Five Oh B takes his 07 GT drag racing for the first time.

[Five Oh B]

Bought my 07 Mustang GT coupe (automatic) in October 2006, but with the cruddy weather here in the Seattle area, I didn't get to do any drag racing until today. A quick refresher: I've been racing at this track (Pacific Raceways, FKA Seattle Int'l Raceway) since 1982. Over the years I've had V6's, small blocks, big blocks, and a bunch of Mustangs (3 with the 4.6L V8: a 2V, a 4V, and now a 3V). I've won some money and trophies racing and consider myself to be an above average drag racer, but certainly not an expert.

 

The weather was cool - about 60. A bit of drizzle almost rained us out before we started, but it cleared for about 2 hours before finally raining us out. Barometer was 29.95 and the altitude gizmo said 600-700 feet above sea level (varied a bit as the weather changed, but we are close to sea level).

 

The car and I (combined) tipped the scales today at 3700 lbs. Only mods to the car are 4.10 gears and a Diablosport Predator tune (I used the "firm shifting" tune, but modified shift points and eliminated the traction control). Ran 92 octane pump-gas from a Chevron station. Raced on the factory rubber (heavy 18" 64E fan-blade wheels with the BFG 235/50/18's aired down to 25psi).

 

Best techniques that I can share with Ruf and other first timers (based on my six runs tonight, 7 months of street fun in this car, and 25 years of racing experience in other cars).

• Warm up the tires by spinning through 1st and 2nd (not in the water box if using street tires).
  
• Make sure traction control is off, and car in 1st gear.
  
• After staging, hold the brake and apply gas until just before the tires want to spin (automatic trans).
  
• Release the brake and floor the gas on the last amber light.
  
• My car did best when upshifting at 6,250 rpms. Any higher hurt the ET's.
  
• With 4.10 gears, car will cross finish line in 4th gear (be sure to lock-out the overdrive!!!).
  
• Don't worry about the guy next to you.
  
• Don't get overzealous and give it too much gas on launch.
  
• Watch the tach!
  

I got 6 runs in before we were rained out. I had a bad run (who doesn't) and threw away that timeslip (everybody gets a mulligan, right?). Of the remaining 5 runs, 4 were in the 13.40's at 102.5+ mph.

 

Best run tonight was 13.40 @ 102.92 mph. Average of the 5 good runs was 13.49 @ 102.74 mph.

 

Obvious opportunity to improve: need higher stall converter speed and sticky tires to launch harder. Best 60' time tonight was 2.01 with an average of 2.08. Every tenth of a second improvement here is good for two tenths improvement for the whole 1/4 mile. With the higher stall and sticky tires, a 1.80 60' and 13.0's for the 1/4 mile should be realistic.

 

Lastly, I took lots of physics classes in high school and college and horsepower is a simple calculation involving the time it takes to move a known weight over a known distance. Our timeslips give us the info we need to calculate rear wheel horsepower, and I've been doing these calculations for years (they are very, very accurate). So, my car put down an average of 276 rwhp tonight with a best run of 278 rwhp. Bone stock, GT Automatics dyno about 250-255 rwhp. Also, automatics tend to have a drivetrain loss of about 16-20% for a modern automatic, and I'm assuming mine is closer to 16% with the super firm shift program and 4.10 gears in my car. This means my car was making an average of 329 hp at the crank tonight with a peak of 331 hp at the crank on my best two runs. That's up about 30 hp over the factory rating of 300 hp.

 

On a side note, there was a 2006 Mustang GT Automatic there tonight running a JLT CAI, Diablosport Predator tune, Corsa Axle-Backs, and it had the factory 3.31 gears and stock 17" Pirelli Tires. He's been out racing that car previously. Said his best ever was 13.50 at about 101-102 mph. Best he ran tonight, however, was 13.66 @ 101 + mph. Said on the dyno it put down a best of 286 rwhp (roughly 340 hp at the crank). Nice guy. We exchanged a lot of useful info to help each other, and his parting words were a commitment to get 4.10 gears.

 

Would have liked to have made more runs, but darn that Seattle liquid sunshine! At least I have some baseline numbers before I change cams (or supercharge, if the wife gives in).

 

Until next time......................

[KobraII]

Very nice, Five O. I like how thorough you were about everything, even your horsepower rating! Hope to hear more from you

[Alloy Dave]

Great write-up Five Oh...your numbers are excellent, a testament to your driving experience/knowledge. Keep up the good work!

 

Dave

[Five Oh B]

Thanks, guys. I have every timeslip from every car I've ever raced and over-analyze every detail. Heck, I even plot graphs to work out acceleration to every distance and mile per hour. Now, if I just had some sponsorship, I could get out there and make some real money.

[Five Oh B]

I don't have a scanner at home to post timeslips, but here are the best numbers from this outing for those who like to read all the details....

 

R/T = 0.132

60' = 2.006

330' = 5.635

 

1/8 mile ET = 8.620

1/8 mile MPH = 82.59

 

1000' = 11.209

 

1/4 mile ET = 13.404

1/4 mile MPH = 102.92

[RUFDRAFT]

Super write up, FiveOh!

 

Better than Car & Driver!

 

Sounds like you got great numbers all things considered.

 

Unless I really screw up on the launch, I should be able to break into the 12's based on your data.

 

Glad you had a good time and the weather was semi-cooperative.

 

Ninety five degrees here today.

 

Ruf

[Joe G]

Unless I really screw up on the launch...

Ruf

?????

[Five Oh B]

Super write up, FiveOh!

 

Better than Car & Driver!

 

Sounds like you got great numbers all things considered.

 

Unless I really screw up on the launch, I should be able to break into the 12's based on your data.

 

Glad you had a good time and the weather was semi-cooperative.

 

Ninety five degrees here today.

 

Ruf

 

95 just isn't great racing weather. Hopefully, you'll get some cooling soon so we can finally get some times from the Rufstang! I can guarantee that your car will trap at 109 mph, maybe 110 mph, based on the dyno #'s you've posted (be sure to keep the gas to the floor for about 100 feet past the finish line). That, my friend, is a 12.70 1/4 mile even if you don't launch like John Force. Master the launch, shift at the right times, and have a great set of drag tires, and your car should be good for 12.30's. But, until you've got some practice under your belt, you can run high 12's easily.

[Five Oh B]

All the magazine tests I could find for a 2005-7 Mustang GT coupe with an automatic transmission showed anywhere from 13.60's to 14.00's at 99-100 mph, so considering I have only changed the computer tune & have 4.10's, I'm happy with 13.40's at nearly 103 mph. That's on the factory tires and I do not have any other mods (i.e. CAI, axle-back, etc.), plus my car is heavily optioned and fat at 3,700 lbs with me in it.

 

My wife is finally warming up to a supercharger. The FRPP 400hp kit is on my shopping list (the 500hp intercooled kit isn't compatable with the automatic transmission, plus, the bottom end isn't forged in my car). $4800 + install. MM&FF magazine just tested this kit on a totally bone-stock Mustang GT automatic coupe. On street tires, it ran 12.66 @ 107+ mph. Put some drag radials on, and coupled with my 4.10 gears, and this could be my ticket to low 12's at nearly 110 mph. Heck, then my car would be as quick as Ruf's!!!

[RUFDRAFT]

Thanks for the support, Brian.

 

The blower you're talking about is the Whipple, right?

 

Man - how I'd love to have a polished one!

 

Not any time soon, though.

[Alloy Dave]

Man - how I'd love to have a polished one!

[RUFDRAFT]

Ah, pipe down!

[moabman]

I think the 2 FRPP chargers are the same whipple supercharger. the high boost has a different pulley, fuel pump, and intercooler. I have an automatic and I'm thinking of getting the high boost kit but with the low boost pulley. It's pretty darn hot here and in addition to limiting the boost I would like to cool the charge as much as I can.

[Five Oh B]

Thanks for the support, Brian.

 

The blower you're talking about is the Whipple, right?

 

Man - how I'd love to have a polished one!

 

Not any time soon, though.

 

Yes, the Whipple. Black finish is fine by me. Fits my budget better, and is in keeping with the low-key appearance of my car.

[RUFDRAFT]

I gotcha.

 

Drive softly and carry a big blower.

[carnut]

I think the 2 FRPP chargers are the same whipple supercharger. the high boost has a different pulley, fuel pump, and intercooler. I have an automatic and I'm thinking of getting the high boost kit but with the low boost pulley. It's pretty darn hot here and in addition to limiting the boost I would like to cool the charge as much as I can.

I have always wondered why you cant put an ac coil in a reservoir (heat sink) and run and intercooler through it. Problem is that I am too lazy to experiment with it. Could means lots more horsepower.

[RUFDRAFT]

Sounds like you need a partner to get this idea to market! :happy feet:

 

Put down the Beer Bong and get to work.

[moabman]

I have always wondered why you cant put an ac coil in a reservoir (heat sink) and run and intercooler through it. Problem is that I am too lazy to experiment with it. Could means lots more horsepower.

 

I was thinking more of keeping the transmission cooler than getting more horsepower. The transmissions get cooled through the radiator and the extra thermal stress of even a low boost can hurt the transmissions down here. I suspect that you have the same problems in Arizona. The radiators are efficient enough to keep the engine cooled but its been my experience that the auto tansmissions are always the first thing to suffer from inadequate cooling. I have no trouble getting 200k on the engines but the trannies usually let go right at 100k. I spent some time with the tech during the last rebuild and there was a lot of thermal damage that he pointed out. I was thinking of adding an intercooler just to make sure I wasn't adding to the heat load.

 

If you are going after max hp, your idea sounds like it might have some merit although I don't think that the gain would be worth the drain hp wise. Haven't seen many runs done with the AC on I think I have read about several ice chillers that are available that would serve the same purpose.

[RUFDRAFT]

...you "spent some time with the tech"....???

 

Do we need to talk about this?

 

I'm listening. PM me.

[moabman]

I found a transmission shop that would let me sit in on the tear down. This was for a SUV that I owned and I was getting tired of having transmissions rebuilt. I had a Suburban that was the worst. The first mod i do on my cars is always add a transmission cooler if they don't come with one.

 

Sorry about being off topic but I thought others might be interested.

 

That was a great write up Five Oh B. I don't have a roll cage in the convertible so I won't be seeing any track time soon but I still appreciated the launch hints.

[Alloy Dave]

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QUOTE(Five Oh B @ Jun 8 2007, 03:53 PM) 160467[/snapback]

Yes, the Whipple. Black finish is fine by me. Fits my budget better, and is in keeping with the low-key appearance of my car.

Not much low key about a Mustang GT.

[Five Oh B]

I found a transmission shop that would let me sit in on the tear down. This was for a SUV that I owned and I was getting tired of having transmissions rebuilt. I had a Suburban that was the worst. The first mod i do on my cars is always add a transmission cooler if they don't come with one.

 

Sorry about being off topic but I thought others might be interested.

 

That was a great write up Five Oh B. I don't have a roll cage in the convertible so I won't be seeing any track time soon but I still appreciated the launch hints.

 

We set up my wife's 2003 Ford Escape XLT V6 4x4 with a class III hitch receiver, weight distributing hitch, sway control, brake controller, and 7-pin wiring so that we could tow our 3,100 lb "ultralight" travel trailer. Transmission cooler was a must!

 

 

For those guys with automatics in their Mustangs, I can tell you after racing mine that a higher stall speed torque converter would be awesome to flash closer to the peak torque to launch more aggressively. I could only launch at about 2,000 rpm's and 60' times were in the 2.0's and 2.1's. My 2000 Mustang GT and 2003 Mach 1 were both stick shift cars and I would launch at 4,500 rpm's to be right in the sweet spot - hence those cars both clearing the 60' mark in the 1.80's consistently. That tells me the right stall converter is gonna be good for at least a 1/4 to 1/3 second improvement in the 1/4 mile ET's.

[Five Oh B]

Not much low key about a Mustang GT.

 

Alloy Gray (or "wet pavement" as I like to describe it) blends in and is very low key. Notice how you don't really notice my car when parked next to bright cars in this pic from the 5/26 GT500 Meet and Greet that Grabber and TanaBanana put on...

 

[moabman]

Did you see the article on high stall torque converters in MMFF? It's the same issue where they did the low boost Whipple install. I've seen several adds for high stall torque converters and one of the adds claims it's the most efficient thing you can do to lower your times. Sounds like you are agreeing.

[Five Oh B]

Did you see the article on high stall torque converters in MMFF? It's the same issue where they did the low boost Whipple install. I've seen several adds for high stall torque converters and one of the adds claims it's the most efficient thing you can do to lower your times. Sounds like you are agreeing.

 

I'll have to read that article. Many years ago I owned a 1968 Pontiac GTO. It had a balanced & blueprinted 425hp 400 big-block V8, Turbo 400 Automatic trans, and 3.90 saf-t-trac axle. I had the automatic rebuilt with a street/strip shift kit and used an Art Carr stall converter that flashed at 3,100 rpm's on launch (just about peak torque in a big block Pontiac). That car was 200 lbs heavier than my 07 GT and would rip 1.6 to 1.7 sixty foot times at the drag strip on slicks. That's the kind of launch I want from my 07 GT. The factory torque converter is a bit sloppy at launching, and hence the fact that the aftermarket stall converters are a big efficiency upgrade. I just have to be sure to buy one that still retains the lock-up feature for drive and overdrive for good highway fuel economy. Any suggestions from those who've already done this in an S197 Mustang?

[moabman]

Good question! Maybe we need a new topic?

[Five Oh B]

I did some searching, and found the converter I'm likely going to try. It's $499.95 at www.rpmoutlet.com. Here's the info from their website. If it truly drops the 1/4 mile ET by the claimed .5 second, then I'll be running 12.90's all day.....

 

 

TCI StreetFighter Torque Converters

05-07 Ford Mustang with 5R55S transmission

 

Looking for a product that will make your Automacic Mustang run with the stick shift cars? TCI Automotive has the solution to this question!

 

With a TCI StreetFighter series torque converter the power increase is amazing! You just can't get this kind of performance increase from any other single piece of speed equipment. Your Mustang is ALWAYS in its power band ALWAYS! With Precision Industries exclusive high-stall stator, needle bearings, and furnace-brazed impeller blades and turbine you will never have to worry about transmission overheating or converter failure. This converter is designed for the Ford 5R55S transmission exclusively.

 

The TCI StreetFighter torque converter increases performance by increased engine torque multiplication with efficiency stall speed (at 3,000 rpm),. The result is like getting free horsepower. Your mustang will smoke the tires and plant you in the seat like never before! This Torque Converter will lower your 60 ft. time by .2 seconds, and the 1/4-mile time by .5 seconds. Again you just can't get this kind of performance increase from any other single performance product for your Automatic Mustang

[Five Oh B]

Just learned that the TCI StreetFighter Torque Converter is not a lock-up style converter, hence the reasonable price. TCI's "Super" StreetFighter Torque Converter is a lock-up unit, so that's the one I'll be looking to buy, even though it's spendier at $849.95. It features a 3,500 rpm stall speed, as opposed to the 3,000 rpm stall speed of the non-locker.

[moabman]

You also don't have to redrill the flywheel holes like you do with the plain streetfighter. I was looking at the same one! Any ideas on how much the labor on the swap will be?

[Five Oh B]

You also don't have to redrill the flywheel holes like you do with the plain streetfighter. I was looking at the same one! Any ideas on how much the labor on the swap will be?

 

Our SVT technician told me it's whatever time it takes to R&R the transmission. Once the tranny is out, the converter just slips in place, then reinstall the converter. Not sure what the flat rate time is in Ford's book, so I'll have to check with a service advisor this week.

 

And, for a $100 more ($949) TCI makes the Ultimate Streetfighter™ Torque Converter For 05-07’ Ford Mustangs

which has a stall speed of 3,800 rpm's (versus the Super Streetfighter which stalls at 3,500 rpm's), and it's a lock-up converter, as well. Considering that a stock 4.6L 3V makes peak torque at 4,200 rpm's, the Ultimate model's 3,800 stall speed is dang near optimum.

 

I took my car out on a desolate street today to see what rpm the factory converter flashes to, and it appears to be just 2,250 rpm's (or relatively close to that hash-mark on the tach), regardless of whether I'm loading the converter against the brake at a standstill or mashing the pedal in 1st, 2nd, or 3rd gear from just off idle.