The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

S197 3V Fabman's build; How did we get here? Build Thread

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca

racer47

Still winning after 30+ years
392
497
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
SE WI
You can't turn a street trans into a race trans with a $2000 shifter. A sequential shifter is just a really expensive crutch.

Pull the magnum, sell it and recoup most of your money. Throw in your sequential shifter money and buy a Jerico 4 speed. Figure out the optimum gearing you need for Laguna to make it a 3 gear race track. You'll be faster, the car will be 75 lbs lighter and you'll never miss a shift again. You're only regret will be that you didn't do it sooner. You've gone past the street car stuff in so many areas. Time to get past the street car transmission too.

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/ben-calimer-mt82-installed.10208/page-4#post-203521

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/ben-calimer-mt82-installed.10208/page-4#post-203556

Mustang road race car w jerico (just to show you that i'm not alone in thinking like this)
https://www.racingjunk.com/GT/183058801/2004-Ford-Mustang-Cobra.html?category_id=4&location_distance=200&location_zip=&price_min=&price_max=&condition=&trade=&search=jerico&search_type=all&search_exclude=&state[0]=&country=&order=score&limit=20&np_offset=1&from=search

Road race camaro w jerico
https://www.racingjunk.com/Road-Clu...icho-trans.html?category_id=5673&np_offset=46

ASA stock car based road racer with, you guessed it, a jerico
https://www.racingjunk.com/GT/183076524/GTA-Monte-Carlo-Lefthander-Howe-Chassis-LS1.html?category_id=4&location_distance=200&location_zip=&price_min=&price_max=&condition=&trade=&search=jerico&search_type=all&search_exclude=&state[0]=&country=&order=score&limit=20&np_offset=3&from=search
 
Last edited:

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
You can't turn a street trans into a race trans with a $2000 shifter. A sequential shifter is just a really expensive crutch.

Pull the magnum, sell it and recoup most of your money. Throw in your sequential shifter money and buy a Jerico 4 speed. Figure out the optimum gearing you need for Laguna to make it a 3 gear race track. You'll be faster, the car will be 75 lbs lighter and you'll never miss a shift again. You're only regret will be that you didn't do it sooner. You've gone past the street car stuff in so many areas. Time to get past the street car transmission too.

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/ben-calimer-mt82-installed.10208/page-4#post-203521

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/ben-calimer-mt82-installed.10208/page-4#post-203556

Mustang road race car w jerico (just to show you that i'm not alone in thinking like this)
https://www.racingjunk.com/GT/183058801/2004-Ford-Mustang-Cobra.html?category_id=4&location_distance=200&location_zip=&price_min=&price_max=&condition=&trade=&search=jerico&search_type=all&search_exclude=&state[0]=&country=&order=score&limit=20&np_offset=1&from=search

Road race camaro w jerico
https://www.racingjunk.com/Road-Clu...icho-trans.html?category_id=5673&np_offset=46

ASA stock car based road racer with, you guessed it, a jerico
https://www.racingjunk.com/GT/183076524/GTA-Monte-Carlo-Lefthander-Howe-Chassis-LS1.html?category_id=4&location_distance=200&location_zip=&price_min=&price_max=&condition=&trade=&search=jerico&search_type=all&search_exclude=&state[0]=&country=&order=score&limit=20&np_offset=3&from=search
Jerico is the way to go for sure....but it's another expense and job to integrate the peripherals.
I'm hoping to actually drive this thing before I die of old age, and at this rate, old age is winning. It really shifts great except for the 5th gear gate, and I don't know if its inherent with this trans or just my particular unit is finniky or if I'm just too stupid to drive a stick anymore. I've never ever had this problem in the past and recently ran Dig Motorsports spec Mustang and had no issues with 5th gear so I tend to believe it's something with this particular trans...I guess I'll just run it as is and see if I can adapt. Then there is the gear ratio issue....at some point I am going to have to address this but today is not that day. Maybe there is a Jerico in my future....stay tuned.
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
One thought, the electronic reverse lockout was never hooked up on my trans....I wonder if that is letting it slide out of the 5th gear gate into the reverse gate and that is why I am finding it so vague feeling...anybody have knowledge on this?
 

racer47

Still winning after 30+ years
392
497
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
SE WI
I hear ya. As far as the 5th gear gate and reverse, the solenoid and plunger are supposed to stop it from getting into reverse. Its easy enough to take out and check it. Maybe you'll see something. When you pull it out you can see a relatively big lever that gets rotated into the hole when going into reverse. I took my plunger out just to see what it did (tr6060 not magnum). There's not much too it. But maybe forcing it into reverse has pushed the plunger in deeper than its supposed to be exposing part of the reverse gate.
 
Last edited:

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
I hear ya. As far as the 5th gear gate and reverse, the solenoid and plunger are supposed to stop it from getting into reverse. Its easy enough to take out and check it. Maybe you'll see something. When you pull it out you can see a relatively big lever that gets rotated into the hole when going into reverse. I took my plunger out just to see what it did (tr6060 not magnum). There's not much too it. But maybe forcing in into reverse has pushed the plunger in deeper than its supposed to be exposing part of the reverse gate.
Just got off the phone with Tremec....he says there is something definitely wrong with my transmission. Now to go hunting....sheesh.
 

racer47

Still winning after 30+ years
392
497
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
SE WI
Good luck.

Here's what my car looks like right now. I had planned on it being done in June. Oh well. I was a slave to a race car for many years. Now I'm not stressed about it. When its done, its done, and it'll be done right because I didn't rush it.

Plus, instead of working on my car, I worked on my kids car and he won his first race. He's only 16 and never raced anything before this summer. So I'm pretty pumped and proud about that. I've had my heyday. I'm over it. Seeing him win his first was way better than me winning 10 more.

Anyway here's my pos with that overweight pig tremec calls a transmission.
motor.jpg
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
Good luck.

Here's what my car looks like right now. I had planned on it being done in June. Oh well. I was a slave to a race car for many years. Now I'm not stressed about it. When its done, its done, and it'll be done right because I didn't rush it.

Plus, instead of working on my car, I worked on my kids car and he won his first race. He's only 16 and never raced anything before this summer. So I'm pretty pumped and proud about that. I've had my heyday. I'm over it. Seeing him win his first was way better than me winning 10 more.

Anyway here's my pos with that overweight pig tremec calls a transmission.
View attachment 4692
I'm prepping my son as well, he has an S550-PP and his second track day is coming up on the 12th. He's really good on our simulator so I expect him to do well on track.
Gotta pass the torch to the kids at some point, but I would like one last Hoo-Rah before I throw in the towel.

I'll be running ITE in SCCA next year.
It's a wide open class so my bastard is legal, but being a wide open class also opens the door to some pretty sophisticated machinery so I guess we'll have to see what shows up.
Pretty much the only rule besides basic safety is DOT tires.

From the SCCA GCR:
ITE: The only IT rules that apply to ITE are: • Any tub chassis production vehicle running with DOT tires. • Preparation Rules: International Sedans may modify the floor pan/rocker panel sections. • Cars must meet or exceed the IT safety requirements of the current General Competition Regulations.

I just may be bringing a plastic straw to a gunfight....
 

racer47

Still winning after 30+ years
392
497
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
SE WI
I just may be bringing a plastic straw to a gunfight....

I doubt it, but agree that its hard to predict whats going to be there. The last scca regional at laguna was this past weekend. ITE best times ranged from 1:40 to 1:45

But you'll usually get grouped in with GT1 which ran as fast as 1:27. So you will get screwed out of a lap or 2 of race distance as the lead GT1 car laps the field.

https://www.sfrscca.org/racing/results/
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
I doubt it, but agree that its hard to predict whats going to be there. The last scca regional at laguna was this past weekend. ITE best times ranged from 1:40 to 1:45

But you'll usually get grouped in with GT1 which ran as fast as 1:27. So you will get screwed out of a lap or 2 of race distance as the lead GT1 car laps the field.

https://www.sfrscca.org/racing/results/
Yep...I was there. I have been watching the results as well which is why I was so bold as to throw my hat in the ring. My Laguna time of 1:38.5 would have been good enough to win every ITE event so far this year, at least on paper, and I've made some improvements since then. However, there are some super fast cars out there that haven't been showing up, so there is a good chance we may see some of them next year.
I am being told that since the nationals are at sonoma this year a lot of guys opted to run national classes instead of the regional stuff and will likely be back next year.
Competition is fun. As long as I am in the ballpark and can continue to improve every event I don't care if I never win. It's the challenge that I'm after. My final season in a stock car I won every points race but one, and I broke while leading on the last lap.
Talk about a boring season. I retired right after that because the challenge was gone.
Track days turned out to be very similar. Not a lot of cars running at the same pace. So, now I have road racing....a different challenge, and I will have to stretch to achieve.
It's turned out to be much more complicated than I originally thought and that's intriguing to me. I want to work to keep up and push the boundaries of myself and my machine. That's the fun of it all. Of course, I also would prefer not to come in dead last at every event....no fun being so over matched that you look like you're driving the short bus. As long as I'm in the hunt we're good.
So we'll see what happens. I'll be 60 in October, I just want to have some fun while I still can, and I can't think of a better way to do it.
And to quote Paul Walker:
"If someday the speed takes me, don't cry, because I was smiling".
 
Last edited:
Oh I see you're a young one. I'm going to beat you to 60 by one month. :eek:
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
Got you both covered by 6 years. Should we have a "who's the oldest dude on TMO" thread? I just try to ignore it personally, it's just a number.
I am at the age where my friends are dropping like flies....it's just a matter of time for so I plan on enjoying what time I have left and the thing that makes me the happiest is RACECAR! ;)
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
...and no, my gauges aren't all different colors, just the light bulbs.
3 came Green and 3 came clear. When I had them in 2 different gauge pods it was no big deal. Just need to change the bulbs....a detail I'll get to later.

According to Autometer, the lights cannot be changed so I'm stuck with goofy colors.
My quest for perfection is riddled with blemishes. I hate that. :mad:
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
Now how's that saying go....?
"If you don't like what you see, lower your expectations...."

Yeah, that's it.
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,155
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
If the bezel rings can be removed, you can cut out a piece of photography color correction film and stick that in there. Avoid the sharpie lines that way.
Yeah I thought of that. The gels from my band lighting would work but the gauges are sealed. Not that big of a deal, it only looks janky when the car is running and nobody is going to see that....just one more of life's little imperfections that I have to learn to live with.
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top