Project Ghost Ryder...

[redfirepearlgt]

As many know, I fell victim to jumping on the S550 band wagon last fall and picked up a blown 17GT premium that has more geek crap on it than a Cadillac. Backup camera, Navigation, heated and cooled seats, his/hers climate control, leather, lame mans 6R80, etc. The car made 627RWHP on the current tune. So that makes it the low man on the totem pole in the SBZ - S550 crowd to the best of my knowledge......or at least the lowest FI setup.

Plans next week include retuning with Lund through Finishline Performance and going with an Ngage unit. My old tuner from VMP showed up there and with the great success I had working with Alex at VMP Performance I chose to stick with what works. So Brian will be tuning with John Jr and Alex next on the 6th. Just looking to improve on the auto strategy under normal driving. Nothing more to say on that topic.

Also picked up a Solo cat back exhaust system for better than half price and it will go on while there. Looks like a slightly used version of below. The previous owner put a Xpipe and ROush axle back exhaust on it that just sounds like shit. Sorry but that is what it sounds like to me. So raspy and trumpety and YUK!
Can;t wait to hear this car with a deeper note system like the Solo on it. Was going to go wit han AWE system that uses a similar drone concelling technology but got too good a deal on this to say no.
https://i.imgur.com/xCzWw5y.jpg

Since the rear suspension has never been addressed I picked up the beginnings of what is known as "Kelly's IRS coctail" if I stated that correctly. BMR Cradle Bushing lockout kit Level 2, Lower control Arm Bearing Kit, and vertical links
https://i.imgur.com/KrShhNV.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/BXs3L1x.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/85GNTvx.jpg

can't have boost without a boost gauge so....

https://i.imgur.com/iICSSHd.jpg

And just tonight came across this steel of a deal on a brand new, open box, never installed WHipple Oversized Heat Exchanger to address a better cntrol on IAT temps for this summer.

https://i.imgur.com/iUTwGIu.jpg


Now if I can just find me a 17x9.5 rear wheel setup and a pair of 28" DR's at a decent price.

[draggin50]

Looks like some of us better step up our game to keep up with the S550 cars and the 2, 9 second bandits with both cars!! Sounds like we will have a good year of racing and hanging out!

Cant wait to see the car in person! Sounds like its going to be a real fun ride.

[redfirepearlgt]

Hopefully it will be a 10 second car all the time and not just some of the time. Makes about 85-90 more than the 14 did, but a few more pounds are on it as well. So who knows. I am letting this one ring out to 7800 at shift point rather than 7300 on the 14. So that may help as well. Just seeking to help the list find that 9.99 avg this year. Not gunning for the challenge list. just some leave late passes for a PB attempt.

[draggin50]

I think you'll be surprised at how it does. Those cars are very impressive!

[Walter]

Hopefully it will be a 10 second car all the time and not just some of the time. Makes about 85-90 more than the 14 did, but a few more pounds are on it as well. So who knows. I am letting this one ring out to 7800 at shift point rather than 7300 on the 14. So that may help as well. Just seeking to help the list find that 9.99 avg this year. Not gunning for the challenge list. just some leave late passes for a PB attempt.

It's gonna run good!!! I have a set of Forgestar F14 17x10 with like new 305-45-17 mt et street r's I may sell. LMK

[redfirepearlgt]

Depends on price. Shoot me one. I was considering the JMS 17x10's (polished) rims at 192 a piece from lethal and then mount 305's on them. Got Brian at FL keeping an eye open as well.

PS - photos on my little phone (you refer to it as a door stop) are hard to see. I was barely able to make them out. Doesn't really matter much. I just want to make a pass once in a while. I'll run the street front 20's.

[Maximus]

All these Fancy pants Mustangs running low 10s high 9s with all the creature comforts and Im over here with a shit box, no AC, No PS, No PWRWindows, Non heated and cooled seats, Non Satellite having Foxbody trying for mid 10s. :o :lol:


Post up some vids when ya get the exhaust installed!

[redfirepearlgt]

All these Fancy pants Mustangs running low 10s high 9s with all the creature comforts and Im over here with a shit box, no AC, No PS, No PWRWindows, Non heated and cooled seats, Non Satellite having Foxbody trying for mid 10s. :o :lol:


Post up some vids when ya get the exhaust installed!


Man you're killing me! ROL! Seems I remember a certain G8 in burnt orange that was supposed to get some work done sometime back. What ever happened to that awesome looking ride? Keep in mind your "struggling' for mid 10'd NA, and I am hoping for a mid ten (and likely the boot from the track as well) in a boosted setup with an 2 pedal. I'll post up an exhaust clip when its done. I hate this Roush exhaust so badly. Can't wait for it to be off. Sure wish Ford had also retained the classic firing order used on Mustangs pre Coyote. Car just has an over all better sound IMHO. There's a guy locally running around near my house with a 97-98 white Cobra with Flow masters on it that just sounds awesome. And then on warm days I hear Ole POPSFUN roll by in his setup. love the sound of those engines.

[PKFIRE]

Good to hear you have the track bug still. Best of luck this year with your new ride!

[redfirepearlgt]

Thanks Joe. I just hope we have some dry Friday and Saturdays this year. Last year was just one big fat rain fest. Depressed the crap out of me. All I pray for every summer is rain Mon-Thur and a dry weekend. LOL!

[draggin50]

That would be nice!!! Last year was a bust due to rain. I think I went 3 times all together. Hopefully this year is different.

[1992MustangDW]

If that makes you the low man on the totem pole I must not be on it lol

[Walter]

Should be mid 10sec car no prob.

[redfirepearlgt]

Tune completed aside from a track pass for verifying and tweeking the shift points. I am never buying another automatic to modify again. Car made 631RWHP on a 7500 RPM pull on the same dyno. Forget the torque number. Pick it up Friday. Will post a video clip of exhaust note at some point. New exhaust is on and sounds very nice. Has a very nice GT500 exhaust tone to it, but can get loud real quick.

Hope everyone has a nice and safe summer.

[Walter]

Just don't care for auto? Or was there a tuning issue? Track logs are def needed for the auto.

[draggin50]

Yeah Ive never heard any complaints about the automatic.

[Walter]

Tuner usually needs logs of wide open shifts, not ideal on Dyno.

[Rick93coupe]

I can't wait to hear it. There's a guy at work that has a horrible sounding exhaust on his. He loves it though, so I guess there's that.

[redfirepearlgt]

Just don't care for auto? Or was there a tuning issue? Track logs are def needed for the auto.

Autos take more time to dial in and verify. Haven't got a setup yet to make a pass to verify the 1-2, 2-3 WOT shifts. Was finally able to get a good enough surface temp the other day to ease into a 3rd gear pull and go WOT to verify the 3-4 shift hit right on 7800 as it should.

Takes more logging and soforth to get an auto shifting correctly on the 6R80 and newer. They are great but takes some time. The 14 took 4 Fridays at the track and 4 revisions to get the shifts dialed in. After additional mods that year total revisions were 9 as I recall.

I am missing a shifter in my hand for street driving. I want a stick shift on the next car because I may try to tune through HP tuner or Pro Racer myself. Plus there isn't the need to verify/tweek the tune for shift points obviously so a lot less time and hassle in the tuning even if I don't do it on my own. A 2014 GT500 has been my ultimate dream. The prices are coming closer to my budget and hopefully with the 2020 GT500 out a lot of big hitters will ditch their barely driven 13/14 GT500's for the 2020 and flood the market with them so the price comes down a little quicker.

[redfirepearlgt]

I can't wait to hear it. There's a guy at work that has a horrible sounding exhaust on his. He loves it though, so I guess there's that.

Its a little deeper and a bit louder tone (without drone) than the classic offroad H and GT500 axle back or Magnaflow touring (defe w/o the drone) deep note on a Coyote in a 11-14GT. Way better suonding that the raspy Roush exhaust with their X-pipe.

[gzbs197]

Your going to want to use HP Tuners for any Coyote if your going to tune it yourself. All the new stuff you had to go for SCT Pro Racer has eliminated some things you had access to before with the entry level product. You have to be at the "tuner" level now to access some stuff you had access to before at the entry level. I am going to switch to HP Tuners and N-Gauge here shortly as well.

[redfirepearlgt]

Will keep that in mind. Thanks. All hinges on finding a 13-14GT500 or 13 Boss 302 I can FI. Would like to try centri or turbo for a change. After 4 PD setups I am ready for something different.....I think.

[redfirepearlgt]

Union negotiations has killed progress this summer. After 2 months of waiting, and coming down to within 2 days of going out on strike, a settlement...if you wish to call it that, was reached. So some of the money saved to survive on can now be redirected to getting the car track ready.

The tune had to be revisited for light throttle tip in and WOT shift points. It failed to make the 2-3 shift at 7800 (which is too high for the car as a street car anyway) so the shift points were all knocked back to 7000 so we can sneak up on a nice solid 7500 RPM shift point. Today the car gets refitted with 305-35-20 Nitto 555 R Extreme DR's because the current 555 G2's (305-30-20's) just aren't able to hold the power at a 50MPH or lower kick down to second gear on the roll. I don't expect them to hook like a 17" or smaller rim diameter drag radial but they should work better than whats on the car currently. I also picked up a pair of used dark stars with R series MT ET street radials (305-45-17) from a guy in Indy for T/T night. The lock out kit and vertical links go on the car this week. So hopefully by 8/30/2019 TT -- if it doesn't rain -- the car will be ready for its first passes. Will post up pictures of the progress this week....not as if there is really much to show.

[Walter]

Woooooo!!

[redfirepearlgt]

Just got a pair of 305-35-20 tires on the car. NItto 555R Extreme series DR's. These tires hold a lot better than I thought they would. WAY better than the 305-30-20 555 G2 series tires that were on the rear. Car is much more stable under a load. These are for street and the Dark Star paid with 305-45-17 MT ET Street R series radials are for dancing at the track on T/T night.

https://i.imgur.com/fs99Y52.jpg?1
https://i.imgur.com/JQaM2IN.jpg?1

[redfirepearlgt]

YAY! Vertical links are in place. Fought a bit but they finally lined up and bolted in. No pics.

[NXcoupe]

Good to hear.

[draggin50]

Looks good on there Chad! Ill have to make it down one day when everyone is there to watch!

[Walter]

Looking good!!!! Yea man the nitto g2 has zero traction. They are flat out dangerous really.

[redfirepearlgt]

^^^ Its amazing how an increase in just 90 HP can change how a tire reacts. They held pretty well on the 14 with 540ish to the wheels in comparison. They still would break lose but they would grab (unless it was 45 degrees out and cloudy) before the tail started trying to get ahead of the front and then go at a 50MPH kick. My biggest concern is just kicking down to pass someone on a two lane like highway 50 I have to take to go see family. It's bad enough that the state puts in rumble strips on the center which cause enough issues with traction let alone a tire that won't hold as well.

[redfirepearlgt]

The IRS lockout kit is on and the four wheel alignment is done. Ready to swap wheels and head down Friday night to collect some data and hopefully make a decent pass in spite of the shift points being only at 7000. Wantto verify everything and then have Lund adjust them closer to 7500 at least on the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts. May leave the 1-2 shift alone just to stay safe.

[Walter]

Good deal!!! What's ur thoughts on the irs lockout?

[redfirepearlgt]

The IRS lockout and vertical links seem to be doing their job. No wheel hop at all at the track. Car went straight. Had the suspension aligned to BMR's specifications. I also picked up the lower spherical bearings but due to minimizing NVH never installed them. So that was $160 wasted. I do want to pick up the Viking shocks for next season if I keep the car. I am really leaning toward going back to a 13/14 S197 and an SRA. The 60's were 1.82 and 1.75 but there was no wheel hop at all and that is the purpose of the kit. Stock springs, shocks, and arms and a 1.75 at edge-of-being-noprep-water? I'll take that.

The car made two passes Friday night...11.30 at 125 and 11.15 at 126. It shifted fine though there was torque strategy taking effect. Received an updated tune that addresses this as well as raiaing the shift points on the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts. Look forward to getting a little cooler air and making another charge at 10.99.......again. My hope was a 10.7x with the higher HP on this car, but apparently reality is the S550 being heavier among other things is not as efficient with the power as the S197's were.

[Walter]

Easy fix, just make more power.

[Silver Bullet]

Looks Amazing!!!

[Maximus]

The IRS lockout kit is on and the four wheel alignment is done. Ready to swap wheels and head down Friday night to collect some data and hopefully make a decent pass in spite of the shift points being only at 7000. Wantto verify everything and then have Lund adjust them closer to 7500 at least on the 2-3 and 3-4 shifts. May leave the 1-2 shift alone just to stay safe.

How has working with Lund worked out for you? Do they take 3-4 weeks to get a revision tune?

[redfirepearlgt]

How has working with Lund worked out for you? Do they take 3-4 weeks to get a revision tune?

Not at all Craig. I sent a datalog in Friday and got an update yesterday(tuesday). And that was after telling them that I was in no hurry. Tuning for the car originally was handled by Brian at Finishline. Again I told him to take his time and that there was no rush. Can't remember now how long that took. But as for responses to questions and responses for updates they have been second to none. The next closest good experience I had with remote tuning was VMP Performance. They knocked out my 13 GT in a timely manner. The 14 went through 9 or 10 revisions mostly due to getting the trans dialed in. Alex (still at VMP at the time) was great to work with. Learned a lot, and the car drove well. For me its not just the number. It's being able to drive it and the service that determines how good a tuner is. Like Adam once told me (S/M Motorsports), "You can teach a monkey to make power, but tuning for drive ability is where you separate the men form the boys".

[redfirepearlgt]

Just loaded the tune update I have had since Tuesday. Took it out on the DR's and found a side street in a business park near by and made a hit. No more lost momentum on the 1-2 and 2-3 hits any more. Car runs like a Muscle car at WOT and not so much like some glam'd up fake euro-trash sport sedan from Germany. looking forward to a trip to the track on Friday night to datalog a full pass...IF IT DOESN'T RAIN! GOOD GRIEF! Calling for 40% Friday.

[draggin50]

As much as I dislike rain, we need it...

I might try to get the new car out myself this week also.

[Walter]

Hopefully it rains on Thursday so we can go to the track Friday!!!

[mustangboy]

Why do you have so much hate for anything that is not a mustang?? What does glam'd up fake eurotrash even mean??

[redfirepearlgt]

Looking more like a chance to make some passes Friday night. Rain call is down to 20%.

Sorry if I hurt your feelings Kenny.

If a guy wants to own a BMW or a Jaguar that's fine with me. Don't expect me to kiss his ring or be his buddy simply because he rolls up in one. I base a man's character on his merit and credibility, not on the thickness of his wallet or how many European sports cars he can park in his garage. There are plenty of people I respect and admire that can afford a truck load of European sports coupes. But that doesn't mean I admire their taste in cars. Want in on a secret? I do like the Lotus Elan and the Ferrari 308GTS and the 1984 Jag XJS. But I would never own any of them even if I could afford to. The Toyota Supra from 1982 - 1985 is another nice vehicle but I won't be buying one anytime soon.

I have owned a Mazda RX7, I've owned a Nissan. I've owned a Z28. I've owned Pontiacs, a Lincoln, a Buick, a Mercury, several Chevys, and a lot of Fords. I prefer Fords. Its just that American pie simple. I'm even considering a 13 ZL1 or 13/14 GT500 as my next car. How 'bout that?

I've worked for two different European Company's over the years. They treat Americans working for them like crap. They only care about our green back dollar. If Europe ever finds itself in another crisis like they did 80 years ago I would support letting them fend for themselves and be over run. There will never be a European label vehicle in my driveway. So that is the driving force behind my disenchantment for European anything.

As for glam'd up fake eurotrash the term speaks for itself. It's like when the Japanese copy European styling for the purpose of increasing revenue rather than being original. The marketing people have gone to far with the car in trying to appeal to European enthusiasts. They buy one because it is less expensive and then bitch and whine about every little thing like it should be the equal to a car built at a higher level for twice the price.

I've owned four different body styles of the Mustang. The 13/14 was the right amount without losing its identity. After owning this car for over a year I have determined that Ford went too far. Its no longer a Mustang. It's okay but I don't find myself wanting to jump in it and go for a ride like I did my 14 or 13 or 05 or 02.