Some noob questions

[Flash_of_Yellow]

Welcome... and my condolences for finding this new addiction. Just kidding, but your pocket book will hate you soon.

I'm going to keep the broken record going. Do the brake upgrades first. Cooling, pads, and definitely fluid. Most clubs require on the tech that you have replaced it in the previous 12 months.

If you don't have the cash for a cooling kit, a quick mod is to remove the dust shield which will allow a little more airflow to the rotor.

My first day at the track, with stock brakes and Prestone DOT4 fluid (don't use that stuff) I boiled the fluid and visions of my car flying thru the dirt on turn 8 flashed for a second. After that, I went a little overboard on the brakes to a level I probably didn't need to go. There are plenty of people on here running stock front brakes and the replacement rotors are cheap (www.newtakeoff.com). Take their advise.

The best mod is seat time! Get in and get some laps with an instructor. They are very knowledgible and always willing to help out. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Vapour Trails]

I have to disagree with you here, but probably not for the reason you think. In general, the more you mod your car, the larger the performance envelope, but conversely, the narrower the margin of error available. The stock (or nearly stock) suspension won't flat-out pitch you off the track like a hyper-tuned setup will when driven ham-fisted, but it WILL start doing all kinds of obnoxious things, like plowing through the turns (massive understeer), rolling over on the door handles, and just generally ill-behaving. ALL of those are recoverable, even for a novice, whereas the classic "Mustang Snap" isn't at all easily caught. The highly modded suspension will be more neutral when driven properly, and will allow higher lateral G force, but once you go past the limit, it's all over, unless you've acquired some decent car control skills.

When I get into a car with a student, I would MUCH rather have a stock vehicle than one that's modded up... If the ass-end starts wagging under braking, I don't have to wonder if it's braking technique or if it's mod induced, like too high a spring rate in the rear, improper compression valving on the dampers, uncorrected bump-steer, torque-arm induced, or anything else. I KNOW that it's because the student slammed on the brake pedal like a panic stop, and transferred too much weight up front.

In the end, if you're able to drive past the limits of the stock suspension, then fine, but if you aren't, why dump money into it if it isn't a problem (yet)?

Dave, everything you wrote is what I was getting at. In retrospect, I take back the comment about a stock suspension hiding more errors. My main issue was with the comment that a modified suspension will cover errors, I actually think it will expose them in a potentially castastrophic way. A modified car will ultimately require more skill, feel and touch to reach its potential. I am keenly aware of this and rightly drive with some caution.

As an aside, I don't think becoming a corner carver is more expensive that the alternatives. Have you seen how many engines are blowing up in the tech section? Guys are putting 15k into their cars to drive it 15 miles, then it's back on jackstands. I think overall its much cheaper to evolve as a driver rather than just dumping money in for ever increasing hp goals.

Suspension stuff is relatively cheap compared to go-fast parts, and easy to install.

 

[Random Asshole]

I don't think becoming a corner carver is more expensive that the alternatives.

I dunno, yogi.

 

[Sleeper_08]

Another benefit to not modding is if after a while you decide to start running in organized events then the rules for the class you want to be in may result in you having to "un mod" the car.

 

[Tom]

I think Im going to do the basics. I would like more info on the cooling and brake mods however.

After doing the drag racing for several years, I already have a black hole in my wallet LMFAO. As far as pricing on the parts Im not to worried about it. I just want to make sure I enjoy.

As far as the cooling. What do you guys rec?

 

[AJ]

steeda brake ducts cooling kit meng

 

[Tom]

steeda brake ducts cooling kit meng

Hey, you stay out of my threads buddy, Your Fired LMFAO

 

[AJ]

Hey, you stay out of my threads buddy, Your Fired LMFAO

 

[dkegel]

Not sure what wheels/tires you are running now but if you are purchasing a new set, do NOT buy staggered sizes.

I loved the staggered look on the Mustangs, and had never had that look before on any of my cars. So when I first bought mine I went with 18x9 and 18x10s WedsSports. They were a great buy and very light for a non-forged wheel (18.5 and 19 lbs respectively). I figured that for track work I'd get a seperate set of track wheels/tires some day. Well some day never came so I've been forced to run what I have (the GY Eagle F1 Supercar tires are surprisingly good at the track for street tires though). I run a larger rear swaybar than most, which helps some, but in the end a 255 front tire is just not wide enough.

In hindsight, I should have gotten a full set of the 18x10 wheels, but alas, they're no longer available.

Dave

 

[pcdrj]

I'm running these. They work very well.

http://www.agentfortyseven.com/S197/brakecooling.html

 

[Tom]

Sweet. Thanks for the link!

 

[Chris B.]

As far as the cooling. What do you guys rec?

Quantum Motorsports or Agent 47 brake cooling duct kits work well for most people.

 

[JA BoostedSTANG]

I really appreciate the help guys. Im really excited about trying this out.

when and what event are you thinking about doing tom? There is a Gainesville lapping day in about 3 weeks I will be attending and next month theres a auto x hosted by the corvette club in st augustine and towards the end of next month a SCCA auto x in white house the auto x's are about half the price as the lapping days, let me know and we can meet up and ride together but for your first event id recommend running one of the autox's because your car will be fine how it is theres a lot of stock mustangs that attend they wont fry your brakes and are not as high speed as the gainesville lapping days are you get more seat time in a lapping day though.

 

[ArizonaGT]

Not sure what wheels/tires you are running now but if you are purchasing a new set, do NOT buy staggered sizes.

I loved the staggered look on the Mustangs, and had never had that look before on any of my cars. So when I first bought mine I went with 18x9 and 18x10s WedsSports. They were a great buy and very light for a non-forged wheel (18.5 and 19 lbs respectively). I figured that for track work I'd get a seperate set of track wheels/tires some day. Well some day never came so I've been forced to run what I have (the GY Eagle F1 Supercar tires are surprisingly good at the track for street tires though). I run a larger rear swaybar than most, which helps some, but in the end a 255 front tire is just not wide enough.

In hindsight, I should have gotten a full set of the 18x10 wheels, but alas, they're no longer available.

Dave

I'm not even sure WTF you typed, but your posts are pretty good usually.

Long story short--do not buy staggered wheels for track applications; larger rear tire size will induce understeer. You want the car as neutral as possible, which means equal tire sizes front/rear.

 

[dkegel]

I'm not even sure WTF you typed, but your posts are pretty good usually.

Long story short--do not buy staggered wheels for track applications; larger rear tire size will induce understeer. You want the car as neutral as possible, which means equal tire sizes front/rear.

Must not have explained it well, but yeah, what you said.

Dave

 

[Tom]

I really appreciate all the help Guys. Im exticed to take the car to the track next month!

 

[Dreadknought]

Hey I have another noob question. My car is primarily a daily driver but also want to atend some local track days. How do 40 ratio drag radials hold up on the track? Will they end up causeing me to scattergun my underpants?

 

[pieperz06]

Hey I have another noob question. My car is primarily a daily driver but also want to atend some local track days. How do 40 ratio drag radials hold up on the track? Will they end up causeing me to scattergun my underpants?

you mean like xxx/40/17or18 tires??

because true drag radials are not good because they are made to roll over and flex to give more traction in a straight line but in a corner that can be bad very bad...

 

[Dreadknought]

Yeah thats what I firgured. Oh well no being cheap for me I guess. Oh and speaking of corpus, I've heard of a track at an old airfield in Ingelside but can never find it. You heard of it?

 

[pieperz06]

Yeah thats what I firgured. Oh well no being cheap for me I guess. Oh and speaking of corpus, I've heard of a track at an old airfield in Ingelside but can never find it. You heard of it?

Well there was a few pca and scca events at a place called cabnis airfield but we can't race there now because they put in taxi way lights. Now we are at a waldron airfield and only are able to do scca aurocross because it is not as large.