The one and only GABE's '13 GT Build Thread!
 

Ordered this car in June 2012, only options being the Recaro cloth seats and the Track Pack, otherwise the car is a base-model GT with the 6-speed manual.
Car showed up at the dealer early August '12 with a broken-off pass side mirror.
That didn't stop me from taking the car out on a quick test drive with my at-the-time girlfriend by my side:



At the time I was a Service Advisor at that dealership, so as soon as the car showed up I ordered a new mirror and mirror cover for it. A mirror showed up 2 days later only to have it be missing the little blind-spot mirror built into the '13 mirrors. Ordered another mirror and this one was correct.
Meanwhile, the painted-by-our-body-shop mirror cover was waiting to be installed, so as soon as the correct mirror showed up, I quickly installed the new mirror and cover and started doing paperwork.

On Saturday 8-11-2012 it was finally time for the delivery.

The old and the new, Charger being traded in, Mustang being the new fun toy:
Attachment 200043

And a couple of pics once I got it home:

Attachment 200044

Attachment 200045

Then a short time later the mods started happening.

8-11-2012, same day I took it home, the car got a set of MMD hood struts
8-12-2012: GT500 mufflers, with the tips and their back sides painted flat black by me, with high-temp paint:
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...GT500muff9.jpg
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...500muff-09.jpg

8-28-2012: Plasti-Dipped my "5.0" front-fender badges:
Attachment 200046

8-29-2012: purchased a used set of Boss302 blue coil covers which didn't get installed for months after I got them.
8-29-2012: A flat-black front-grille pony cover off eBay:
http://www.s197forum.com/forum/attac...1&d=1346793032

8-30-2012: Tinted my 3rd brake light lens:
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...-brk-lt_05.jpg
http://www.s197forum.com/forum/attac...1&d=1346439066
http://www.s197forum.com/forum/attac...1&d=1346585264

9-04-2012 : LED's for the dome lights, license plate lights and the trunk light:
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...ap-Lt_LED7.jpg

9-05-2012: A Ford trunk organizer from latemodelrestoration.
9-06-2012: The CoolTech sound-tube delete kit.

9-07-2012: An eBay set of smoked front marker lenses:
Attachment 200047

9-25-2012: Smoked the rear side marker lenses:
Attachment 200048

09-28-2012: Bought Barton shifter bracket:
Attachment 200049

10-05-2012: Bought 55D rear spring kit.
10-11-2012: Plasti-Dipped the trunk decklid panel:
Attachment 200050

11-05-2012: Bought BMR rear lower control arms.

11-20-2012: Installed the BMR rear LCA's, Barton shifter bracket and the 55D rear springs:
Attachment 200051
Attachment 200052
Attachment 200053

12-06-2012: EPCO shift knob:
Attachment 200054

12-11-2012: JLT pass-side oil separator:
Attachment 200055

2-15-2013: Ordered BMR rear LCA relocation brackets, Koni Sport shocks/struts, GT500 strut mounts, J&M adjustable panhard bar.
2-16-2013: Ordered DSS 1-piece aluminum driveshaft.
2-17-2013: Ordered CPC battery and master cylinder covers.

2-22-2013: Installed the blue Boss302 coil covers:
Attachment 200056

2-26-2013: Installed the CPC battery/master cylinder covers:
Attachment 200057

3-23-2013: Installed the BMR rear LCA relocation brackets:
Attachment 200058
Attachment 200059

3-26-2013: Installed a new Roush chin splitter and Plasti-Dipped the hood vents:
Attachment 200060
Attachment 200061

3-29-2013: Installed BND Automotive trans fluid, rear diff fluid, and engine oil, all custom-blended for my vehicle:
Attachment 200062

3-30-2013: Window tint:
Attachment 200063
Attachment 200064

4-12-2013: Installed '05-'10 Koni Sport adjustable shocks/struts, Steeda Sport springs, GT500 strut mounts:
Attachment 200065
Attachment 200066

4-13-2013: #13 pool-ball shift knob:
Attachment 200067

4-20-2013: Painted my strut tower brace:
Attachment 200068

4-22-2013: a new OEM Ford GT500 rear spoiler, primed, going out for paint shortly:
Attachment 200069
Attachment 200070

Gabe I think the most funny thing is when I was doing my research on the newer mustangs and watching tons and tons of youtube video's on them I actually ran across your video, I didn't realize it was you until just now! Kinda funny...Your car looks amazing and it's exactly what my 14 will look like when it arrives in 2 weeks, minus all your upgrades :)

Hey - looks great, first off. Secondly, I just ordered almost the identical car (base GT with track package and recaros).

The GT500 axle-backs are on the short list, along with the Koni adjustable shocks/struts along with springs (not sure which ones just yet). Very interested to hear how you like them.

Do you track your car? It sounds like you're mostly focused on performance, which is exactly why I am buying the car too. Would love to hear a bit about how you like the suspension (especially if you've had it on a road course!)

Using stock brake pads & lines?

Lol, small world, huh? :)
Thanks and good luck with your new baby. I know the wait was killing ME way back when, lol

Thanks and no, I haven't tracked the car yet. I wanted to lower it more than to get the Konis, then I got the Konis cuz of all the great reviews they're getting.
And I love the set-up.
I drive with them only turned up about a half-inch of a turn and the car corners flat, is firm but smooth over bumps, and sits properly, no more 4x4 ride height.
As far as brakes, they're the stock Brembo front set-up and the stock rear stuff, for now.
When stuff wears out, I may upgrade, but for now, it stops very well.

Good to hear you like the Koni's - I plan to get a little time with the stock suspension to learn the car and put those in this winter. Looks great in my opinion - perfect ride height, and having the adjustability will be excellent to dialing in the right handling.

My friend with a Boss Laguna Seca has put thousands of hard track miles on the Brembo brakes (with upgraded pads and rotors) and they are working incredibly well. I doubt I'll ever get the car to a point where I need more brake - just pads, high temp fluid, and maybe SS lines will be plenty I think (and hope!)

You like the Recaros? Holding up well?

Thanks Gabe, And yes the wait has been a killer, but it will be here soon enough I hope!

Awesome thread man. The car keeps getting better and better! :metal:

The ride height comes from the springs, and like I wrote above, I'm using Steeda Sport springs. They're advertised as lowering the car 1" front / 1.25" rear, but I think they go a little lower than that.
Unfortunately, I didn't measure before/after.

The Recaros, I love. They're comfortable, just can't keep my wallet in a back pocket cuz it feels like I'm sitting on a rock, so nothing in the back pockets and it feels great, being held in place around turns, no sliding around.


Thanks and thanks! :)

Glad to see you picked up a GT 500 spoiler. That will look amazing on your car.

Thanks. I'm having a Ford-Lincoln dealership body shop do the paint.
The same body shop that painted the new mirror cover when I needed the new mirror when the car was new.
They did a perfect-match job, and am hoping for the same quality this time around.

The Gurney flap has some light scratches into the plastic, so I'm gonna ask them about painting it flat black while they have the spoiler ...

Mine had a few scratches too but they came out by using some spray detailer on the flap then plastic armour all protectant. They were chalky but not deep. Hopefully yours aren't deep.

I did have to add an inch or so extra 3m tape on each side of the flimsy gurney flap because the flap had a slight bow upwards.

If you place the flap in the spoiler now and gently press both ends down, you can tell if you need more tape. It will give a little play.

I was drooling GT 500s one day at the dealership and noticed that one cars gurney flap was a hair higher on one side. Most wouldn't even notice. However it gave me the idea to add a tiny bit more tape on each side. Crazy climate we have here. Tells me the tape pulled on one side due to tension of climate change.
Even tape application helps to combat this by evening out the thermal tension.

Can't wait to see it!

So I may just ask the body shop mgr what he thinks about the scratches and then move on instead of having them paint it.
I wasn't that happy with the thought of having it painted anyway ...
And thanks about the tape tip ... I'll take a look and see if it needs any added.

The GT500 spoiler is now at the body shop as of yesterday, hoping to have it back before the weekend.

Looking at the American Muscle grille that hides the fog lights behind it with the matching lower grille, and maybe a CAI/tuner combo, also from AM

Great write-up, Gabe! :)

You have to get that car out on a road course one o' these days! :D

Thanks Ron, and I probably will, but I'd want different tires than these all-season Kumhos, that's for sure.

By the way,

I just ordered a Bama tuner / Airaid CAI combo, the aforementioned grille, and a brake-light pulser :)

I'm stoked !!!

Gabe,
Didn't you install that 1 piece DDS a few weeks ago? I'm curious to know how well it performs.

-Marc

Yes I did.
I like it. It got rid of a lot of the low-speed clunking which is what I was after.
I didn't notice any mpg improvements, and I have yet to take the car to the track, so no numbers there either way.
I noticed a faint whistle right at about 76 mph, goes away above/below that speed, wasn't there before the DSS.
Also, a slight vibe at about 100 / 100+
Don't think I'll do much about it other than eventually get an adjustable Upper Control Arm to maybe shorten the d/s a little, since right now it's maxed out in length.

Just got the call - the GT500 spoiler's DONE!
Going to pick it up in a few minutes :)

I remember getting that call! Check the corners and stuff

hehe... "slight vibration at 100+" reminds me of a funny one... The mechanic my family used back in PA was one of the few in the area certified to work on Porsche's and Lamborghini's. He had a Lambo in the lot one time and we asked him what was wrong with it. The owner reported a "bad vibration at 135-140mph, but clears up after that." He wanted it fixed. :eek:
I still don't know where in PA he was able to go that fast without ripping the tires off the car! PA roads are not the best...