Good track day.

cliff notes:

Needs better brakes. Felt wobble going deep in T2 (135-60) and T3A (100-40)

Suspension is fine out of the box. You can put money into it, but is not a necessity.

only video I have because of my screwed up camera:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYEQaNNJCaQ

Let me know if anyone has any technical questions. I don't want to fill the post up with worthless info.

 

That looks fun.

 

ditto

good job

 

Your like the 3rd or 4th person I've noticed mention the brakes needed to be a bit better eventhough you have the Brembos.. Glad I skipped on them. Will eventually try to get some Baer Brakes on mine..

 

I think the expectations are to high for stock Brembos. It may be more cosmetic than performance. You are not going to get a NASCAR/Formula1 braking system for $1600. There is more to a track capable braking system than calipers. Is the pad material suitable to work in the extreme high temperature range or is it just the stock street pads? Are there 2 piece rotors in use? Are brake cooling ducts installed? DOT 4 or 5 fluid, braided brake line/hoses? Was the system properly bleed - this shouldn't be an issue but for the road course you cannot overlook stuff like this? What is piston size within the caliper, rotor diameter, slotted rotors, etc?

You will have more flexibility with an aftermarket setup but it will be more expensive than the Ford Brembo option. The Brembo option also included proper size wheels and modified settings for traction control and Advance Trac.

The BMW 135i comes with 6 piston Brembos and they have been known to melt down on some road courses.

I have been down this Brembo, Baer, StopTech, MoveIt, etc road and I am happy with my Brembo setup on my cobra.

On the 2011 GT I would opt for the Brembos and try different pads and mod (hoses, rotors, cooling ducts, etc) and other parts as necessary.

 

The brakes are fine, he just needs to put race pads in for those track days.
The Brembo brakes are large and would do just fine, they just have street pads in, though a much better street pad than the non-Brembo brake cars.
Again, if you are a seasoned racer and really push the stock brakes, put in some race pads, stainless steel line and race brake fluid in and you are set. Otherwise the stock Brembos would be more than fine for most who'd even take the car to the track. The non Brembos wouldn't last 2-3 laps without major fade even in the hands of a relative track novice.

The Brembo brake package is a pure bargain, it will cost some one a whole lot more to get everything the Brembo brake package offers on a GT without the Brembo brake package.

Good times Bryce

 

to piggyback off Driver72's post from above (because he is 100% right on the money)

I run mine in NASA at speeds over 150 into brakes zones that are 45 so 150-45 and they are more than enough.

You dont use the stock pads on track when you get serious about road racing and its the stock pads that are the source of all the complaints.






OP, are you on stock tires in this video?

The 2011 Mustang is the most track capable Mustang since the 2000 Cobra R but with slicks and race pads, defiencies make themselves very apparent very quickly.


Would you be interested in coming to a track day put on by us and we would limit the # of entrants and you got a Grand-Am driver as your instructor all day? Lower cost (prob less the 300 for the day) I am trying to gauge interest.


its great to see you out enjoying your car in more then just a straight line, these are great cars that are capable of so much more then 1/4 blasts!!

 

i know i would do it if you come to lime rock next year..

 

Wow! That looks like such a rush!! What were you saying when that 911 passed you?

 

Awesome time!!

 

Great video, thx for sharing. Looks like a nice road circuit.

 

I let the 911 pass me... I wanted to follow his lines, he wasn't that hard to keep up with... I just wish my *(&# video had been cooperating. The GT3's are impossible to keep up with, as is to be expected, but the M3's were pretty easy to hang with, but I think that is just the drivers who shouldn't be in our A group... AND they've had their cars for a lot longer than I have had mine at the track... first time here in this car on the track. I think with the same drivers', that I'll be keeping with my buddies all day long in the e92's.

And all the previous comments... of course I'm in 100% agreement, once I put Hawk HT14's around and R compounds, the braking will be fine, but as stated, it will bring out other things in the car that I wasn't aware of yet because of not taking the car as far as you can when you have it set up with brakes, DOT4, SS lines and good rubber.

My next video will be a result of the next stage of my setup.... just tires and brakes/lines/fluids, I won't be touching the suspension yet, because really, I like it.

 

Bryce, sure looks like you had a good time on track. I was swamped at work and just couldn't make it. I'd love to run my 07 GT on PR's road course sometime. One of my prior employees was in the Alfa club, so he did those events with his 07 V6 Mustang many times. I've only been on the road course there once, but that was long ago. I've run hundreds upon hundreds of times down the drag strip there, though. I suspect you'd leave me in the dust in the corners, only to have me catch up on the (few) straights. Thanks for posting the video!

 

I suspect that if your car is set up to just go straight that it would not be very fun to try and manouver it around that track... maybe Portland, but PR is just too technical with the elevation changes and such.

I'll give you more notice next time Alfa goes out... you MUST come out and do at least one session with me.. it's only a couple miles from your work, you could call it a 1 hour lunch or so. By then I'll have my tire/brakes figured out. I believe I'll keep the suspension stock, expect for a simple drop, if I can keep the numbers the same. I actually enjoyed the spring and rebound rates out there... I wasn't too worried about the handling, I could put some thicker sways in there, not sure if the stock ones are solid or not. Do you know?

 

Awesome thread... I'm always happy to see people open-tracking their Mustangs, and there's no better time in Mustang history to do so than now. I hope open-track catches on more in the Mustang community with the capability of the factory stock cars improving so significantly in recent years.


Where might this track day be located exactly? I don't have a track car really, at the moment, but I'd be interested in more information anyway. Who knows, maybe I could rent/borrow one or just complete mine. That sounds like a great event, though. Heck, if I could set up some rides, even that could be worth the trip.

 

1. ---Yes, stock tires. I'll have a track set soon with RA1's that we run in the other clubs.

2. ---That was the first thing I was thinking if I had that car sticking yesterday... it was very slow breakaway and I was imaging what more I'd feel from the stock setup if it was a solid and quick break.

3. ---I agree... although I've performed my first 0-60 and burnout in my 42 years of life with this car, I think it's a total waste to use it as such and for 1/4 mile runs... it's much more capable of that and should be utilized in such a way. Hopefully the Mustang will be taken more seriously as a track car with the advances we've seen. I know that personally I didn't take it seriously at all my entire life until this 2011 year... and how amazing it was! I'm impressed, as I've said before. The bmw still sits! :-(

 

FYI, the 135i does NOT have 6 piston calipers. They're actually single piston.

 

Yes they do..



This is the kit that allows you to put the 135i brakes on a regular 3 series. Its the 335i that has the single piston calipers. However, even these when using R compound tires can melt them down.

From BMWUSA.com

And for the first time ever, the 135i 6-piston performance powerhouse front disc calipers are painted and feature BMW badging.

As Stinger mentioned once you go to R compound tires you will need to start upgrading as the stock components will start absorbing much higher amounts of heat.

 

I would love to do a session with you at Pacific Raceways. If I want to run my car, do I have to go through some sort of driver's training course there in advance? My car should easily pass tech and I have the safety gear.