Are Good Street Manners and Performance Compatible?

A

Al J

Member
Sep 1, 2004
307
0
16
North Providence, RI
#1
Sometimes I feel I'm one of the very few listers who count a quiet ride, ability to hear the radio, absence of metal-to-metal suspension clanging, reasonable idle RPMs and low-drone exhaust to worth preserving and still have a fairly quick street driver.
Perhaps if I had (as I once did) a strictly fair weather fun car ( A Sunbeam Tiger---anyone remember those?) as opposed to the daily driver I now have, I might be more sympathetic to the "tear out the interior, competition suspension, big cam, etc. all-out for power mod" thinking.
We'll soon see how a "Baby Crower" 11510, some Ford Racing heads & a ported GT-40 intake affect my requirements--all 2-3 weeks away!
 
#4
Al J said:
Sometimes I feel I'm one of the very few listers who count a quiet ride, ability to hear the radio, absence of metal-to-metal suspension clanging, reasonable idle RPMs and low-drone exhaust to worth preserving and still have a fairly quick street driver.
Perhaps if I had (as I once did) a strictly fair weather fun car ( A Sunbeam Tiger---anyone remember those?) as opposed to the daily driver I now have, I might be more sympathetic to the "tear out the interior, competition suspension, big cam, etc. all-out for power mod" thinking.
We'll soon see how a "Baby Crower" 11510, some Ford Racing heads & a ported GT-40 intake affect my requirements--all 2-3 weeks away!
Click to expand...

I don't know if you would call my combo

"a fairly quick street driver" :shrug:

BUT

My GT behaves just like a little stocker :) except for:

cam lope at idle
exhaust db level increase of about 50%
more power from the additional 100rwhp

I don't have to deal with any of that other stuff you listed :banana:

Grady
 
#5
i think part of it comes with age; i am 45 years old now and i know that the older i get, the more mild mannered and "civilized" i like my daily driver.

that doesn't mean it has to ride like a caddy.

and there is no question i want to be able stomp on the gas and fly.

it just means i am no longer willing to put up with the loss of the "creature comforts" when i drive my car.
 
#6
Since all the old guys are on here (never had a Tiger - had an Alpine and Healey in the family though) I'll post my unsolicited two cents. :D

Back in the day (not quite back as far as when dual exhaust meant there were two horses pullin the cart), it was always a big ol' compromise to have decent "fun" power versus something tolerable day in and out.

With EEC and those magic boxes Grady and BV have, one can have that mega beast that still idles and runs at part throttle like a stock car. The idea of swappin in the compartmentalized container of jets for a handheld is kind of a neat one (if only I was smart enough to grasp that puter jibberish). :D
 
#8
Al, I have been wanting to see someone use the 15510 cam in a SN car - maybe it's been done but I don't recall seeing it before. It's an excellent mild cam and with the intake change I think you'll be happy. Please come back to this thread and let us know your impressions..........
 
#10
My Mustang is fairly quiet, drives like stock and has all the creature comforts - except for AC - but it IS a convertible so it really isn't missed. Back when it had a blower on it - he exhaust was so quiet, all you could hear was the blower when you got on it. And, I'm pretty sure I'm older than all of you...

Hopefully it'll stay that way - it's going to my son/partner as a college graduation gift. My racing days are over with it.

I get a real kick being at the track and seeing all the trailer queen cars with deafening exhaust running 12's...

Don
 
#11
You know I felt that way back when I purchased the car in '95. I kept telling myself I didn't need nor want a cam, intake, heads etc. But as I got older, couple more cars in the driveway and the monies got longer, I decided that I wanted to take the car to another level. She idles good (thanks to the TwEECer), runs strong and gives me thrills every then and again - no longer a Daily Driver. If it were my Daily Driver, maybe I would not have gone this route. When I want peace and quiet and civility, I drive the "Family Vehicle". Oh all the Mustang's creature comforts still exist and work just as good as the day I bought the car.
 
#12
tmoss said:
Al, I have been wanting to see someone use the 15510 cam in a SN car - maybe it's been done but I don't recall seeing it before. It's an excellent mild cam and with the intake change I think you'll be happy. Please come back to this thread and let us know your impressions..........
Click to expand...

OK, Tom. like you, I've been intrigued by this cam and even tho it's very damned pricey, I decided to get one. I like the stealth aspect.
It should go good w/the mildly ported & port matched aluminum GT-40s, your GT-40 ported lower w/the classic GT-40 upper, equal length 2 1/2" headers w/X-pipe & Borla cat-back and a chip. I've got a lot of mileage & that also supports some restraint.

Should prove a competent street torque monster, but really, all I need to do is keep up w/my son's turbo WRX---and maintain some street civility.
My wife already hates the exhaust drone. She's too damned used to her silent Volvo turbo.
 
#13
tmoss said:
Al, I have been wanting to see someone use the 15510 cam in a SN car - maybe it's been done but I don't recall seeing it before. It's an excellent mild cam and with the intake change I think you'll be happy. Please come back to this thread and let us know your impressions..........
Click to expand...

Quite a few people ask about this cam and whether anyone has used it. I used this cam in a 95 5 speed convertible and didn't pick up any ET over the stock cam with 1.7s. With both cams I managed 13.8 at 103.
I have no dyno specs but it felt torquier in the mid range and the Crower 15510 produced an 80.xx mph trap speed in the 1/8 while the stocker with 1.7s produced a best of 79.xx.
I later added nitrous with the Crower cam and trapped as high as 115. Only activating the nitrous in 2nd gear.
I never considered reinstalling the stock cam and testing it with the nitrous because I figured that the Crower .531 lift was much better suited for nitrous.
My only comparison was NA and I didn't feel any worthwhile improvement.
Even with that said I may try it in my AODE for another comparison. If I do I will post it.
 
#15
thefordkid1 said:
Quite a few people ask about this cam and whether anyone has used it. I used this cam in a 95 5 speed convertible and didn't pick up any ET over the stock cam with 1.7s. With both cams I managed 13.8 at 103.
I have no dyno specs but it felt torquier in the mid range and the Crower 15510 produced an 80.xx mph trap speed in the 1/8 while the stocker with 1.7s produced a best of 79.xx.
I later added nitrous with the Crower cam and trapped as high as 115. Only activating the nitrous in 2nd gear.
I never considered reinstalling the stock cam and testing it with the nitrous because I figured that the Crower .531 lift was much better suited for nitrous.
My only comparison was NA and I didn't feel any wothwhile improvement.
Even with that said I may try it in my AODE for another comparison. If I do I will post it.
Click to expand...

Good info - thanks kid, keep us posted.
 
#16
Several years ago, you heard of more people using that cam but these days, it doesn't come up in discussions much any more :shrug:

The thing is so pricey ......... I mean ...........
For just a bit more, you can go the custom route :eek:

I've always heard good things about that cam :shrug:

Grady
 
#18
if the exhaust is too loud for the stereo just get a louder stereo! ...or a hearing aid....j/k

I'm 22 and still demand to have the creature comforts. I still have air conditioning(not charged right now, but it still works), still have a stock front squishy suspension, and i can still hear the stereo(not the radio cause i tore out the antenna). This car for as long as i own it will have air conditioning, reclining seats, stereo and street manners. I refuse to make this an all out race car.
 
#19
BlackVert said:
i think part of it comes with age; i am 45 years old now and i know that the older i get, the more mild mannered and "civilized" i like my daily driver.

that doesn't mean it has to ride like a caddy.

and there is no question i want to be able stomp on the gas and fly.

it just means i am no longer willing to put up with the loss of the "creature comforts" when i drive my car.
Click to expand...

Age ?? still a young man. At 59 I have a 526rwhp vert. with great driveability. (except mileage:) ) I drive it to work 2 or 3 times a week and back and forth to the strip.:D

Steve
 
#20
Pops Fun said:
Age ?? still a young man. At 59 I have a 526rwhp vert. with great driveability. (except mileage :) ) I drive it to work 2 or 3 times a week and back and forth to the strip.:D

Steve
Click to expand...
lol i meant the desire for a daily driver with decent street manners and the creature comforts may be more a function of age. the emphasis here for me is the daily driver part. i think younger kids are more willing to gut the car and dump the a/c for a few extra tenths at the strip than i would be.

being 46 myself, 59 doesn't seem very old anymore. you are where i plan to be some day; tooling around in a high powered vert with great driveability. but i have to get my kids thru school first. i have 5 more years before my daughter goes off to college ...
 
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