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  • 2005 - 2014 S-197 Mustang -General/Talk-
  • 2005 - 2009 Specific Tech

First 5 mods

  • Thread starter Thread starter DoublL
  • Start date Start date Oct 10, 2007
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anticubicle

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Jul 30, 2007
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Oct 12, 2007
#21
  • Oct 12, 2007
  • #21
PLEASE do NOT waste your $$$ on headers as one of your top 5 mods.

1. Cold Air Intake + Tune
2. 4.10's
3. Drag Radials (Mickeys)
4. UDP's
5. Mid-Pipe

After that you'd likely wan't to go for the following...

6. Shifter
7. Lower Control Arms
8. Adjustable Upper Control Arm

With good driving and decent weather you'll see yourself in the 12's easily. Headers on N/A S197's are seriously a waste.
 

DoublL

New Member
Oct 10, 2007
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Oct 13, 2007
#22
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #22
so what would be the difference in getting a CAI and tune, and getting a non tune CAI and buying something like a diablo chip later on down the road? also why do the lower control arms make such a huge difference on these cars?
 
A

anticubicle

New Member
Jul 30, 2007
268
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Oct 13, 2007
#23
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #23
DoublL said:
so what would be the difference in getting a CAI and tune, and getting a non tune CAI and buying something like a diablo chip later on down the road? also why do the lower control arms make such a huge difference on these cars?
Click to expand...

About to head out to the Ford Power Festival so I'll answer quick LOL


If you're going to get a CAI you will need a tune. There are some kits out there that do not require a tune when installed however they may not give you power gains that you'd see from the JLT, Steeda or C&L kits. You can buy a combo Intake+Tuner at a good price. I'd also consider getting an email tune. If you go Predator, go with an email tune from Scott Beer @ D'Agostino Racing (he's DiabloSport's former head tuner and a tuning god in South Florida). If you go with SCT, get a Brenspeed tune.

Control arms on the S197 will help lower your 60'. They reduce wheel hop and other traction related mishaps. Keep in mind, for an ET car your 60' is where it's at. When you start launching at 5K on Mickeys you're going to want that extra support & strength that the LCA's provide.

Well, gotta go!!! Hope that helped.
 
M

MikeysOTP

New Member
Mar 29, 2007
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Oct 13, 2007
#24
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #24
DoublL said:
so what would be the difference in getting a CAI and tune, and getting a non tune CAI and buying something like a diablo chip later on down the road? also why do the lower control arms make such a huge difference on these cars?
Click to expand...

I don't want to start a big controversy here but MOST people will agree that if you are trying to save some cash by getting either a tune or a CAI then you should go with the tune first. I think it is by far the biggest gain you are going to get as far as the bolt-ons and relatively inexpensive mods go. Unless of course you consider a twin screw supercharger a bolt-on
 

kooldawg6

mine works really well and can take a fair amount
Aug 31, 2006
1,679
2
38
Central VA
Oct 13, 2007
#25
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #25
MikeysOTP said:
I don't want to start a big controversy here but MOST people will agree that if you are trying to save some cash by getting either a tune or a CAI then you should go with the tune first. I think it is by far the biggest gain you are going to get as far as the bolt-ons and relatively inexpensive mods go. Unless of course you consider a twin screw supercharger a bolt-on
Click to expand...

+1!
The money saved on the CAI could cover items such as LCAs, UDPs, springs, catless mid pipe, etc.
 
A

anticubicle

New Member
Jul 30, 2007
268
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Oct 13, 2007
#26
  • Oct 13, 2007
  • #26
These cars still benefit from the CAI, not only in the HP/TQ gains but also throttle response.
 

Five Oh Brian

Member
Jun 13, 2007
552
1
16
Pacific Northwest
Oct 14, 2007
#27
  • Oct 14, 2007
  • #27
kooldawg6 said:
Have you reduced the car weight at all for your track days? If not, taking out the pass and rear seat along with the spare and jack can do good things towards getting into the 12s.
Click to expand...

I only take out stuff that requires no tools: spare tire, jack, trunk liner, rear seat bottom, and 1/4 tank of gas tops. As desperate as I am to run 12.99 or better, I like knowing I can do it without really stripping my car down. Guess that means I need more hp to get into the 12's.
 

kooldawg6

mine works really well and can take a fair amount
Aug 31, 2006
1,679
2
38
Central VA
Oct 14, 2007
#28
  • Oct 14, 2007
  • #28
Five Oh Brian said:
I only take out stuff that requires no tools: spare tire, jack, trunk liner, rear seat bottom, and 1/4 tank of gas tops. As desperate as I am to run 12.99 or better, I like knowing I can do it without really stripping my car down. Guess that means I need more hp to get into the 12's.
Click to expand...

spyder7724 ran 12.09@114 with less than 300 RWHP in his auto. That is simply awesome!!!!! Still a full second quicker than me! Of course he does some track only tricks to achieve that, but still runs low 12s without doing the tricks
 
A

anticubicle

New Member
Jul 30, 2007
268
0
0
Oct 15, 2007
#29
  • Oct 15, 2007
  • #29
kooldawg6 said:
spyder7724 ran 12.09@114 with less than 300 RWHP in his auto. That is simply awesome!!!!! Still a full second quicker than me! Of course he does some track only tricks to achieve that, but still runs low 12s without doing the tricks
Click to expand...

Was he using that stupid azz DA correction formula or was that the actual time on his timeslip?
 

kooldawg6

mine works really well and can take a fair amount
Aug 31, 2006
1,679
2
38
Central VA
Oct 15, 2007
#30
  • Oct 15, 2007
  • #30
anticubicle said:
Was he using that stupid azz DA correction formula or was that the actual time on his timeslip?
Click to expand...

That is actual timeslip. At the last drag day our Mustang Club had I personaly saw him run 12.14@114. I didn't see any of his slips, but on that run he had a 1.70 60' time as that is also displayed on the scoring boards before you trip the final beam.

Here is a post by spyder7724 from elsewhere on the net back on 9/17/07...

it's true i don't like how heavy these cars are but i still haven't cut the car.
i did remove the front seats and replace with one butler built aluinum seat and of course the spare is out too but my car still weighs in at 3320# w/o me and 3550 w/my fat ass...you do the math on that one
mods that count:
SPYDERSHAFT
thats it
really i don't have anything crazy just a bunch of bolt ons and i constantly tweak on it looking for a couple hundreths here and there.
TCI converter 3800+stall
4.30 gears
bogarts &m/t's
hooker L/T's o/r h-pipe stock mufflers
SCT tune
steeda 80mm cai
march fluidamper lower pulley
e-w/p
cmcv deletes with port matched intake manifold
strange struts with coilovers and rear shocks
J&M LCAs
LRP bite bars (soon to be released)

removing the belt was the ringer cause i ran 12.35 at 107 on the first run and after removing the belt it went 12.22 @ 112.8 !!
the last run i just let it cool down for 1.5 hours and tweaked a few things and it surprised even me.
here's the stats
my car dyno'd at 296hp on a dyno jet at excessive motorsports in No.VA
and 281hp by woodbine motorsports here in MD on a mustang dyno
run stats:
r/t .016
60' 1.688
330 4.964
1/8 7.726
mph 87.83 1/8th
1000' 10.131
1/4 12.155
mph 111.27

i think that answers all of the questions
i'll be at mason dixon dragway on sunday for the mustang clubs track rental and hopefully with some better weather i can lower it a bit more.

i still get 17.1 mpg and it cruises great with the stock tune even though the convereter is loose. the lockup and overdrive are great features that allow you to be very aggressive with converter and gearing and still have a daily driver.
 
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