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2011 GT500


NICK82

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Just read a post on another forum from a very well known GT500 mod shop that they already have an aluminum 2011 block for R&D purposes. Doesn't mean that it definitely will happen, but it sounds like that is the plan at this point. About a year ago this same shop let the cat out of the bag about the return of Grabber Blue and wha-laa the 2010 model offers Grabber Blue

 

BTW, they also said they will soon be receiving a 2011 GT and V6 model with the new motor. :happy feet:

If the 2011 GT get the 400HP Coyote motor it would make sense to upgrade the GT500 too in some way, maybe with an aluminum block perhaps.

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What are the benifits of having the alum block?

 

I know it's 70 pounds lighter, but what else is better?

 

Will it last longer?

 

Will it take abuse better?

 

Does it cost less to work on?

 

In a 500 HP car you will never feel the 70 pounds lighter in the seat of your pants on the street. Yes I know the quarter mile time will improve by 1/2 second, but I'm just wondering what other benifits this change has to offer.

 

:lurk:

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What are the benifits of having the alum block?

 

I know it's 70 pounds lighter, but what else is better?

 

Will it last longer?

 

Will it take abuse better?

 

Does it cost less to work on?

 

In a 500 HP car you will never feel the 70 pounds lighter in the seat of your pants on the street. Yes I know the quarter mile time will improve by 1/2 second, but I'm just wondering what other benifits this change has to offer.

 

:lurk:

 

I asked jared the same thing in his thread about teh rebuild. He said it can hold more horsey. Thing about that is im startin to see that i dont need all the power on the street and might be done when i hit 6 at the wheels. I dont wanna go to a track cuz if somethin goes wrong and me and the wall become close friends, insurance is a no go. Lots of decisions to make. But ya back to topic. Holds more power aparently.

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I asked jared the same thing in his thread about teh rebuild. He said it can hold more horsey. Thing about that is im startin to see that i dont need all the power on the street and might be done when i hit 6 at the wheels. I dont wanna go to a track cuz if somethin goes wrong and me and the wall become close friends, insurance is a no go. Lots of decisions to make. But ya back to topic. Holds more power aparently.

 

 

That's why you only race on the street, where you are insured.

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I get in arguments all the time about aluminum blocks.

 

People always argue its 70 pounds lighter and thats it but they are very wrong. They just say buy aluminum rims and that will reduce the weight just as much.

 

Weight reduction is one thing but the location of where the weight is reduced is critical to handling as well as performance.

 

The other thing is Aluminum dissapates heat better than cast iron. Matched with Aluminum heads you are looking at overall increased performance in the top and bottom end.

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What are the benifits of having the alum block?

 

I know it's 70 pounds lighter, but what else is better?

 

Will it last longer?

 

Will it take abuse better?

 

Does it cost less to work on?

 

In a 500 HP car you will never feel the 70 pounds lighter in the seat of your pants on the street. Yes I know the quarter mile time will improve by 1/2 second, but I'm just wondering what other benifits this change has to offer.

 

:lurk:

 

The place where this weight difference shows up the most is in steering response; handling. And yes 70 pounds is huge when it is on the very front end of the car.

 

Our Terlingua is actually almost 500 pounds lighter than the GT500's and it's all in the engine bay. The handling characteristics are absolutely night and day. I would drive the Terlingua in town every day (except that it's not mine :finger: ) because of how much fun it is to turn corners in this thing.

 

Now 70 pounds won't be nearly that dramatic, but you WILL feel it in the steering wheel. :shift:

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What are the benifits of having the alum block?

 

I know it's 70 pounds lighter, but what else is better? The Alum Block will disapat heat faster and run cooler in between hard runs.

 

Will it last longer?

 

Will it take abuse better?

 

Does it cost less to work on?

 

In a 500 HP car you will never feel the 70 pounds lighter in the seat of your pants on the street. Yes I know the quarter mile time will improve by 1/2 second, but I'm just wondering what other benifits this change has to offer.

 

:lurk:

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What are the benifits of having the alum block?

 

I know it's 70 pounds lighter, but what else is better?

 

Will it last longer?

 

Will it take abuse better?

 

Does it cost less to work on?

 

In a 500 HP car you will never feel the 70 pounds lighter in the seat of your pants on the street. Yes I know the quarter mile time will improve by 1/2 second, but I'm just wondering what other benifits this change has to offer.

 

:lurk:

 

 

 

BETTER GAS MILEAGE!

 

Detroit knows they have to keep hp up but mpg up as well and one way is to loose weight.

 

If Ford goes to an Al 5.0L block, it would save 100 pounds off the nose.

 

That's huge

 

As a matter of fact, I've been playing around with the ol calculator to figure out what my payments would be if I traded for the 2011.

 

:D

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BETTER GAS MILEAGE!

 

Detroit knows they have to keep hp up but mpg up as well and one way is to loose weight.

 

If Ford goes to an Al 5.0L block, it would save 100 pounds off the nose.

 

That's huge

 

As a matter of fact, I've been playing around with the ol calculator to figure out what my payments would be if I traded for the 2011.

 

:D

 

They are already building ALI 5.0 L engines.

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Oh, but is it know what size block Ford will use on the 2011 GT500?

 

Will it retain its current 5.4L displacement?

 

I am thinking the GT Mustang for 2011 will get an Al 5.0 400 hp N/a motor while the GT500 will get a fortified version of that 5.0L Al block motor with a blower and 500+ hp

 

They will loose more weight if they not only switch to an Al block but go to a 5.0L vs 5.4L

 

IMO, Id rather less weight and a stought 5.0L built for boost

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If you have an extra 4K to buy the block.....Pick one up.

 

Ford racing sells it for the 5.4 now.

http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_...tKeyField=10443

 

The Ford GT Super car has the Alum block in it.

"The 5.4L powerplant is all-aluminum and fed by an Eaton screw-type supercharger. It features four-valve cylinder heads and forged components, including the crankshaft, H-beam connecting rods and aluminum pistons. The resulting power output is 550 horsepower and 500 foot-pounds of torque."

 

Sean Hyland has a 5.4 alum block for 5K that is nice too.

http://www.seanhylandmotorsport.com/gt500_...omponents.shtml

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Sorry, BEAUTIFUL spring day and Miller Lite flowin... :happy feet:

 

back to an earlier question, what's the big deal with an al block. I understand lighter (80lbs what I'm hearing) and stronger but for street drivers what does that really mean? Track I could see it, but street I'm not so sure. Even on track, an experienced driver with an iron block vs. a less experienced driver with an al block...you saying the less experienced driver with an al block has an advantage? what about cost? Won't the al block be more expensive? What's the cost/benifit of the al block for street driving?

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Sorry, BEAUTIFUL spring day and Miller Lite flowin... :happy feet:

 

back to an earlier question, what's the big deal with an al block. I understand lighter (80lbs what I'm hearing) and stronger but for street drivers what does that really mean? Track I could see it, but street I'm not so sure. Even on track, an experienced driver with an iron block vs. a less experienced driver with an al block...you saying the less experienced driver with an al block has an advantage? what about cost? Won't the al block be more expensive? What's the cost/benifit of the al block for street driving?

 

It's not just the weight (80lbs won't dramatically change the power to weitht ratio), but rather where the weight is located. By shaving weight in the front, you bring the front/rear balance closer to 50-50 (I think it's 59-41 on a stock GT500 and about 55-45 on a Mustang GT). A nose heavy car will generally be slower to react to steering input and will tend to understeer. I agree though the benefit of having an aluminum block depend on how each individual uses his/her car. Those that use their cars on road courses will benefit the most.

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