The thought of swapping a GT500 supercharger onto a Coyote engine has probably crossed the minds of most Mustang owners from time to time. After all, the 5.2-liter Predator is a derivative of the 5.0-liter Coyote engine, and it makes 760 horsepower at the crank thanks to its factory forced induction unit. How difficult could this swap be, and how close to that 760 horsepower number could you get with your Coyote?

Not only that, but how much money could you save on a supercharger that typically sells second-hand for half the cost of an aftermarket supercharger kit, or even a fraction if you scored one of the scratch and dent specials from Ford Performance a few years back?

Hot Rod Mentality

The best bang for the buck on a Coyote engine has always been adding boost. The engineers behind the scenes at Ford claimed that maximizing the efficiency of the naturally aspirated engine allowed for massive gains when supercharged. However, the hot rod mentality of using what’s available and within your budget has continued for decades, even into the S197 and S550 chassis.

Needless to say, when VMP Performance introduced a variety of products aimed at making the Predator supercharger swap easier, we were pretty excited. So much so, we even did an article titled “What’s Needed To Install A GT500 Supercharger On A 2011-17 Coyote.” While we understood this supercharger to be a great entry-level blower with easy tuning, fueling, and minimal boost levels, others saw the swap as a way to supercharge on a budget, aiming for supercharger kit power levels with the thought of everything bolting on with ease.

Factual Findings

VMP owner Justin Starkey has been trying to inform people why the Predator swap might not be the best option for them and recently sent out a PSA concerning the topic. “The Predator swap is a great entry-level blower if you’re willing to do the legwork, the key word being the ‘legwork,’” states Starkey.

“We designed and kitted a couple of parts that we thought would help facilitate the Predator swaps. Drawing from our tuning and supercharging experience, there are some pretty straightforward and low-cost ways you can get the Predator blower going on a Coyote,” Starkey details. “However, as with all great things, some take it too far. The Predator swaps are, by their very nature, a DIY endeavor and a hodge-podge of parts.”

“The builder needs to understand this and take responsibility for properly researching the swap, collecting parts, and having it tuned. All too often in our industry, the customer tries to over-research a build based on a flurry of internet opinions and then gets mad at the companies involved when they don’t receive the support or answers they want,” states Starkey. 

The Bigger Fish

While the news is not all bad, Justin does mention that for those wanting a complete solution, VMP Performance has a line of Odin, Loki, Gen3R, and now the latest Gen6 supercharger kits. These kits are turn-key with tuning and support, capable of pushing you into the 700-1200 horsepower range. So, before you choose to find that cheap GT500 supercharger off Facebook Marketplace, Starkey stresses, “Slow down, realize the Predator is an endeavor to build something unique, not an off-the-shelf kit.” Not bad advice from a guy who has spent more than 20 years supercharging Fords.