LAStang1234
----------DSL----------
Man I love that glass roof!
Paul's 2011 Race Red GT Build
- Thread starter Paul.
- Start date
I gotta tell you, that is the reason I bought the car. It is, by far, my most favorite thing about any car I've ever owned. I'm not gonna want to buy cars anymore unless they have a glass roof.
So first things first, lowering springs, shocks, and struts are all installed. New wheels are on.
Old wheels:
New wheels: (nothing has been cleaned/detailed yet, and this isn't the best pic ever)
My friend Richard came by this morning and we put everything in. Since this is the second time we've done this, (my friend Sean's car was the first) it went really fast and easy.
Koni Str.t shocks and struts were installed, along with Steeda Ultralite springs and GT500 strut mounts. This is a very mild combo that only lowers the car 1" up front and 1.25" in back. The focus here is streetability (not too low) and ride quality.
Other than the coil spring compressor needed to get the strut/spring assemblies put together, this is a really easy job. Having two people makes the spring compressor thing go a little easier. The shocks and rear springs are stupid easy to do. I think it took maybe 30 minutes.
Strut Install:
Shock Install:
More pics:
There isn't really any caster/camber adjustment on the car unless you buy camber bolts or caster/camber plates. You can slot the struts a little if necessary. We checked toe, and amazingly, it's right at about zero. The car tracks straight, isn't twitchy, and we literally did nothing with the alignment. This same shock/strut/spring setup on Sean's car produced 1.7* and 2.1* camber if I remember correctly.
The best thing about this is that THE WHEELHOP IS GONE!!! I hammered on the car multiple times in first, second, and third gear, and never once got even a slight indication of wheelhop. It was so atrocious with the stock Brembo wheels that I didn't even need full throttle to get the axle hopping like a rabbit starting about 4500 rpm.
Now the car just goes. If the tires don't hook, they just spin, the ass end wiggles around a little, and I carry on. I bought the shocks, struts, and springs from Sam Strano at Stranoparts.com. He states on his website that this is the nicest ride quality setup around, and I can't disagree. There is almost no noticeable reduction in ride quality with the new setup, even with ridiculous 305/25/20s out back. I thought those rubber bands would be much more harsh than they actually are.
Overall, I'm thrilled. The wheels are absolutely fantastic. When I need new back tires, I'm going to order 315/35/20s (if I can find street tires at a reasonable price) so they're a little taller, but other than that, this is a perfect setup for me.
Paul.
Old wheels:
New wheels: (nothing has been cleaned/detailed yet, and this isn't the best pic ever)
My friend Richard came by this morning and we put everything in. Since this is the second time we've done this, (my friend Sean's car was the first) it went really fast and easy.
Koni Str.t shocks and struts were installed, along with Steeda Ultralite springs and GT500 strut mounts. This is a very mild combo that only lowers the car 1" up front and 1.25" in back. The focus here is streetability (not too low) and ride quality.
Other than the coil spring compressor needed to get the strut/spring assemblies put together, this is a really easy job. Having two people makes the spring compressor thing go a little easier. The shocks and rear springs are stupid easy to do. I think it took maybe 30 minutes.
Strut Install:
Shock Install:
More pics:
There isn't really any caster/camber adjustment on the car unless you buy camber bolts or caster/camber plates. You can slot the struts a little if necessary. We checked toe, and amazingly, it's right at about zero. The car tracks straight, isn't twitchy, and we literally did nothing with the alignment. This same shock/strut/spring setup on Sean's car produced 1.7* and 2.1* camber if I remember correctly.
The best thing about this is that THE WHEELHOP IS GONE!!! I hammered on the car multiple times in first, second, and third gear, and never once got even a slight indication of wheelhop. It was so atrocious with the stock Brembo wheels that I didn't even need full throttle to get the axle hopping like a rabbit starting about 4500 rpm.
Now the car just goes. If the tires don't hook, they just spin, the ass end wiggles around a little, and I carry on. I bought the shocks, struts, and springs from Sam Strano at Stranoparts.com. He states on his website that this is the nicest ride quality setup around, and I can't disagree. There is almost no noticeable reduction in ride quality with the new setup, even with ridiculous 305/25/20s out back. I thought those rubber bands would be much more harsh than they actually are.
Overall, I'm thrilled. The wheels are absolutely fantastic. When I need new back tires, I'm going to order 315/35/20s (if I can find street tires at a reasonable price) so they're a little taller, but other than that, this is a perfect setup for me.
Paul.
cmrad
forum member
- Joined
- May 2, 2011
- Posts
- 178
- Reaction score
- 0
Man those wheels look really good on your car! Great choice!
LAStang1234
----------DSL----------
Nice! Great choice in wheels.
yz85rider2002
forum member
Looks amazing
Thanks! I'm really glad I went with the Brushed Titanium finish, and that Forgestar agreed to do it for me. I'm not a huge fan of black wheels, and the bright finish goes great with the bright red paint.
Next mods are the Boss front splitter, Roush side rockers, and maybe I'll tint the headlights.
I'd also like to remove the plastic panel on the trunklid and get a "normal" trunk badge. I'll have the center section painted gloss black and install the badge so it looks similar to the 13's. I really like those black center sections.
Paul.
Next mods are the Boss front splitter, Roush side rockers, and maybe I'll tint the headlights.
I'd also like to remove the plastic panel on the trunklid and get a "normal" trunk badge. I'll have the center section painted gloss black and install the badge so it looks similar to the 13's. I really like those black center sections.
Paul.
bullitt6019
Boss Jockey
Nice job on the new ride. The stripes did not do much for me. I run the Hankook Ventus and you will like them. The Koni's will make a big difference...The Roush grille is a big improvement and improves airflow a lot.Well, I'm going to be continuing my mods on the car here shortly, but first, here's some pics and info from when I bought the car in May.
I've had lots and lots of Mustangs over the years, and I'm here with my most recent. This is my 2011 Mustang GT Premium. I bought it used with less than 4,000 miles on it in May '12, and now it has a little over 9,000 miles on it. It came with:
- Brembos
- 3.73s
- Nav/Sync
- Glass Roof
- Comfort Package (heated seats and such)
- HIDs
- Body package (louvers, hood scoop, side scoops, wing, stripes)
It came with every factory option except the Shaker 1500. Here's a few pics from when I bought it:
Almost immediately after buying it, I deleted the stripes, side scoops, and louvers. I also installed GT/CS front and rear lower valances, and a Saleen grille. Here are pics from after the install. Also, I had the car professionally detailed so it's super shiny now.
My first trip the track in 100% factory stock form was fun. The car is definitely a challenge to launch, and the wheel hop is horrible. Factory 19's with 255 Pirellis.
1st Pass - 14.0 @ 106, 2.4 60'
2nd Pass - 13.9 @ 108, 2.3 60'
Third time's a charm...
13.282 @ 110.04 mph. 2.184 mph
My buddy Trent and I made a total of 12 runs that night mostly in the 13.7 @ 107-8 range, but Trent was unable to best my third pass. He made more passes than I did in fact. The car wheel hops like CRAZY in second gear, and third, and spins the tires in fourth. In fact, depending on how the pass goes, I actually hit the limiter in fourth a couple times just as I was going through the traps.
Pretty sure this guy beat me.
I was able to run quicker than another blown '11 GT and a '11 GT500. At the end of the day, I had an absolute BLAST. It was so fun to race again, and the fact that this thing went low 13s at 110 mph right outta the gate is pretty awesome. Then my GF and rolled home in air conditioned silence and comfort whilst getting 23 mpg on the freeway.
I've since had the car back at the track, (still all stock) but have only managed to whittle it down to 13.11 @ 109.70. Again, wheelhop is very frustrating.
My new tires just arrived a few days ago...
They are Hankook Ventus V12 Evos:
- 275/30/20
- 305/25/20
Those tires are going to be going on my Forgestar F14s. I ordered them in 20x9 and 20x11 with the "Brushed Titanium" finish.
I also ordered some parts to lower the car:
- Koni STR.T shocks/struts
- Steeda Sport springs
- GT500 mounts
I'm hoping to install all of that stuff before Christmas. I'll post pics of the progress.
Paul.
bullitt6019
Boss Jockey
Rears are 285/35/19
So first things first, lowering springs, shocks, and struts are all installed. New wheels are on.
Old wheels:
New wheels: (nothing has been cleaned/detailed yet, and this isn't the best pic ever)
Richard came by this morning and we put everything in. Since this is the second time we've done this, (Sean's car was the first) it went really fast and easy.
Koni Str.t shocks and struts were installed, along with Steeda Ultralite springs and GT500 strut mounts. This is a very mild combo that only lowers the car 1" up front and 1.25" in back. The focus here is streetability (not too low) and ride quality.
Other than the coil spring compressor needed to get the strut/spring assemblies put together, this is a really easy job. Having two people makes the spring compressor thing go a little easier. The shocks and rear springs are stupid easy to do. I think it took maybe 30 minutes.
Strut Install:
Shock Install:
More pics:
There isn't really any caster/camber adjustment on the car unless you buy camber bolts or caster/camber plates. You can slot the struts a little if necessary. We checked toe, and amazingly, it's rigth about about zero. The car tracks straight, isn't twitchy, and we literally did nothing with the alignment. This same shock/strut/spring setup on Sean's car produced 1.7* and 2.1* camber if I remember correctly.
The best thing about this is that THE WHEELHOP IS GONE!!! I hammered on the car multiple times in first, second, and third gear, and never once got even a slight indication of wheelhop. It was so atrocious with the stock Brembo wheels that I didn't even need full throttle to get the axle hopping like a rabbit starting about 4500 rpm.
Now the car just goes. If the tires don't hook, they just spin, the ass end wiggles around a little, and I carry on. I bought the shocks, struts, and springs from Sam Strano at Stranoparts.com. He states on his website that this is the nicest ride quality setup around, and I can't disagree. There is almost no noticeable reduction in ride quality with the new setup, even with ridiculous 305/25/20s out back. I thought those rubber bands would be much more harsh than they actually are.
Overall, I'm thrilled. The wheels are absolutely fantastic. When I need new back tires, I'm going to order 315/35/20s so they're a little taller, but other than that, this is a perfect setup for me.
Paul.
Old wheels:
New wheels: (nothing has been cleaned/detailed yet, and this isn't the best pic ever)
Richard came by this morning and we put everything in. Since this is the second time we've done this, (Sean's car was the first) it went really fast and easy.
Koni Str.t shocks and struts were installed, along with Steeda Ultralite springs and GT500 strut mounts. This is a very mild combo that only lowers the car 1" up front and 1.25" in back. The focus here is streetability (not too low) and ride quality.
Other than the coil spring compressor needed to get the strut/spring assemblies put together, this is a really easy job. Having two people makes the spring compressor thing go a little easier. The shocks and rear springs are stupid easy to do. I think it took maybe 30 minutes.
Strut Install:
Shock Install:
More pics:
There isn't really any caster/camber adjustment on the car unless you buy camber bolts or caster/camber plates. You can slot the struts a little if necessary. We checked toe, and amazingly, it's rigth about about zero. The car tracks straight, isn't twitchy, and we literally did nothing with the alignment. This same shock/strut/spring setup on Sean's car produced 1.7* and 2.1* camber if I remember correctly.
The best thing about this is that THE WHEELHOP IS GONE!!! I hammered on the car multiple times in first, second, and third gear, and never once got even a slight indication of wheelhop. It was so atrocious with the stock Brembo wheels that I didn't even need full throttle to get the axle hopping like a rabbit starting about 4500 rpm.
Now the car just goes. If the tires don't hook, they just spin, the ass end wiggles around a little, and I carry on. I bought the shocks, struts, and springs from Sam Strano at Stranoparts.com. He states on his website that this is the nicest ride quality setup around, and I can't disagree. There is almost no noticeable reduction in ride quality with the new setup, even with ridiculous 305/25/20s out back. I thought those rubber bands would be much more harsh than they actually are.
Overall, I'm thrilled. The wheels are absolutely fantastic. When I need new back tires, I'm going to order 315/35/20s so they're a little taller, but other than that, this is a perfect setup for me.
Paul.
Did the last few cosmetic upgrades to the car today. Can't really think of anything else visually I want to do at this point.
I installed my Boss 302 front splitter, Roush rocker panel splitters on the sides, and GT500 mud flaps on the back. All in all, this is really easy to do. Jacking the car up is probably the most annoying part. The Boss splitter requires that you drill an assload of holes in the bottom of the GT/CS bumper for everything to bolt up, but I guarantee it won't ever come off. It's held on by 16 screws and 10 plastic push pins. The rocker splitters are held in by double-sided tape and 13 plastic push pins.
All in all, this took me about 4 hours to do. Anyway, on to the pics!
Before everything was installed:
After: (not the greatest pics cuz I was losing daylight)
Now the car looks the way I want it too. (save for some taller tires in the back, which I'll get once these are shredded) No other immediate plans for the car, except to buy some slicks/skinnies for my Race Star wheels, but if all the track close up, I'll just sell 'em.
Oh, and I want a Whipple.
Paul.
I installed my Boss 302 front splitter, Roush rocker panel splitters on the sides, and GT500 mud flaps on the back. All in all, this is really easy to do. Jacking the car up is probably the most annoying part. The Boss splitter requires that you drill an assload of holes in the bottom of the GT/CS bumper for everything to bolt up, but I guarantee it won't ever come off. It's held on by 16 screws and 10 plastic push pins. The rocker splitters are held in by double-sided tape and 13 plastic push pins.
All in all, this took me about 4 hours to do. Anyway, on to the pics!
Before everything was installed:
After: (not the greatest pics cuz I was losing daylight)
Now the car looks the way I want it too. (save for some taller tires in the back, which I'll get once these are shredded) No other immediate plans for the car, except to buy some slicks/skinnies for my Race Star wheels, but if all the track close up, I'll just sell 'em.
Oh, and I want a Whipple.
Paul.
Mystickeith50
forum member
Car looks great Paul.
UltraKla$$ic
PERENNIAL WAXXER
Love everything but the tire selection but its not my car so it don't matter!
Roll with it!
Roll with it!
So today I continued my ultra-high performance mods.
Let's begin...
First, I bought a JLT PCV oil catch can used for $90. It was disgusting inside and all oil and nasty, so of course I cleaned it first with brake cleaner.
Then I went about the incredibly difficult install. Annoyingly, I actually did have to get a tool out, because I couldn't reach the PCV hose connectors with the plastic engine shroud on, and I couldn't get the shroud off without pulling the strut tower brace, so I ended up having to remove four nuts. This is tough work!
Factory PCV hose in place:
PCV installed: (takes about three seconds)
Reinstall plastic engine shroud and strut tower brace. Voila!
After that tremendously difficult car thrash, I was feeling ambitious. So I got these LED bulbs for my dome lights. (only $16 from ModifyMyStang.com!)
Incandescent bulbs make baby jesus cry:
Old school vs new school:
These babies are bright, and the light is pure white as the driven snow:
Tah-dah!
Since this has been my first free Saturday in many months, I decided to clean up the car a little bit, wipe the barrels of the wheels down real good, and snap a few pictures.
Not sure what is next for the car. I kinda want to pain the front calipers gold. I also want some 14" two-piece rotors front and back, but I'd need a hookup at Baer or something because I don't want to shell out stupid money for blingy rotors. Alternatively, I've also thought about installing the Brembo 15" front brakes off of the '13 GT500 because they're so badass. Of course, that would preclude me ever using my front skinnies. I dunno. There's not many more mods I can do that are good for boulevard cruising.
Paul.
Let's begin...
First, I bought a JLT PCV oil catch can used for $90. It was disgusting inside and all oil and nasty, so of course I cleaned it first with brake cleaner.
Then I went about the incredibly difficult install. Annoyingly, I actually did have to get a tool out, because I couldn't reach the PCV hose connectors with the plastic engine shroud on, and I couldn't get the shroud off without pulling the strut tower brace, so I ended up having to remove four nuts. This is tough work!
Factory PCV hose in place:
PCV installed: (takes about three seconds)
Reinstall plastic engine shroud and strut tower brace. Voila!
After that tremendously difficult car thrash, I was feeling ambitious. So I got these LED bulbs for my dome lights. (only $16 from ModifyMyStang.com!)
Incandescent bulbs make baby jesus cry:
Old school vs new school:
These babies are bright, and the light is pure white as the driven snow:
Tah-dah!
Since this has been my first free Saturday in many months, I decided to clean up the car a little bit, wipe the barrels of the wheels down real good, and snap a few pictures.
Not sure what is next for the car. I kinda want to pain the front calipers gold. I also want some 14" two-piece rotors front and back, but I'd need a hookup at Baer or something because I don't want to shell out stupid money for blingy rotors. Alternatively, I've also thought about installing the Brembo 15" front brakes off of the '13 GT500 because they're so badass. Of course, that would preclude me ever using my front skinnies. I dunno. There's not many more mods I can do that are good for boulevard cruising.
Paul.
BleedinBlue
forum member
Nice man. I wasn't thrilled with the 11/12 RR GT's, but yours just about changes my mind. Love the glass roof, too, and that surprises me. I didn't really think I'd be a fan. All together the car looks killer, very nice job.
Thanks man. I absolutely LOVE the glass roof. In fact, it's the reason I bought the car. Now that I have it, I wouldn't want a new Mustang any other way.
The options on the car were pricey (sticker was $44K) but since I bought it used I saved a ton of money, and all those options set it apart a little bit from the pack. I really enjoy the hell outta the car. All it really needs now is a Paxton and I think it'd be just about perfect.
Paul.
The options on the car were pricey (sticker was $44K) but since I bought it used I saved a ton of money, and all those options set it apart a little bit from the pack. I really enjoy the hell outta the car. All it really needs now is a Paxton and I think it'd be just about perfect.
Paul.
GrnBullitt08
Dale Jr
I do like the glass roof. Wish I had it
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