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To mod or not to mod?

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Sesshomurai

As a first time Ford owner ('13 Boss LS on the way in SBY), I see that the community is heavy into modding. Which is cool. I've always been the modder type, but I'm wondering where to draw the line for this car. Its a special, limited run car and I don't want to ruin it down the road.

The way I see it, Ford built it as near perfect for what its meant to be and I want to look back years down the road and have a well maintained 100% "original" Ford build. Not just for resale value (if ever).

That said, what are some good mods I can (should?) do that I can easily undo.

This will be a track car.

Thanks!
 

JScheier

Too Hot for the Boss!
If it's a track car, and you don't want to ruin it for down the road, then you probably need to wrap the entire car in 3M... maybe 6 layers deep.

Wait until you get your first rock chip... or the windshield is so pitted you can't see out of it... you may have ruined it for down the road, but I guarantee you'll be having a blast doing it ;)
 

Sesshomurai

Haha. Yeah, maybe that's a contradiction on my part, but cosmetic stuff I can fix "down the road". hehe.

I already have a set of 20" painted black street wheels in mind as one nooby mod. And racing nets for the windows.
Hood pins.

Superficial stuff.

But I won't change the paint scheme or mod the interior. Its already stellar.

I did order some magnetic racing decals (numbers, etc.)
 

Sesshomurai

Did you mount real hood pins or just do the stick-on kind for looks? I'm going with the stick ons for now.
 
JScheier said:
Wait until you get your first rock chip... or the windshield is so pitted you can't see out of it... you may have ruined it for down the road, but I guarantee you'll be having a blast doing it ;)
Just got my Ford Racing windshield banner......but I need a new windshield first. Putting it on this one would be a waste. $30 sticker going to cost me $300. Heck I got a full year out of it so I shouldn't complain ;D
 

Sesshomurai

cloud9 said:
JScheier said:
Wait until you get your first rock chip... or the windshield is so pitted you can't see out of it... you may have ruined it for down the road, but I guarantee you'll be having a blast doing it ;)
Just got my Ford Racing windshield banner......but I need a new windshield first. Putting it on this one would be a waste. $30 sticker going to cost me $300. Heck I got a full year out of it so I shouldn't complain ;D

Where'd you pick up that Ford Racing winshield sticker? And for what year model? Will it fit a '13 boss?
 
Sesshomurai said:
cloud9 said:
JScheier said:
Wait until you get your first rock chip... or the windshield is so pitted you can't see out of it... you may have ruined it for down the road, but I guarantee you'll be having a blast doing it ;)
Just got my Ford Racing windshield banner......but I need a new windshield first. Putting it on this one would be a waste. $30 sticker going to cost me $300. Heck I got a full year out of it so I shouldn't complain ;D

Where'd you pick up that Ford Racing winshield sticker? And for what year model? Will it fit a '13 boss?
[email protected]

He sent me a 1.875" high and 2.5" high. The narrower one looks better and I'd go that route.
 
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cloud9 said:
JScheier said:
Wait until you get your first rock chip... or the windshield is so pitted you can't see out of it... you may have ruined it for down the road, but I guarantee you'll be having a blast doing it ;)
Just got my Ford Racing windshield banner......but I need a new windshield first. Putting it on this one would be a waste. $30 sticker going to cost me $300. Heck I got a full year out of it so I shouldn't complain ;D

Thats a tough one if windsheilds are only 300 thats good. Tear offs are 250....... Ive always had the tear offs but I may run and just throw a new windsheild in......

Clear bra will be my next mod before the track again.
 
boss1 said:
cloud9 said:
JScheier said:
Wait until you get your first rock chip... or the windshield is so pitted you can't see out of it... you may have ruined it for down the road, but I guarantee you'll be having a blast doing it ;)
Just got my Ford Racing windshield banner......but I need a new windshield first. Putting it on this one would be a waste. $30 sticker going to cost me $300. Heck I got a full year out of it so I shouldn't complain ;D

Thats a tough one if windsheilds are only 300 thats good. Tear offs are 250....... Ive always had the tear offs but I may run and just throw a new windsheild in......

Clear bra will be my next mod before the track again.
I think I paid $260 installed for one on my GT500 last spring as long as you skip the pony by the mirror...still tinted just no pony. The pony was $100 more. I took 3 rock hits on my Boss last year at the track and had them all repaired but now it's totally sandblasted.
 
241
61
cloud9 said:
boss1 said:
cloud9 said:
JScheier said:
Wait until you get your first rock chip... or the windshield is so pitted you can't see out of it... you may have ruined it for down the road, but I guarantee you'll be having a blast doing it ;)
Just got my Ford Racing windshield banner......but I need a new windshield first. Putting it on this one would be a waste. $30 sticker going to cost me $300. Heck I got a full year out of it so I shouldn't complain ;D

Thats a tough one if windsheilds are only 300 thats good. Tear offs are 250....... Ive always had the tear offs but I may run and just throw a new windsheild in......

Clear bra will be my next mod before the track again.
I think I paid $260 installed for one on my GT500 last spring as long as you skip the pony by the mirror...still tinted just no pony. The pony was $100 more. I took 3 rock hits on my Boss last year at the track and had them all repaired but now it's totally sandblasted.

Well I guess thats another vote for tear offs.......
 
I had a 07 GT 500. Fast but handled horrible. Put VMP's pulley, CAI and tune on it, Shifter and 373's and it was 130 HP faster. Mild tune 551 RWHP. Put heavier springs, Watts link, control arms and the wheel hop was gone and the suspension was still not great but finally predictable. That was a huge improvement on the car. I don't look at it like I hurt it, all that stuff was reversible.

The fuel mileage was 12-18 for a DD with a 50 mile commute one way so I bought a 2011 V6 Performance package Mustang. It handled better stock than my GT 500 modded. I put on a procharger, headers, VMP tune, (432 RWHP), 373 gears, MGW shifter, alum driveshaft and upper and lower control arms with a Watts link on it. 18 to 22 avr mileage capable of 25. High 11 second car. Handled as good as the Boss and spanked some popular respectable performance cars.

The Boss is a great car and the more I read and studied about it I wanted one. ( I also had 2 1970's) Great car and foundation Ford gave us. I will change some things but NOT anything that will butcher it.

Now that I have had experience with some different flavors of the S197 I will say this:

Although we question what the manufacturing industry does and curse them at times, they actually do a pretty good job for the most part. Financial restraints and budgeting limit what they can do. The after market industry is full of Engineers who make a living at designing parts that improve the function and performance of cars. Many of these parts are tested and proven to make our cars better and enhance the driving experience. If you are happy with it your one of the lucky few who will be money ahead of the rest of us. But if you want it to perform better or go faster, mod the hell out of it and enjoy it now while you can and have fun. I can appreciate a respectful re-sale value and how getting at least something reasonable back on your return would be nice. But I bought the Boss for me not the next guy. This obsession for a nice handling performance car has been anything but profitable from a dollar stand point. When I consider the value from a therapy standpoint, I can't put a price on that.

One thing I have learned. Before you mod it, determine what you expectations are and if it is reasonable to make changes to your car. Also make sure your budget will support them. Carefully research the mod your considering and make sure it’s the right one for the set up you have and that the mod will help you to achieve your goal effectively. Also make sure it is compatible with systems and other modifications. Poorly planned or funded modifications can actually make your car worse and in some cases unsafe. Take your time. Don’t get in a hurry.

Sorry for the long post, I hope this helps.
 
As it is a track car, the #1 mod is tires (there are reports of the OEM LS tires melting). Decide what tires you want to run and what size rims will work with those tires, then from there you can tune it to work with those tires (ie people add adjustable sway bar with square set ups). And wheels are easily reversible if you want to go back to stock. Brake pads, dot 4 fluid, all the usual track goodies. If it is a serious track car, then at least a good 4 point and FIA seats with 6 point belts. That is not as easy to reverse, but there is a bolt in 4 point in a thread here that looks good for what it is and requires minimal modification to the car. I personally don't like bolt ins, but opinions vary.

I haven't had mine on the track yet, but those are all basic things I would do with any car that is mainly for the track. I can't speak for the suspension as the LS is a little different from the regular one I have. My guess is the car will be fast enough unless you are coming from a rocket ship, so safety and reliability mods are the way to go.

On the 12s a popular mod is replacing the grill or popping it out for hot track days, don't know yet if it is necessary on the 13s but saw somewhere that the 13 grill is going to be even easier to pop out. There are a few other things like removing the little wings in front of the wheels, but those are all in the Boss supplement under track prep.
 

PeteInCT

#LS-378 - So many Porsche's, so little time....
Moderator
2,848
14
Connecticut
Step #1 and 1a for me, even before tires, would be brake fluids and some decent race grade pads. I did SS lines also, that had an additional benefit. Since I swapped out the PFC's the Boss has a totally different capability going into the brake box.
 
PeteInCT said:
Step #1 and 1a for me, even before tires, would be brake fluids and some decent race grade pads. I did SS lines also, that had an additional benefit. Since I swapped out the PFC's the Boss has a totally different capability going into the brake box.
Agree 100%
 

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