This is my 2011 Mustang 5.0.
OVERVIEW
Most people who race Mustangs compete at a drag strip. Now, there's nothing wrong with that, but driving in a straight line for a quarter mile isn't my cup of tea anymore. I'm setting this Mustang up for autocross and (eventually) road racing. That means I will be focusing on suspension and chassis upgrades, because 400+ horsepower is more than enough to get me around an autocross grid or road course.
My goal for this project is to make this Mustang handle like it's on rails. I will do this by using quality, well-engineered suspension and chassis components. I will, of course, be doing some customizing of this car to make it more personal, but body kits, sound systems, chrome, and flashy paint are not my goals here.
Note that I said "quality" and "well-engineered" up there. Most aftermarket companies that make suspension components manufacture junk. For instance, "lowering springs" can actually make your car handle worse. Lowering a vehicle too much compromises its suspension and steering geometry and reduces suspension travel. Of course, the solution to reduced suspension travel (to a point) is stiffer springs and shocks. But in an effort to make the ride more comfortable, most lowering springs are not stiff enough. The result is a car that may appear to handle better on the street but bottoms out an understeers like mad when subjected to high cornering loads on a track. That's why it's important to do research and only buy suspension components from companies that actually test their products on a track.
If you're interested in properly engineering your car's suspension for performance, check out this online magazine, MotoIQ.
MODIFICATION LIST
-TSW forged "Nurburgring" wheels
-Nitto NT555 tires
-Steeda strut-tower brace
-Magnaflow Competition cat-back exhaust
-Steeda Ultralite springs
-Koni "Yellows" adjustable dampers
-Maxiumum Motorsports caster/camber plates
-Evolution Performance panhard brace
-Edelbrock adjustable panhard bar
-AEM Cool-air Intake
RECENT UPDATES
19 October '12
Sway bar write-up on Page 9.
17 October '12
Parts installed. Stay tuned for more info...
4 October '12
Whiteline sent me the following goodies to install on Project Mustang 5.0:
The following items are being installed and tested over the next few weeks:
-Whiteline front and rear heavy-duty 4-way adjustable sway bars
-Whiteline adjustable front and rear endlinks.
-Whiteline adjustable strut tower brace
-Whiteline adjustable panhard bar
-Whiteline rear upper control arm
-Whiteline adjustable rear lower control arms
-Whiteline anti-squat correct kit (lower control arm relocation brackets)
20 August '12
Video from last Saturday's autocross on Page 3!
2 August '12
Video from last Saturday's autocross on Page 3!
1 July '12
Pictures from yesterday's autocross on Page 3!
30 May '12
AEM cool-air intake installed. Details on Page 8!
20 April '12
New suspension installed! Pictures and write-up on Page 7!
Page 1: Updates
Page 2: Pictures and Modifications List
Page 3: Competition Pictures
Page 4: Modification #1, Cat-back Exhaust
Page 5: Modification #2, Strut-tower Brace
Page 6: Modification #3, Wheels and Tires
Page 7: Modification #4, Stage 1 Suspension
Page 8: Modification #5: AEM Cool-air Intake
Page 9: Modification #6: Stage 2 Suspension
