'14 GT Automatic - drag racing results from a few simple mods

OX1

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We're near sea level (under 250') at both of our local tracks. In the spring & fall, the DA ranges from just under sea level to a few hundred feet above sea level. Pretty common to run 300-900' DA.

Summertime DA can get into the 2500' range. In good DA I can run 11.60's all day, while it'll slow down to 11.80's in the middle of summer when temps are in the mid 80's to mid 90's with too much humidity.

OK, thanks. Great times you have with those mods. Always like to try
and compare times and DA's to ATCO where I usually go.

I really need to get a ride with someone who has a converter. I've heard many comments that
streetability is great, but I probably truly won't believe it until I actually had a ride in someone's car :smiley-face-popcorn.
 

skaarlaj

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OK, thanks. Great times you have with those mods. Always like to try
and compare times and DA's to ATCO where I usually go.

I really need to get a ride with someone who has a converter. I've heard many comments that
streetability is great, but I probably truly won't believe it until I actually had a ride in someone's car :smiley-face-popcorn.
The only part that is a little different for me, is when the converter transitions into lock-up at cruise speeds / part throttle, a little bit of a jerk feeling, but I also had my tuning changed to ensure it goes into lock-up very early / easily. Other than that it just makes these cars very quick, but who wants that, hahaha!

Another point is that it's pretty easy to install, and you can always sell it quickly for 800 or so. I have a friend waiting for me to sell my existing 245mm 5c, so I can get a 258mm one in it's place on my car, he'd pay me 900, and I live in Wyoming for crying out loud!!
 
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Five Oh Brian

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Five oh brian, what are you using for wheels / tires at the track these days. I've been using the sve dark-stars with Hoosier quick time pros with pretty good grip, but they're now ruined, and I need a new set of tires for the 15" track rims. I see alot of fast stuff wearing actual radials lately, alot of ET street radial pros, and ET street R's. My bias ply qtp's weren't a handful at all as far as swaying and stuff like that, and since these are going to turn into "track onlys", a full slick doesn't bother me either, unless it's of no advantage over a street legal radial of course.

I have the SVE dark stainless wheels (17x4.5 fronts, 15x10 rears). My favorite tire with the automatic trans is a drag radial and I'm currently running M&H Racemasters (275/60/15's). Car dead hooks every time. 100% stock suspension and it sixties in the 1.59-1.64 range consistently.
 

Five Oh Brian

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Am jealous, I would do long tube headers but NJ inspection is a 50-50 if pass or not. Get wrong guy at inspection station and does his job of a visual inspection and your screwed. Only way to pass then is to take it off. Long tube headers would definitely get me to my goal of 11.9s!

How do you like your challenger?

We are so lucky here in WA that 2009 and newer cars aren't smog tested at all. That's one of the biggest reasons I sold my Vortech supercharged '07 Mustang GT (it wouldn't have passed). These 5.0's love exhaust mods, and long tubes are great from what I can tell, but you can get a lot benefit just going with off road mid pipes.

The Challenger is pretty cool. Big torque down low (475 lb ft), bigger & roomier than the Mustang, looks cool (arguably the best retro design between Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger), and they run mid 12's bone stock. It appears that just a tune & drag radial will get the A8 Scat Packs into the 11.90's. On the flip side, I've noticed some minor quality issues that make me happy that I leased it so I can give it back to Dodge at lease-end if I choose to. My '14 GT has been flawless and will be a keeper forever!
 

Five Oh Brian

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OK, thanks. Great times you have with those mods. Always like to try
and compare times and DA's to ATCO where I usually go.

I really need to get a ride with someone who has a converter. I've heard many comments that
streetability is great, but I probably truly won't believe it until I actually had a ride in someone's car :smiley-face-popcorn.

The street manners truly are great. If you're ever in the Seattle area, look me up and I'll show you. The factories would offer more stall if they didn't have to worry about fuel economy.
 

OX1

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The street manners truly are great. If you're ever in the Seattle area, look me up and I'll show you. The factories would offer more stall if they didn't have to worry about fuel economy.

So I didn't hack your thread, I had PM'd a couple people about them.
Sounds like Mike R (and maybe others) have the tune dialed in well for lockup
that keeps drivability, when you are not hammering it, close to stock.
 

Five Oh Brian

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Ever?? Did that originate in Cali? Hope so, as Jersey loves to adopt Cali
smog crap and for once this one could help.

Yes, WA adopted CA emissions for 2009. New cars sold in WA since 2009 never have to have emission testing done since CA emissions are so stringent. Many Ford vehicles are becoming "50 state" emissions so that they don't have to meet separate standards. Hopefully that simplifies things, rendering emission testing obsolete soon.
 

Five Oh Brian

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So I didn't hack your thread, I had PM'd a couple people about them.
Sounds like Mike R (and maybe others) have the tune dialed in well for lockup
that keeps drivability, when you are not hammering it, close to stock.

Agreed. Tuners are perfecting lockup (at WOT and cruising speed) to maximize acceleration and drivability. Shift quality seems to be the hardest part to dial in. Bama did a horrible job for me a couple years ago in that respect, so I turned to Mike Rousch, who did a very good job.
 

2011/5.0

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Agreed. Tuners are perfecting lockup (at WOT and cruising speed) to maximize acceleration and drivability. Shift quality seems to be the hardest part to dial in. Bama did a horrible job for me a couple years ago in that respect, so I turned to Mike Rousch, who did a very good job.
Mike is really good with the stalled 5.0
But at times I've heard he may be overwhelmed with work
I personally run his tune and have had no problems with getting in touch with him

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 

Five Oh Brian

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Mike is really good with the stalled 5.0
But at times I've heard he may be overwhelmed with work
I personally run his tune and have had no problems with getting in touch with him

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

I've heard that he's hard to reach, as well, but I've always gotten prompt responses from Mike.
 

dre256

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Less than 2,000 built in 2014. Many people didn't even know the glass roof was even a factory option!

I really wanted the glass roof! But how ford optioned it's cars I couldn't order it on the base, only premium. I couldn't afford tacking on premium package for glass roof, as I needed then heated seats too! I hate leather seats without the heaters. In 2012 when I ordered my 2013 I was told if I did swing it and got glass roof it was 12 week delay on top of build. As think roofs came from Australia I want to say? Would be 20-24 weeks before got the car.
 

skaarlaj

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I have the SVE dark stainless wheels (17x4.5 fronts, 15x10 rears). My favorite tire with the automatic trans is a drag radial and I'm currently running M&H Racemasters (275/60/15's). Car dead hooks every time. 100% stock suspension and it sixties in the 1.59-1.64 range consistently.
Right on Brian, I appreciate you guys and you sharing your experiences, otherwise I'd probably still be looking into a bias ply slick. I see they make an M&H drag radial in size 325/60/15, do you think there would be any fitment issues going that big? here's the tire https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mnh-rod17/overview/, but damn, that's expensive lol!
 

STEVEB

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Our cars are a rare breed. Less than 2,000 built in 2014. Many people didn't even know the glass roof was even a factory option!

I didn't realize they are that rare, I wasn't sure about it, but I love it for the extra head room (I'm 6'7) so it helps!! LOL. I just swapped out the rear lower control arms and added relocation brackets, Also swapped on new wheels from Ford Performance along with a set of M/T UHP tires, The factory tires were worn out and two of the wheels were damaged when I bought the car last year.
 

Five Oh Brian

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enhance
 

Five Oh Brian

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No new mods to report on. I didn't change anything on the car since last season. Just content to keep running 11.50's and 11.60's with the car and not worry about needing a rollbar.

The picture above was taken a couple weeks ago at Pacific Raceways. Ran a pair of 11.57's that day in 900' of DA (density altitude). Last week in 1600' of DA yielded a best of 11.68. Summertime racing slows the car down. I believe the car will go 11.40's in the fall if we can get weather with negative DA.

Car has been super consistent, typically ranging just one tenth of a second between the best & worst passes on any given race day. Now just working on keeping reaction times starting with a zero. Most importantly, having a lot of fun racing.
 

Five Oh Brian

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Went to Pacific Raceways last night. DA at 1400-1500' above sea level. Only made 3 passes in my car, but very consistent: 11.63, 11.64, and 11.65. Recalculated for the DA puts the car squarely in the 11.40's in better weather so I'm anxiously awaiting that cool fall air!

On a side note, I made 3 passes in a friend's brand new 2017 Mustang GT/CS automatic. I've never driven a 2015+ Mustang except in a parking lot - LOL - so I was happy to see how it would go for me. Factory stock on factory all season tires. My friend has never drag raced and asked me to get him a 12 second timeslip. I dropped the rear tires to 20 psi. Factory line lock works well, and I did a nice smoky burnout. Staged and ran a 12.87 @ 109 mph. Backed it up with a 12.84 pass. 3rd run I had some issues with the line lock timing and didn't get enough heat in the tires. Ran a 12.95. I forgot how crappy the stock torque converter is in a 6R80. 60' times ranged from 1.98 to 2.02. My friend isn't ready to commit to a Circle-D converter yet, but he sees what it does for my '14 GT.

Our two 5.0's certainly led the way last night. The other late model Mustangs at the track were stuck in the 13's and 14's. Various mods (CAI's, exhaust, etc.) and none of them could get into the 12's last night! Makes me feel great about getting my buddy's '17 solidly into the 12's each pass and my consistent 11.60's!
 

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