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S550 Austin's 2015 Mustang GT Track Car Build Thread Profile - S550 Mustangs

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207
328
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Scottsdale, AZ
It's been far too long since I've been out on track but have made a lot of progress in prepping the car, adding a Watson rollbar, OMP seats, harnesses etc.

Also added the obvious GT350R style stripes and fender vents from Verus and Left Lane Designs. Cannot wait to get back out to (hopefully not cancelled) VIR event in late April.

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207
328
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Scottsdale, AZ
Franco? So many go by Forum names I guess I am not sure who Franco is? Am sure your own seat time will be a major contribution though!
Ahh - thought you may have recalled - you and my dad (Frank) go way back with Viper Racing League! He is really enjoying the GT350 btw, love taking it out for a drive when I'm back home in AZ.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,350
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Ha, ha..............forgot, as he was always just Frank to me, but gotta love a guy who likes both Vipers and Mustangs!!! He can definitely give you some pointers, as he has always been fast!! ( Fast Frank , er, now Fast Franco!)
 
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207
328
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Scottsdale, AZ
Been keeping busy with work both in the office (home) and garage.
  • Finished wiring the horn buttons onto the removable steering wheel. Parts I used are the Sparco buttons and 1/4" coiled guitar cable (has two leads). Tapped into the horn wire on the clock spring wiring harness which is in pin 4 (white wire).
  • Removed the A/C condenser, compressor and lines (kept the fan box and heater). Removed ~25lbs from the front end and will enclose the radiator/oil cooler for improved cooling. Also, to plug the A/C lines on the firewall you can use one T-2X and one T-8X plug from caplugs.com (they will ship you a "sample" for free). Should have done this BEFORE the corner balance!
  • Contemplated removing the speakers but found these weigh almost nothing so they'll stay in for now
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207
328
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Scottsdale, AZ
When you pull out the A/C stuff does that cause any dash lights/computer going bananas issues? Thinking about doing that as well. How ugly a job is it? Doesn't look horrific but one never knows......

No issues with the electronics. The process isn’t bad at all. You’ll need the refrigerant recaptured which is a 30 min job at most that most auto repair shops could do. With an empty system you can just start unbolting stuff, its nothing complex, the hardest part is getting to the three bolts on the A/C compressor.
 
207
328
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Scottsdale, AZ
How are you liking the JRZ?

So far they've been great, but have not driven the car on track since I swapped these out from the Ridetech's I had previously.

One note is the endlink mounting ear on the front strut is not positioned optimally and makes it very challenging to position the endlinks without any bind at full lock. I had to replace my FTBR endlinks with Cortex units which are much more compact and that solved the issue. JRZ has an updated strut body with redesigned/reinforced endlink mounts that @boardkat is using. Will probably have these put on when I get them rebuilt after a few seasons.

Otherwise, they are great and ride noticeably better than the Ridetech's did even with stiffer springs. Will need a lot of time to get them dialed in on track..i'm new to double adjustables.

Got the remote canisters mounted in a convenient location for easy adjustment and went with the MMI rear ride height adjusters which make adjustments a breeze.

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207
328
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Scottsdale, AZ
Brief update:
In early June I had the car back at VIR and was disappointed to still have some oil accumulation in the Peterson breather can. At the suggestion of @boardkat I ditched the open breather setup and installed the Tracy Lewis catch can & separator as well as the GT500 valve covers which have improved baffling vs. the Gen 2 coyote covers. While I was in there, I also installed the high-strength VCT solenoids. I'm hopeful this is a permanent solution. For reference, I did have both a leakdown and compression test done and both were not indicative of any internal engine issues (only ~2% leakdown).

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302 Hi Pro

Boss 302 - Racing Legend to Modern Muscle Car
2,009
441
Southeast
Question: Is your new Tracy Lewis catch can system pictured above? If so, does the new system use the OEM PCV valve?
 

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