Sonic Mustang

I've always been somewhat amused at the some of the modifications made by Mustang owners to "improve" their cars' street performance.

Bondurant 1997 Mustang Cobra in retirement at Willow Springs International Raceway (my photo)



The August/September issue of Sports Car International Magazine had a feature article titled "Finishing School" about the new 1997 SVT Mustangs Cobras for use at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving at Firebird International Raceway in Phoenix, Arizona.

Here are the modifications made to stock 1997 SVT Mustang Cobras "to ensure that they are up to the rigors of training students" and "survi(ving) the rigor hour upon hour of track time under the scorching desert sun at the hands of merciless students."

Engine: STOCK
Airfilter element: K&N "cuts down on replacement costs and adds a couple of horespower"

Exhaust: STOCK
Catalytic Converters: REMOVED "replaced with resonators from 1991 five-liter Thunderbird

Rear End: 3.55 replaced stock 3.27 "not just for better acceleration,but because they are better suited to the Firebird International Raceway"

Engine Cooling System:
Radiator and Oil Cooler from 1995 Mustang Cobra R
Mechanical fan system from Crown Victoria
Overflow Tank from Ford Ranger
Twin Electric Pusher Fans "mounted in front of radiator"
Custom Radiator Fan Shroud
Air-to-Water Power Steering Cooler
Special Silicon Hoses

Air Conditioning System:
Full-throttle AC cut out DISABLED (Air condtioning stays on at full throttle)

Suspension:
Monroe Formula GP shocks and struts to Bob Bondurant's specification
Slightly softer linear Eibach springs replace stock variable units
Front stabilizer bar - 1mm thicker unit from 1996 Mustang GT
Roush designed panhard bar
Roush designed torque arm
Upper Control Arms DELETED
Front Strut Mount relocated inward and rearward for performance oriented caster/camber specs

Tires: Goodyear (sponsor) Eagle 245/45ZR17 replaces stock same sized Goodrich Comp T/As

Wheels: Bondurant designed seven spoke chromed aluminum American Racing for improved brake cooling. (Not the wheels in the photo above. I think Bondurant replaced the original chrome wheels at some point.)

Brakes:
STOCK PBR Front calipers with STOCK 13 in rotors loaded with Performance Friction carbon metallic pads
STOCK rear calipers with STOCK rear rotors loaded with Performance Friction carbon metallic pads
Front steel braided brake lines
Air ducting from stock driving light locations to front discs.
STOCK Bosch ABS with added cut out switch (driver preference)
Master cylinder from Ford Ranger (larger)
Castrol DOT4 Fluid

Transmission:
STOCK Borg Warner T45 with sturdier carbon fiber blocker rings

Fuel Tank:
Fuel Safe 20 gallon from 1995 Mustang Cobra R

Safety:
Twin Bottle Halon Fire Suppression System (engine and passenger compartment)
Six Point Padded Roll Cage
RJS Window Nets for both windows
Front Four Point Saftey Harnesses

Driver's Seat: Recaro LSL

Throttle Pedal: Raised to improve heel/toeing

Base Interior in Camel: Cloth seats, base radio without CD DISCONNECTED

Exterior: Painted orange by Bondurant


Seems that a lot of street and even track day Mustangs are running around with a lot of expensive and unneeded crap on them.

wmfateam

ddddd

LilRoush

I agree many people do things for 'performance' that don't really gain performance... But I'm not sure how that is related to the Bondurant school cars?? Roush made them to be abused as a teaching tool for his company. They aren't designed to be super power track / race cars.

There are also a lot of street driven 'track day' Mustangs that would beat the snot out of this car during a real race.

Sonic Mustang

I made no claims Bondurant cars are faster than others.

The Bondurant modifications are PROVEN. After decades in the high performance driving business, you can be sure if it's on a Bondurant car, it works and there isn't anything on the car that doesn't.

There are a lot of better drivers that can beat the snot out of you in a slower car.

Why don't you do something useful and maybe post some little known Roush technical specifications.

LilRoush

You need a hug. Thanks for that amazing personal shot failure at the end. It made me laugh.

I was asking what the point of this thread was. How does posting a pic of a Bonduarnt Cobra and listing it's mods have anything do to with what other people are doing on their cars for performance?
You said:
Make your point. Are you saying these are the only mods needed to be fast?
Are you saying the other mods done on track cars aren't for performance?
Or are you finally realizing that people have mods they think are for performance, but really aren't (like shaker hood scoops)?

And there is something on the car that doesn't work: the radio.

Sonic Mustang

So what did we learn today? We learned that Matt has an amazing lack of comprehension and cannot understand what I wrote in short, easy to understand sentences.

I'll try again.

Comparing the Bondurant Cobras with modified street driven Mustangs shows that a lot modifications on street cars are overkill. For example: If the Boudurant Cobras can lap Firebird International Raceway in August with stock brake calipers, chances are those six piston Brembos are a complete waste on the street except for poseur value.

Additionally, one might think some people could look at what a sports car, Forumla 1, LeMans, NASCAR, TranAm, and FIA World Championship winning driver Bob Bondurant did to improve the performance of a Mustang with the help of Roush engineering and get some ideas for their own cars.

Plus, the only place I've ever come across a detailed list of modifications for the Bondurant SVT Cobras was in a 15 year old article in a magazine that is no longer around and unavailable on the web. I had this stupid idea that a few SVT owners would enjoy seeing the actual specifications.

And, then we learned that Mustang Shakers really annoy Matt. Unfortunately, since they were OEM, they do not fall into the category of "what guys do to make their cars faster" and not relevant in my initial post.

If you wish to argue about '03 - '04 Mach 1 Shaker functionality, I suggest you ask Scott Hoag, the project manager for the car. He can be reached at MRT at 734.455.5807. Ask him how he got the Shaker signed off by Ford Motor Company by proving it was functional.

By the way Matt, your logic is so painful, the least you could do is send me some aspirin with each post.

LilRoush

I'm only leaving the part of your reply that is worth anything:

So you are trying to compare a purpose built performance training car to a street car. Awesome. They have nothing in common when you look at the intended use. But I applaud your effort at trying to poke sarcastic fun at owners of modified Mustangs. I'd suggest going to a forum with dedicated track cars or a race event and see how closely those cars line up with the one you posted. Most track cars are bare bones and spartan. They aren't the flashy street cars you are trying to compare to this one.

I do respect the idea of sharing the info, but it's not hidden away in a locked box as you make it sound. Maybe if your tone was that of sharing info instead of mocking owners with modified cars, you wouldn't **** off so many people. Starting off with a phrase like "I've always been somewhat ammused by...." isn't a great way to open your mouth.

The rest of that junk is name dropping and personal attacks from a very young and immature Mustang owner who has had a chip on his shoulder from day one for me. Grow up.

Sonic Mustang

I'm always amused by guys like you who aren't smart enough to come up with any original thoughts or possess enough diligence to do their own research but manage to cover the internet with explosive diarrhea.

You can't read and you can't construct an argument.

Find a private toilet somewhere, sit down and put your time to good use by reading a book or two on logic.

No, I'm not and I didn't.

Then find it and post it with a verifiable reference.

I bother to go the the source to get my information and you say it's name dropping.

LilRoush

Ok, let's look at the car...

Technology of the time, this was a great basic (entry level) track car. They were built as suspension cars (aka momentum cars) - not big power cars. They were not fancy, high dollar builds. They were made to take abuse of being an educational tool. And for the end, they are amazing cars. I'm a big fan of these, the SVT Contours and the 32V Crown Vics that were made for the school. Basic, purpose built and rare.

Most Mustang track guys know that with the weight of the SN95 Mustang, 13" solid rotor with good pads, SS lines and clean fluid is more than enough to stop under track conditions. The known rule is if you can lock up your tires, brakes aren't the issue - suspension/tire is. The suspension on these gives a lot of driver feed back, and will give plenty of warning prior to letting go and putting you in the grass.

The '6 piston Brembos' you talked smack of are very functional. Sure, bang for the buck, they are on the low end when looking at performance over cost - but the FACT is that a 6 piston floating caliper will grab harder and fade less than a similar pad/disc set up compared to the 2 piston of the PBR Cobra's. Is it enough to justify the cost? It depends on the car's goal. I've only gone up to a 4 piston Alcon 14" set up. And after doing that I personally have found that a good 13" PBR twin piston caliper is enough for my driving style on the track and street. But again, the car and driver need to match, and that is just what I've found works for me after years of racing and street driving Mustangs.

Would you like to explain the rest of the "expensive and unneed crap" you see on track day Mustangs? I will venture a guess that most of it is on the car to suit the driver and the class/organization it's racing in (adjustable suspension, additional cooling mods, splitters/wings/vents, weight removal...). Those types of cars are not what you want at a school like what Bondurant puts on. Maybe a discussion could be carried about what does / doesn't work - and why things are done for street vs track to avoid a further pissing match.

wmfateam

First off that is a cool article, I am heading out there this month for a racing course.
Second, I think that Ms Sonic is not a racer and has not had experience with race parts compared to stock parts. So we should give her a break.