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!

OMG!! Why did i wait 3yrs?!!

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

39
61
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Baton Rouge
After three years of owning my 350, I finally made it to the track.
I am absolutely hooked!!

NOLA Motorsports Park

This car is fabulous! I, however, am not. I am usually wanting to tune stuff but no. I told my wife when I got home that other than 4 point bar and harnesses I have, the best tuning I can do is on me.

This poor car was laughing at me but didn't complain. It just did what I wanted it to do. I didn't push it too hard, just drove it poorly. The track was wet and I didn't really learn the line because of avoiding puddles in several areas. This is the first time I've driven the car in the rain, and drove two hours to the track. The car was absolutely filthy when I got home and couldn't give a shiznit less!

It was an absolute blast!!!

I'm really looking forward to learning how to drive this car, and will be opening the floodgates on the questions soon.

Chris
 
Chris, I'm so glad to hear you're finally getting to enjoy your ride!!!. Our cars are made to get you to whatever level of speed you can handle.Enjoy your ride to a new adventure in your quest for whatever you're seeking..................
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,405
8,333
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Get a competition alignment ( for some negative camber front and rear ) and go out and have fun learning. When you start with your mods the number one way to go faster is with a highly competitive tire for what your focus becomes ---- I.E. HPDEs or Time Trials for instance.

Glad you found out what you have been missing, and we expect to hear alot more from you, ha!
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,405
8,333
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
But, if you are one of the folks who only lightly mod your car do keep in mind that in F Street two of the trophy positions were GT 350 drivers. There were three trophies in Handling Pack Mach 1s also, and if you view the many Classes with SCCA , one finds the Mustang to be an extremely stout cone carver over some solid competition. Fun to do both with your GT 350, and if you modify it quite a bit CAMC finds the beasts putting that Voodoo they do so well on other machines.
 
1,105
1,102
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Lenoir City TN
After three years of owning my 350, I finally made it to the track.
I am absolutely hooked!!

NOLA Motorsports Park

This car is fabulous! I, however, am not. I am usually wanting to tune stuff but no. I told my wife when I got home that other than 4 point bar and harnesses I have, the best tuning I can do is on me.

This poor car was laughing at me but didn't complain. It just did what I wanted it to do. I didn't push it too hard, just drove it poorly. The track was wet and I didn't really learn the line because of avoiding puddles in several areas. This is the first time I've driven the car in the rain, and drove two hours to the track. The car was absolutely filthy when I got home and couldn't give a shiznit less!

It was an absolute blast!!!

I'm really looking forward to learning how to drive this car, and will be opening the floodgates on the questions soon.

Chris
You learned the secret. Taking one of these cars to the track is about the most fun you can have with your clothes on.
 
39
61
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Baton Rouge
Back in the day, I had a 90lx I modified pretty heavy. Bone stock motor but sla front suspension and parallel four link rear with watts link. C Prepared. I was usually one of the faster cars of the day.
I took the 350 to an autocross about a year ago and was just about the slowest car there. Lol!
In my defense, most everyone there was a very serious driver. A few national champs I was told. I was pleased to see so many people there.
Although I've enjoyed autocrossing, the show is just over a little too quick(probably the same thing my wife says about me!)

I used to borrow my mom's Maxima when I was in high school and go bracket racing at the local strip on Wednesday nights. That car was dead nuts consistent! My heart would start thumping when I got to the track and would hear all the cars with radical cams and open headers. But in the end, I felt like why would I want to race less with the more money I spent.

I have watched sports car racing my whole life and have always dreamed of running down the same tracks one day. I can't imagine what it would be like to drag race a car for all its worth, and be only inches away from a car right in front of me.

I'm sorry, I don't know exactly why I'm putting all of this here.
I just know I'm finally in a position to do something I've dreamed of my whole life and this past weekend has shown me that.

Now I'm not saying I'm ready to take the car I just last week would not drive in the rain, and go door to door racing with it.
But I will not miss any more chances of getting out on a track.

Thanks for listening guys!
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,405
8,333
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Nice to know the GT350 can do both, but there is no argument that being on track for 15-25 minutes at a time is more satisfying to many. I do think autocrossing really helps prepare you for going faster on a road course ,though, since the rapid changes needed in an autocross help you make smooth and fast transitions on the track. Everyone thing seems to be in slow motion even over 100 mph, and the cone experience helps you set up for proper and speedy apexes, etc.
Glad you are so pumped up and we all understand the passion and do make sure you post your experiences on you next asphalt assault with your Voodoo Mutha!
 
39
61
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Baton Rouge
Tin-foe
I can't see improving on ford's r&d, other than longevity mods. And I feel like forced induction would change it too much(but I won't say never.) LOL.
It actually has the gen 2 motor now. It spun #8 rod bearing at 5100 miles. At least that's what the tech put down for cause of my knocking complaint. I doubt he went that far into it. He showed me the filter full of bearing material but hadn't dropped the pan. I actually came out pretty good over the whole issue.
Just a quick backstory:
It's a 2017 that I bought in March of 20. Since the transporter dropped it off, it hadn't left the showroom floor. I to this day still wonder why. But I'm not bitching. I never would have thought I could buy a 350 brand new, but I couldn't pass it up.
Anyway, had I bought it in 17-18, I would have gotten the gen 1 replacement.
It's funny that I have a six year old car, that still has two days left of the bumper to bumper warranty on it!
 
Tin-foe
I can't see improving on ford's r&d, other than longevity mods. And I feel like forced induction would change it too much(but I won't say never.) LOL.
It actually has the gen 2 motor now. It spun #8 rod bearing at 5100 miles. At least that's what the tech put down for cause of my knocking complaint. I doubt he went that far into it. He showed me the filter full of bearing material but hadn't dropped the pan. I actually came out pretty good over the whole issue.
Just a quick backstory:
It's a 2017 that I bought in March of 20. Since the transporter dropped it off, it hadn't left the showroom floor. I to this day still wonder why. But I'm not bitching. I never would have thought I could buy a 350 brand new, but I couldn't pass it up.
Anyway, had I bought it in 17-18, I would have gotten the gen 1 replacement.
It's funny that I have a six year old car, that still has two days left of the bumper to bumper warranty on it!

You can absolutely improved on what the Ford engineers delivered because their target was much broader than what many of us on this forum are focused on. There are tradeoffs with modifying the car, but the car inherently has some tradeoffs as it stands.
 
187
289
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
75024
What blacksheep wrote is good advice, every shift does not need to be at 8300. For the 2.5 seasons I ran mine, I would shift at 7500-8000 except for TT events. I would scream it near the limiter, or hit the limiter in 3rd on some short straights to save an upshift. I did put in a resonator delete on mine to get more 350R sounds, but otherwise left the driveline stock and just maintained.
 
What blacksheep wrote is good advice, every shift does not need to be at 8300. For the 2.5 seasons I ran mine, I would shift at 7500-8000 except for TT events. I would scream it near the limiter, or hit the limiter in 3rd on some short straights to save an upshift. I did put in a resonator delete on mine to get more 350R sounds, but otherwise left the driveline stock and just maintained.
Agreed. My shift light on the car is set to 8,000 rpm. The additional 250 rpm is only there if needed to avoid an untimely shift.
 
39
61
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Baton Rouge
Hey guys
Just wanted to give an update on my saga here.
I have done two more track days, one in May with Tnia, and then just last week a full open track day before a NASA weekend. Both were at the same NOLA Motorsports Park as the first outing. I wish I would have understood better what NASA was all about because I would have signed up for the whole weekend! But now I know.
After the first event I immediately put on the collection of parts I had been gathering. Four point bar, schroth harness, front tow hook. I also had a set of FP lowering springs and vorshlag plates. Oh, also installed a FP catch can after second track night.
I am definitely getting a little more comfortable and having even more fun. I especially liked the added time between runs with the whole day event. I enjoyed having more time to socialize with everyone and relax some between sessions. With both track nights, we ultimately had two run groups. By the time you got out of the car, you had about twenty minutes before staging to go back out.
I have plenty more to say but think I will break this up a bit.
Don't want to put anyone to sleep trying to read through this!

Chris
 
39
61
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Baton Rouge
Also listened to you's and set shift light to 7700. Just one short straight I let it go above to stay in 3rd.
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top