Boomer

Good day ladies and gentlemen,
I figured I'd take this opportunity to post my thoughts on this mod,
as Original Sin himself posted a very long and descriptive post, that got lost
in the board crash recently, and I feel completely bad for it.

Sit down, this could be a long one......

So I headed up to Original Sins place last night, and got a taste of what
this mod can do [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
Needless to say, I'm ever SO tempted to get it now.... and he now owes me
a clean pair of shorts... [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img]

<u><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">THE CAR</span>:</u>
We all know his car.
It's a thing of beauty. I admit the cars look stunning stock,
but this is just WOW... but that’s for another post. We're here to talk about the
ROUSHCHARGER!

After he popped the hood... I was in awe of how it looked.
He's right, it looks like it came that way from the factory.
Every little part of the install doesn't look like it was thrown together,
it was engineered to be a precise fit. It really is a work of art.

The black finish on the supercharger kit matches the bay well, and doesn't
scream LOOK AT ME, because it knows what it is...
and you know the result of what it can do. It's not a sleeper kit like the Saleen though.
You see it, and KNOW it means business.

A shout out goes to the guys at <span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">Eastgate Ford</span> and <span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">Lance Richter</span> in Hamilton, Ontario.
They are by far, and bar none, a dealership he and I trust with anything on our cars.
They are committed to the performance minded enthusiasts, and I thank them for doing such
an awesome job (cause otherwise Original Sin probably woulda killed me for suggesting them to him,
if they messed it up [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img] )
They took their time on the install, documented and made sure it was done with the utmost care.
Really did a spectacular job!!! Kudos!

Now we've seen what it looks like.... but can she scream like a banshee and pop your neck off?

<u><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">THE SETUP</span>:</u>
A little bit of background.
I used to drive an 02 V6 automatic,
I now drive an 05 GT 5speed manual...with the mods you see listed below (borla axle back, MRT intake)
Stock tires etc
I have driven, on a test drive, an 05 automatic GT,
So I do remember what that drive was like.

I remember the test drive of the auto GT and thinking "300 hp....doesn't seem like all that"
Now you have to remember that I came from a 193hp automatic v6.

But once I got a chance to let the engine breath and rev...yeah... 300hp was FUN!!!
My 'Doesn't seem like all that' quickly turned to 'I NEED ONE'
Which brings up WHERE the power comes in... the engine needs to turn some, before the power REALLY kicks in.
And once it did... boy was I a happy camper [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
so that was my 05 GT Auto test drive.... MOVING ON....

<u><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">THE RIDE</span></u>:
After starting the car up, we traded places in the driveway, and he waited on the street for me.
Walking towards the passenger seat, I tried to hear for the faintest sound of anything (other than the borla's)
that would indicate the presence of a new toy under the hood.
Nothing...other than engine/exhaust noise.
I got in, even at driving normal leisurely take offs...nothing... not even the faintest of whines...yet....

As we got out of his neighborhood, and he had the chance to punch it on the back road...
<span style="font-size:18pt;line-height:100%"><SNAP> <WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNE></span>
<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">There IT IS</span>.. there's that sound I'm looking for [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img] all 425hp of screaming banshee !!!!
Bit of a sleeper there...until you hit it, no one would know at all!
Ohhhhh those poor unsuspecting victims.

Orig.Sin then went into a parking lot, proceeded to show me how easy it was to leave a big circular calling card,
and put it in park 'You're turn'

I got in, started driving...and noticed instantly how quick the boost is there.
<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">You put foot down...she puts foot in @**</span>
I hit it around 8-10 times through out the drive. Everything from a stop... to rolling along at 60Km/h
It's amazing how easy it was to spin the BFGoodrich KDW 285s from a roll, let alone a stop!!!!!
That's impressive!!

<u><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">THE IMPRESSION</span></u>:
I know a lot of people may not be impressed with 'only 415-425hp' for that amount of money (it IS an expensive mod)
We have to remember here, this is a warranteed item. It's an easy way for us to be able to beef our cars up,
in one swift kick...and have a VERY USABLE amount of HP at an instant.
No waiting, no having to rev the snot out of it.
(sorry man, I think my butt ate some leather when I kept punching it)
I'm dying to know what this car can do at the track...

I know there are many other options out there, that could kick out more HP for the same price.
(maybe even for less clay)
This kit WAS engineered and tuned properly, it is warranteed, and is backed up by Roush, and given Fords blessing.
For that, you know it's going to be proper and will alleviate any and all worries about engine issues anytime in the future.

<u><span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%">THE SUMMARY</span></u>:

-<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"> this kit rocks! NO DOUBT</span>

- From the fit/finish, to the power it produces on 5lbs of boost, to the smile that it leaves on your face and
the rubber it leaves on the road.
- I smile when ever I drive my car... but I laughed and giggled like a 12 year old when I drove this beast.
- Are there faster cars/kits? Absolutely, but you when you want the fit/finish/warranty/piece of mind/power...
right now, its really the only answers. (Unless you have a lot more bread for a Saleen S-281 S/C)

- I'm sorry for spending your money like that.... but I'm not sorry about the outcome (And I'm SURE you're not) *** He partly blames me for the purchase and getting him thinking about a supercharger [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img]

Thanks for the drive man, it was a blast.

Wanna race ? I'd like to see what the back of your car looks like!!! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img]

Thanks for reading.

Treadhead

NIce write up Boomer! Sounds like it was a ton of fun and I'm glad I don't have the money to even consider getting one or my bank account would be in a world of trouble.

RandyB

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Treadhead @ April 16, 2006, 5:47 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
NIce write up Boomer! Sounds like it was a ton of fun and I'm glad I don't have the money to even consider getting one or my bank account would be in a world of trouble.
[/b][/quote]

Sounds great! I'm already sold for a lot of the same reasons you mentioned in this post. Thanks for taking the time - I really enjoyed reading about it. I'll be ordering mine within the next month or so.

Boomer

Glad I could help [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

I'm still smiling.

Original Sin

Hey Pete, thanks buddy, you're the best. And I'm truly GLAD that you did bring it up months ago, cause I'd still be researching things to death, worrying about warranty or no warranty, etc, etc, etc. And thanks for waking me up.....I was a little ticked at losing such a longwinded writeup but if you can do it, I'll provide a modified version of the original post and the pics to go along with it.

So, here's the Roushcharger Auto Install & Impressions Part II, keeping in mind that a fair number of people read the original. If you did, don't worry about having to do it again. This is for the people who are looking at a supercharger for their "daily driver", not the 1/4 mile guys. There's lots of ProChargers, Vortech's, Paxtons and the like out there that are more suited for that. And all the power to them (no pun intended) 'cause I enjoy reading about their exploits and their times. It's just something I'm not going to do myself.....well maybe just once 'cause I'm curious, and maybe again in the future if Roush decides they'll design and approve some upgrades. For now though, this is a Main St., King St. or any other street you have in your town kind of overview.

There's 3 parts to the story; the research, the decision and the install. First the research.

This took months and months, pouring over everything that TMS and a couple other sites had to offer. Couldn't initially decide on a centri or a roots/screw type so I looked at both. Then I started calling whom I felt were the experts, including:

1) Scott Hoag of MRT. After many, many conversations with Scott (and a phone bill that was approaching the cost of a supercharger), I sort of decided on a Paxton based on the experiences he's had with them. Scott is a super guy and was honest and candid about supercharging and the benefits of centri vs roots/screw types. For my application (read worried about voiding the warranty and blowing the motor up) he was set to do the install with a conservative 420ish hp. I tentatively set a date for the drive down to Michigan but the one thing nagging me was the voiding of the Mustang warranty. I trusted that his install would be perfect but one look under the hood by my local dealerships here would have caused a stink that I just couldn't afford. I decided to call Lidio @ Alternative Auto next.

2) Lidio did my C&L/SCT II tune that I've had on the car since last June. His tuning expertise is tremendous and I trust him implicitly. The difference between the stock tune and his was night and day and those that have it (and Doug's similar tunes I'd imagine) wouldn't ever go back to stock. Lidio is a Vortech and Saleen dealer and he truly believed that for a conservative tune with "daily driver use" in mind, the Saleen was the way to go. I'd already poured over the Saleen info because of a number of reasons, the first being that it was a screw type which meant instant power at the bottom end (versus a centri which is more suited for those needing it at the end of those 1/4 miles) and the second being that it looked good - probably the neatest, cleanest kit on the market. So after a few more calls to him, I was leaning towards the Saleen and tentatively set a date for the drive to Michigan to his shop. But that warranty thing was nagging me again. I just couldn't get it out of my head. And then came Pete (Boomer) with his Roushcharger info.

3) Pete was kind enough to let me know that Eastgate Ford in Hamilton, operated by Lance Richter, was the newest Roush dealer in the country. Eastgate's in my hometown and I'd bought a few vehicles from them - including my first Mustang, an '89 GT - in the past. So I went down and snooped, met Lance and a few of the guys in the shop and for good measure, ordered a set of the FRP Stingers which Eastgate installed. Right about this time the dealership impressed me with being genuinely excited about performance products (rare for a Ford dealership - or most dealerships for that matter). And the install, although very simple, was handled with care and I was treated like a king. A really nice touch these days. So anyways, I asked Lance about the Roushcharger and he gave me some of the literature - one of the biggest features being that the car MAINTAINED ITS WARRANTY - but alas.....at that time the "automatic" application wasn't available. He said it was a few months off and to check back in towards the summer.

But, about a month later I was into the Roush website and they'd just added the "automatic application" option to it. So I called Roush and spoke to one of their engineers who gave me the lowdown on its development and the tuning that they did with the computer. From them and someone else in the industry I learned that Roush was the ONLY company that Ford provided their tune mapping to. And in both the stick and auto applications, Roush worked hand in hand with Ford with the overall engineering of the supercharger. Thus the warranty remains valid - albeit at the expense of a "conservative" tune that's mandated by Ford. The engineer was pretty cool though, saying that they were working on future upgrades and hoping to convince Ford to give their blessings to them. Here's to hoping!!!

But, "conservative" and "warranty" is what I was looking for along with great engineering. So the Roushcharger went to the top of the list and I called to ask Lance for a price - and the assurance that my install (being the 1st that his dealership would do) would be done properly. Lance provided both - a fantastic price and the commitment of his Service Mgr Ken Kerr (a real car guy I found out) and his most experienced mechanic Dave Thomson. So in she went on the 27th of March first thing in the morning. Even the service reception people were excited, they knew all about the car and what was being done to it.

First thing out was the computer which was shipped off to Roush for re-configuring. Then Dave started taking the car apart which I really couldn't look at. I dropped by the next day and found him and a bunch of the mechanics hovered over the engine bay, watching Dave do the work. I can't tell you how impressed I was with the care they were taking with the car. They even saran wrapped the front bumper after they took it off, making sure it didn't get shop dust on it. The install was close to being finished but Dave was really taking his time, photographing his work and plotting some time savings for future installs. The computer was still in Michigan (it's supposed to be a 3 day turnaround) so no one was in a rush anyways.

By Wednesday the install was done and Lance had the car roped off in the drive-through service bay waiting for the computer to get back to Canada. The roping off thing.....boy was I impressed at how well Eastgate was looking after everything. You'd of thought that I was the buyer of the killer GT that came in and bumped me out of my spot on Thursday morning. But heck, the GT deserved it. And they still left the Mustang inside which was really nice of them. Anyways, the computer made it back to Canada the same day and it was time to go for a drive. Lance and everyone there a shot at it first to make sure everything was OK. After a couple of runs they put it back up on the lift to make sure there were no leaks and everything was tight. And then it was my turn.

So, as Pete says, you just don't know it's there until you put your foot in it. Then, the power is instant and it just jumps through the gears with no hesitation and some really firm shifts where there's no noticeable power loss from gear to gear. Roush did a good job re-configuring the computer to work with this thing. Normal driving is just that......normal. The motor and tranny are alot more responsive due to the computer tuning (getting rid of most of the obnoxious drive by wire feeling) and the sound of the supercharger is barely noticeable until it starts screaming at WOT. Between it and the exhaust, this car is about as close to heaven as I'll ever get. And it sure scoots 0-60 in the 3 informal G-Tech runs I've done - 4.3, 4.3 and a 4.4. We'll see what the track tells me next month for the 1/4 mile (and no, I'm not a hypocrit, I'm being forced to go [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img] )

So that's it folks. After nearly 3 weeks of driving I'm in love with the thing. It's not the most powerful supercharger out there but it's more than plenty for what I need. Was it worth the money, i.e. are you getting a bang for your buck (well, $7500 of them (Cdn) actually) - definately!! The fit/finish of the thing makes you truly believe that it was installed by Ford when they built the car. And warranty on top of everything else gives me more peace of mind than I could think of.

If you're thinking about a supercharger for your daily driver application, put this one on your list. With the upcoming FRP/Whipple and the Saleen out there, the competition is tough so take your time, choose your weapon and when you make the final decision, pray for an installer and an installation as top notch as mine were.

Here's some pics - during the install and after. Mark.

adrenalin

sweet, so the big question for me would be, how the heck do I get that thing to fit under my shaker [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img]

Evil_Capri

SWEET!! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img] Great car, Mark! [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img]

Thanks for the write-up and pictures!

Zig-Zag

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(adrenalin @ April 17, 2006, 6:55 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
sweet, so the big question for me would be, how the heck do I get that thing to fit under my shaker [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]
<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">BINGO!</span>

When you figure it out, please let me know [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img] .

Boomer

Didn't Don_W or someone have the shaker plus roots/twin screw setup ?

don_w

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boomer @ April 17, 2006, 7:54 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Didn't Don_W or someone have the shaker plus roots/twin screw setup ?
[/b][/quote]

Yes... I did it with my Kenne Bell.

Boomer

Thanks for chiming in Don,
I thought it was you.

PSSSTTTTT Adrenalin.... you have no excuse now [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tongue.gif[/img]

Burke0011

Mark - THANKS for posting this up again bro - I know there are plenty of folks out there like me who appreciate the effort you took to assemble this informative post.... (again) [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img]

Hope you can make it in Sept like you mentioned even if it is just a slight possibility. And HEY! Who is driving your car when you go to Disney in May???? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img]

Need volunteers?? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img]

Original Sin

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Burke0011 @ April 17, 2006, 10:37 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Mark - THANKS for posting this up again bro - I know there are plenty of folks out there like me who appreciate the effort you took to assemble this informative post.... (again) [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/thumb.gif[/img]

Hope you can make it in Sept like you mentioned even if it is just a slight possibility. And HEY! Who is driving your car when you go to Disney in May???? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img]

Need volunteers?? [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]

[attachmentid=47174]
Sorry brother - my vicious boarder collie Sassy will be guarding the GTA 24/7. And she promised to put on her rotweiller impression rather than this "what's that you want, a ride.....why sure, go ahead" look.

Zig-Zag

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(adrenalin @ April 17, 2006, 6:55 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
sweet, so the big question for me would be, how the heck do I get that thing to fit under my shaker [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/icon_mrgreen.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boomer @ April 17, 2006, 7:54 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Didn't Don_W or someone have the shaker plus roots/twin screw setup ?
[/b][/quote]<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(don_w @ April 17, 2006, 8:43 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Yes... I did it with my Kenne Bell.
[/b][/quote]
My wife hates you.

<blockquote> [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrinjester.gif[/img] </blockquote>

Burke0011

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Original Sin @ April 17, 2006, 11:13 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
[attachmentid=47174]
Sorry brother - my vicious boarder collie Sassy will be guarding the GTA 24/7. And she promised to put on her rotweiller impression rather than this "what's that you want, a ride.....why sure, go ahead" look.
[/b][/quote]


Ha HA! That's great - my neighbor has a border collie - they rock and are so darn smart......

Here's my 'mascot' over at my brother's house - she's cool cause she matches my ride [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img]

Original Sin

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Burke0011 @ April 17, 2006, 5:33 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Ha HA! That's great - my neighbor has a border collie - they rock and are so darn smart......

Here's my 'mascot' over at my brother's house - she's cool cause she matches my ride [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]


Beautiful........ x 2 !!!!!!! And hey, looks like a Saleen comparison's coming on line soon. Looking forward to it I guess????

Fastrack

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Original Sin @ April 18, 2006, 5:43 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Beautiful........ x 2 !!!!!!! And hey, looks like a Saleen comparison's coming on line soon. Looking forward to it I guess????
[/b][/quote]

Mark,

All I gotta say is, holy cow. Just amazing. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/drool.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/drool.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/banana.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/banana.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/drool.gif[/img] [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/drool.gif[/img]

I've been holding off ordering a CAI, since I saw your C&L last year, cause something in the back of my mind keeps repeating over and over "shhh.. Ben....... you should get a super charger". I can't make it stop.

And it sure does look good with Legend Lime [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img]

LOL. Can't wait to see it at our meet.

How did I miss your writeup the first time around! I read these boards all the time, I guess it was posted just before the crash.

rwilliams

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Treadhead @ April 16, 2006, 10:47 AM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
NIce write up Boomer! Sounds like it was a ton of fun and I'm glad I don't have the money to even consider getting one or my bank account would be in a world of trouble.
[/b][/quote] i am like that tp [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/banana.gif[/img]

Boomer

Ben..just get it [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]

Original Sin

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boomer @ April 18, 2006, 5:37 PM) Quoted post</div><div class='quotemain'>
Ben..just get it [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]
[/b][/quote]

Yeah Ben, come on...........we'll need a stick vs auto comparison anyways. And I think Eastgate has a preference for working on LL stangs and I'm almost sure that the Roushcharger comes in a special LL edition - with the free LL shirt and matching ballcap of course . Now is there anything else we can tempt you with [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/04.gif[/img]