race4food
forum member
Background: 2005 GT with FRP springs, rear sway bar and Tokico D-Specs.
Running Stock 235 Pirelli tires and Stock Brakes with Hawk HPS pads.
For those who don't know the Porsche Club of America hosts open track days everywhere there is a road course and the Cars are everything from Stock 5.0 mustangs and Civics, ranging through M3's, Boxters, 944's and 911s to Ferrari and full Trans AM cars.
This event was no different and carried the full range of cars with the exception of me being the only domestic...kinda weird actually...
I was running the the advanced run group and not with the instructors this event as I have not been on track in a while, didn't have a current instructors certification and was not instructing.
First session the track was wet (which I hate) as it had been raining all night and it was still drizzling a bit. It was wet enough that any car you were behind was obscured by spray...fun....
So I was getting a feel for the car and the track taking it easy. The car was was turning in very well and the rear was staying planted with very little over steer, slip, slide or tire spin.
Session two was much better with a dry track and I was able to drive 8/10ths.
This time I could really see what the car would do. Overall I was very impressed and very happy with a stock car. Turn in was still great and the car was pretty neutral with a bit of under steer that I could compensate for by trail braking and throttle steer.. (this is where some extra torque and HP would have been handy)
At this point I was running with a pair of Club prepared 951s (turbo 944s for you non Deutch speaking peeps) and a Club prepared M3
It was a TON of fun!!!
We were all running back to back right on each others bumpers and several times I was given the passing signal which I waved off as I really don't like any one behind me.. Though they probably wouldn't have been there for long.
Power wise for a stock 05 with a cold air it was a bit faster on the straights than the 951s and the M3 and the torque was definitely and advantage brakes were very lacking, weight was at a disadvantage, and the car really needs bigger tires.. I mean 235s on a freaking #3500 mustang?
At this point I began to notice the brakes fading a bit as I had to work them being in traffic and the weight of the car began to show itself.
The 05 was easily well balanced in the turns and I was able to power out OK but not great. There was only one very tight right hand turn where I'm also under power where the car was showing a weakness and needed more rear spring rate.. (funny thing was on my 97 Cobra it was the front springs that needed it)
I tried to correct this the next session by stiffing up the rear shocks which were nearly full soft and after checking the fronts they were nearly full hard....
I thought that this may have actually made it worse rather than better as there was more tire scrub and actual inner fender contact.. Could be that I was just driving harder that session.. couldn't tell.
But the one thing I noticed this go around was that the Brakes were going away faster and quickly just went away and at the end of the last big straight I had to select Zone 5, and escape!!! going through the grass...
For note: wet grass is slick and you don't stop sliding but Louisiana Gumbo mud stops you faster than a gravel pit!!!!
So once again the stock brakes suck ASS!!! They were pretty decent and I say DECENT, as in adequate and maybe just barely ok with the Hawk HPS pads but it was my fault for running stock fluid and not bleeding them with the Motul blue in the shop which probably would have helped.
So in summary: The 05 was everything on the track I expected and I was extremely pleased with the car and have no regrets trading in the Cobra.
Ford has fixed every problem the Fox had.. Stiff chassis, better front geometry, better steering settings, and a positive control of the rear axle.
Weak spots: Teenie, tiny brakes on a heavy ass car (no need to expound on this) but Hawk HPS pads and good fluid would make them ok for most drivers and all you would need on the street..even with stock rotors.
Absolutely no reason to buy drilled and slotted $$$ rotors the stockers are perfectly acceptable and that is not where the issue is. Cooling ducts would resolve a lot of Track related issues and I really don't think that stainless lines would make any noticeable difference.
But the GT still should have had the GT500(or track pack) option for brakes
shitty shifter (hard to find gears sometimes) needs at least bushings
Small tires ( needs a 275) and should have had an 18x9 option
And could definitely use more power and torque along with some weight reduction.
Running Stock 235 Pirelli tires and Stock Brakes with Hawk HPS pads.
For those who don't know the Porsche Club of America hosts open track days everywhere there is a road course and the Cars are everything from Stock 5.0 mustangs and Civics, ranging through M3's, Boxters, 944's and 911s to Ferrari and full Trans AM cars.
This event was no different and carried the full range of cars with the exception of me being the only domestic...kinda weird actually...
I was running the the advanced run group and not with the instructors this event as I have not been on track in a while, didn't have a current instructors certification and was not instructing.
First session the track was wet (which I hate) as it had been raining all night and it was still drizzling a bit. It was wet enough that any car you were behind was obscured by spray...fun....
So I was getting a feel for the car and the track taking it easy. The car was was turning in very well and the rear was staying planted with very little over steer, slip, slide or tire spin.
Session two was much better with a dry track and I was able to drive 8/10ths.
This time I could really see what the car would do. Overall I was very impressed and very happy with a stock car. Turn in was still great and the car was pretty neutral with a bit of under steer that I could compensate for by trail braking and throttle steer.. (this is where some extra torque and HP would have been handy)
At this point I was running with a pair of Club prepared 951s (turbo 944s for you non Deutch speaking peeps) and a Club prepared M3
It was a TON of fun!!!
We were all running back to back right on each others bumpers and several times I was given the passing signal which I waved off as I really don't like any one behind me.. Though they probably wouldn't have been there for long.
Power wise for a stock 05 with a cold air it was a bit faster on the straights than the 951s and the M3 and the torque was definitely and advantage brakes were very lacking, weight was at a disadvantage, and the car really needs bigger tires.. I mean 235s on a freaking #3500 mustang?
At this point I began to notice the brakes fading a bit as I had to work them being in traffic and the weight of the car began to show itself.
The 05 was easily well balanced in the turns and I was able to power out OK but not great. There was only one very tight right hand turn where I'm also under power where the car was showing a weakness and needed more rear spring rate.. (funny thing was on my 97 Cobra it was the front springs that needed it)
I tried to correct this the next session by stiffing up the rear shocks which were nearly full soft and after checking the fronts they were nearly full hard....
I thought that this may have actually made it worse rather than better as there was more tire scrub and actual inner fender contact.. Could be that I was just driving harder that session.. couldn't tell.
But the one thing I noticed this go around was that the Brakes were going away faster and quickly just went away and at the end of the last big straight I had to select Zone 5, and escape!!! going through the grass...
For note: wet grass is slick and you don't stop sliding but Louisiana Gumbo mud stops you faster than a gravel pit!!!!
So once again the stock brakes suck ASS!!! They were pretty decent and I say DECENT, as in adequate and maybe just barely ok with the Hawk HPS pads but it was my fault for running stock fluid and not bleeding them with the Motul blue in the shop which probably would have helped.
So in summary: The 05 was everything on the track I expected and I was extremely pleased with the car and have no regrets trading in the Cobra.
Ford has fixed every problem the Fox had.. Stiff chassis, better front geometry, better steering settings, and a positive control of the rear axle.
Weak spots: Teenie, tiny brakes on a heavy ass car (no need to expound on this) but Hawk HPS pads and good fluid would make them ok for most drivers and all you would need on the street..even with stock rotors.
Absolutely no reason to buy drilled and slotted $$$ rotors the stockers are perfectly acceptable and that is not where the issue is. Cooling ducts would resolve a lot of Track related issues and I really don't think that stainless lines would make any noticeable difference.
But the GT still should have had the GT500(or track pack) option for brakes
shitty shifter (hard to find gears sometimes) needs at least bushings
Small tires ( needs a 275) and should have had an 18x9 option
And could definitely use more power and torque along with some weight reduction.
