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Mustang Handling Questions

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2
1
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Australia
Hey all,

I'm considering the Mustang GT as a long term track build. I'm in Australia so we have the performance pack by default, 6 pot brembos, stiffer springs, better radiator etc.

How do these cars handle? My 2 local tracks are opposites. One, Phillip Island, is high speed with long sweeping corners. The other, Winton, is tight and technical and the main straight is only approx a 180kph/110mph straight before braking for the first chicane.

Anyway, I don't want to feel like I'm fighting the car and having to wrestle against understeer. I would absolutely do coilovers, vertical links, camber plates/track camber setup and a 305 Square setup in the first few years. I may eventually do a front splitter and rear wing.

So, for those who track your Mustangs and have done similar handling mods - how sharp does the car turn in? Does it feel direct and sharp? I'm not expecting Evo levels of precision, but I don't want the car to feel like a headache that's working against me.

As far as power goes I think I'd leave the car stock for a good few years as I learn the car and develop with the handling mods, maybe an exhaust for the sound. 5 years down the line I may look at the Gt350 Manifold, LT Headers and E85 tune if I feel the need for more power.

I downloaded a few Mustang mods on Assetto Corsa to try and get a bit of a feel for the car (I know, take with a grain of salt) and it felt like I was fighting understeer the whole time.

I'm just worried about spending the money and having poor handling, so I'm looking for input from people with first hand experience.

As for why I'm considering the Mustang - I love the look and the sound. I spent a long time considering the Evo X and GR Yaris for their lap time capability before realising neither of them excite me that much. Not to mention, AWD allowing for very lax throttle control and not needing to worry about modulation would be a little numb. I realised I'd rather be 5 seconds slower in a car I actually like than a car purchased purely for the pace. I imagine a screaming V8 and brutal acceleration is quite exhilarating, just as long as it feels sharp in the corners.

Alternatively, I like the F80 M3 almost as much as the Mustang, but it costs 20k more up front + 4k for the crank hub fix.
 
Hang loose you will probably be getting some solid info from some Mustang track rats from " Down Under." One brief comment I can assure you with , having run Boss 302s, GT350s, and a S550 Mach1 on various tracks, is that the vehicle is quite capable on both short tracks and those that are more high speed related. Glad you found us, and I know you would enjoy a Mustang for a track vehicle ------ other drivers at the track are often surprised at how supremely capable the car is.
 
You found the right place and you are "local" to me.
You can make your own mind up about handling, have a watch at a track you mentioned and see if I'm fighting understeer.
Next stop have a quick run through my build.
Pm me if you want, happy to show you the car to help with your decisions.
 
You found the right place and you are "local" to me.
You can make your own mind up about handling, have a watch at a track you mentioned and see if I'm fighting understeer.
Next stop have a quick run through my build.
Pm me if you want, happy to show you the car to help with your decisions.
Hey thanks a ton for sharing this, I didn't think I'd get direct Winton onboard from posting here.

Your build looks to be pretty much exactly what I have mapped out in mind. Good to see that it can hit 1:37's at Winton. My goal would be to get in the sub 1:35 range long term.

The handling looks very sharp and direct through the tits and apex speeds are solid. Your build would surely hit a 1:45 abouts around Phillip Island with room to breathe.

Yeah I'll send you a PM, it'd be unreal to see your build in person.
 

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