The Reverend

What options does a 2005+ Mustang GT have for SCCA F Stock modifications? One has posted...
Can I get the exact model numbers for the above parts?

Can you get the FRPP handling pack installed and be F stock? even with the rear STB?

Can you get the FRPP as a dealer installed option and be considered stock? Drag pack? FRPP headers? etc?

softbatch

No to all of your questions, you cannot change springs, rear anti-rollbars and strut tower braces.

This is about it.

Front Anti-roll bar, Cat back Exhaust, stock sized wheels (lighter is better), shocks and alignments.

The Reverend

Ok, so this is what I am thinking for the First year.

Kazera KZ-A and ECSTA V710 in 245/35ZR18 from Tire Rack $1.8k
Tokicos D-spec for $500
R.J.S. 5 point harness for $80

What do you think?

I will do the exhaust the following year.

softbatch

STB?? Strut Tower Braces are not legal and are not in the grey area.

What size wheels would you be running? 18x8.5 and you can get 285s on there.

Tokico D-specs are good but the upcoming Koni double adjustables will allow better adjustment for twice the price.

The Reverend

They are 18X8.5, so I guess the 285/30ZR18 would fit.
I think I will stay with the Tokicos because of the price.

How do I haul the four tires? Two in trunk, two on the back seat folded down? All four wont fit in the trunk will it?

softbatch

Tow hitch and trailer is the way I am doing it.

Rodeoflyer

I can clarify some stuff for you.

what do you intend to mount a harness to?

you can't use the 18x8.5 wheels you mentioned. your wheels have to be the same diameter and width as stock. that means you must use 17x8's if your car is an 05'. 18x8's are an option if your car is 06' and up. a wise man would go with 17's, as tires are cheaper and more plentiful.

for now shocks really aren't a good idea for you. you will spend all of your time tweaking them and driving yourself nuts. you really have to learn to push the car to it's absoulute limits before you change it. a bigger swaybar is also a bad idea right now because it will only increase the already well known understeer problem our cars have.

for your first year your best bet is to drive the car as well as you can and as often as you can. setting up the car differently will only hurt you right now. my advice is to use up your factory stuff first. performance brake pads are much harder on your rotors than the factory ones. as you get better you will use your brakes much less than you do now. no sense in burnin up $125 brake pads while your learning. same thing with tires. no sense in thrashin $1000 of rubber for nothing.

im not trying to discourage you, just help you out and save money. instinctively we all want to do every mod the rulebook allows us, but this is not a true "racing" sport. this is "precision driving". it's all in the driver. you need to work on that the first year much more than the car.

hope this helps!

softbatch

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rodeoflyer

I can clarify some stuff for you.

He does bring up some good points, your driving and spending money on AutoX clinics/schools should be the number one priority. Driving ability is the one thing that will make you the fastest, nothing is better. Get as much seat-time as you can.

18x8.5s are options for '06 and up Mustang GTs, 18x8s are not, although you can use 17x8 wheels since they are standard. A side note to this is that if you are competing at the National level you have to ensure you have the right steering stop for the type of wheels you are running.

The bar is there to decrease body roll, which counter intuitively will also decrease understeer just because the car will be able to use that negative camber (that you just added from the alignment and crash bolts) more effectively.

He is right about tires but I would use a different solution without spending as much money. While you are learning, get yourself a used set of road race tires (Nitto NT-01s, Hoosier R compounds, or Toyo RA-1s) these will last a while allowing you to learn how to control the car without putting up to much money. The only reason I suggest this is because the stock tires are so tall and squirmy you will never get a good feel for driving, the stock tires on these things are ridiculous.

Remember the more seat time you have the faster you will be regardless of the modifications.

Rodeoflyer

good lookin out softbatch!

i was thinking you were wrong about the 8.5" width, but after checking at Ford Racing Parts I saw the fanblade wheels are in fact 8.5" wide.

that's awesome for me because I really wanted FR500 wheels but they're all 8.5". I want to run on quality radials for a while before I worry about the hassle of transporting wheels/tires/tools/etc

The Reverend

Wow! Thanks, this is the kind of advice I was looking for. Anyone can read a rule book and modify. Its another thing to give advice from experience and makes sense to tighten the nut behind the wheel before making modifications. My region does a Novice class the first year anyway. So I have a year to learn the car.

The Reverend

Well, my first experience autocrossing will be on Sunday. My car is fully stock including the spare tire. I will remove the floor mats before I leave. I have the 17" stock wheels. Do I have to remove the center cap? What tire pressures should I run to begin with? I was think 44 lbs all the way around. I have been driving around town with my helmet and the top down. Top down racing would be better, due to lower center of gravity is my guess. Plus my helmet would bump less on the interior. Wish me good luck. I am running in F-Stock Novice class until I win the class or a year of racing. There are two Lotuses(Lotii) in there also.

PS No harnesses are allowed in verts without a roll bar. So that idea is out.

The Reverend

The Shelby GT is officially in F Stock. Comments?

softbatch

I know it's a little late but try your pressures at 45-50 front and 30-35 rear, doing this will help with the push.

We'll have to wait and see on the Shelby, but it will probably be decently faster than anything else in the class.

The Reverend

I found my ideal pressures. 42 lbs. front and rear. The Higher 46-50 psi would not let the car turn on the tight course. After hitting a cone in the Chicago box, going downhill and off camber, I could have fun drifting the car. BTW, three LEOs were in there cars watching that particular turn

Racer38

Sounds like you had a Great time !! I just completed my first Solo race yesterday 8-5-07. My 2007 GT/CS is bone stock and everyone is right, the tires are horrible. Best pressures were 42 front and 36 rear. That seemed the best. I ran in FS Novice, fastest time for the class was a 67.226, my times started at 77.989 and I managed a 72.291 on my last run so 5 seconds off from the start was pretty respectable on stock rubber. The car only has 300 miles on it and this was the first time I really got to push it. I have alot of roadracing experience, but its all been on two wheels. Its a novelty to be able to go fast and not worry about road rash hahaha.

The Reverend

I am glad you had a great time. Auto-X is about the most fun you can legally have in the Mustang.

05BlackGT

That's how I used to do it. One wheel in the spare well, one in the trunk on top of that, two in the back with the seats folded down.

Francis

I was just looking over the results of the last F-Stock autocross....

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=71488

All 3 F-stock winners were Shelby GT's. Which makes me wonder - I'm under the impression that you're allowed to update/backdate/mod your car in a way that as long as you *could* have ordered it just like that from the factory.

So my question becomes: Can you convert an '07 Mustang GT into Shelby GT-equivalent (FRPP Handling pack, CAI, Hurst shifter, 3.55 gears) and not get those idiotic fake scoops and non-functional trim bits and still be considered F-Stock?

softbatch

You would be protested at big events, but I believe there is some justification for not adding purely cosmetic parts onto the car.

The Reverend

Here is a great little post over on SCCA forums. Sam Strano knows his stuff. http://sccaforums.com/forums/thread/236180.aspx I will compete only locally, so it should not be a problem.