STX Mustang Dreaming

Step One:  Find a clean and unmolested 1987 Ford Mustang Sedan (Notchback) 5.0 V8 5-speed or 1988 non-California car. Convert to base model A/C delete, no radio, PS, PW, or Cruise

Step Two: Add the following parts.

Optional 3.08:1 final drive
Steeda 5-Link
Detroit Locker
Koni yellow double adjustable shocks
Maximum Motorsports camber/caster plates
Ebay springs
Front sway bar
Pro 5.0 shifter
Momo Race steering wheel
Sparco Evo seats
Basani long tube headers
Catted x-pipe
Under drive pulleys
Battery relocation
Cold air intake
Moates ecu
Rear disk brake conversion and front Cobra brakes
Bolt-on subframe connectors
17x9 w/265mm Dunlops or 18x9 w/Hankooks
Remove factory side rub strips

After all the hard work it should look something like this and sound fantastic.  

El Toro Pro Solo

I kept the same setup as used the prior weekend at the SD Tour, except for a minor 1/8" rear ride height increase for day two.  Similar tire pressures with the rear going as low as 24 psi.  New coilpack installed.

Ride height is 11 1/2" at all four corners as measured from the center wheel hub to fender.  Pinch weld measurement is approximately 3 5/8" front, 3 1/2" rear.





   Once the tires warmed up the car worked well.  I shifted to third gear in the walloms on Saturday afternoon but did not pick up much time.  Rode the limiter on Sunday and focused on a clean line and dropped some time on both sides.  Could have been quicker on the right but I had trouble slowing for the first pin turn on both runs.  A new clutch and 300 more rpm could be worth another tenth or two.

   Special thanks to my co-driver Jason for warming the tires and giving me positive feedback regarding the car's handling and potential.  Be sure to check out his 67 Camaro build.

Final RESULTS put me in 8th, the final trophy spot and only a half second behind per side.

San Diego Tour

2012 San Diego Solo National Tour

Day 2 finish slalom



Hot Saturday temperatures were favorable for the Hankook tires and I thought I drove very well.  One second out of the lead with the Hondas possibly having a horsepower advantage on the long fast third gear uphill straight.  Clutch is slipping at the 1-2 shift.

Day two the marine layer keeps the sun away and temps are cool and as a result the tires never get hot and I struggle for grip and did not drive well.  Final results put me in seventh place.

Setup

As used at the 2012 SCCA San Diego Solo National Tour:

Koni Race (yellow) shocks front and rear; full stiff front, full soft rear
Custom PES spherical bearing top shock mounts
Front springs - 2.25" diameter x 6" length 750# Hyperco, Koni threaded perches
Rear springs - 2.5" diameter x 6" length 375# Eibach, Ground Control threaded perches
AWR adjustable rear upper control arms
Racing Beat 1.125" diameter, 3/16" wall, hollow front sway bar - no rear sway bar
15x8 +40 949 6UL wheels, 225/45-15 Hankook RS3; 25 psi rear, 27 psi front
Front brake pads OEM
Rear brake pads Hawk HPS
Mazda Competition sway bar end links
Mazda Competition motor mounts
Momo Start bottom-mount seat installed on OEM sliders
MiataRoadster short shifter kit, eBay delrin shift knob
Odyssey PC545 battery
K&N cold air intake
OBX 4-2-1 header
Goodwin Racing midpipe
Enthuza NB Speeder axle-back exhaust
DPTune ECU re-flash with 7500 rpm rev limiter
2168 lbs with 1/4 tank fuel, SCCA scales
Zero front toe, 3/16 total rear toe in, approx -3* camber F&R

Trust, Slip Angle, & One Inch

   The weekend of April 14-15 hosted the last El Toro championship autocross before the upcoming SCCA ProSolo event scheduled for the first weekend in May.  The weather was beautiful with sunny skies and mid 60* temperatures.  I bring my 225 Hankooks out to play and snag a co-driver to help heat them up.  STR runs first group and I have not driven the RS3 tires on this El Toro surface for a couple of years; 2010 SCCA ProSolo in my old 1995 STS car to be exact.

Co-driver warming the tires

 


   I take it easy on my first run but I do not fully trust the tires yet, especially under braking.  Lots of grip at this venue and the Hankooks are much sharper than the Toyos.  Without all the magic Toyo slip angle I am turning in too early and nipping apex cones with the back of the car.  Or it could be from the 1/2" wider wheels.  Or I am just not turning the steering wheel enough on this busy transitional course.

 












    Second run was relatively fast, but drifting the sweeper and getting behind at the finish did not help.  Neither did the three cones; two of which were at the start.  By my third run I was feeling really good about the tires and blown away by the grip and responsiveness, especially compared to the R1R, but I needed a clean run so I backed it down a little.  My 4th and final run was much faster mostly due to staying ahead of the course and from fully trusting the directness of the tires, but I am still a little tight to the cones as seen in the video and I knock down 4 cones (two again at the start).

    I can't complain about my times but I can complain about my driving as I am normally not that dirty.  First place finisher Max H. was on 300+ run Dunlops and I finished second in class.   RESULTS

 




  

Fail

   DP Tune has been a major fail as I have been waiting over 2 months for them to send me an LM2 rental to fine tune the ECU and also bump the limiter up to my requested 7700 rpm.  He keeps saying I am next on the list with a sympathetic email or phone call, but then nothing happens. Last email says it is in the mail and should be here today.  With 2 weeks to go until the San Diego Tour and El Toro ProSolo, I cannot rely on them to process the order fast enough and return it promptly so I will keep what I have and figure this stuff out later.  Besides, my coil pack went bad last weekend with symptoms being minor hesitation and surging under load.  Check engine light is on for low cat efficiency.  Not sure an LM2 tune would be beneficial at this time anyway with the current engine woes.  Coil and plug wires were ordered this morning from Mazdaspeed Motorsports.

  

   











   Some of the coil pack issues could stem from the previous weekend when I changed out the spark plugs and plug wires.  What was supposed to be a simple job turned into stress and frustration when two of the spark plugs threaded out hard the whole way and the number four plug wire ends were fused to the coil and plug. Leftover used NGK blue plug wires from my '95 STS Miata will serve as the replacments in the meantime.  The oil on plug three is from a bad cam cover gasket which will be replaced along with the coil pack.

Bell Engineering Group offers an ECU tuning service similar to what I have, but the cost is a little more and probably well worth it.  After the big California SCCA autocross events, I may seek a refund from DP Tune and explore the BEGI setup. 

One week later

Another Saturday practice and Sunday Championship March 24-25, with another forecast for rain which fortunately held off until Sunday evening. 

  Saturday was terrible for me and probably my worst day of driving in the last several years.  Over driving, coneage, and DNFs ruled the morning session, but I came back in the afternoon and put together 4 solid runs, about a half second behind another fast STR Honda.

  I lowered the rear of the car another turn (1/8" at the shock) and was on the 15x7.5 195 Toyo combination.  As usual, koni shocks full stiff front, full soft rear.

  Sunday's championship course was reverse from Saturday, but the designer modified a few corners which opened it up way too much in my opinion. Speed maintenance may help the smaller more nimble cars such as the NB Miata, but I would rather see a more diverse course. I finished second in class with a very fast first run again thanks to the Toyo tires. The Toyos now have about 72 runs and 700 street miles.







RESULTS


  It seems that when a front tire rubs the inner fender splash liner, it rips out the plastic clips.  The NA Miata did not have this problem.

 












  Not wanting to get protested,  I installed the air intake baffle in the stock location behind the driver side headlight.  Some will argue that this baffle needs to stay to be legal because it serves two purposes- one being a place to locate the AC and fog light relays.  Without air conditioning or fog lights on my Sport model Miata, the relays that mount to this panel are absent, but the electrical connectors remain.  Not a big deal until I decide to alter the intake with a custom cold air box.

It never rains in Southern California...

   March 18th championship event at El Toro did not go as planned.  Because of the forecast for rain, I initially was not going to make it until I got a call from K-Mo interested in co-driving in STR with me.  Even says I can use his brand new 195 Toyos/SSRs. Deal.  I figure this is a good way to get valuable insight about the car's handling and potential from a multi-time champ and see how the car stacks up against the other STR competitors on the grippy ET surface.

   STR runs after lunch but we decide to run out of class in the first morning heat because Ken had other commitments in the afternoon.  Rain, wind, and cold throughout the first heat and then it dries up completely before lunch.  Screwed again, but at least I won my class (CST).  I should have run time only runs in the STR heat.

Although in the dry, STR was 5 seconds faster than my time.

RESULTS

March 4th Autox

195 Toyos, 80*F weather in March, carne asada burrito from the roach coach, and third place in class.

Results

Car was more stable with the rear lowered 3/8" at the shock.  Could go lower but I am near the bumpstop limit with this particular spring and top mount combination. More testing needed.





Only 6 weeks untill the SCCA San Diego Solo National Tour comes to town.  Still waiting for Dynotronics to finish the ECU updates as I am currently limited to 7500rpm.

Car in grid with lower ride height and 15X8 wheels.

Camera mount.

Rear fender rolling is next on the to do list.

Next event is at El Toro March 18th with a much grippier surface than Qualcomm.  I plan to run the higher rear ride height and hope that the balance is good.  No spring or bar changes expected.




.

March 3rd Practice

Tested 195 Toyos in the morning and 225 Hankooks in the afternoon.

Toyo R1R 28 psi on 7.5" wheels.

Hankook RS3 30psi F, 28 psi R on 8" wheels.

New camera mount works good.






Lowered the rear ride height 3/8" at the shock.

3.15* front camber, 2.9* rear camber.  3/16 total rear toe in.

Lift off oversteer.