'08 GT500 "Moosetang"

[Shipwright]

Since I’ve completed posting the write-up on my wife’s ’11 winter re-work on her ’73 Mach 1 and I’m currently working on a update, I’ve decided to post this write-up on my ’08 GT500. As is my style it will be verbose with a heavy dose of pictures. This series was originally posted on a few other websites so you may already have read it elsewhere.

(Originally posted 20 Feb. 2011)

[align=center]Performance

446.24 RWHP @ 6250

438.85 RWTQ @ 4400

Specification and Mods

Engine

5.4 L Supercharged Engine

C&R/Shelby Heat Exchanger with Dual Electric Pull Through Fans

C&R/Shelby Radiator

Moroso Heat Exchanger Coolant Tank

Moroso Radiator Coolant Tank

Reisch 170 deg Thermostat

FRPP “KR” Axle Back Mufflers

VMP Passenger side Oil Catch Can

VMP Driver side Oil Catch Can

Driveline

6 Speed Manual Transmission

8.8 SRA with 3.31 final drive

FRPP “KR” Short Throw Shifter

PST one piece 3.5” Carbon Fibre Drive Shaft

Suspension, Brakes, Wheels and Tires

FRPP FR3SVT Handling Package (full kit)

Tokico Shock Adjustment Extensions

Maximum Motorsport Adjustable Caster Camber Plates

Evolution Performance Billet Lower Control Arms

BMR Adjustable Upper Control Arm

Metco Heavy Duty Upper Control Arm Bracket

Saleen Watts Link

Michelin Pilot Sport Tire (stock sizes)

Stack Racing TPMS band kit

AP Racing 6 Piston 14-1/4” Cross Drilled/Vented Front Brake Package

AP Racing 4 Piston 13” Cross Drilled/Vented Rear Brake Package

FRPP Front Brake Cooling Kit

Shelby Front Brake Cooling Bezels.

Appearance mods

CDC Dead Pedal

Steeda Hydraulic Hood Lifts

Web Electric Sequential Tail Lights

Carroll Shelby Signed Passenger Air Bag Cover

Carroll Shelby Signed Center Dash Plaque and Door Sills

Carroll Shelby Driver/Passenger/Trunk mats

Converted Passenger Seat to a Power Unit[/align]

(Originally posted 13 Mar. 2011)

So I guess you all want to know why someone with a GT500 would name his car “Moosetang” and not something referencing Shelby, Cobra, Snake, GT500 etc…The story starts when I ordered her from Avalon Ford in Newfoundland which was drop shipped at Halifax for delivery to me on the 15th of December 2007. At that time I was a serving member of the Canadian Navy, and the Navy, like many other military units, has certain traditions going back generations if not centuries. One of the traditions unique to the Canadian Navy is an alcoholic concoction known as “Moose Milk”. This beverage is well known to foreign Navies and is frequently requested when their members attend official and unofficial functions onboard Canadian warships. This particular brew can best be described as a combination of eggnog/ice cream/ice with a severe “attitude”, two or three glasses and you’ll feel no pain. When Moose Milk is served it is permissible, but not mandatory, to be appropriately attired. During the first year of my ownership of the Shelby I was slowly acquiring the necessary pieces of clothing to complete my Moose Milk ensemble/uniform.

Here you see my Moose Milk Mug.

Here are my Moose Milk Shoes.

And here is my Moose Milk Hat.

Unfortunately I was unable to complete the ensemble with an appropriate shirt as I retired from the Service in February of 2009 and saw no further need to search out and buy one.

So here I am, I have a ridiculous hat that I have no real use for which my wife absolutely hates. What to do? Then I got an idea, as members of the local Mustang Club myself and my wife frequently go an cruises with the club, some of these excursions require driving on the highways at or below the posted limit in order to allow the older classic cars to keep up and ensure that non-mustangs don’t squeeze into our mini-parade. These highway jaunts can be a little boring, so being a bit of a clown I decided to take my hat, and occasionally wear while it while driving to break up the monotony and give other users of the highway something to laugh at as they pass us.

On one of these drives, in this case to PEI to attend a car show, a confluence of events occurred that gave the car its name. One of the club members travelling directly behind me snapped a photo of the back of my car with me wearing my hat just I was passing a highway Moose Crossing Warning sign. The combination of my hat, the warning sign which colour was very close to the colour of my car was very funny, but what the club members found particularly hilarious was that as my speed increased the antlers on my “racing helmet” would start to lean back, the faster I went the further back they would go and conversely as I slowed the antlers would resume there normal position. The club found this the particularly amusing and dubbed myself and the Shelby as the “Moosetang”,

I have been unable to find the picture in question, but have found some taken on that trip.

After a year of this foolishness my wife (who thinks I’m nuts) broke down and decided to have fun with the Moosetang by purchasing and dressing a Build-a-Bear moose.

Meet Shelby the moose proudly wearing our club “colours”.

All right, enough with the Moosetang. This 2008 Shelby GT500 was ordered to replace my Mustang GT that I purchased new in June of “88 and was stolen in “02 never to be seen again.

These photo’s where taken two months before my beloved 5.0 was stolen

As you can imagine I was extremely distraught at the loss of my pride and joy, my wife, seeing the state I was in told me that I could buy any car I wanted (within reason) as long as we reached certain financial milestones and she gets to choose the colour. Five years latter in 2007 (after looking at everything from an Audi TT, 350Z, BMW Z3, Subaru WRX, GTO, etc…another story for another time) we ordered a 2008 Shelby GT500 Grabber Orange Convertible. The order was placed with Avalon Ford in Newfoundland mid October 2007, the order was confirmed mid November, the car built early December and the car was drop shipped in Halifax on the 15th of December ’08. Because of the weather we had to have the car flat-bedded to my home where it was stored till early April ’09. The reason we chose Avalon Ford is because at that time there were only two dealerships authorized to sell Shelbys in the Maritimes, one in Newfoundland, the other was Wood Motors in New Brunswick. Of the two, Avalon Ford was much more reasonable (again another story for another time). Since then Chebucto Ford here in Dartmouth has become a SVT dealership.

The very first time I set eyes on my Shelby.

The engine builders, Alfred D. Gossett and Mel Darrington, (she has since retired from Ford).

Picture of the bottom of the car during the Pre Delivery Inspection.

The first day in his new home.

With the car firmly stuck in my garage for the next three months it didn’t take long the modifications to start. For such an expensive car it lacked certain features that came standard in my “88, the most glaring was the lack of a dead pedal, for a car with sporting aspirations it seemed like a glaring oversight on Ford’s part, But I quickly rectified the problem myself.

CDC Dead Pedal.

I also installed a Web Electric Sequential Rear Signal Light harness. For a little decoration I got a set of Shelby Trunk and Floor Mats.

I pulled the passenger side airbag from the car, separated the cover from the airbag (that was fun, my knuckles still hurt) and sent it down to SAI for Carroll Shelby’s signature, amazingly it only took 16 days from the time I mailed the parcel to the time it arrived back at my door step.

More to follow.

 

[OLE PONY]

You have a great knack for storytelling. Always interesting to read your installments! Great looking GT500, I keep telling my wife that once our 4 kids are out of college I may start searching for one!

:fftopic:: Not to take away from your story, but your description of your missing photo of your moose hat and moose crossing sign in regards to your Moosetang name reminded me of the pictures I took a few years ago. I was participating in a local club cruise up to the Blue Ridge Mountains. My daughter was driving our 04 Mach 1 and I was snapping pictures. One of our members sports a very shiny bald head and is prominent while driving his GT Convertible. While we were driving our pony cars through horse country I snapped a couple of interesting pictures and later posted them on our local club site noting the interesting resemblance, but he didn't adapt a name related to the comparison.

 

[RocketFoot]

Very nice GT500! Love the mean front view stance!

 

[Shipwright]

While we were driving our pony cars through horse country I snapped a couple of interesting pictures and later posted them on our local club site noting the interesting resemblance, but he didn't adapt a name related to the comparison.

I wonder why.

Very nice GT500! Love the mean front view stance!

It's my favorite picture. It's minimalistic while still having a menacing look. One of our club members mentioned that there's nothing more mean looking in the rear view mirror that seeing the great big maw of the Shelby quickly coming up behind you with the blower screaming. Unless of course it's Johnny Law.:s

The only problem I have with the picture is trying to get a true representation of the colour. Grabber Orange is a difficult colour to photograph, It usually looks too yellow.

 

[Shipwright]

(Originally posted 15 Mar. 2011)

Continued.

Along with the minor appearance upgrades I added a pair of Steeda Hydraulic Hood Struts, which I had painted Grabber Orange (Ford colour code “U3” or “Valencia”).

Hood struts unpainted, painted and installed.

With the car in the garage and my only seat time consisted of driving 60 feet from the flat bed tow truck to my garage where it would stay for the next three months, this gave me plenty of time to “Cyber Shop” for upgrades. After much research I was surprised by how much power the supercharged 5.4 could develop with just a few simple modifications. For example a simple Stage II set-up which consists of 2.6” blower pulley vice the stock 3” unit, a Cold Air Intake, Idler pulley, spark plugs and tune could give you about 100 to 150 hp increase over stock in an afternoon for about $1,200 USD, that’s a pretty good deal. However before I’d take the plunge into power upgrades I first wanted to get some seat time to see if it was really needed.

April 1st 2008 couldn’t come soon enough, but finally it did. I still remember the first time I took it out on the road, I was nervous and I’m a little embarrassed to admit that for a while my arms and legs where shaking. I mean sure, I’ve been driving V8 equipped, manual transmission equipped cars for 24 years, my last one was the above-mentioned “88 GT so it’s not like I didn’t know what to expect. But the GT 500 has over twice the horsepower and one and half times the torque of my previous GT, even though the Shelby is about 800 lbs heavier. I still had this irrational, horrible fear of hitting the gas and immediately loosing control of the car and having it spin off the highway and explode in ball of fire. As it turned out, the car couldn’t have been more docile and easy to drive. First gear does take a lot practice to get used to, but once you master it everything is great.

I started my first drive by going onto the highway and slowly got used the clutch, shift, handling, brakes and throttle response/characteristics. Once I got a good feel for the car I started to, ever so gently, push the car to see how it would react, it’s on a on-ramp under “spirited acceleration” that I encountered the first issue, axle hop, the rear of the car felt like a jackhammer. Over the next month I got to experience other idiosyncrasies such as, crappy stock tires resulting in poor traction (honestly, for a car with this much power Ford should have gone with 275/285 in the front and 305/315 in back). The suspension was much to soft, causing the car to nosedive under hard braking, under hard acceleration the nose would point to the sky, the rear would squirm around and hard turning would produce more body roll than was comfortable. Over uneven road surfaces the car would sort of float and the handling was mushy/vague. And finally I found the exhaust note to be a little too civilized for my taste.

If your thinking that I’m being overly critical of the car please be aware that Ford designed this convertible (with a suspension that is softer than the coupe) to fit the requirements of two specific demographics (1) baby boomers who want to relive their youth (go ahead, I dare you, ask someone in their 20’s who or what a Shelby is and get ready for a blank look) by having a comfortable cruiser they can drive to the country club and brag about their exclusive 500 hp Shelby GT500, hence the soft suspension. For this purpose the car is perfect. (2) The other demographic that this car is designed for is the enthusiast. Ford realised it didn’t matter what they did the (speed freaks) er... enthusiasts would modify the car anyway. So for these (maniacs) I mean valued customers, Ford built a car with a chassis and engine that could be easily and safely modified to insane levels of power and handling (the stock engine is reportedly good to 800 RWHP before the connecting rods need to be changed with forged units and 1,000 RWHP before the head bolts need to be replaced with studs). For these customers Ford and the aftermarket would be ready with a whole range of parts (just check out the FRPP catalogue alone).

So in the summer of '08 it became apparent to me that the Moosetang could barely handle 500 let alone 650 hp unless some changes were made. The first on my “to do” list was getting rid of the axle hop and controlling the rear end. To this end I ordered a pair of Evolution Performance billet aluminium Lower Control Arms with polyurethane bushings, BMR adjustable Upper Control Arms with polyurethane bushings, Metco heavy duty Upper Control Arm Seat and a Saleen Watts Link to replace the stock Panhard Rod. The Saleen Watts Link is a bit extreme in street car, but I’m the type of person who prefers the security of having something over-built to ensure safety (my wife also drives this car), durability, performance and to allow for future growth. A very important requirement to any modification I make is that it MUST be bolt on, no cutting or welding will be allowed. Seeing as the rear of the car was being worked on I also purchased a pair of FRPP 5GT/Borla Stinger axle back mufflers to round out the package.

Lower/Upper Control Arms and seat, Saleen Watts Link and FRPP/Borla axle backs.

Watts Link installed.

I still remember the day I picked up the car after the rear end work was done in the fall of ‘08, the car still porpoised under heavy throttle/braking but WOW what a difference, the axle hop was banished, never to be seen again, WOT from a roll is impressive the rear just squatted, and the car just took off, no squirming back and forth, just pure, straight acceleration. The tires still had trouble hooking up, but at least I had no fear of staring at the rhubarb (ditch) if I hammered the go pedal. One disappointment was the exhaust, I was fully aware of the possible drone issue with these mufflers at highway cruising speed (17-19,000 rpm) but I could deal with it, unfortunately the wife couldn’t. The drone exacerbated her migraines so by the end of “08, after the car went into winter storage (December), I started shopping for replacement mufflers. Fortunately at about this time Ford released the drone free “KR” mufflers, which I put on my Christmas List. This list included a “KR” short throw shifter, Maximum Motorsports Adjustable Caster/Camber plates and the complete GT500 FRPP handling package to finally get rid of the remaining handling deficiencies as well as getting rid of the 4X4 ride height that every mustang seems to be afflicted with. The kit lowers car about 1” in front and about 1-1/2” in the rear. I also wanted to rectify another oversight with regards to the passenger seat. In order to avoid the US gas guzzler tax Ford had to keep the weight of the GT500 down, which meant de-contenting certain features, one of these was the passenger side seat which was a manual unit with no height adjustment. Now I’m no giant, but at about six feet I was sitting uncomfortably low in the passenger seat, I couldn’t imagine what it was like for my 5’ 4” wife, so I ordered all the parts and pieces necessary to convert the passenger seat to a power seat (minus the power lumber support) so she could enjoy the scenery and possibly stop car jacking me.

Complete FRPP Handling Package (with polyurethane bushings), “KR” Short Throw Shifter and Maximum Motorsport Caster/Camber Plates.

Installed.

New, lower stance.

Power passenger seat parts.

Installed.

“KR” axle back exhaust installed.

All these items where installed in the spring of '09.

More to follow.

 

[OLE PONY]

Looks like you have done some pretty nice mods. It sounds like you never drove a GT 500 before you ordered yours. I think I would have to at least test drive one first, but what the heck, what's not to like. I had a test drive scheduled a couple of years ago, but when I went to the next day to drive it they had sold it already.

 

[Shipwright]

Looks like you have done some pretty nice mods. It sounds like you never drove a GT 500 before you ordered yours. I think I would have to at least test drive one first, but what the heck, what's not to like. I had a test drive scheduled a couple of years ago, but when I went to the next day to drive it they had sold it already.

The problem with test drives. There where only two authorized SVT dealerships in the Maritimes at the time. The closest dealership was about a three hour drive into another province and the dealership was difficult to deal with. When we inquired on Oct. of 07 about buying one they had the gall to tell us that they could order us a GT500 for $10k over MSRP but they couldn't garantee the colour!!! We told him that it's a FORD not a FERRARI and took him off our list, what a dick. The other dealership is in Newfoundland which is a good 2 to 3 hour drive to the Ferry Terminal followed by a 8 hr Ferry crossing. Even so, the GT500 was in so short supply that they were sold before they arrived on the lot. So if I wanted one I had to order one and hope for the best. We ordered the Shelby from the Newfoundland dealership for MSRP and had it dropped shipped in Halifax.

As far as mods go, you ain't seen nothin' yet, hehehe!

 

[Shipwright]

(Originally posted 17 Mar. 2011)

Continued

During the winter of ‘08 – ‘09 I had ample opportunity to further research possible upgrades for the Shelby. It became apparent to me that if I was going to do a power upgrade I might as well get the most out of the engine that can possibly be attained within the following critical parameters. (1) The upgrade must support nothing more than 91 octane gas, which is the best I grade available locally. Although the car is not a daily driver I’m averaging about 15K km per 8 month driving season, and I have absolutely no desire to be dependant on octane booster. (2) I’m going to retain the stock 6250-rpm limiter to limit engine stress. And finally, (3) the tune must be on the conservative side, again, to ensure engine longevity.

After I completed my research it became abundantly clear to me that before I could even consider making power modifications I would have to address many sub-system limitations. The sub-systems that would need to be improved can be divided into four main categories; suspension, cooling, braking and driveline. It was also became obvious that it would be a long process that could take 3 – 4 years to complete. With this in mind I started making my shopping list while continuously checking various websites and forums for new, improved products/parts.

The first item to be tackled was the suspension, thankfully that was pretty much complete, I just had to install the bits and pieces sitting in my spare room (which were installed during the Spring of ‘09). The second wave of parts would concentrate on cooling and the front brakes, the third wave would be devoted the rear brakes and drive shaft. Once all these items/kits where installed/adjusted and I got used the different driving dynamics, I would take the plunge and purchase the power upgrades. Then I would deal with whatever issues that might crop up (i.e.) clutch, wheels and tires.

So when Spring of ‘09 arrived the first stop was to the shop to get the latest batch of goodies installed (as shown in my previous instalment). When the installation was done I took the Moosetang for a little jaunt. The first thing I noticed was the vastly improved handling, nose-dive and squatting disappeared, also hard cornering body roll was greatly reduced. The biggest difference however was the enhanced steering wheel feedback. Sure the ride was a little stiffer, but I kind of like it that way. I should mention that the FRPP Handling Package, which is engineered for the Coupe, works very well on the softer sprung Convertible. The package consists of 6 position adjustable shocks/struts, three position adjustable front anti-sway bar, heavy-duty strut tower brace, lowering springs and a larger diameter rear anti-sway bar with polyurethane bushings all around. The replacement of the stock shifter to a 33% shorter throw “KR” model was well worth the effort. The final pieces mounted on the Shelby were the “KR” axle back mufflers, they sound similar to Borla Stingers minus the terrible drone. When new they sounded “sharp” and ”tight”, as they age they sound a little more “mellow” and “looser” with a gorgeous sounding burble. But make no mistake, when you hammer the gas pedal she sounds mean and angry. My favourite trick is to drive down the narrow streets in downtown Halifax and cruise in first gear at about 3 - 4K rpm and enjoy the roar and burble reverberating of the tall buildings on either side as I accelerate and engine brake.

The rest of the ‘09 driving was spent enjoying club cruises and car shows, the only dark spot was the need to replace the prematurely worn crappy stock tires due a bad factory alignment and worn rear tires because of an “inability to hook up”. They were replaced with Michelin Pilot Sports in the stock sizes. And a warrantee issue with my cloth top. In 2005 Ford introduce the convertible roof that folds into a “Z” shape vice the previous “accordion” type. This could cause pinch marks to forms resulting in large “V” wear marks that if not addressed would wear two holes at the extremities of the “V” this problem is commonly known as “Snake Eyes”. The cure at the time was to replace the entire roof with an updated ‘10 model roof. It wasn’t until late ‘09 that the TSB was issued that a new roof was ordered for replacement in the spring of ‘10. So ended 2009.

SSSSSnake Eyes.

Over the four winter months that the Moosetang was stored in our “Toy Box” (by this time my wife had her Mach 1) I started concentrating on the next part of my plan, namely cooling and front brake upgrades. The cooling system both for the intercooler and radiator were barely adequate for the car under normal driving conditions, if pushed for extended periods of time it was common for heat soak to set in causing the car to pull timing. It also wasn’t unknown for the car to “Garck” it’s fluids. To prevent this from happening and to prepare for the extra heat load that would be produced with an increase in power I ordered a Shelby/CR Radiator and Heat Exchange with Dual Pull Through Fans as well as MOROSO large capacity Radiator/Heat Exchanger Coolant Tanks and to round out the system, a 170* Reisch Thermostat. For extra stopping power I ordered a set of AP Racing front 14-1/4” Cross-Drilled and Vented Rotors and 6 Piston Calibers complete with Stainless Steal brake lines. Finally, to keep the brakes from overheating the FRPP front brake cooling kit was purchased as well as a pair of Shelby Bezels.

The “Toy Box”

That’s cool man.

Cooling set-up.

A closer look at the Dual Electric Pull Through Fans.

Bigger, badder AP Racing front brakes.

Cool those brakes down

Shelby Brake Bezels installed.

Moroso Coolant Tanks installed (they were stripped of their original gloss finish and powder coated a wrinkle black to match the SC).

Shelby/C&R Radiator and Heat Exchanger installed.

FRPP Brake Cooling Kit installed.

!!!!! OOOOPS !!!! How did that get in here.

More to follow.

 

[Shipwright]

(Originally posted 23 Mar. 2011)

Continued

Spring of ‘10 brought warm weather and the installation of all the parts and pieces acquired over the previous cold, miserable winter. I didn’t notice any appreciable difference after the bolting in my cooling mods (C&R HE/Rad, MOROSO Tanks and Reisch Thermostat), but then again I didn’t push the car hard enough and long enough for the improvements to be felt, although I do hear the electric pull through fans kicking in/out when stopped or idling while parked. However, the benefits will readily become apparent with a future increase in power (Heh! Heh! Heh!).

The larger, more powerful front brakes on the other hand, make an immediate impression. The stock Brembo system is perfectly good for the street and some light track use (so I’m told) but, in my personal view, an increase in acceleration should have a commensurate increase in braking power. And the AP Racing system sure fits the bill. First off there is zero mush or softness in the brake pedal. Secondly, as soon as you apply any pressure to the brake pedal you immediately feel the car slowing down. Thirdly, the brake is very progressive, emergency-stopping power is incredible and repeated hard braking produced no fade whatsoever (all tests conducted in safe, secure locations). One thing I should mention is that the rotors I chose are crossed-drilled and slotted which are good for street use, but if you plan on tracking your car, only slotted rotors should be used as crossed drilled rotors have a tendency to crack.

I personally installed the Shelby cooling Bezels into a spare lower grill which I then had installed while the front bumper was removed for the cooling mods. The FRPP Brake cooling kit was easy to install, however it took some trial and error to find the correct routing of the hoses. The final result speaks for itself.

The rest of the driving season passed without much drama with the exception of a few annoyances. 1) While leaving the Gym one morning I picked up a piece of metal in one of my Michelin Pilot Sport tires (much, much better tires than stock). The offending object lodged itself right between the sidewall and tire tread making it pretty much irreparable and, of course, it had to be in one of the more expensive rear tires. But what really got to me is that even though the tires were only four months old, there was enough wear on them that I had to buy two tires for safety ARGH. 2) I had my convertible top replaced in April due to a bad case of “Snake Eyes”. At the behest of the installer I left the roof up for one month to allow the canvas top to stretch. No sooner had I started driving with the top down that the dreaded “Snake Eyes” returned, although there was less wear area than before, the damage was deeper. After several months of arguing with the dealer over this issue we received and had installed (just before the warranty ran out) another, newer model roof. Hopefully this will cure the problem once and for all. 3) Although not affecting the Moosetang, on a trip to Newfoundland with other members of our club, my wife’s’ ‘73 Mach 1 packed it in and had to be towed home (for the complete story please check The Lounge Forum / Before and After / Travails of the Trailer Queen).

Talk about bad positioning. Just my luck.

New top.

Same old Problem

Once the car went into storage on the first of December of ‘10 I started my yearly modding, I mean shopping spree. First on my list was the AP Racing 13 inch Cross-Drilled / Vented Rotors with an integral parking brake and 4 Piston Calipers. This kit converts the stock floating 2-piston rear caliper system to a fixed system and complements the front brake kit I previously installed. After lots research and frequently changing my mind I ordered a PST one piece Carbon Fibre Drive Shaft. This decision was made for two reasons, one it weighs 14lbs vice 40lbs+ for the stocker, two it’s rated to 1,000hp+ while the stocker is good to about 7-800hp. Again falling prey to my tendency to overbuild I couldn’t resist. Other items procured where a driver and passenger side JLT Oil Catch Can, I’m not to worried about oil coating the blower internals as it will be replaced, I’m more concerned about engine oil coating the inside of the intercooler and reducing it’s cooling efficiency. Also on the list is four Stack TPMS bands and sensor holders, these are much sturdier than the stock which have a tendency to snap when tires are removed (the stockers cost about $50 just for the band). The final item is a pair of Tokico Adjustable Shock Extensions, this will allow me to adjust the rear shocks without having to remove the trunk side covers.

Rear brake set-up.

51 inches of JLT carbon fibre goodness with optional billet yoke.

JLT oil catch cans.

Stack Racing TPMS kits.

Finally, Tokico adjustable shock extensions.

This pretty much brings me up to date. I’ll post more information and photos as they happen. There’s still a lot more that needs to be done.

More to follow.

 

[Shipwright]

Since my last post (about a year ago) not much has changed, which is a good thing. Despite wanting to get my last batch of modifications installed in the spring of ’11 life got in the way and I had to wait unit September to get the rear brakes, oil catch cans and driveshaft installed. The other more worrisome concern was my new second replacement cloth roof. Although marks are again forming, they appear to be compression marks with no indication of chaffing/rubbing. This is a relief as there’s no holes being worn in my new roof. As the weeks and months rolled by my rear tires started getting more and more worn until it came to the point that I no longer felt comfortable driving the car. Fortunately they lasted till the end of the driving season. Seeing as I planned some major power upgrades in the following I bought a pair of 305/40/18 Nitto 555R DRs which were mounted on my stock wheels. These tires are only a temporary measure until a set of new OEM 18 inch wheels can be purchased and two of them set out for widening (11 inches). My final goal is to run 275/40/18 in front and 315/35/18 in back.

Here are some photographs of my latest installed goodies.

Tokico adjustable shock extensions for the rear shock. Notice the worn paint? To prevent further damage I cut a small section of clear tubing and placed it over the knurled metal knob.

Installed, rear AP Racing 13” slotted and cross drilled rotor and 4 piston fixed caliper conversion kit.

JLT passenger and driver side oil catch cans.

Tire comparison old/new

On car. I haven’t yet washed the wheels.

Over the summer I started doing my research for the final modification push, “The Quest for Power”. Although I have been looking at various blower possibilities over the last three years, by the fall of ’11 it was time to make a choice. So after lurking and then outright pestering multiple sites catering to Shelby’s and Mustangs my decision was made. The blower I ordered was a VMP 2.5 inch pullied, 2.3L TVS with the big elbow, VMP tune, idler pulley and for smoother airflow, I had both the blower and elbow ported. The blower decision was not an easy one to make what with all the options currently available. However taking into consideration my driving style, the fuel available locally, the ease of installation, appearance and of course cost, the TVS came out on top. For the intake side of the equation I chose a JLT 127mm Carbon Fibre CAI. Although I’ll have to swap out my FRPP shock tower brace for the stock OEM unit for clearance purposes it’s a compromise I’m willing to make. After a lot of back and forth with my parts vendor (Mike at MRL Performance and Mechanical) I ended up with a FRPP Twin 65mm Cobra Jet Throttle body. For the fuel system I was relieved to learn that the only things I needed was a set injectors (72lb Bosch) and spark plugs (NGK BR7EF), I thought that an upgraded fuel pump or fuel rails would also be required, but thankfully that wasn’t the case. With the increase in power I needed to be able to monitor the A/F ratio and actual boost pressure, so a pair AEM gauges to be nestled in a Speed of Sound pillar pods were ordered.

At this point I sat there in front of my computer very pleased with myself. After posting my decisions on Ford Mustang Canada a member complemented me on my choices and was wondering what clutch and exhaust system would I use. WHHAAAAT! What do you mean? I seems that running about 630 to 660 WHP on about 17 psi of boost was not conducive the long catalytic converter life and the OEM clutch was not likely to survive very long under that kind of power. Greatly saddened by this information (I absolutely love my KR’s) I set about going around to the usual websites and You Tube looking for an appropriate exhaust system. It didn’t take long for me to choose Dynatech for a 2-1/2” high flow catted “X” pipe and 1-7/8” long tube headers. To tame the boisterous sound coming for this set-up a pair of MMS (modified Mac) mufflers were also purchased. I planned on delaying the whole clutch issue until it actually failed but, in late November of ’11 the clutch give it’s first sign of impending death, it started to slip under high torque situations (with only about 37,000 miles). Oh well, it was almost time to store the “Moosetang” for the winter anyway. Another trip through cyberspace and a new clutch was chosen, a McLeod RXT Ceramic Twin Disc with a steel flywheel. Seeing as how the clutch was going to be swapped out it seemed logical to replace the slave cylinder and pilot bearing at the same time ergo new ones were purchased.

And the biggest pile of boxes yet.

This mountain of parts contains:

A new VMP 2.5” pullied 2.3 L EATON TVS supercharger, a long with a VMP Big Elbow both of which I had ported. This set-up should be good for about 17 psi of boost. I also go a FRPP Twin 65 mm Cobra Jet Throttle body.

Here you can see the porting.

Despite the blurry photo you can see the 2.5 inch pully.

The associated fuel injector (Bosch 72lb), idler pulley (VMP 90mm) and spark plug (NGK) upgrade.

A few pictures of the FRPP TB.

A JLT 127 mm Carbon Fiber Cold Air Intake.

With all the power and heat that this set-up will give me it’s only a matter of time before it destroy my cats, so I bit the bullet and purchased a set of Dynatech high flow catted X pipes.

While I was at it I may as well get the associated Dynatech 1-7/8” long tube headers as well.

And to hold those headers on, a set of FRPP Stage Head locking header bolts.

To keep from sounding like a NASCAR racer I’ve bought a pair of MMS (modified Mac) mufflers.

With all that power being produced it’s going to vitally important to be able to monitor the A/F ratio and actual boost pressure. With this I mind I received a set of gauges from AEM.

Boost.

Wideband A/F.

All mounted in a Speed of Sound pillar mounted gauge pod.

To make everything work together without blowing up the Shelby I got an SCT X-3 Tuner with custom VMP tune.

With the tuner I ordered a serial cable allowing me to datalog from the A/F gauge through the tuner.

Seeing as how my OEM clutch is already showing signs of death (slipping) I took the opportunity to upgrade to a McLeod RXT Twin Disc Ceramic Clutch.