Greengirl

Id like to hear from a few members who are currently modifying their Mustangs or are planning to? My hubby's ultimate dream would be to build an Eleanor...

seangtcs

2011 gtcs putting h&r springs on tmr and then getting some long tubes and cams done hopefully in September. Just installed a ford racing short throw and a spec stage 1 clutch. With a completely fresh tranny with 0 miles on it

Also building my dads old 1973 mercury capri. Have a 351w out of a 69 Mach1 have twin Holley four barrels and an edlebrock race intake just looking for the right tranny

jsimmons

I'm almost ready to do a major power train swap in my 2012 V6 auto...

I have 427ci Windsor being built as we speak (Dart block, AFR heads, forged bottom end), and will also be swapping in a T56 Magnum XL as well. Spent $12k so far on parts.

I'll have something completely unique since nobody has done this kind of swap into a 2011+ yet.

seangtcs

very bold!!! I can't wait to see the swap!

laserred38

I was gonna say "Everything" until this guy had to chime in lol

jsimmons

Sorry I spoiled your fun.

I've already replaced the entire suspension (well, everything but the UCA), the brakes, and the gears. I'm running out of stuff to mod.

houtex

Ok, why not? I'm tired of keepin' my vision a secret. It'll be all done soon enough, so what the heck.

Keeping in mind that Awesome is a 2006 Mustang GT, Performance White and Dark Charcoal interior, so as to help along the visuals.

Here's the list that Awesome has had done, or will have done, to her to make her 'complete':


Mods so far:

- Custom Dash panels with black vinyl long grain covering, satin black vent 'tubes', satin black vent flaps, and gloss black trim rings. (all done by yours truly, except the glossy black, that required a paint shop.)

- GT500/CS accessory rear bumper, painted HP except for...

- SEMA HR010 system Hot Rod Black on the lower 'ring' of the car.

- 2010 GT500 convertible 18x9.5 wheels, with 275/40-18 General G-MAX All Season tires

- GTA axleback mufflers. I looooove the sound and look... so nice.


Mods awaiting installation for whatever reason, parts stored for now:

- V6/KR wing, to be painted HP to match car. It's the only one that's close to what I want... what I *want* is a wicker-type lip like on a 2012, but alas. Still, except in one particular angle, I do like the V6/KR wing, and hey, if it's good enough for a KR, then it's fantastic for Awesome. I am sorta kinda thinking about painting it that HR010 like the lower ring, but... eh.

- Shelby GT billet grille assembly, complete. Still waffling on whether to paint the grille black, as it's already black except for the very face of the grille.

- Powered by Ford fender badges to replace the GT ones. I've never like the GT ones. Rather have NO badges, but I ain't gonna get fenders or fix the holes in my current... and these badges are pretty dang awesome.

- V6 Pony FauxCap trunk badge... although I'm kinda thinkin' about getting a T5 made up just to be weird. Ditto the GT on it. Just not a fan of the script.

- New shifter and ebrake boots. They're around here somewhere...

- Cloth 2012 dark charcoal seat covers. This has one complication, in that my headrests on the front don't have covers to put on them, so I might have to get 2012 headrests, or get some custom made, or...? And the rear seat backs are a little 'off' regarding the folding headrests, and the holes thereto, but I'm gonna figure that out soon enough. I could, of course, just resell the set, and get the things made custom, I suppose, or even order the... ugly... 05-09 patterned seats... But one thing is certain. There will be -leather in my car soon.

- Shaker 500 head unit swap out. I have a correct for year spare.

- Twin 10" subwoofer box, with two amps running it, tapped into the rear speakers, and quick disconnect for signal and power, with a kill switch in the front so I can turn them off if desired.

- Plenum and coil covers for the 4.6 engine. But instead of that gray, I'm going to tape the chrome all up and repaint them satin black. It's SO going to suck to tape that, but... Worth it.


Mods currently on the way, as I just bought 'em, and they're going on the car the very next Saturday I can manage to get her to the shop to borrow a lift.

- Ford P lowering springs, 1" drop all around. Just enough to get out of the 4x4 look.

- Ford GT500 Strut Mounts ('Cause original sucks, I hear, and it came with the springs in a kit.)

- Ford GT500 Front Control Arms (Ball joint right side made the sound today. :| )

- Eibach Camber Bolts (just in case... don't know if I'll actually need them)

- BMR Black Hammertone Poly/Poly bushing'd Rear Lower Control Arms. (due to the front bushing on the right LCA being shot to hell, so might as well do these.)

- BMR Black Hammertone Adjustable Panhard Bar. (because lowering.)

- Ford Take Off 05-10 Struts/shocks (Not a mod per se, but since I'm doin' all that, and I'm not unhappy with the current shocks...)


Mods awaiting next round of monetary means:

- Black shifter ball with white lettering, to complete the black interior swapout. I'm debating whether to leave the lettering white, or fill it in with an "off black" (nee, Dark Gray/Grey, or perhaps just an ultraflat black or something) to make it more stealthy. I know how to thin and flow paint into a crevice very well. You should see my PC800's switchgear, which had no paint at all... they're all white letters now.

- Steeda black billet shorty antenna. Specifically that one. It looks right to me for her.

- New carpet, and plain mats, all black, not charcoal. Just to set it off a little. The current carpet and mat on my side is a little bit worn.

- Redline hood struts, to make room for...

- Radiator extensions, wherupon all three covers will be painted black to match.

- Billet seat back latch handles, black, as the left one is gone, and for the price of ONE latch from Ford, I can get BOTH and (it is hoped) never have to deal with them breaking again.

- Retint. Back window was busted out, had it replaced, and I need to retint the sides, so a full round of brand spanking new, darkest possible legal tint, goes all way 'round.

- I *really* want to paint the engine compartment satin black... So if the engine ever gets pulled from her for whatever reason, that is going to happen. I've already started on it, thanks to a leaky battery in her previous times somewhere. :/ And barbeque paint seems to be just about perfect for the look I want... but that HR010 is still really the best, so I'll likely get that and a paint gun and go stupid on it. Heh.

- I have the vinyl, so if I can figure out how to wrap the console, it and the two upright panels beside the radio/AC controls will all three get the vinyl treatment to go with the dash.


Mods possibly required or desired but...eh, either way...

- Ford or Eibach (Can't decide, no $ difference) adjustable sway bar kit. Not sure if needed, gonna see after the above suspension is done. These are easily done later, I seen videos.

- Steeda non-adjustable UCA, because if wheel hop is still present, and/or the bushing is shot up there. Either is a valid reason.

- BMR Black Hammertone Panhard Brace. While I'm not racing, perhaps, PERHAPS, I can 'feel' the need for that... but meh. Easily put on later if I decide.


And.... Um... I think that's all. Not a whole lot, really.

jsimmons

I have a silver powder-coated Whiteline brace I'll sell you for $75 (but you gotta come up to San Antonio to get it). It was only on the car for about a month, so it's almost new.

I put in a Watts link and don't need the brace any more.

TripleBlack14

I just viewed your Shelby Tribute album. Great concept and excellent execution.

Just an overall, really terrific job.

Congrats

Tom

jsimmons

Many thanks. Still lots to do:

- Get A/C back in the car after swapping the motor
- Get a roll cage and racing seats installed
- Get it repainted (especially the Le Mans stripes - they're currently vinyl)
- Have the rear axle housing powder coated.
- Update to Wilwood or Baer brakes
- Remove the computer entirely and replace the instrument cluster with aftermarket gauges

After the motor swap, I'll have $75k invested in the car (counting the cost of the car).

That's just stupid.

On the other hand, I think the badge ***** will pretty much leave me alone.

TripleBlack14

But it keeps you out of bars and whorehouses, right?

seangtcs

Ok boys and girls she's lowered.

laserred38

Lookin good! Just throw on some 1" spacers and call it a day!

seangtcs

No I don't trust spacers they make your axels weak and with hard driving they will snap with the added weight so im just getting wider wheels.

laserred38

Yeah that's absolutely false.

seangtcs

explain. When you put spacers on they push the wheel farther out onto the axel putting more stress on the axel. High torque cars will snap the rear axels. It is absolutely true. I've seen it. Best friend works at discount tire and I'm a service advisor for ford.

laserred38

I had the same 1" spacers on my car for over 7 years and almost 120k HARD miles, at the strip, at the track, at the local bumpy canyon back roads. No issues whatsoever. With bolt-on spacers, it's no different than running wider wheels.

seangtcs

Well then you're in the clear good for you. But I will never put spacers on my car. And no it's not the same as wider rims with a wider rim you get all the support and stability that come with bigger rims and tires. And spacers can smash rotors and shear then away. While wider rims touch nothing. I'm glad you haven't had problems hate to see a mustang owner have a problem with their car I'm just speaking from experience

laserred38

Suit yourself. I was of the same mindset until I did my own personal test of them. They're a low cost, easy mod to make your stock wheels look better until you can afford new wheels and tires. If they were a problem, companies like Maximum Motorsports, Eibach, H&R etc wouldn't make and/or sell them.

I already have a set for front and rear waiting for my car, and they'll be on there until I decide (and can afford) new wheels. And I have no problem recommending them. There's a bunch of people on this site that run them with zero issues either.

houtex

Just for the record:

Correctly applied wheel spacers and wheel studs will NOT hurt the car. At all. People snap off axles because overpowering the axle's ability to contain the power being asked of them.

If you're referring to snapping off the wheel studs, yes, that happens, but it is because the spacers were not accompanied by longer wheel studs, or there was too much power being asked of them.

There is a possiblity that the spacers were not hubcentric, and that caused shifting of the wheel upon the face of the hub, and that would also cause the studs to shear off as you launched the car.

If you get the *correct* spacers for the application, and the appropriate wheel studs to accomodate, then none of the breakage envisioned or seen happens, except in an overpowering situation, which was going to happen anyway.

And now I'm off the soapbox.