My best ET, what next?

[Joe Fan]

I took my new 2007 Mustang GT (automatic) out to the drag strip this past week with no prior drag racing experience (other than the street variety). I ran consistent 13.8s and 13.9s the first day and 13.9s and low 14.0s in the second outing. The track seemed kind of slippery at night and the weather was kind of humid both days 50-69% in Kansas City).

My car ran better than another 2005+ Mustang GT that was out there and it was faster than about every car I raced (2005+ Pontiac GTO, Z28 Camaros, other Mustangs, etc.) that didn't sound heavily moded. I think my car is capable of mid to low 13s with good track and weather conditions. Most of the drivers out there told me the first day that they were running three tenths of a second off their best ETs.

So what do I need to do next?

Here are my mods to an otherwise bone stock GT and 1800+ miles on it:

Shaker Hood Scoop system
Superchips 91 Octane tune
Corsa Axel-Back performance exhaust


In two outings with the car (21 runs) on stock Pirelli street radials, 17 inch factory wheels and with rear tire removed from trunk (which I weighed at 31lbs), here were my times:

Best 1/4 mile: 13.867 seconds
Best trap speed: 100.50 MPH

Best 60 foot time: 2.157 seconds
Best 1/8 mile time: 8.998 seconds
Best 1/8 mile MPH: 80.43 MPH
Best 1000 foot time: 11.663 seconds

My Best Reaction Time: .001 (No BS! See the timeslips in my photo section of the link below)

http://www.theautolog.com/profile.php?member=MachMichael&vehicle=2862

Overall, I think I need to do something with the car to make it launch better and get better 60 foot times. My car is kind of quiet starting out but really sounds and feels great after that. Going from 1st to 2nd gear, I can really feel the power kick in and the tires squeel changing gears. I know I will have to eventually have to get drag radials to eek out of the car for that track since it so so slippery.

 

[kooldawg6]

You're 13.8s and 13.9s sound about right for a stock auto. I was reading an ad in a MM&FF where the Gliddens(Bob & Billy)added a CAI & Tuner and got one down from 14 to 13.5 with nothing else.

I never raced mine in stock trim, but have since modding it(see sig). I would say your best reduction will come from a CAI & tuner package. That will boost your HP by at least 20+ and will give your car incredible throttle response! Here is a video of mine at the track a few weeks ago(due to messed up baffles in my Flows, I was running the factory mufflers that day). 3 of my 4 runs were 13.3s@104+ with 1 being 13.4@103+. My 1/8 mile times were all 8.60s@82+. All my 60' times were 2.03s-2.05s. Reaction times varied from .1-.5, but that will not affect your ET at all(ET does not start until you start moving)...only who gets to the finish line first possibly.

P.S. I removed absolutely no extra weight from my car...even had my son's car seat still in the back!
View attachment 386084

 

[Joe Fan]

Thanks Kooldawg. You've always been a big help to me on these forums and it is very much appreciated .

I may be wrong but I think I read in Car & Driver that they turned a 13.5 or 13.6 in their test with a 2005 Mustang GT automatic. But the 2005s GT had better gears I think than the 2007s do.

Some guy on Youtube did 12.95 with an automatic and he has stock 3.31 gears but C&L CAI, Brenspeed tune, BMR LCAs, front swaybar delete, Corsa axle-backs, and Pypes off-road H-pipe. And he had street radials. I e-mailed him and he said the Brenspeed tune and C&L CAI made the most difference in lowering his quarter mile time. See: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ShpidY2D94

But that looks like a better track (an NHRA one) than I run on at (Kansas City International Raceway--an NHRA track from the late 60s to 80s).

I have heard similar success stories with C&L CAIs. I have great throttle response now but it doesn't seem to really kick in until I move up close to second gear. Then the car seems to become another animal. Man, will it ever get up and go after that. Great feeling.

Based upon my car's weight with driver, my best trap speed and best ET, I estimated from a Horsepower predicting website that I am making 324-344 FWHP and about 280 RWHP with my minor mods (Corsa A/B exhaust, Superchips 91 octane tune and Shaker hood). That is about right based upon manufacturer claims for the mods. I think my mods should have clipped about .3 of my quarter from stock setup. So I thought I should be able to run 13.3s but the track conditon and weather plays a big part in all of this.

On that track I run at, I really think the next easiest thing to do would be adding Mickey Thompson drag radials. That should cut my quarter mile time 0.2-.5 from what I have read and heard anectdotally from others who raced at my same track.

 

[kooldawg6]

I'm glad Im able to help somebody out here on :SNSign: I know there have been several that have helped me out as well. I haven't had my car dyno'd yet, but Hypertech baselined an automatic at 258 HP@5400 RPM and 263 Lb-Ft@4700 RPM. So that would make 280 RWHP very reasonable with your mods. I know that a CAI swap would give you a bigger boost in power to just the Shaker(I believe the C&L CAI will hook up to the Shaker). With that and a retune you'd probably be up around 290 RWHP.
One thing I've noticed in the SCT tune is that when I have my rev limiter set to 6800 RPM... This thing hits 6000 RPM and it feels like afterburners kick in!!!!! My next steps(when I can afford them)are going to be DRs, UDPs and aluminum DS. I feel very confident that with those mods I should be running solidly in the 12s(12.7-12.8s or better?) I know the DRs could help knocking a few tenths off the 60' times which alone could get me really close to 12s, then freeing up some HP should knock about the same off as well. Another huge improvement would come from an aftermarket stall converter, but I'm nowhere near ready to take that plunge on my daily driver I'm still making payments on!
The track I ran at still is a NHRA track. It's been 7 years since I've drag raced at a track and to me the traction off the line was VERY good! I know on the street, my car will spin all the way through first and turn the tires over pretty good in second, but there(watched my vid several times)I only had moderate tire spin on the launches(I was even taching up near 1700-1800 RPM). So I agree with you on a set of DRs.
Good luck and keep me/us posted on your progress.

 

[Joe Fan]

I lowered my 1/4 mile time tonight to 13.740 and set a new high trap speed of 101.48 mph. I had 38 psi in the front and 32.5 psi in the rears of my stock street Pirelli radials.

 

[kooldawg6]

Good job! You've knocked a few 10ths off your previous times. However it is hard to gauge your potential not knowing what your 60' time was on that run I would imagine you might be able to run some 13.5-13.6s if you can get your 60' times around 2.00. Good luck at the track!

 

[Joe Fan]

I hooked up real good on that run for some reason. The 60 foot sensor wasn't working in the left lane all night. I ran higher than normal trap speeds all night so I believe that I could have slipped into the 13.6 range with more attempts in daylight hours. I just don't run as well at night as I do in daylight. The track seems more slippery at night on street radials. I ran against a 2001 Bullitt Mustang and he beat me by 0.056 seconds (14.089 vs 13.875) even though I had a .105 second better reaction time (0.046 vs .151) and a better trap speed (101.33 vs. 101.11). I think I just spun too much out of the chute against him.

 

[kooldawg6]

Was the session you attended test and tune or heads up? If it was test and tune, reaction time is meaningless on the ET outcome. Your clock will not start until you break the beam, not as soon as the light goes green.

 

[Joe Fan]

Was the session you attended test and tune or heads up? If it was test and tune, reaction time is meaningless on the ET outcome. Your clock will not start until you break the beam, not as soon as the light goes green.

It's heads up "Grudge Racing Night" but some are there just to test and tune for points drag racing events they have there every month.