2005 MUSTANG: STREET AND STRIP MACHINE

-2005-
Growing up as a teen in the '70s meant being a part of the muscle car culture, and the retro look of the 2005 caught my eye in the car magazines in the summer of 2004, a few months before its production debut. I came across a Torch Red 5-speed manual by chance in January of 2005, and I purchased it within an hour of seeing and test driving the car, and it became my daily driver for the next 9 months. Other than a cold air kit and Mac muffler, I pretty much left the car as is.

At the summer Ford Nationals in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the Boss Mustang show was also held onsite and I decided to recreate the look of a 1969 Boss 302 after seeing row after row of these survivors.

 
The hood, rear spoiler and taillight panel were painted gloss black (we tried flat but it didn't quite look right), c-stripe decals applied to the sides, and a chin spoiler and hood pins installed. The car was also lowered an inch to give it a meaner stance. At that time, no one had reasonably priced Magnum 500 wheel knockoffs, so I substituted 18" Mach 1 wheels, which were pretty close, and put 275/40 series Goodyear tires all the way around. The car's appearance is unchanged to date.

-2006-
With the car looking fairly unique as other folks with the newer S197s were either doing Mach 1 or Shelby clones, I entered a few contests and was surprised by several 1st, 2nd and 3rd place trophies.

A few more bolt-ons were added (shorty headers and x-pipe), and I began to take the car to cruiseins. Here I ran into plenty of new Mustang owners who were also quarter mile drag racers. Having raced muscle cars 30 years earlier, I couldn't help but get the itch again. I took the car to the track twice in 2006, but could only muster a 14.16 at 101 mph best with the street tires.

Others had easily beat my time by a half second with the same or even fewer bolt-ons, so I found a local Mustang tuner (Woodbine Motorsports) and gave him my goal: 11.99 ET, and on motor alone. We dyno-tuned my car to 300hp and 319trq, and I walked away with a few tips from an experienced racer and Mustang tuner.

-2007-
In the spring and summer of 2007, I got a bit serious about racing and installed a beefier clutch and steel flywheel, aluminum driveshaft, 4.10 gears and Comp Stage II cams—this yielded 323hp and 309trq (note the loss of torque).
Cam Video

I also put Mickey Thompson ET Street drag tires on to help lower the 60ft times. The first time at the track I dropped to 13.65 at 105mph, and then a few weekends later I did 13.05 at 106mph. Now it was getting interesting as I approached a 12.99 ET. Once I added aftermarket lower control arms, upper control arm, and drag shocks, my all time best dropped to 12.85 at 108. I was finally in the twelves.
Race Video

But there were problems. The shifter had become very stiff after installation of the race clutch, and the diagnosis was a bad clutch, although I battered away on it anyhow as the manufacturer gave me grief about a replacement. Given my times, I was convinced that installing a working clutch would drop my ETs further, but the race season was over.  It took a few months of negotiation, but I finally got a new clutch from the vendor, which fixed all my problems, and now I had a butter smooth working shifter and clutch setup.

-2008-
While I was finally into the twelves—not bad for a street car—it was clear that others had done better (approach 12.50) with very similar mod setups. And I was getting close. My shifting needed to improve, and 60 ft times needed to be lowered a bit. To bring myself up to par with the bolt-ons, longtube headers and h-pipe (345hp and 332trq), tubular k-member, MGW shifter and swaybar delete bracket were installed. I also decided to try Mickey Thompson’s new 295/45-17 drag radials. I hit the track 4 times, and two things happened: my ET dropped to 12.60 at 108, and the right rear lower control arm relocation bracket collapsed (also tearing up the new MT tire), the car was hooking so hard. 
 

A new bracket was installed and both sides welded securely, and a rear drag racing antiroll bar installed to manage a clearly flexing body. I couldn't find new 295 series Mickey Thompsons so I went with M&H 325/45-17 drag radials. This 28" tire took some getting used to and I couldn't really keep my 60ft times as low as I'd like from run to run. I've since put on Mickey Thompsons using a 26" 275/40-17, which yields easy 1.6x 60fts and a season best of 12.40 at 111mph.
 

-2009-
Here in Maryland it's freezing this January and I'm ordering a few more things to prepare for the spring.  I pulled the rear seat and installed a rear seat delete so I could take my new Bogart drag wheels and jack to the track.  That knocks some more weight off the car.  I've got a Detroit TruTrac sitting in the box waiting for some warmer weather for an install, and I've got the C&L intake manifold pre-ordered.  The intake is supposed to help at 4500rpm and above, which is perfect for the track.  I'm truly hoping for 11s this year, NA, and in a very streetable car.  Not too shabby Ford...

Here’s a complete list of mods, including appearance items, installed to date:

2005 Mustang GT 5-speed, Torch Red
dynoed to 348hp, 332trq at the wheels

-External Appearance-
1969 Boss 302 paint theme (hood, sides, spoilers, trunk lid)
New spoiler from Spoiler Depot
CDC chin spoiler
Hood pins
Redline Tuning hood struts

-Engine Dress-up-
Metco fuel rails w/ fuel pressure gauge
Steeda valve covers (red) 

-Exhaust-
Mac axleback muffler
JBA h-pipe
JBA titanium coated longtube headers

-Engine-
C&L cold air intake with custom SCT XCAL2, 93 octane
Comp Stage II cams and springs (#127300)
Steeda underdrive pullies
C&L Intake Manifold

-Drivetrain-
Spec II+ clutch
Spec steel flywheel
Spydershaft Aluminum driveshaft 
Metco front driveshaft loop
FRPP 4.10 gears
Detroit TrueTrac 
MGW shifter

-Suspension-
BMR strut tower brace
BMR boxed lower control arms and relocation brackets
BMR adjustable upper control arm
BMR tubular k-member
BMR radiator support/front swaybar delete bracket
BMR Xtreme Antiroll Bar
BMR Panhard Bar
BMR tubular a-arms
QA-1 adjustable race shocks
Steeda sport springs

-Wheels and Tires (Street)-
18" AFS Mach 1 wheels (18x9")
Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires 275/40-18 at all 4 corners

-Wheels and Tires (Track)-
17" Bullitt Wheel replicas (17x9")
Mickey Thompson 295/45-17 ET Streets Radials (27")
OR
15" Bogart Drag wheels (15x4.5", 15x9.75")
Mickey Thompson 26x11.5-15 and 26x4.5-15

-Interior-
Autmeter DPSS stage 2 shift light
S&S A-pillar dual gauge pod
Autometer water temperature gauge
Rear seat delete
Running pony floor mats
Passion automotive leather shift boot, console cover and headrest accents

Next page: the 1997 Mustang GT Convertible