mjscott2

After getting my '05 Roush Stage I, black on black, with a Kenne Bell intercooled supercharger exactly how I wanted it, a combination of heavy rain, worn tires and bad luck ended with the front right of the car rearranged enough to total it, just barely.

So, looks like I'm in the market for another Mustang (I've looked hard at the other options but nothing provides the performance bang for the buck and eye-catching looks).

I'm probably going to end up with a 1-2 year old car to avoid paying the depreciation. What I'm struggling with is:

1) Build up another GT with a non-stock body kit (i.e. Roush stage I, Steeda or other kit) and install another KB and upgraded suspension. My broken car dynoed at 463 at the wheels - approx 540 at the crank.
2) Go straight for the GT500 - 500 at the crank.

The GT500 would cost ~$5-7k more. I know that the advantage is that it already has a better suspension, and the 5.4L engine is bullet-proof. A KB Mammoth supercharger can push 800+ rwhp with just race fuel and an upgraded drive shaft. What concerns me is that the curb weight of the GT500 is 600 lbs higher than a GT!!

Even with the KB supercharger added, the GT500 would still weigh 450 lbs more than the GT!

Any thoughts? Anybody compared a blown GT (KB, Roush, Saleen or other twin screw s/c) head-to-head with a GT500?

I'd love to hear your experiences and thoughts.

thanks,

Mike.

Jersey Stang

Sorry about the loss. i hate to hear about these stories...but the recoveries are always great to hear about!
I'd start over with the gt500. You'll have a 5.4L that has a lot of potential. the GT500's have a very tame tune. you can get 50hp just from a tune! the tune alone will have you already faster than your old car. I know it will cost $7K more, but you'll easily spend that on another GT getting up to 540hp again.

Legion5

At least you're ok brother.

a GT needs 463 hp to beat a 520 hp gt500 (they are underrated). the gt500 will always handle 14% worse in terms of cornering grip than the GT mathematically speaking in unit of G's with the same suspension and tires and that's before you consider the uneven weight distribution.

Due to mark ups on GT500 performance products and the mark downs on the GT's parts you will spend on average about $3000 more on a GT with little variety in this number to achieve the same performance as the GT500 acceleration for acceleration all the way up to a 925 hp GT500. But... if you get a used Saleen supercharged or especially extreme due to the depreciation with the performance components you benefit from you will be about $3000 on top if you get it at least 8 months used from the previous owner (an extreme gives a free bullet proof transmission as the major reason).

With a GT you can easily get it with the right suspension to be faster than a Porsch GT2 (not to mention faster in a straight line with the right tuning), also you could get it to corner so well that it would be almost as fast as an ACR Viper (look up the car, I got a FEW minutes) but slower than no other street car sold for road use, with a GT500 you'd never be able to get it streetable and faster than a regular 911, a fact which was proven by using the super snake and it's shelby adjustable suspension tuned to it's best aggressive settings by a professional. So you can either never handle faster than a supercar, short of gutting the car, or get a GT.

mjscott2

Thanks guys. These first two posts describe the trade-offs between the two options.

The GT500 is much more upgradable without mucho mods, but due to its higher weight, needs significantly more power to match the GT. Can that much more power be put to the ground reliably and in cornering (I track on road courses)? Everybody knows that weight is the enemy of speed, either in a straight line or in corners.

At 463 rwhp, my car is (was ;-( ) very fast and spins through 1st and 2nd and easily into 3rd. Admittedly, pushing any more power through the stock bottom end and clutch is playing with fire - especially for a daily driver. But I'm a little skeptical how much more power, in the heaver GT500, is really useful in making that car faster.

While the GT500 is an impressive beast, and putting out obscene power ratings is definitely insta-woody material, I'm leaning towards a modded GT as the better overall performer. With the difference in cost, I could put coilovers in the corners and replace the panhard with a FAY2 Watts link and have an extra $3-4k in my pocket.

More thoughts & opinion? Weigh in!

cheers,

Mike.

deekum1627

sorry to hear about that man. if i were you i get the gt500 all the way sweet a** car go for it man good luck

Texotic

I would say if you're into drag racing, GT500 no question. But since you like to do a little corner carving, I'd go with a GT. The main reason being weight. A GT that's as fast in a straight line as the GT500 will always win in the corners due to less weight and a better distribution of it. In fact, this time around, I would try out a twin turbo set up like the Garrett or STS that has the turbos rear-mounted. This will give a MUCH better weight distribution than an S/C and will be more efficient as well.

eolson

If your a Drag Racer, I'd go with the GT500.

Otherwise, as you probably know, for about $16,000.00 on top of the cost of a let's say an 06" Mustang GT Premium package, you could have a supercharged 540HP flywheel car, with all the lighter, better suspension and support mods, upgraded brakes, lighter wheels, and a few body changes to boot, and still come in at an adjusted curb weight (after adding the SC weight and minus all lighter mods, including Driveshaft, and others replacing stock) of about 3520lbs. That 400lbs lighter than the GT500, which in HP is equal to 60hp flywheel.

So you could easily have a car that has the adjusted equal(weight penalty) of a 600HP GT500, that with a Techo watts link, and professionally balanced aftermarket suspension and being 400lbs lighter, would be far more nimble car on the street and roadcourse track.

It's a no brainer to me, unless you're a Drag Racer, then forget everything I said, Erik

EagleStroker

Go to the junkyard and buy your old car, part it out and make some cash but keep what you need (like the s/c) to put on a new gt With the money saved, you could send the block from the old car if it's ok off to get some forged internals.

pascal

How about making the 500 lighter

mjscott2

Yeah, that's one of the things I've been wondering about.

What, exactly, makes the GT500 so much heavier? Does is use the same unibody with heavier-duty (and heavier) bolt-ons? The 5.4L engine will be a little heavier, and the supercharger may add 120-150 lb or so, but what makes up the difference?