So, I'm trying to apportion the budget for my newly acquired 07 GT. It's completely original and stock suspension wise. It looks like nothing other than 1 control arm replacement has ever been done to it. I'm looking for input on the right mix of wheel/tire/suspension spending to get myself to an enjoyable enthusiast car. I will be tracking the car 3-4 times a year , running some autocross, and driving it most nice days in the summer. I have a budget of no more than $5000 Canadian (3800 US) to spend on mods for this year, and $500 of that will go to a Schroth ASM harness.
Some relevant points as I decide what to do
- I don't need to lower the car unless it's a benefit to handling. I know it will help, but where I live, we have rough roads, and I don't want to lose a lot of comfort for the regular driving days. If I lower it, I'll want to correct the ball joints for proper roll center.
- Given the car is pretty much original, I'm expecting most rubber bushings and the shocks/struts will not survive track day use. So they all need replacement.
- Our track is super hard on front brakes and front left tires.1.6 miles/11 turns at around a 1:17 time for an average Mustang driver. I have a set of OEM calipers from a 2015 GT, and expect to swap them over with the correct brackets/rotors and track day pads. But I will need extra camber up front.
- I have access to a set of OEM 19x9 and 19x9.5 wheels for about $500. Is it worth delaying getting an optimal tire/wheel setup for another year and running whatever I can fit on this inexpensive set of wheels while I learn the car?
- It's not a race car, so should I bother with adjustable struts/shocks? Our track is rough - think tarmac rally vice Laguna Seca. Always wanted a set of Koni Yellows, but the budget is the budget. I do have access to a shop with a shock dyno and rebuild abilities for rebuildable/revalving something down the road.
My goal for this year is to get to the track and improve my skills vice just faster lap times. To date, I'm pretty inconsistent on track, and want to overcome that this season. So the car needs to be a stable, predictable and sustainable platform (or at least as much as possible) vice being the fastest it can be so I can focus on driving.
I've been through a lot of the threads on here but honestly, everything starts to jumble together in my head after a while, so if you've got the time, feel free to drop your suggestions as far as parts/kits etc go. Thanks for reading!
Some relevant points as I decide what to do
- I don't need to lower the car unless it's a benefit to handling. I know it will help, but where I live, we have rough roads, and I don't want to lose a lot of comfort for the regular driving days. If I lower it, I'll want to correct the ball joints for proper roll center.
- Given the car is pretty much original, I'm expecting most rubber bushings and the shocks/struts will not survive track day use. So they all need replacement.
- Our track is super hard on front brakes and front left tires.1.6 miles/11 turns at around a 1:17 time for an average Mustang driver. I have a set of OEM calipers from a 2015 GT, and expect to swap them over with the correct brackets/rotors and track day pads. But I will need extra camber up front.
- I have access to a set of OEM 19x9 and 19x9.5 wheels for about $500. Is it worth delaying getting an optimal tire/wheel setup for another year and running whatever I can fit on this inexpensive set of wheels while I learn the car?
- It's not a race car, so should I bother with adjustable struts/shocks? Our track is rough - think tarmac rally vice Laguna Seca. Always wanted a set of Koni Yellows, but the budget is the budget. I do have access to a shop with a shock dyno and rebuild abilities for rebuildable/revalving something down the road.
My goal for this year is to get to the track and improve my skills vice just faster lap times. To date, I'm pretty inconsistent on track, and want to overcome that this season. So the car needs to be a stable, predictable and sustainable platform (or at least as much as possible) vice being the fastest it can be so I can focus on driving.
I've been through a lot of the threads on here but honestly, everything starts to jumble together in my head after a while, so if you've got the time, feel free to drop your suggestions as far as parts/kits etc go. Thanks for reading!