Taxman's 07 GT Convertible build thread

[Taxman]

I've been working on this off and on over the winter leading up to me finally joining the ranks of the blown mustangs.
I started with mostly appearance mods because this is my daily. I only did modest performance mods initially... now I want it all.
One thing I'm most proud of is the only thing I paid someone else to do is my gears, paint work, and my hood pins. Everything else, I've got my hands dirty and did it myself... either with a buddy guiding me or paging through the instructions from this and other forums or from AM.

First a couple of pics of her the day I got her (came with rims, lowered, Magnaflow axlebacks):

Marking it as mine:

Here's a list of mods as it stands right now:

Zoom Zooms:
C&L Street Cold Air Intake, MAC Long tube headers, O/R Prochamber, MAC axle backs, Ford Racing 3:73 gears, FRPP M-5300 K springs, J&M Adj. Panhard Bar, SCT3 Tuner with Bama 93 Tune, Hurst Billet Competition shifter, Steeda CMDP's, BBK 62mm Throttle body, Racecraft N2 struts and shocks, GT500 strut mounts, GT500 control arms, Steeda X5 ball joints, J&M Lower control arms w/ relocation brackets, BMR Camber bolts...

Wham Whams:
Functional Ram-air fiberglass hood, Agent 47 mirrors, Lowered 1.5", 20" Zenetti Throw Back's, Carbon fiber interior trim, Kenwood Excelon in-dash Nav/CD/DVD player, Smoked headlights w/ 4300 HID's, Clear smoked turn signals, 2010 style smoked taillights with sequential wiring, Powder coated Hood pins, bullit fuel door, Convertible styling bar, radiator cover extenders, battery and master cylinder covers, Plenum cover, Fuse box cover, Painted brake calipers, Strut tower brace, moroso aluminum expansion tank and power steering tank, yellow door piping, Black and yellow sickspeed shift knob, black billet upper & lower front grilles with hidden fog lights, HID fogs, GT500 front air dam, powder coated cam covers, 2011 GT Premium steering wheel...


Going to work on it:
No Pics of it, but the first mod was 3:73 gears
then it was some appearance and a little performance:
cracked vinyl stripes taken off and Agent 47 mirrors added

Shaved the emblems and added a shorty antenna to get rid of the stock fishing pole

CAI and a little engine dress up

New stereo:

Next was the new hood:

new head lights (yeah I know you fucking hate them)

Painting the calipers yellow:

BEST MOD EVER:

New CAI and some more yellow accents:

Every convertible needs the styling bar

Added a Hurst:

 

[Taxman]

swapped the stock gauges for a mycolor cluster:

Did some more work in the engine bay

painted the covers black and added fuel rail covers

Working on the interior trying to add the color scheme that I'm looking for:

Hated the GT spoiler, switched to the pony package spoiler and added a billet fuel door

Dumbass that had it before me lowered it without an adjustable panhard bar... here's a J&M one fixing that problem:

Threw on some 2010 style smoked tail lights and painted rear emblem (thank you Krylon)

Added an Eleanor grille, but I didn't love it. Switched to a billet grille a month ago with hidden fog lamps

now

added a GT500 front splitter

Matte Black stripes going on:

cutting a pattern for the scoop

finished product

 

[Taxman]

Dyno Day: 291rwhp/306 torque

First track day ran a best of [email protected]... this is me beating a 2010 GT with cams (pissed him off)
John & Jaye RKC - YouTube

and now I'm fucking bit with the power bug. Vortech V3 going on this spring!!!


Added a BBK 62mm throttle body

Threw in some Steeda CMDP's

Had my plenum cover trimmed and painted along with the fuse box cover.

Had my cam covers powder coated and I put them on

Bought some billet vents.

Did a steering wheel and airbag cover swap:
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Swapped out my halos for some HID's with smoked housings.

Long tube headers and o/r prochamber installed:

Exhaust video


New shoes:

Went to the first DFW Charity Racing car show of the year. I entered just for the heck of it. Got First in class and there were quite a few nice cars in my class.

 

[Taxman]

Weekend work:
JLT oil separator:

Cervini's chin replacing my GT500 chin that was jacked:

and today I did Lower control arms with relocation brackets:

Racecraft N2 Struts and shocks with GT500 strut mounts.

Installed GT500 lower control arms, Steeda X5 ball joints, BMR camber bolts, and Moog tie rod ends. Done with the front end for now.

 

[MindIfISmoke?]

Sub'd! Now put that damn blower on!

 

[Taxman]

How it sat as of 4/7/12:

 

[Taxman]

Sub'd! Now put that damn blower on!

Two weeks man and I'll be doing it.

 

[keoni1984]

Looks good!

 

[Agent007]

have you dyno'd it since the header/cmdp install? interested in the gains there.

 

[Taxman]

have you dyno'd it since the header/cmdp install? interested in the gains there.

I haven't had a chance to. Got super busy with Tax season. I want to get to a Dyno day somewhere before I put the vortech on, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to.

 

[Taxman]

I installed a set of fuel rails that I had powder coated

 

[Mike K]

Looking good!

 

[JCCNY]

Wow, a lot of nice customization there. Any plans for the seats?

 

[Taxman]

Wow, a lot of nice customization there. Any plans for the seats?

Yeah I've had the seat covers made... they'll be installed this week.

 

[yur2slo]

i dig the trim around the door panel insert. what is that

 

[cwhit23]

Excellent build, A little too much yellow going on for my taste but over all I really like it. Nice job!

 

[Stage1]

Taxman your car look fantastic.. Great Build..

 

[mikeyfitz]

As I said over on MM, texts, everything. Your car is fucking sick. One of the only verts I like.

We got damn good timing for boost hahah

 

[Fullboogie]

Taxman - you are detail OCD like me, and I think you have one of the most nicely executed GT's I've ever seen. Your hard work really shows. Excellent car, man.

 

[Taxman]

i dig the trim around the door panel insert. what is that

Welting from mrmikes.com

Excellent build, A little too much yellow going on for my taste but over all I really like it. Nice job!

Yeah yellow ain't for everyone. Thanks though!

Taxman your car look fantastic.. Great Build..

Thanks

As I said over on MM, texts, everything. Your car is fucking sick. One of the only verts I like.

We got damn good timing for boost hahah

Yeah we've got good timing bud.

Taxman - you are detail OCD like me, and I think you have one of the most nicely executed GT's I've ever seen. Your hard work really shows. Excellent car, man.

Thanks a lot man. I really appreciate it. I spend a lot of time just thinking about each thing I do, and try to stay on my long term plan. I'm really looking forward to these next few weeks. I'm adding boost and a Saleen rear to her. I'm really excited about doing it. This will be my first blower install. I think I'm ready.