mungodrums

Hello,

First of all I have owned a C7 stingray for four years. Amazing looking and handling car. Don't use it as much as I would like. Got wife and two teenage daughters. I have been contemplating possibly selling it, ouch in order to loosen up some cash. I was thinking of getting an 05-09 Mustang GT with five speed automatic. I would like to have fun with car on street and also do some hpde events. This is what I am thinking of doing to the car performance wise:

1.Mustang Shelby GT500 wheels all the way around, 18x9.5 w/ sumitomo zhIII
2.Baer front big brakes, seems like great deal for $1100.00.
3.Maximum Motorsports Road and Track suspension setup or possibly Steeda package.
I have some neck back and left leg issues that don't easily allow me to get a manual.
How decent is the five speed automatic for hpde and would there be any benefit to getting a TCI or equivalent shifter kit?
Ger.

08'MustangDude

There is a speed limiter on the GTs because of the 2-piece drive-shaft, the front
piece with a carrier bearing. They can break at higher speeds, so a one peice
aluminum would be your first upgrade if you tune out the speed limiter.

You can use the S550 brakes on the 05-09, I have a post here on how to do that, and it's
much less than $1100.

If you don't tune it, you won't be having too much fun; intake, tune, and drive-shaft.
The suspension, if not high miles, is okay... You can add stuff later if you start
experiencing wheel hop.

2010 will have the same drive-trains as the 05-09, new body style, if that does anything
for you.

11+ have the 305+ HP V6 and I4. If it's get up and go you want, you can always
add boost to a turbo engine. +6 lb boost would get you over 45 additional HP.

As far as the 5W55S, if it's got some miles on it, expect issues. I tuned mine, and
use the firm shift parameter, and it shifts really hard. I think I broke an already weak
trans mount, so I ordered one this weekend. IT may be the drive shaft too, or even the
tail housing... I will start with the cheapest option first, trans mount...

05-09 V8 output for the 4.6 is 300 hp / 320 lb⋅ft torque, so you can see the reasoning for
the 11+ 3.7 V6 VVT or 2.3T I4. The 08-09 Bullitt, and 10 GT are 315 hp / 325 lb⋅ft torque.

Norm Peterson

Trust me, you can have plenty of HPDE fun at the 300-ish HP level, and it's not even arguable that it's better to start an HPDE habit out where the car isn't so much about power as it is for cornering and braking. FWIW, the FRPP cold air & tune is another way to get 315 HP/325 ft*lb.

No matter how you get 300 or so HP, there's only so much peak speed you're going to be able to hit on track. Much past 120 mph, acceleration in 4th gear does taper off and the mph's seem to accumulate very slowly when you're going twice as fast as the corner you're rapidly approaching can be taken at. There's more fun to be had in the slower more technical sections anyway. Even early 4.6L S197s can and do surprise people.


Depends on how serious you think you might get - they're good wheels, just a bit on the heavy side. I started my own track day habit with those wheels and 255/45-18 tires - a good enough start but you probably will 'outgrow' it. These days, those wheels are my 'street' wheels, with 265/40-18 MPSS tires. I would not go wider than 275/xx on 9.5" wide wheels for track time (steering response/precision reasons).


https://vorshlag-store.com/collectio...ke-upgrade-kit
You'll want better pads, and if you can live with the dust and a little noise from time to time, G-loc or Carbotech track pads in 8's or 10's work well enough on the street that you don't absolutely have to swap them out. Hawk is a name you'll hear, but their entry-level HP+ is way too abrasive for street duty (big appetite for your iron rotors especially at street driving temperatures), as are many other pad formulations (probably including Hawk's Street/Race pads).

If this is to remain fully capable of street duty, rather than throw somebody's catalog at your car you can do quite well with just a few carefully selected mods. Shocks, struts, adjustable sta-bars, better/stronger endlinks, maybe rear LCAs (be careful here, polyurethane-bushed at both ends is not the hot tip for cornering), and a more performance-oriented alignment will get the car to a point where you'd still be comfortable driving it up to at least an 'Intermediate' run group. Mention of things like swapping springs and rear UCA/pinion angle stuff - intentionally omitted. Not needed unless what's there when you buy this car is in poor condition.


Norm