This thread will be a condensed version of how I turned these two cars...
...into this beast...
...and have been learning how to drive it fast ever since!
This thread will be a condensed version of how I turned these two cars...
...into this beast...
...and have been learning how to drive it fast ever since!
The car with the missing front clip (picture above) was my '98 GT daily driver for a few years. Sadly, it was totaled during a morning commute. That car gave its interior, doors and wiring to breathe new life into my long time project '95 GT. Sold the rest and gave the shell to a guy who turned it into a drag car.
Rest in peace!
I'm going to skip through the LONG story and hit the highlights in this post.
Yanked the 410w and TR3550 out in favor of a built, 4.6 4V and a built T45. My intent was to supercharge it.
We got the engine running with Holley EFI but it was about that time I got a deal on a Gen 2 Coyote engine.
Soon after, I found an even sweeter deal on a low mile T56 magnum and the 4.6 was removed & sold.
Found a built 8.8 locally and gave it a coat of POR15. My friend Brett Madsen gave me a sweet deal on these coil overs. The decision was made to totally rip the current suspension out and I threw the entire Maximum Motorsports catalog at the car.
Things were starting to take the shape I'd been dreaming of for years and I kept scouring the internet for deals on parts. My next score was a set of 44/40 Brembo calipers [Gen 3 Viper spec] and the brackets required to use them. Installed a Baer 13" rear rotor kit and Taurus (43mm pistons vs 38mm pistons) calipers. More on the brakes in a future post. At the same time, I scored a set of Forgestar F14 wheels and wrapped a set of Federal RS-Pro 275/35-18's around then.
My good friend William and I made some reliability upgrades to the engine before installation and set the tone for a bright future. Worth noting I chose a Volvo power steering pump that was activated by the Holley EFI. At this point, I set my sights back to whipping the interior into shape. Installed a pair of 05-09 Mustang seats for street duty and painted the rest of the interior to match the dash board.
Got an alignment but was having issues with the cooling system. After several failed attempts to remove air from the system, I finally got it sorted when I used a vacuum bleeder. Took the car on a 200 mile round trip shakedown cruise to a dyno day and put down 419 hrsprs and 393 lb ft of torque. Not bad for a start tune with low timing.
This high note, however, was short lived and I was 'bit in the ass' by uncharacteristically cold weather in southern Louisiana. While constantly flushing and refilling the cooling system, I was using straight water. Well, the engine block CRACKED while I was stuck at work for a few days on a freeze protection detail. The insult to injury was the fact I had two gallon of coolant in my truck to replace the water. SO, I've always said to never miss an opportunity to upgrade. At this point, we rebuilt the engine into a brand new block, switch to 12.5:1 pistons, added more billet reliability parts and i added L&M intake cams.
and yes... The car has 50/50 coolant now!
After a long period of down time due to scheduling conflicts and illness, we put the car back together. William had to DRAG me through this process because I was still recovering from a second round of COVID-19. Literally felt like I had ran a marathon and was severely winded. Our (his) efforts paid off and the car fired right up and ran happily.
After that ordeal was behind me, I turned my attention back to the small details. Added a gauge panel to house my wideband, fuel level and a USB bulkhead for the Holley EFI stuff.
The car was running really good at this point so I moved on to cosmetic stuff. Installed a new, tubular bash bar that worked with a Saleen bumper cover.
Installed a set of flared, carbon fiber front fenders to clear 315/30-18 tires and 18x11 wheels but more on this later.
Installed a set of Aerocatch latches in the hood and sent the car to my buddy Devon for paint!
My amazing wife Tiffiny told me to paint my stock fenders and the Cobra bumper just in case I ever needed them. More on that later.
In the many years I've owned this car, it always seemed like a distant goal to have it painted and I'll be honest... I stood there and just looked at it for quite awhile.
After the newness abated, it was time to finish putting it together and start preparing for the upcoming autocross event. My first since 2016 and this period of time was the fall of 2021.
Wound up having to reset the timing and the car responded nicely. The tune was still quite conservative at this point.
Dropped in my Corbeau fixed bucket and registered for several upcoming SCCA autocross events and a Track Night in America to dip my toes into the open track realm.
What a journey it was about to become.
My first event in this car (and second ever) was very fun but I started to realize a few things about the car and myself. I decided there was no reason to act like I knew what I was doing and I set out to get a feel for the car. The steering response was slow and my driving was smooth but even slower. Yeah. Clearly the car was MUCH faster than I am.
Now that the autocross hook was set, I decided to go ahead and install the adjustable front sway bar and bolt in roll bar ahead of the TNiA event. My 5-point harness didn't arrive in time but the show had to go on.
Track Night in America
I've waited patiently for many years to run this car on a proper road course the time had come! Car passed tech easily and I followed the instructor for a parade lap. I don't have any on track pictures from this day and the videos are kinda long but the camera angles weren't great.
The next session was very fun and I exposed even more shortcomings with my setup. The steering and brakes didn't play well together. The brake bias was extremely rear ward and led to a few OH SH*T moments. As a result, I didn't push too hard because I still lack the necessary fundamentals for this so I just focused on trying different marks to turn in and where I could improve.
Wind noise Cam
One thing was for sure, this thing would SCREAM down the straight.
I like 90s Fords.
Really like what you've done here. I definitely prefer the Cobra bumper to the Saleen, so I'm interested to see that come back into the picture.
The next event was a nighttime autocross! This time, my friend Brent co-drove the car with me. He's an instructor and I really got an idea of what the car could do riding along with him. This also cemented the point there were issues with the steering and brakes.
https://youtu.be/5gysMrxH0ss
That look you give your buddy before you do something sketchy!
The next event was at a different venue. This location required tighter and more technical courses. The car didn't like it at all. I had to force the car to turn because the electric power steering pump couldn't keep the line pressure up to meet the demand. The decision was made to upgrade.
*KRC power steering enter the chat*
Also installed a five point harness for the LH seat.
Now it was time for another round of autocross and I was anxious for results. Another tight, technical course was navigated and I'm still slow. The steering was greatly improved but the rear brake bias was still a concern. I've also determined the Federal tires didn't offer much lateral grip but I was honestly no where near their limits at my pace. The harness made a big difference in keeping the loose nut behind the wheel secured.
This is where things started to go south again. While preparing the car for a NASA weekend, the hydroboost sprang a leak. Luckily, I was able to locate a new one and got it swapped. However, the previous feed line fitting was determined to be incorrect and it leaked live a sieve. The decision was made to sit the weekend out for safety reason. :sad:
Finally got that sorted but missed the next autocross. My next event was another NASA weekend and I was very anxious for proper instruction.
This was supposed to be my first HPDE 1 session but turned into a valuable lesson. They offered us a few laps in the passenger seat while our instructor piloted a parade lap to show us the line. Low speeds, no helmets. Just cruising and talking. While doing so, I asked his opinion about the brake bias and he agreed it was locking the rear first. We made a couple of laps and he asked if I was ready to switch.
"Take one more lap and then we'll switch" is a phrase that I will forever regret.
Moments later, coming off turn 16 into the straight at NOLA Motorsport Park, the car started to get a little loose. The instructor SLAMMED on the brakes and the car immediately pitched 90* to the right and went into the wall.
Fortunately, aside from the cosmetic damages, the only chassis damage was to the passenger bumper mount/impact absorber. That was a major relief and I got started fixing the problem the following week.
Remember when I mentioned my AMAZING WIFE insisted that I paint those spare body parts? Guess this is what she had in mind! It was almost as if nothing ever happened.
Now that I found myself needing a hood, I decided to build one with heat extraction vents. Before that was completed, I found another Cobra hood and dropped it off for paint.
Another round of autocross just reinforced my disgust with the brakes and the steering was doing weird stuff.
The weird stuff was the fact the steering rack was failing AND, on top of that, the electric fan shorted out.
At least I got the Cobra hood back from Devon and the car was looking fresh again!
After finishing the heat extractor hood it was dropped it and my new carbon fiber fender off to Devon for a fresh coat of paint.
(Edit: I like the way GRM edits profanity LOL)
What a hell of a progression. Nice job, man.
iansane said:What a hell of a progression. Nice job, man.
Thank you friend. It has been quite the ride.
In an attempt to increase flow from the PS pump to the hydro booster without changing the internal power valve, I switched the 90* AN fittings to a different style with a longer radius. Swapped the stainless braided PTFE lines (.29 ID) to Aeroquip AQP hose (.31 ID) and was rewarded with a vast improvement underway. Dead stop? Parking lot maneuvering? Not so much. Pyrrhic victory but steadily trudging forward.
This puts us in September 2022 for another round of autocross and it would be the last for a painful stretch of time due to work or weather conflicts. Anyhow, tried a new alignment spec and level of aggression. By this time, however, the rear tires had other ideas. The car would go anywhich way but straight at anything over 40% throttle and it still wouldn't stop well.
Got whipped by my competition but that's ok. The to-do list was long and I didn't waste time. Just didn't realize how scarce that time would be.
My time away from "competing" offered me a lot of time to reflect on the car and how to fix it. Here's what I did...
1) Brake bias
Removed the 13" rear rotors in favor of stock sized parts. Now the car STOPS. Think passenger bite the dash board hard.
2) Lateral grip
Finally made the jump from the Federals to a set of 315/30-18 BFG Rival 1.5s and a set of 18x11 (+16 with a 5mm spacer in the front to clear the springs) Enkei RS05RR wheels. This alone was a freaking GAME CHANGER. However, the Cobra bumper and splitter did not clear and would require extensive surgery. For whatever reason, over a year later, I still had the busted Saleen bumper from the wreck. Put it back in place and had no clearance issues.
3) Driver mod!
Let's save that for the post after next...
First autocross event of 2023!!
It was overcast and it was cold at 40°. Well, by Baton Rouge standards, at least. I knew the challenge of a cold course on tires that needed heat to work well was a daunting task but I gave it a go. Subsequently, I couldn't put power down. At all. However, the car had NEVER been so eager to turn or stop!! I tried a few different times to find balance between ice skating and turning but only looped the car once. My skills needed to be honed and, luckily for me, I had already signed up for the upcoming SCCA Starting Line school.
Did I mention I had to roll the fenders? You'll hear why lol
SCCA Starting Line 2023
(The videos I've included are long but worth watching to see how much proper, 1 on 1 instruction can improve a driver.)
Attended SCCA Starting Line school @ NOLA Motorsports Park. There were 20 entries and it was going to be a long day in the sun. Temperatures were in the 80’s and I was pumped to see what my new tires could do. We had a drivers meeting, they split us up into groups and we got to it.
First up was a slalom and I didn’t do very well in the slalom. It was tough forgetting what I thought I knew and applying what I was being taught. By the end, though, I was getting smoother. The car was having some goofy "I don't want to idle" issues but I was able to correct this in the tune.
The oval clinic was up next and I forgot to record my initial passes. I seemed to do alright turning left but going right was a different animal altogether. I’ve always been told to look ahead and I thought I had been. The instructor put his hand out with one finger up to show where my eyes NEED to be. That one tidbit of information has forever changed my perspective on driving.
When it was time to piece all of that together on a full course, I raised every eyebrow out there (including mine) and I’m not just bragging. I have video to prove it! I had NO idea how to drive fast before today. My times improved with every run and I finally get it. I’m looking forward to the next event and furthering my personal growth.
Fastest pass of the day
Special thanks to Rick Cone, Casey Little Coughlin & Gary Hebert Jr. for showing me how to DRIVE this nag and to Minh Trinh for the action shots.
I am beyond anxious for the next autocross event to see if I can continue the momentum I've picked up.
That's going to bring things up to date and I'll post updates after the April 30th event. Probably won't make May-August but I'm signed up for autocross and a NASA weekend in September.
This time NO ONE else will drive the car.
In the meantime, we're working on the tune and preparing the car for E85.
Will said:I like 90s Fords.
Really like what you've done here. I definitely prefer the Cobra bumper to the Saleen, so I'm interested to see that come back into the picture.
It came back for awhile until the price of progress required its removal.
Find to watch the instructor ride-along and seat swap video.
You'll need to log in to post.
