You'll find that quality parts for your Mustang can run you a pretty penny. It's true what they always say, "the more you pay, the faster you'll go." However, you always want to balance the cost of the parts with what they will give you. Is it worth it to spends scads of cash to scrape out a few thousandths of a second?

But what if you don't want to race? What if you just want to have a little more oomph between stoplights, or even just keep your old ride on the road? What's available for the average guy or girl who just wants to stand out a little in a car that everyone loves?

And the Mustang has always catered to the tuning industry. Mustang Ford parts, the performance kind, are even available from the manufacturer. And Mustang accessories, from wheels to chrome door lock buttons, are everywhere. The Mustang is a popular car.

For about $3000, you can buy a supercharger kit that will give you a killer power gain, but that will cost you your warranty. If you want to keep the factory happy, try digging around in the Mustang parts bin for some headers and a new exhaust. This will keep your warranty intact while gaining your ride a few extra horsepower and a better sound.

One area that an owner can give their car a little personality is wheels. Low-profile tires on bigger wheels is what's currently popular. Though they are very street racer, they are a bit nosier and tend to run rougher than stock tires. This can cause a little stress after a long day at work when driving home. There is good news, however. It is possible to do the opposite, and get fatter tires with taller sidewalls on smaller wheels, which makes for an easier ride, without giving up too much style.

The last thing people think of is car graphics. Not just the little sponsor stickers you see on race cars, and that have become popular with the street racer set, but flames or tribal patterns or even rockabilly pin striping. Many are available as Mustang parts specific to your model year, and you can get them in easily-removed vinyl sheets so you can change it whenever you feel like. They're much cheaper than a custom paint job and less permanent.

Mustang parts that minimally increase a car's racing performance can cost thousands. Performance-quality Mustang Ford parts are available from the manufacturer. Mustang accessories like wheels and chrome door lock buttons are everywhere. For $3000 you can get a supercharger kit while losing your car warranty. However, if you dig around in the parts bin for some headers and a new exhaust, you can keep your warranty intact and boost your horsepower. Wheels and tires can also be customized and made bigger or smaller depending on an owner's personality. Car graphics that are less permanent and less costly than custom paint jobs can also dress up a car.