Novanutcase

Alas, if only it were true! Actually Igot a really good deal on the car so with everything said and done I should be around $18,000 for the complete car. Not bad for a fully equipped track car! If I put acage in it I could probably run the American Iron series with it!

John

majinprodigy

hmm im intrigued.. so its not just me... i took out my rear seats and have a wooden rear seat delete in the back (strong enough to sit on, light enough to save a good 35 pounds) and wow do you hear everything..
as far as ride goes i didnt think yours would be to bad.. if memory serves me correct the bilsitens are non-adjustable, the same ones used on a cobra 2KR right?? and yes i was talking about willow springs, laguna would be nice but such a far drive and expensive!! almost $400 a day!!
are you ever going to mess with the settings on it?? IE c/c plates and spring rates?? or intend to leave as is and get just used to it?

Fobra

does your kit make noise?

GhostRider02GT

signature does not work yet nutcase?

Novanutcase

I think the better question here is does it make more noise than you would expect from a race car!

There is a difference with a race car and a car you drive on the street. A race car is treated to specially prepared tracks that are nice and flat whereas street cars need to deal with dips, bumps, and potholes. That's not to say that race tracks don't have elevation changes but, generally, they are much better maintained than the average street. At least here in L.A.
My car is set up as a race car first street car second so, yes, it makes noise. Usually when I hit a big bump it'll make a clanking noise from the road race LCA's that I put on that have spherical bearings. Spherical bearings are noisy but let your suspension articulate so that when you are turning at high speed the car is much more predictable. Imagine your normal 90* turn that you make on the street at, say, 40 mph. Fairly comfortable but try doing that turn at 60! Not very comfortable at all! Why? Because your suspension is not designed to make turns at that speed and be pushed that hard around a turn that tight. When you compress the suspension that much it starts to do funny things on the way to full compression and makes that car unpredictable and twitchy. My car can turn at very high speeds because it turns like a go-kart. Nice and flat and very predictable. Predictable cars make for confident drivers. I am, by no means, an experienced driver but what I do know is a well setup car can make an inexperienced driver look just that much better. Plus this way I can grow into the car and have a car that I can have a ton of fun with on the way!
I can't tell you how much the race seats I have in the car add to the enjoyment of driving. It's so nice to not be getting flung from one door panel to the other on a hard turn. If you want to really enjoy high speed driving the first thing I would suggest is to buy race seats. I have Corbeau FX1 Pro's and they made a WORLD of difference in my driving pleasure. Didn't matter that I didn't add any horsepower to the car it just felt much faster! I added the MGW short shifter that not only looks mega cool but performs even better than it looks. I highly recommend it too!
If you are looking to cruise first/track second the spring rates I'm using are not for the faint of heart! You will feel every little bump in the road. If you have a big breasted girlfriend she will refuse to ride with you in "that car"! LOL! But if you understand the thrill of a well executedlap this is the setup for you.For the street I would turn down the spring rate maybe2notches so that your girlfriend won't have her fillings rattled out of her head! LOL! I hope I didn'tscare you off but, be warned, the spring rates I'm running are the same spring rates that MM uses in theirfull race cars. Ithink for street you canuse the same kit but with softer spring rates and maybe the Tokico D-Specs so you can dial in the bump and droop on the shocks. I would also recommend the WilwoodSuperlite 6's that I'm running if you're going to beracing/hot lapping the car. Those brakes will detach your retinas if your not careful! LOL!For street/Auto-Xing the Cobra R brake conversion is plenty for what you will need.


It works I just didn't want to be a follower...... LOL! Thanks again! My son laughed so hard he got a stomach ache! LOL!

I'm trying to decide what a good trade off between noise suppression and weight savings can be had with what materials and have it still be sturdy enough for the average person to ride back there for the occasional run to the next bar!(Just kidding, NEVER drink and drive!)
MDF, which seems to be the choice of most people, seems too heavy to me but I have yet to find another material that is as light, strong and cheap as MDF so the search continues. I'm trying to strike a balance between weight savings and the practicality of everyday drivingof a race car.
I use to dabble in audio(not the stereo kind per se but I use to be a studio engineer in my music days!) you may want to try and cover the backside of the partition between the trunk and the rear seat with several layers of loosly hanging, tightly woven fabric so that it dampens the noise. Most of the high frequency noises will be muffled but the low frequency thumps will sound like there is nothing there. That takes to much insulation to kill that type of frequency energy and would be prohibitive to the weight of the car.
As far as ride, the Bilsteins are non-adjustable but have been tuned to the spring rates so they are pretty optimal as evidenced by the few turns that I have run at fairly high speeds. Not sure if the Cobra 2KR's ran them but if they did they had very stiff suspensions unless they had detuned the shock/spring rates.
You should try and run a few laps at Buttonwillow. I like the track since there is really nothing to hit if you get 4 wheels off and they run at least 6 25 minute sessions a day for each class which is a lot when you compare what you get with your typical HPDE or Privately run Open track day! Best part is you can really dial in your ride with that many runs so by the end of the day your car is running great as long as you don't break anything! I will probably run a few more days at Buttonwillow then head over to Willow Springs and check that out!
Laguna is more of a "vacation" destination for me just to say that I've run it! I'd also like to run out on the east coast if I ever get the chance. Lots of great tracks out there like Road America, etc.
I'll definitely be messing with camber/caster/toe in settings along with different tire pressures but I think for now the spring/shock rates are great for road racing!

John

Aereon

man I really hate ya lols, I could only afford to get the mm coilover kit and their phb/ta/lca kit. The install was really straight forward, but I've hit a dead wall with the phb and TA, can't find a place that can weld the phb+ta (that I can trust to do it right). Wish I could take a ride in that stang to see how mine is gonna be when it's all said and done^^

heh too bad you guys arent in norcal, I'd bug ya to help me weld my phb and ta in.

Novanutcase

Was the coilover for front and back or just back? I haven't installed the PHB or the TA yet and, yeah, the PHB is a little more involved although mine is a bolt in affair but I have to drill through the frame rails, then slip in the rail supports, cut them to the desired length, drill the other side of the frame rail. Repeat! All that andstill try to get the PHB frame to fit on both frame rails! I think it would be easier to weld it in! Mind you, fit is pretty good but our cars vary pretty wildly when you're trying to put a kit on it. Lot's of bending and stretching/shrinking you have to do to get them to fit. My friend Rodger has the PHB/Torque Tubeand it's pretty noisy although he did tell me that my car with the stuff it has in it now is quieter than his car was with the same stuff.
Rodger owns Ironworks Speed and Kustom in Bakersfield California(Not sure if that's close enough to you!) They are authorized MM dealers so they can install it the right way for you. I'm lucky enough to have a friend like him that will allow me to use his tools and his guidance as far as installing the kit in the car. Their number is (661)399-8999. Tell him John sent you.

John

rthouck

Very nice setup by the way. I'd be interested in yanking the rear seat on my convertible for the weight savings but i think my kids might get upset at the notion of sitting on the floor... As for launches let me know what you guys are using for good launches. I'm not big into the cornering part of racing, i prefer generally straight lines. I have set up with the roush lower control arms and i'll have adjustable uppers in before i get back from iraq. I'm also using BF Goodrich drag radials, I used them on another mustang with good results.I'm pushing 400 hp at the wheels so I'm having a hell of time getting it to hook. Let me know what you guys think. Thanks.

majinprodigy

Nova if you ever need the measurements of the rear compartment to make something yourself let me know because the seat delete i have is damn near a perfect plush fit. i think im going to try out that idea of sound deadening material (not that outside noise bugs me) but it might help with keeping the music inside the car rather then be drowned out by exterior noise.

thanks for input about noise as well, i was testing mine out in a business district full of dips and bumps and WOW is it alot noisier and actually scrapes the front quite a bit!
do you know how close your specs are compared to a cobra R00??

Novanutcase

I'd love them so that I can start planning the rear seat delete design! Thanks!

John