cheap way to get horsepower from a 3.8 mustang

well what do you consider cheap? There are many small mods you can do to a V6 but you wont get huge gains out of them. I would say if you want your car to sound nice it would be best to start with a cold air intake for around $200-$300. Then probably at least a cat back exhaust for about the same price as the intake. Next you can do a tuner that runs close to $400. If you are still boasting stock rims, a set of take off GT or Cobra rims will really make the car look nice. If you want a big boost in performance one of the best steps you can take is a powerpack from super6motorsports for $2500 you can get ported and polished heads, upper intake, lower intake and a cam. They say that adds up to 85hp to the wheels. As i dont have money to upgrade mine I went the route of sounds good, looks good and its still a fun car. So it all depends on your budget there is lots of stuff out there.

Cold air intake, headers and cat backs, heads, valves and cams with 4.10 gears and a lightweight shaft will be the best way to produce affordable hp that will be reliable. A supercharger will come in a $4500 kit and still requires cams and gears.