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S197 Smokey_Vol Build Thread Profile - S197 Mustangs

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11
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Nashville, TN
I feel a bit scatterbrained with where I would like to see the car in the coming months and years so I'm typing this here to organize my thoughts. I went to NCM today as a spectator for a Binge track day in hopes I could pick the brain of some S197 guys there, and of course there wasn't a single Mustang on the track. My mechanical experience is limited to some motorcycles I used to have, but I would like to do nearly all modifications and maintenance to this car myself. I bought a turkey baster and brake fluid to do a flush this week along with a jack and jack stands.

I don't feel inclined to start throwing bolt-ons on the car at the moment. It's a stock 5.0 and MT-82 with 90xxx miles. It's on unknown lowering springs and Excel G shocks. I haven't yet gotten under the car to look for any other suspension work such as a bump steer kit or sway bars. From what I understand, due to the lowering springs I likely need a bump steer kit in the near future.

I've read that seat time is the most valuable thing to purchase, but prior to seat time I need to flush brake fluid, inspect brakes, and get new wheels and tires. I like the idea of a square setup, and the Apex SM-10 19"x10" really catches my eye.

All critiques welcome
 
Hey Smokey, Welcome to TMO!!!!! THis is the forum to help you find where you want go...........Once you catch "track fever" it's hard to find a cure (keep that in mind). Things to start with are safety concerns, seat time and a growing budget for other things down the road. Best of luck on your new journey to ...................you fill in the blank...;):D
 
1,119
1,110
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Lenoir City TN
Binge isn't big on American cars. I think I was the only S197 when I ran NCM with them a couple of years ago. You don't need to do much to the car to get started. Make it safe first and get out there. This includes making sure your brakes, fluids and tires are good condition and have enough life in them to get through a weekend on track. Mods can come later as you you find behaviors you don't like or the cars limitations.
 

TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
7,529
5,243
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Illinois
Welcome to the site.

Binge isn't big on American cars. I think I was the only S197 when I ran NCM with them a couple of years ago. You don't need to do much to the car to get started. Make it safe first and get out there. This includes making sure your brakes, fluids and tires. Mods can come later as you you find behaviors you don't like or the cars limitations.
Good advice. Get with a good instructor and learn what is and is not working, then spend your cash. I also started with 10” wide wheels. If you stay with the sport, you will out grow them sooner than later. Consider 18 x 11 wheels Square with spacers up front. The 18’s seem to have a better selection of tires over the 19’s.
 
11
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Nashville, TN
Consider 18 x 11 wheels Square with spacers up front. The 18’s seem to have a better selection of tires over the 19’s.
Appreciate the reply. I like the idea of 18x11, thank you for the recommendation.

I'm also getting the small and large evap leak codes that will be addressed soon. Would like to address some fixes before replacing the gasket/sleeve, not sure what to call it, coming from the fuel inlet.
 

TMSBOSS

Spending my pension on car parts and track fees.
7,529
5,243
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Illinois
Smokey I replaced the filler tube chasing these codes once. No fun. They came back soon enough. If I get the code now, I out a piece of tape over the filler inlet, that usually fixes the problem. The "Automatic" filler neck door, is not. I sometimes have good luck by cleaning the flapper with WD-40. It lasts a few months then clean it again. Once the check engine light goes away, the run cycles needed to erase the codes sometimes take a while. For me, no lights, no problem. The Track Key still kicks in as long as the light is out.
Others have had issues with tubing getting too close to after market exhaust.
Good luck tracking down your issue.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,422
8,348
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Welcome and you have your priorities in order , with your first purchase going towards wheels and tires ---- rubber is the first and fastest mod to make! Look into NASA ( drivenasa.com ) for Instruction that comes at each of their events and with a solid ladder through the various levels with their HPDE system, you will get quality Instruction to help you progress on track. No extra price , it is part of each of your weekend entry for track time.
 
11
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Nashville, TN
It’s been a while since my last update. I have drained and replaced the fluid in the rear diff with Royal Purple 75W-140 and friction modifier from Ford Racing.

Car had a two step paint correction and ceramic coating which doesn’t help me go fast, but the car needed it.

I purchased a set of 20x10 square Roush wheels from an S550, but they wouldn’t clear the front Brembo’s. I researched spacers and went with Optimum Performance Racing (opmustang.com) 8mm lug-centric spacer. These appear to be excellent quality, but I don’t have much to base that assumption on.

Some might argue 8mm spacers aren’t big enough to justify ARP studs, but since studs were on my list of things to knock out, I installed those as well.

While installing wheel studs, I took a look at my rotors and pads. Pads looked healthy, and the rotors…look like rotors to me! No vibration under braking for now.

What’s next? I want to work on some suspension bits, but like everything else, I’m still figuring out where to start. The car is on unknown brand lowering springs and Excel-G shocks. No panhard bar, sway bar end links, etc. I’d like to change components that have the most bang for my buck.

Thanks for reading, sorry for any formatting mistakes. Thoughts, comments, and suggestions are appreciated.

Lightening fast edit, because I forgot the most important part. I’m registered for my first track day at SCCA Track Night in America at the Nashville Superspeedway on 7/25/23. Hopefully I’ll find another S197 there to pick their brain about those suspension questions.
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81
90
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Stockton, CA
As long as your pads are in good shape and you've bled with DOT4 I think you're in good shape. Also, from the pics those rotors look decent. As far as next steps with suspension, I would just suggest go through all your fasteners and make sure everything is torqued. I wouldn't rely on the previous owner doing this correctly. Get a paint pen and mark each bolt after it's torqued so you don't lose track. Like EF1 said, just track the car as is, then figure out what the car needs after you get some laps on it. Btw, car looks great.

Note: I can't say I've seen anyone run a 20" wheel set on these cars before. I'm curious to see how the mustang performs on those. Just FYI, my buddy has a Camaro 1LE that comes from the factory with 20's and he just swapped for a set of Apex 18x11. He was constantly bending those 20" wheels after every track event.
 
11
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Nashville, TN
As long as your pads are in good shape and you've bled with DOT4 I think you're in good shape. Also, from the pics those rotors look decent. As far as next steps with suspension, I would just suggest go through all your fasteners and make sure everything is torqued. I wouldn't rely on the previous owner doing this correctly. Get a paint pen and mark each bolt after it's torqued so you don't lose track. Like EF1 said, just track the car as is, then figure out what the car needs after you get some laps on it. Btw, car looks great.

Note: I can't say I've seen anyone run a 20" wheel set on these cars before. I'm curious to see how the mustang performs on those. Just FYI, my buddy has a Camaro 1LE that comes from the factory with 20's and he just swapped for a set of Apex 18x11. He was constantly bending those 20" wheels after every track event.
Thanks for the reply. This car is still in the budget-build phase of its life. Pads are in good shape and fluid was completely flushed with DOT 4 ~3,000 miles ago.

I have been searching for a good deal on Apex wheels, but haven't found any at an affordable price. My other option for this upcoming track day is to throw the factory 19x8.5 wheels back on for the event, which I'm considering.
 
81
90
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
3-5 Years
Stockton, CA
Imo, If the tires are in good shape on the stock wheels, I would run those on your first few events to get a baseline of how the car handles as you work on driver mods. After you start getting comfortable with driving on track, then start making changes. Wheels and tires are definitely one of the best bang for buck upgrades but I can't give advice how a 20" set up with perform. I'm sure there are members here that have run them and can provide feedback.

In your previous post did you say this car doesn't have a rear sway bar or panhard bar or did you mean that those two items were still stock and haven't been upgraded?
 
11
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Nashville, TN
In your previous post did you say this car doesn't have a rear sway bar or panhard bar or did you mean that those two items were still stock and haven't been upgraded?
My bad for the confusion. Rear suspension is factory minus lowering springs and shocks. I'll swap those wheels over, thanks for the heads up!
 
11
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Nashville, TN
IMG_7113.jpegIMG_7112.pngIMG_7111.pngIMG_7110.pngIMG_7108.pngIMG_7107.jpegIMG_7109.pngIMG_7104.jpegIMG_7103.jpegIMG_7097.jpegIMG_7096.jpeg First track day write up:

WOW. What a day. I’ll write a TLDR at the end in case I get long-winded.

As I said before, this was a SCCA Track Night in America event. Gates opened at 2:30pm and the paddock area was first come first serve. I was probably the 8th or 9th car there. There were some really great cars and people there; new GR Corolla, ‘22 GT500 carbon track edition, Fiesta ST, new GTR, etc. Minus the GT500 there was one other Mustang ~2008 maybe. I didn’t get a chance to talk to that driver because he suffered a mechanical issue in his first session.

3:45 was the novice drivers meeting, paced laps were soon after, first 20 minute session after that, then a debrief. The paced laps were meant to get a feel for the track, and get to know the racing line. Unfortunately I was behind a young driver that couldn’t keep up during the paced laps, so I didn’t have a great understanding of the racing line. Quick break, then our first session at speed.

I completely blanked before my first session and forgot to drop my tire pressure. It felt like I was on skates out there. The track was Nashville Superspeedway. There were two short infield sections split between two straights. My car obviously suffered in the infield due to my lack of suspension, high pressure tires, and 20” wheels (but I’ve never driven the car at speed on any other wheels so I don’t know how much different it will feel, just basing my assumption on the advice of others on TMO.) I didn’t have any issues with my helmet/visibility/mirrors during the first session. I let the GR Corolla, GR86, Fiesta pass on the straights because I really didn’t want to hold them up. Unfortunately that favor wasn’t returned by everyone else, but that didn’t ruin my day.

Quick break followed by session two. I dropped my tire pressure to 34 pounds and again, that wasn’t enough. Still found myself sliding just a bit more than I wanted. I gave and received point-bys when they were necessary. I was a bit more comfortable in the car and picked up on some better racing lines.

Third and final session. I dropped my tire pressure to 30 pounds and had a much better experience. This session made me realize how important supportive seats must be for the fast guys/girls. I found myself bracing myself in the car with my legs against the door and center console. I came in a couple minutes early for a couple of reasons. First reason, I was tired mentally and physically. I made a couple of late braking errors because I was losing focus in the straights. I didn’t run off the track, just ran a bit deeper into the corners than I was comfortable with. The second reason I came off early was because of my brakes. At the end of the long straight, I had less brake pressure in the pedal than I had previously. I babied it into the pit lane and drove straight to the paddock. On my way to the paddock, I tested my brakes a few times and the pedal took a couple pumps to develop pressure. I’m assuming (and am accepting input on this) I boiled my brake fluid. I had to let the car sit for about 30 minutes before I took it to the large parking lot at the track and drove around at about 20mph to let the brakes cool. Brakes were good to go after that for the drive home.

Things to do differently for next time. Bring a digital tire pressure gauge with a release valve. I had to use my neighbor’s gauge. Bring chairs, I don’t know how I forgot those to be honest. Maybe some kind of recording device for lap times, but I don’t think I want this to be visible in the car just yet.

Car-related things: Against the advice of Apexpny, I ran my 20” wheels, but for decently good reason. My factory wheels have decent tires on them but one of them has a plug that I didn’t think of previously. So I had to stick with the 20s. These were 20x10 square. During my first session I was in the final corner before the long straight and was in third gear. I went to shift into fourth, noticed that it didn’t feel right, and realized I went into second (yikes) luckily I realized it before it was too late and corrected the issue. I’m attributing that issue to a couple of things: I was a bit nervous, I was bracing myself against my door so my seating position was off, and I have the factory shifter in the car.

Things on the car that I want to change before my next track day: some kind of suspension changes (Koni yellows or something similar), seats with better support (looking at Corbeau RRX but am open to suggestions. This is not a track only car so I’d like them to be passable on the street.) MGW shifter. Apex wheels would be nice before my next event, but I don’t know if I can pull those off just yet. Lastly, some kind of fix for brake cooling. I’ll browse the tech section of this forum to see what I can come up with.

TLDR; Car performed about as well as I thought it would given it’s basically unmodified. Made some rookie errors such as forgetting to drop tire pressures, didn’t bring a tire pressure gauge, didn’t bring chairs, etc. Had a blast and will be doing it again hopefully at somewhere like NCM in Bowling Green, KY.

Critiques welcome. Thanks for reading
 
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Dave_W

Cones - not just for ice cream
984
1,277
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Connecticut
Sounds like you had fun and probably learned a bunch about how the car handles. Car looks great. Kudos for recognizing you were getting fatigued and ending the session early - that's a mature, heads-up move. Remember to keep hydrated.

Not as good as a race seat and/or 5-/6-point harness, but you can use a strap around your torso and seat to help hold you upright. Old-time autocrossers call it a Turner belt after Dick Turner, who described it in a book he wrote on autocrossing. You can probably cobble something together from a camping store, or hand a few bucks to fellow TMO member @DaveW for his version.

I'd look at 3 things related to braking for your next track day - 1) cooling for the brakes - maybe just "deflectors" instead of hoses, 2) fresh high-quality DOT4 or DOT5.1 (NOT DOT5) fluid with a high dry boiling point, and 3) brake pads with a higher working temperature than street pads.

S197-specific air deflectors from Vorshlag for $250
Or you can spend under $10 on a set of genuine 2011 Porsche 911 GT2 deflectors and see if they can fit the Mustang lower arm (and get free lifetime replacements buying from FCP Euro)
 
73
90
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Friendsville, TN
Sounds like you had a fun time! I agree with the above suggestions and comments. If you really enjoyed it as an introduction I would suggest a reputable "track day" organization that includes instruction for novices. You will improve at a much faster rate and its the cheapest one on one coaching you can get.
 
11
14
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Nashville, TN
Sounds like you had a fun time! I agree with the above suggestions and comments. If you really enjoyed it as an introduction I would suggest a reputable "track day" organization that includes instruction for novices. You will improve at a much faster rate and its the cheapest one on one coaching you can get.
Thanks for the reply! I’d like to try autocross and an HPDE organization next with some instruction. Is your username any relation to UTK?
 

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