Well I had a ball for my first time out at the track. It was a private event so I has able to run 13 times in just a few hours! My buddy with a 04 cobra went down the track 18 times.

Well, 11 out of my 13 runs I posted 13.8's at 101MPH. I could not break 13.8!! Most of the runs down the track were with my friend and his 04 cobra....he kicked my butt (most of his times were 13.3's or lower and even two of them in the high 12's).

Is 13.8 times good for this car? I have Bassani axle-backs, SCT tune, and MMR intake.

Let me know what you all think

 

That seems high considering your mods and tune. I would think you'd be in the low 13's yourself. The problem you probably have is that it's your first time. It will get lower each time you go and gain more experience. You'll learn what works best in terms of launching the car and shift points.

 

Did you have the trac control on or off ?

 

i am thinking that as well what elevation are you at?

 

Temperature?

 

bone stock with an auto I ran 13.6@99.8. With your mods I would guess 13.2 to 13.3

 

Keep working on your starts. You may need to launch at a bit higher RPM to spin the tires a little bit, this seems to reduce wheel hop and keeps you from bogging down in the 2-3K range. It's worth a try. Just keep working with it and don't forget to turn the traction control off.
I am able to get a 13.8 with my only mods being magnapacks and a steeda triax. I just added a K&N air charger and predator tune and I will see how that improves my time next week.

 

what was your 60'?

 

With the Mods? Slow! Even MotorTrend ran a 13.5
But, you most likely need to practice more. I have read a couple of GT test, and they ran 13.8 as well.
The fastest stock 2005 Mustang GT test time I have seen is 13.3

 

Do you have a manual or auto tranny? Times seem higher than I thought but you will most likely do better the more you go. I only ask about the tranny because if it is manual it may be how you launch or when you shift. Also, as someone else said, was traction control turned off? I goofed the other day and left it on. I noticed a big difference during launch. Also for some odd reason my clutch smelled like I burnt the daylights out of it. Never had that happen before. Gotta figure out what I did wrong there.

 

You rode the clutch too much. Its hard to feel the sweet spot on hydraulic clutches

 

13.8x seems a bit slow with SCT and MMR. What octane? 60' time?
My best on stock tune with Bassani axleback was 13.902@101
See my sig...

 

Mine's a stick with the JLT intake & predator tune and I managed to run a 13.4 @ 105 in mine my 2nd time at the track. I think you just need some practice...

 

Roy,
There was an excellent article in the July issue of Muscle Mustangs that you may want to read. It had some great tips for people new to the track. I suggest reading it. Maybe it will help a bit. . Its a repeat article of one a few years ago.

They say the best RPM to launch at for a beginner is in the 2500 range. Also if you are running on street tires avoid the water before the burnout box. When you do heat the old hides, just get them warm. A few turns will do, no need to smoke'em. If you are driving a stick don't immediatley drop it. Slip it a bit on launch and then let it out.

I have not had the pleasure of taking my 99 to the track yet but these little tips sure gave an improvement to the ET's of my 87 GT. I still consider myself a newbie too, but I thought I'd share

 

Road & Track experimented with manual tranny launch techniques and they said dropping the clutch at 2000 rpm generated moderate wheelspin and their best 1/4 mile times. They got 13.9 @ 101.4. Temp was 91, elevation was 350 feet.

 

Why do you guys care if you got 12.8 or 13.8, if it's measuring driving ability, wouldn't be better to keep everything stock to see your improvement? In the ¼ mile how far is 1 second anyway? My guess: ½ car length.

Sorry if these dumb questions, just trying to understand the mindset before we try the ¼ mile. I like to understand why my wife and both want to try this, somehow we never thought of trying the Windstar.

 

I think a second difference in the 1/4 mile is a LOT more than 1/2 car length...

Just using simple math, if a car is going 100 mph at the end of the 1/4 mile, that is about 146 feet per second - about 10 car lengths I think!

100 mi/hour X 1 hour/60 min X 5280 feet/1 mile X 1 min/60 sec = 146 feet/sec

You need calculus and more info to figure out exactly, since the cars are still accelerating at the end of the 1/4 mile, but this calculation should be good for a ballpark estimate.

 

i only had a chance to take mine out once the day before it was totaled... but i did a 3500rpm launch slipping the clutch and got the most horrible 60' known to man... aka 2.64 lmao. 15.1 @ 94 1/4 time. but i just learned how to drive a stick 2 weeks prior.

second run i think i launched a lot better, lower rpm still slipping the clutch, about 3000rpm but i rolled through the darn beams and it was bracket racing so it wasn't timed b/c i DQed myself.

i'm a newbie!! lol. I'll have to try the 2000rpm launch. But our track is also 3500 ft elevation i think.

 

Thats still not bad for a beginner. I only went out 3 times with the 87. My best was a 15.08. My worst was a 15.79 LOL. Now granted the 87 was bone stock too The little tips I got help a lot though

 

As you say, racing is a mindset. I used to race every weekend for almost three years when I had my '69 stang. If you are around people at the track, you will hear grumblings about 10ths, 100ths, even 1000ths of a second difference, let alone one full second like above!
For one thing, it is a point of pride to do something to modify your car then go to the strip and see your work translated into quicker ET's.
The difference between 12.8 and 13.8 can be huge. It is a whole lot easier and cheaper to have a car with the HP to run 12.8, and teach a 13.8 driver to go that quick. It's all a matter of technique, practice, and more practice!
Now if you have a 12.8 capable driver, but only the HP to run 13.8, no amount of technique or practice will get close to 12.8. Now it comes down to technical ability, money for parts, and the ability to tune your combo to go 12.8. And if someone doesn't have the tech ability to do their own work, it just takes more money.
And it comes down to bragging rights! There are always people who believe their car is faster than someone else's. It's always nice to go to the strip and see your performance in lights and on your time slip at the end of a run!! I have not taken my '05 to the strip yet, she's only two weeks old, but within the next two, I will. I have a buddy who claims his '02 GT with a CAI, pully's, and exhaust , can whip my green hiney! We shall see.
jeff