going to do much for you.
 
Family company, job security, money savings, and I have to drive the damn thing 5 days a week. I'd love to get it a remote start/keyless entry and cruise control. When it finally warms up I'm putting my cd player into it & replacing the speakers.

It's understandable that you'd want to try these seeing as it's a family business, but honestly, you could end up dropping a grand on this thing if you're seriously going to put a decent quality intake, headers, and exhaust in it.

Like PhyreGod said, I'd just put a K&N filter in it, install your stereo, and drive it conservatively...
 
A grand really isn't that much money over the course of a few years. I didn't really get any further from thinking about it though. I guess we'll have to wait and see. My car'll be paid off here in the next few months, 1k is going into something that accrues interest and then I'm gonna spend some time going out and about.
 
I would do the stereo and maybe the K&N. The stereo you can take with you to a new van and the K&N will save $$ on filters. Its a 10 year old van, probably worth 1500-2500. I wouldn't drop too much into it.
 
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