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S197 Laguna Seca (302SX) Build Thread Profile - S197 Mustangs

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cholmes1

400lb Gorilla
350
216
Denver, CO
I have a set of those same wheels on my 2014 GT, but holy smokes do they look so much nicer on your Laguna Seca! Nice choice in mods all around!

Thank you. I debated for a longtime between the EC7s and SM10s. What sold it for me was a photo Apex had of a ‘13 GT500 in black and silver. That said, I never imagined they would match the striping as well as they do. Thank you again for the compliment

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cholmes1

400lb Gorilla
350
216
Denver, CO
Given that the new TMO has provided us the amazing opportunity to share some of our building projects, this seems like the ideal time to document some of my work. You will quickly see that my work is not chronological, sorry I'm not that organized, and that most of my efforts are to improve the interior comfort and appearance of the '13 Boss 302 LS. I have been fortunate over the years to own some dedicated race cars and some highly finished cars. My goal with my LS remains to have it be a very capable road machine while still offering the creature comforts to make the drive to and from shows enjoyable.

REAR VISION CAMERA INSTALL​

Taking inspiration from EvilCartmen and his rear camera install (http://www.evilcartman.com/lockpick-and-rear-camera-install.html ), I thought it appropriate to provide my install in a bit of a walkthrough style than what he was able to on his website. That said, his website did provide me with all of the materials that were going to be required and the location to purchase the Sync LockPick and the backup camera. Many thanks, EvilCartman. This guy also had a helpful video for a non-camera LockPick install:

I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT YOU DO WITH THIS INFORMATION OR WHAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT DO TO YOUR CAR. THIS IS SIMPLY AN EXPLANATION OF MY INSTALL EXPERIENCE. YOURS WILL VARY

  • For me, the first step of the install was to remove all of the trim pieces that would interfere with the work. This meant removing the rear trunk mat and trim, rear seat delete, passenger rear quarter trim, passenger sill plate, passenger kick panel, glove box, center console, navigation panel, and navigational components (HDD and screen). Once that was complete and the parts were set aside, I began the install process. I chose not to disconnect my battery, but you can do as you like I am not certain if there is a benefit or not. My logic was that I have removed the navigation components before with and without the battery connected and all it did was cause a longer boot-up process

  • Starting at the back of the car remove the license plate lamp bezel. EvilCartman covered this portion very well so I will attribute his photos for steps 2 - 6
5036776_orig.jpg

  • With the bezel removed, using the hole saw provided with the camera, cut the center of the bezel. I used a 2x4 for backing support, but you can use whatever you feel is best.
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  • Once the hole is cut and deburred in the bezel, my next step was to cut the rear bumper. This was the most stressful portion of the install, but it was the only way to get the wiring into the vehicle. Using the license plate lamp bezel as a template, I reinstalled the bezel, attached an angle driver, and placed the hole saw against the body of the car to set a center punch and lightly scored the area with a pick.

  • I then removed the bezel and using the center punch and scoring as my guide I started drilling. The plastic in this area is VERY thin (2-4mm) so it did not take much to get through. Once through I had a clean installation circle as shown in EvilCartman's photo
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  • The next step was to install the camera and run the wiring through the lamp bezel. The hole saw provided did a great job of creating a perfectly sealed hole around the camera for both the bezel and the body. The camera also came with multiple metal teeth to prevent the camera from being able to back out (even slightly) once installed. Due to its design, I chose not to use any additional sealant. My biggest concern was making certain that my camera and bezel were at completely perpendicular. I did not want the camera to be off at even a slight angle. ** If you want to change your license plate lamps this is the time. Removing the bezel w camera afterward is possible but a pain **
9498755_orig.jpg


IMG_4328.jpg
Rear of my '13 Boss 302 LS
  • From here on I will use my own photos. Once the camera was installed I had to run all of the wires attached to the camera into the rear bumper. I accessed this space via a large rubber grommet on the back of the interior trunk. The grommet was quite a challenge to remove cleanly, but once out you can access the area just above the license plate bezel from the inside. I chose to remove the passenger side license plate lamp to increase access (my hands were too large for just the grommet hole alone) but once all of the slack was fished into the trunk area the meticulous wiring began. Here is a photo of the grommet to be removed
IMG_4326.jpg

  • All of the slack you see in this photo had to be passed cleanly through the trunk grommet to maintain the moisture and weather seal. I did this by using a small pick and a razor blade. I tried to keep the hole as small as possible so that the seal remained tight. Someone could use weather sealing here if they wanted. I chose not to, as I was happy with the small gap that existed after passing all of the lines through and honestly if water gets to this level of the trunk you have larger problems.
IMG_4331.jpg

  • My next step was to connect, crimp, and tape all of the connections that were going to be needed between the camera and the LockPick unit. The LockPick I purchased was pre-wired for front and rear cameras. This supplied me with connective wiring for a 12-volt ignition trigger, a ground, and an RCA video input for the dash. The camera came with the 12-volt power and video line length needed to reach the dash, but I had to supply the ground line. Additionally, I chose to use some shielded Monster speaker cable I had lying around. The quality was more than was needed, but it saved on cost since I had extra. The white wire you see in the remaining photos is the Monster cable serving as ground connection. Someone with more skill could solder and heat shrink the connections, but if you run into issues it will likely be more difficult to make repairs.

  • Once the lines at the back had been connected, crimped, and electrically taped I started to loosely lay and pass my wiring where I wanted. I chose to follow the body harness that runs along the passenger side of the car and under the door sill. By doing this it not only allowed me to have a proven path to the dash but also unlimited locations to zip-tie the wiring when the install was complete. The path I used was approximately; along rear of the trunk, along the spare tire well, underneath the rear passenger seat/seat delete, under the carpeting of the door sill, through the passenger kick panel, around the dash support brace, along the existing electrical lines that run from the kick panel fuse box to the center console (glove box support beam), and through the vertical dash support beams. In the photos below you will see my door sill run, across the glove box support, and into the navigation cavity via the main dash support beam.

IMG_4333.jpg
Passenger footwell

IMG_4334.jpg
Above the glove compartment in passenger footwell

IMG_4336.jpg
Dash center stack


  • Once all of my wiring (12v power, ground, video) had been run from the rear camera, I then connected all of the lines to the LockPick device. Here again, I connected, crimped, and taped all of the lines.

IMG_4337.jpg

IMG_4338.jpg

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  • The next portion was the actual connecting of the LockPick. When purchased I was provided a PDF, but it was very much plug-n-play. I had four connections that went into the HDD, one cable for the screen, and a GPS cable that was not used. ( I did test the GPS jump cable and it blocked the signal entirely so it was disconnected and the OEM cable returned ). I cannot stress enough how much this system was idiot-proof. All of the rear connections will only fit one way and only accept the connection they are jumping. CoastalEtech have many YouTube videos showing the process. This was the one I found most helpful:


https://www.coastaletech.com/media/LOCKPICK Sync PRO INSTALLATION and INSTRUCTIONS.pdf

  • With the LockPick installed I immediately became aware of how tight this space was going to be and where I would have to tuck wiring and mount the LockPick for it to work properly. I chose to feed the LockPick wiring harness between the white insulation padding and the rear dash lower support beam and mount the LockPick to the top of the HVAC control module. I did not initially zip-tie the LockPick until I confirmed everything was working.


IMG_4332.jpg
HVAC module and rear lower dash support beam

IMG_4359.jpg
Lockpick mounted on HVAC module
  • With all of the wiring connected properly I was now set to begin testing the unit. Very quickly I noticed that the HDD, screen, and nav control panel need to be all connected as the system rebooted several times and activated my HVAC system when the panel was not hooked up. This caused some headaches but it was ultimately a success. Each area represents 12" so furthest Red is 12" from rear bumper, Yellow is 24", and Green is 36"

IMG_4358.jpg

  • Now it was time to button everything back up. The first thing I did was disconnect the nav panel, screen, and HDD so that I could access the center stack cavity. This is when I zip-tied the LockPick in such a way that I could access the inputs from the glove box if ever needed.
IMG_4361.jpg
View from glovebox looking towards the center stack

  • Working from the dash to the rear, I zip-tied all of the lines every 10”-14.” Semi-taught was what I chose as I wanted a very small amount of slack to remain to prevent pulling on the connections. My first zip point after the LockPick unit was the wiring that runs along the glove box support beam.
IMG_4362.jpg
Glove box support beam
  • Next, I zipped all of the lines running along the passenger kick panel that covers the internal fuse box. I ran the line in such a way that it would tuck neatly into the wire bundle running under the sill plate.
IMG_4363.jpg
View of body harness from kickpanel to door sill


  • I then zipped the line every 4” along the sill plate bundle. The blue with copper teeth is from the door sill. This is not ideal, as those are designed to stay attached to the sill. That said, with some needle nose pliers and common sense you can achieve the factory seal when the sill is reinstalled
IMG_4364.jpg
Body harness under passenger door sill


  • Next was to follow the body harness along the passenger rear and into the trunk. You can follow my path by following the white Monster cable
IMG_4365.jpg



  • Once in the trunk I placed the remaining wire slack into a loose spool and rubber banded it all together and placed it into the cavity that contained the trunk grommet where I first passed everything through. Being rubber encased wiring, taped connections, and behind trim paneling in the trunk I have heard no noise from the rear since the install.
IMG_4367.jpg


Overall it was a very worthwhile install for anyone who is desiring the option for a backup camera, I have been very pleased with the quality of the BOYO product. The clarity is just above the OEM units I have seen and while it is far from today's dynamic rear vision cameras, it certainly makes backing on to my lift a lot easier.

More to come in the future...
 
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cholmes1

400lb Gorilla
350
216
Denver, CO
1A3FD381-F368-4B49-BBFC-2044BBADAE3B.png

My car appears at ~12:20m

Hello Charles,

Congratulations! We are happy to write that your 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca has been selected to be featured in the Virtual Future Collector Car Show during Petersen Car Week on Thursday, August 13th. The show will be aired on MotorTend TV and posted on YouTube.


Your vehicle will be judged against 19 other exceptional vehicles vying for the coveted Best of Show award.

The Best of Show Winner will be announced on Sunday morning, August 16th and receive the signature Future Collector Car Show crystal Best of Show award as well as an exclusive ‘Golden Ticket’ to participate in the annual Future Collector Car Show that kicks off Arizona Auction Week on January 17th , 2021.


Congratulations again, we look forward to your submission!


Matt Ferguson
ClassicCars.com
 
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cholmes1

400lb Gorilla
350
216
Denver, CO
Hey Charles, how'd you make out in this virtual show?

Kirk

Hi Kirk,

The winner was the 1977 Toyota Celica GT. Given the age, year-appropriate modifications, and the condition, I certainly agree that he deserved the win. My car, and many of the others, likely were too new to hold up well against a well-kept vintage car.

I must admit I laughed at the 2020 Aston Martin and the BMW 330ci Convertible. Not certain how they pitched the cars in the initial phase but I was unable to see any collector value in those cars. The Aston will hold its value for a while, but unless it is a limited edition version, (Bond) which it did not appear to be, it will rapidly depreciate like most Aston's after the first five years. For the 330ci, I saw nothing unique about that car beyond the DINAN package which is somewhat unique and for a convertible, the interior looked to be in good condition which is a challenge.

Best,
Charles
 
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Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,420
8,346
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Charles, great job and I would imagine you and Kirk ( Tymeslayer ) will become very fast friends for well into the future, as you both have the same mind set. Tyme's Boss is pristine and though tracked he has added many cosmetic mods along with mechanical upgrades because like you he wants a beautiful and functional street and track machine. Both of you should be commended and I look forward to seeing your LS as she is definitely Black Beauty. I have viewed Kirk's Boss a couple of times and the pride he takes in his Stang is obvious , but he also uses it as it was intended, on the track. Must be something in the Colorado water or plants ( ha,ha ) that make you guys go to the max in prepping and maintaining your stellar Stangs?!
 

cholmes1

400lb Gorilla
350
216
Denver, CO
Charles, great job and I would imagine you and Kirk ( Tymeslayer ) will become very fast friends for well into the future, as you both have the same mind set. Tyme's Boss is pristine and though tracked he has added many cosmetic mods along with mechanical upgrades because like you he wants a beautiful and functional street and track machine. Both of you should be commended and I look forward to seeing your LS as she is definitely Black Beauty. I have viewed Kirk's Boss a couple of times and the pride he takes in his Stang is obvious , but he also uses it as it was intended, on the track. Must be something in the Colorado water or plants ( ha,ha ) that make you guys go to the max in prepping and maintaining your stellar Stangs?!

Thank you, Bill. Yes, Tyme and I have become friends and he certainly has an amazing Boss. He also has far more track time than me. To date I have only done two sprint events (Pikes Peak Airstrip). I am hoping to see HPR in the coming year. Doubt I will race but it would be great to see a road course and possibly participate in a solo time trial.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,420
8,346
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
HPDEs are perfect for those that just want to go faster than on the streets but also learn what their car is capable of. Quite safe and much stricter for participants than Time Trials or actual racing -- ask Time, you would likely find that perfect for what you want to do with your Loverly LS!?
 

TymeSlayer

Tramps like us, Baby we were born to run...
3,787
2,740
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Brighton, Colorado
Someday in the near future I'll get Charles out to HPR or PPIR or maybe even down to Pueblo to try his LS out on the track in a HPDE event. As you can see below, our cars have met before!

Exterior Body (465).png
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,420
8,346
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Well Kirk, get his butt to the Mustang Roundup in October , there is not a more perfect event for him to get started than with a ton of other Mustang Maniacs. Heck , his car is perfect, he could get instruction, do the Time Trials and sign up for the Car Show --- win, win, win!!
 

cholmes1

400lb Gorilla
350
216
Denver, CO
Hey Charles, do you have any details on how you swapped the radio/nav unit? And how you installed the SHO seat cooler?
@Midnight_Boss302 my apologies for the delayed response. Yes, I will be posting the navigation install in the coming months. I have to find my photos. That said, everything I did was followed from this thread


The greatest challenge is finding a complete navigation system (dash wiring harness, nav HD, screen, and all of the ancillaries (amp, etc.) all from the same car). Some have tried to piece them together and always hit electronic gremlins compared to those doing a complete direct swap.

For the install, removing/reinstalling the dash is a difficult undertaking when concerned about cosmetics and replacing all of the dash wiring is time consuming. That said, it can certainly be done in a single day if you are able keep all of the components organized. Mine was started at 9am and back on the road at 330pm with two people working non-stop. The camera was installed about 6mo. -1yr. later

I was able to find my complete kit through a combination of eBay ( a complete system from a ‘14 GT) and then replace/upgrade components via White Bear Ford. Since we are getting ready to move to another gen of Mustang soon, new parts for replacement are hard to find. However, more S197s are going to salvage yards so that may be your best chance.

I hope this helps. When I did my swap I did not take as many photos as the camera install as time and eagerness were big factors, but I will share all I can...
 

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