Stuff I wish I would have added years ago - 2014 GT

DudeStang

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I don't know if I could call this a build thread because the modding has been fairly limited on my 2014 GT and even though I bought the car seven years ago and should have done this sooner, I thought it would be nice to have a thread on this car, tracking some of my updates, ramblings, etc.

Long story short - bought my 2014 GT (base model, black, 6M) brand new back in summer 2014. I had wanted a Mustang of my own for years and even more so when I heard that Ford was bringing back the 5.0. When I moved from NYC to the DMV area, I was finally able to justify buying a car again.

Here's the car the first week or so that I picked it up:
IMG_20140706_104811.jpg

And here's pretty much how it looks currently:
IMG-8218.jpg

I've done some mods over the years but nothing too crazy. Exterior additions - MMD ducktail spoiler, 19 inch track pack wheels, window tint, and Saleen hash stripes (a friend of mine who really got me into Mustangs years back had these stripes on his black Fox Mustang and I always loved the look). I can appreciate some of the more wild Mustang builds but for my cars, I prefer a mostly stock look with subtle changes/updates.

I've upgraded some suspension components to make the car's stance a little bit more visually appealing, and to make the car handle better. List so far includes Koni orange shocks & struts, Roush lowering springs in front, SR springs in rear, J&M caster camber plates, Whiteline panhard rod, Whiteline rear LCAs, and relocation brackets. I also have Steeda low profile jacking rails, which have been a godsend when wrenching in the garage the last few years.

I added Roush axle backs for better sound, which I had on the car until last year. I loved that sound but eventually got tired of the drone. I tried a set of generic axle backs I found for cheap, went back to stock, and eventually switched to the GT500 ABs. I recently added the LTH over-the-axle pipes and I'm pretty happy with the sound on that setup.

My most recent additions are probably the two things I wish I would have thought to install a few years ago - the Blowfish Racing shifter bracket and the Ford Performance Track Cal.
E4RamNLXwA0vtJ7.jpg
IMG-2883.jpg

On the shifter note, I've tried the Barton bracket, the Barton shifter + Barton bracket, the Steeda shifter + Barton bracket, and the stock shifter with a weighted shift knob. I currently have the Blowfish bracket with the stock shifter and the weighted shift knob. This setup has been the best I've experienced so far. The Blowfish setup makes the shifting feel a lot more smooth and the increase in NVH was noticeable at first but not bothersome. It also looks pretty cool on the car but obviously not something you see very often.

This weekend I added the Ford Performance Track Cal. The install was fairly quick and once I got the car out for a drive, the changes were noticeable. I also dig the lopey cam idle, even if it feels a little bit gimmicky. I finished a video last night with a bit on the install and my first impressions.

Anyways, all this just to say that after seven years, I'm still happy with the car. I still love the way it looks and love the way it drives, even more so with the most recent additions. There are a few small things I'd still like to do and I go back and forth every few months on whether I want to do anything crazy like throw a supercharger or turbo on it but I'm going to do my best to enjoy and appreciate the car as it sits now and we'll see what happens.

Edit: mods, feel free to move this to pics and videos, or another sub-forum if this isn't the right spot. Thanks.
 

skwerl

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All that time, effort and money buying and swapping shifter parts instead of just buying the best damn shifter on the market.

I bought my 2014 Mustang in Augusta, GA which is about 20 miles away from MGW. I drove my new car off the lot, went straight to MGW to pick up my new shifter, returned to the dealership to load up the car on my trailer, and then towed it home to Orlando. I swapped the shifter out 2 days later so I only had less than 100 miles on the stock shifter. I was already sold on MGW based on how it worked on my 2009 Bullitt.

You can keep your Barton, your weighted shift knob and you can especially keep your Blowfish bracket (I was one of the original 100 buyers). Screw that vibrating POS. I had it on my 2009 for all of 2 weeks before removing it and reselling it. I crack up every time I read another version of somebody unhappy with their shifter but they think the MGW is too expensive.
 

oldVOR

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+1 on the MGW
As Brian noted, they are the best, by far, for the S197 w/MT82
I had the Barton and it vibrated, added the BlowFish later and it vibrated more. Scrapped all that and added an MGW Race Spec shifter that had the same or better NVH than stock and shifted better than any shifter I've used on the MT82.
 

DudeStang

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All that time, effort and money buying and swapping shifter parts instead of just buying the best damn shifter on the market.

I bought my 2014 Mustang in Augusta, GA which is about 20 miles away from MGW. I drove my new car off the lot, went straight to MGW to pick up my new shifter, returned to the dealership to load up the car on my trailer, and then towed it home to Orlando. I swapped the shifter out 2 days later so I only had less than 100 miles on the stock shifter. I was already sold on MGW based on how it worked on my 2009 Bullitt.

You can keep your Barton, your weighted shift knob and you can especially keep your Blowfish bracket (I was one of the original 100 buyers). Screw that vibrating POS. I had it on my 2009 for all of 2 weeks before removing it and reselling it. I crack up every time I read another version of somebody unhappy with their shifter but they think the MGW is too expensive.

I never said anything about the MGW being too expensive (or anything at all about the MGW). I did say that I'm happy with my current setup though.

Part of the reason I bought the Blowfish bracket is because the factory shifter bracket bolts sheered off on my car last year. Even though I had that fixed by Ford, I still wanted to remove that failure point. The fact that I enjoy the way the car feels with that bracket is an added bonus.

I don't consider the time/money spent on trying different shifter setups a waste. I like to try things out for myself and decide. I sold the Barton shifter and bracket and recouped most of my money spent. If I ever drive a car with an MGW and I like it better than my current setup, perhaps I'll consider that option.
 

DudeStang

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+1 on the MGW
As Brian noted, they are the best, by far, for the S197 w/MT82
I had the Barton and it vibrated, added the BlowFish later and it vibrated more. Scrapped all that and added an MGW Race Spec shifter that had the same or better NVH than stock and shifted better than any shifter I've used on the MT82.
I didn't mind the Barton at first but eventually got tired of how notchy it was and decided to try other setups. I sold the Barton before I ever bought the Blowfish bracket. Maybe I'll eventually give the MGW a try but for now, I'm happy with the combination I have.
 

Norm Peterson

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I didn't mind the Barton at first but eventually got tired of how notchy it was and decided to try other setups. I sold the Barton before I ever bought the Blowfish bracket. Maybe I'll eventually give the MGW a try but for now, I'm happy with the combination I have.
In general, shortening up the shift throws increases whatever tendency for notchiness already exists.

For my '08 GT I went straight to MGW and started out at its longest throw (because I had a fair idea about this particular downside).

Shift action was way too notchy for me (I don't ever shift like a drag racer), so I added a shift lever extension to lengthen the throw (and improve the mechanical advantage). My car was a dual purpose DD/track toy at the time, so I wasn't much concerned about appearance. Worked just fine, nice easy throws, closer to the steering wheel, and the extra throw was essentially unnoticeable.

MGW's, mine, Ford's,.jpg

Modified shift lever (extended with the metal bits covered).JPG



Norm
 

Norm Peterson

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I don't know if I could call this a build thread because the modding has been fairly limited on my 2014 GT and even though I bought the car seven years ago and should have done this sooner, I thought it would be nice to have a thread on this car, tracking some of my updates, ramblings, etc.
FWIW, build threads can be as simple and summarized or as detailed and extensive as you care to make them.

In the latter case, it's probably best for follow-on posts to stick to a single modification or topic.


Norm
 

LarryJM

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This weekend I added the Ford Performance Track Cal. The install was fairly quick and once I got the car out for a drive, the changes were noticeable. I also dig the lopey cam idle, even if it feels a little bit gimmicky. I finished a video last night with a bit on the install and my first impressions.

Anyways, all this just to say that after seven years, I'm still happy with the car. I still love the way it looks and love the way it drives, even more so with the most recent additions. There are a few small things I'd still like to do and I go back and forth every few months on whether I want to do anything crazy like throw a supercharger or turbo on it but I'm going to do my best to enjoy and appreciate the car as it sits now and we'll see what happens.

Edit: mods, feel free to move this to pics and videos, or another sub-forum if this isn't the right spot. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

I have seen two prices for this Track Cal. One about $550 and the other about $350. At one time, you got a red key to activate the Track Cal. Now you get it period and you can turn off the lope idle at startup. I kind of wish it was the other way around. That is, turning on the lope idle at startup. In any event, there are big claims for improved low end at just off idle. How does this stack up with standard aftermarket tunes?
 

Norm Peterson

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I think that in general, Ford Racing/Ford Performance tunes are going to be more thoroughly developed and for a wider range of driving needs. I know that the FRPP tune I have in my '08 was developed by many of the same people who developed the production calibration.

Odd thing, or maybe not such an odd thing, the 2008 FRPP calibration made the same claims for HP and torque that ended up being advertised for the 2010 production tune (and, I think, the 2008-2009 Bullitt as well).


Norm
 

DudeStang

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I have seen two prices for this Track Cal. One about $550 and the other about $350. At one time, you got a red key to activate the Track Cal. Now you get it period and you can turn off the lope idle at startup. I kind of wish it was the other way around. That is, turning on the lope idle at startup. In any event, there are big claims for improved low end at just off idle. How does this stack up with standard aftermarket tunes?

I thought the key option was only for the Boss 302 but maybe I was mistaken. There's also a "performance cal" which is apparently the same tune as I got with the track cal but without the lopey cam idle (and launch control I think).
 

crjackson

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I thought the key option was only for the Boss 302 but maybe I was mistaken.

You’re not mistaken, it was available for the Boss 302, and 2014 Track-Pack cars (Probably 2013 TP cars too, but I’m not sure on that one).

The Boss 302 / Track-Pack PCM has a second SPI storage area that allows storage of a second tune. This second SPI stored tune is accessed by the Red Track Key.

The same tune is/was available with the ProCal, but you would have to load only one tune at a time, because other PCM/ECU didn’t have a secondary SPIFlash to load an alternative tune.
 
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LarryJM

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You’re not mistaken, it was available for the Boss 302, and 2014 Track-Pack cars (Probably 2013 TP cars too, but I’m not sure on that one).

The Boss 302 / Track-Pack PCM has a second SPI storage area that allows storage of a second tune. This second SPI stored tune is accessed by the Red Track Key.

The same tune is/was available with the ProCal, but you would have to load only one tune at a time, because other PCM/ECU didn’t have a secondary SPIFlash to load an alternative tune.
Red Keys were available for standard 2014's for about 3 months. They stopped because of a equipment change at the dealerships. Now the PCM had to sent in to Ford for programing. My PCM in my Aug 2013 built Base 2014 is a Boss PCM by the Hollander Index. I also think the motor is a Boss with a standard intake but that is another story. One I can prove and the other I can not. The car sat at the dealership until Feb 2014 when I saw it. By Feb 28, they sold it to me for $27,000 out the door with no money down. Sticker said $33,500 with electric seat option. Not the best deal ever but also not a sticker of $53,000 and out the door price of $60,000 these days.
IM8.JPG
 
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86GT351

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This weekend I added the Ford Performance Track Cal. The install was fairly quick and once I got the car out for a drive, the changes were noticeable. I also dig the lopey cam idle, even if it feels a little bit gimmicky. I finished a video last night with a bit on the install and my first impressions.

Anyways, all this just to say that after seven years, I'm still happy with the car. I still love the way it looks and love the way it drives, even more so with the most recent additions. There are a few small things I'd still like to do and I go back and forth every few months on whether I want to do anything crazy like throw a supercharger or turbo on it but I'm going to do my best to enjoy and appreciate the car as it sits now and we'll see what happens.

Edit: mods, feel free to move this to pics and videos, or another sub-forum if this isn't the right spot. Thanks.

I have seen two prices for this Track Cal. One about $550 and the other about $350. At one time, you got a red key to activate the Track Cal. Now you get it period and you can turn off the lope idle at startup. I kind of wish it was the other way around. That is, turning on the lope idle at startup. In any event, there are big claims for improved low end at just off idle. How does this stack up with standard aftermarket tunes?[/QUOTE]
If I remember correctly the RED Key was only on the Boss 302 cars
 

LarryJM

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I have seen two prices for this Track Cal. One about $550 and the other about $350. At one time, you got a red key to activate the Track Cal. Now you get it period and you can turn off the lope idle at startup. I kind of wish it was the other way around. That is, turning on the lope idle at startup. In any event, there are big claims for improved low end at just off idle. How does this stack up with standard aftermarket tunes?
If I remember correctly the RED Key was only on the Boss 302 cars[/QUOTE]

It was also offered for 2014 Base cars. It lasted about 3 months. For sure, for whatever reason, my 2014 Base made in Aug 2013 has a Boss 302 PCM.
 

LarryJM

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My interest now is no other tune makes a claim to boost performance by 10% across the board from 1500 RMP to 6700 rpm and it's for only 2013 and 14 Mustang GTs with a 6speeds. That's just a few HP shy of a GEN 3.
 

skwerl

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My interest now is no other tune makes a claim to boost performance by 10% across the board from 1500 RMP to 6700 rpm and it's for only 2013 and 14 Mustang GTs with a 6speeds. That's just a few HP shy of a GEN 3.
Not buying it.
 

crjackson

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Personally I think the track key is a total waste. The first time you do a mod that requires a custom tune, the track key is irrelevant, and becomes a throw-away part.
 

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