Ford Mustang to be released in EU

Gibbo, given you are supercharging it to go faster in a straight line as you wont be using 700bhp in the corners on UK roads, have you considered converting it to live rear axle? That axle will be much better able to cope with the power.

I think the car should go one of two routes:
- lightweight handler - for which you dont need a supercharger
- killer in a straight line - for which a live rear axle might be better - you dont want to break the existing set-up with a hard launch

Trying to do both may end in a car that doesnt do either properly. Jack of All Trades, so to speak. Go big or go home! :D
 
Joe T said:
Gibbo, given you are supercharging it to go faster in a straight line as you wont be using 700bhp in the corners on UK roads, have you considered converting it to live rear axle? That axle will be much better able to cope with the power.

I think the car should go one of two routes:
- lightweight handler - for which you dont need a supercharger
- killer in a straight line - for which a live rear axle might be better - you dont want to break the existing set-up with a hard launch

Trying to do both may end in a car that doesnt do either properly. Jack of All Trades, so to speak. Go big or go home! :D
Click to expand...


M3 is the lightweight handler.

I shall aim for 675-725BHP which these cars handle fine with the IRS, the Steeda Q770 is a handling package car that has kicked the Shelby GT350 backside in handling and it also has 777BHP, has no issues with the suspension upgrades I already have they are good for 800BHP, yes if I want to launch it hard on drag radials one should upgrade the half shaft, I won't be drag racing so will stay on stock ones they should cope, if I break one then its time to upgrade. :)

Also on corner exit traction IRS is far superior to a live axle as both rear wheels are in contact with the ground, live axle advantage is only of the mark straight line. The S550 IRS is very good, plus the new cars have LSD as standard which helps putting the power down on corner exit, again something else the S197 did not have.
 
Hi there

My final and largest delivery, customs stung me on this one, £380 but still the total cost of all this kit landed in the was £2100 from CJ Pony Parts, has taken a month to get here though. :)


IMG_5363.jpg


- FRPP Handling Kit (Shocks, Springs, Anti-roll bars, toe links, bushes)
- Steeda Ultralight Linear handling springs
- Steeda G-Trac brace
- Steeda Strut brace
- Steeda differential bushing insert support system
- Steeda Jacking Rails
- STO & SHO front license plate holder
- Front pony emblem fixings
- LED interior light kit



FRPP Handling rear progressive springs, toe links + bushings

IMG_5367.jpg



FRPP Handling kit dampers/springs etc.

IMG_5371.jpg


IMG_5372.jpg



This kit is what transforms the car, gets rid of the bounce/jiggly, tightens the car up and improves handling/cornering. The big shame is that this should have being have the GT PP cars came from the factory, but I guess Ford is a business and if they made it too good then people would not feel the need to upgrade and FRPP sales would go down.



Steeda Differential Bushing insert system

IMG_5369.jpg


Just tightens up the car, red are softer, black are harder, you can also get billet inserts, I shall probably go with the red inserts so that I don't get any NVH increase, also have a similar kit for my M3, makes a very noticable difference to handling/tightness and how the rear-end breaks away without effecting ride quality, for $100 money well spent.



STO & SHO license bracket

IMG_5370.jpg



Means no big UK plate on front of my car, this is neater and makes removing the plate for shows very easy. :)



Steeda strut & G-trac front braces

IMG_5364.jpg


IMG_5365.jpg



Tightens up the front-end, the strut brace, well we all know what they do and they typically don't do a lot, but hey I got one. :D
The G-trac brace is the more important part, it connets the to front wishbones together and makes a noticable difference, did the same on my last Mustang, makes the front-end a lot more direct and more responsive to inputs.



Steeda Jacking Rails

IMG_5368.jpg



I shall be working on my car a lot, so being able to jack the car in seconds and safely and easily support it is very important, hence the jacking rails, when I have finished all my work I can remove these as they are obviously quite heavy, no point in leaving on though supposedly they do help brace the chassis.



Steeda ultralite linear springs

IMG_5366.jpg


IMG_5373.jpg



Though the FRPP Handling kit offers a good improvement over the GT PP suspension I also felt the progressive springs in the FRPP kit are a weak point. Those who know about suspension will know that progressive springs are a compromise, they try to retain comfort and then spring rate increases as the car is driven harder. The downfall is shock absorbers are designed to work at a single spring rate and as such linear springs offer better handling whilst being more predictable and controllable, especially at limits. A few guys in the US with this kit have tried this and were blown away by the results, still good ride quality on the road but the cars sportyness and handling was transformed to a level where it would not really get any better for a road car with odd track day in mind. Only coilovers would offer further handling improvement at the expense of comfort and at great cost.

Some might say why bother, well CJ did me the springs at $240 and no additional charge for shipping, if I had waiting and done a seperate order then it would have being $500+ so for £150 it made sense to get the springs added to my order, saves money in long run. :)

Also I was shocked at the weight difference, the linear springs are around 2kg per corner lighter, good reduction in unsprung mass right there going on, could also be a reason why other guys who have done this have witnessed a great improvement in handling without any sacrifice in ride quality.






That is it now, all that comes next in a year time is wheels/tyres and a super charger kit. :D
 
Gibbo said:
M3 is the lightweight handler.

I shall aim for 675-725BHP which these cars handle fine with the IRS, the Steeda Q770 is a handling package car that has kicked the Shelby GT350 backside in handling and it also has 777BHP, has no issues with the suspension upgrades I already have they are good for 800BHP, yes if I want to launch it hard on drag radials one should upgrade the half shaft, I won't be drag racing so will stay on stock ones they should cope, if I break one then its time to upgrade. :)

Also on corner exit traction IRS is far superior to a live axle as both rear wheels are in contact with the ground, live axle advantage is only of the mark straight line. The S550 IRS is very good, plus the new cars have LSD as standard which helps putting the power down on corner exit, again something else the S197 did not have.
Click to expand...

IRS is definitely better for corners/ handling, in addition it's Diff housing is bolted to the car's frame, it therefore suffers from no Axle tramp under hard acceleration, unlike a solid axle that has useless Leaf spring...... i.e the old Capri Injection 2.8

the only problem is:- a Jag IRS costs a fortune compared to a solid axle, but can handle loads of HP

a solid axle requires Ladder Bars to prevent Axle tramp, but makes cornering even worst :eek:
 
Gibbo said:
.yes if I want to launch it hard on drag radials one should upgrade the half shaft, I won't be drag racing so will stay on stock ones they should cope, if I break one then its time to upgrade. :)

.
Click to expand...

You might also require a prop shaft retaining loop close to midway along, just in case the prop shaft breaks at the Gear Box end, because if it does and it digs into the track, you could roll over..............but on a new car you should be ok. :D:D.
 
Looks far better with those other wheels.

Would it not have been better to buy these parts incrementally after actually driving the thing, rather than ripping out most of the car before you even have any benchmark for how it feels? Seems as though you'v bought things based on Internet recommendation rather than actual first hand experience... Or are you basing this on your previous mustang?
 
pioneer2000 said:
Looks far better with those other wheels.

Would it not have been better to buy these parts incrementally after actually driving the thing, rather than ripping out most of the car before you even have any benchmark for how it feels? Seems as though you'v bought things based on Internet recommendation rather than actual first hand experience... Or are you basing this on your previous mustang?
Click to expand...


Dude do you know how much shipping cost from USA on large items?

Yeah order one item at a time, pay $200 shipping, or order it all at once and pay $500 shipping and I got lucky as shipping has since increased from $500 to $1200 amongst the prices on the parts also increasing. :)
I gave myself a budget of 4k to get the car looking how I wanted, handling and sounding. I've done it, if I ordered each part seperate, shipping charges be higher, less discount on items and a lot more admin/custom charges, £4000, would have turned into more like £6000, I'd rather save £2000 and maybe have the odd part I do not use and just sell it on to someone else who wants that part.

Old Mustang, reviews, end user feedback and a lot of research, luckily in US these cars have being out over a year so many have done the upgrades and shared what was good and what is bad. Plus an ex race team have being testing nearly all the suspension kits, springs and coilover kits in their own testing and sharing the road and track results. In-valuable feedback and means I am not going in totally blind and guessing, just buying the tried and tested stuff plus the stuff which transformed my old one, plus if you understand how suspension works then a lot of it is pretty self explanatory. :)

The car shall be driven stock for a while to get a feel for how it is out the box and so I can then see what effect the parts have.
I shall however be fitting one item at a time, to evaluate the impact/change to the car. Plus the other advantage is should I get any squeaking/rattling/clunking only doing a single item at a time means I know exactly the cause.

My torque wrenches, loctite and energy grease are at the ready, just need the car now. :D

Worse case, I don't like something I can sell it and not lose any money. :)
 
Last edited:
If only it came pre-modfied for your convenience (OcUK TM). None of the fun of modifying and all of the cost savings. Would be right up your street. :p
 
Joe T said:
If only it came pre-modfied for your convenience (OcUK TM). None of the fun of modifying and all of the cost savings. Would be right up your street. :p
Click to expand...


We joke but I believe Ford are planning on bringing FRPP to UK officially like they have in USA, meaning you could then order the Mustang from Ford with these extras all pre-fitted for you by Ford at delivery with no effect on warranty. But you'd be paying retail price and Ford labour rates, so it would not be what I paid, 2x-3x more. :eek:

But to be frank the GT PP should have had this from factory, Ford either got it wrong or did it on purpose to get FRPP sales.

As right now only Ford have the damper/shocks upgrade on the market and everyone who has reviewed or fitted it thinks it is brilliant, though FRPP stuff generally does tend to be pretty good.

There are coilover kits available now but they are harsher as use higher coil rate springs and they cost a lot more, a good kit is around £2500-£4000 which is just dampers and springs. Add anti-roll bars and bushes on top your quickly into 5k.

So at £750 the FRPP kit is pretty insane value, though I did get it for $1015 down from $1500 which helps. :D
 
have you seen the prices of brand new Crate Engines !!!!!
the cheapest are around $12000..

the dark wheels look best, the silver ones look cheap and nasty, best paint job is the dark grey....as above, but Yellow is best for hiding scratches.
 
Mal X said:
have you seen the prices of brand new Crate Engines !!!!!
the cheapest are around $12000..

the dark wheels look best, the silver ones look cheap and nasty, best paint job is the dark grey....as above, but Yellow is best for hiding scratches.
Click to expand...

$5000 for the Coyote 5.0l m8 direct from FRPP. :)
 
.

USA is full of Custom wheels/ Hot Rod stuff, i like the CentreLine Wheels....either the 5 spoke or the plain Drag, but i'm too scared to look at the prices :)

it might be best to get stuff from the U.K though, or otherwise you have crippling Import Duties and Carriage/VAT.

i can get the steel body/chassis/running gear/gauges/wiring looms over here from a Hot Rod shop....i only need the Motor/gearbox from USA.

the Jag Axle from a scrap yard, never buy new, a Jag Axle lasts forever
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jagua...File:Jaguar_E-Type_Series_3_rear_subframe.jpg

that lot comes with the subframe, look how strong it is, i bet you that'll be £500 from a Scrappy

Engine :- either a 440 Chrysler Crate from Mopar, or a Chevy 350 small block.....about 500hp each, that'll be plenty to start with in a light weight HOTROD.......Single carb only for maximum reliability..
 
Last edited:
tcfreer said:
Blimey Gibbo - Almost 2 years waiting for this mate :)
Click to expand...


Yes, shame the dealership did not place my order until May 2015 though, fortunately Ford UK stepped in and pushed my order up the queue as they knew I parted with my deposit in May 2014.

Ford have being great, the dealership not so but they are improving, hopefully they will follow my instructions and fully redeem themselves when I come to collect hopefully in a week or two. :D
 
The other HOT Ford of 2016:



Looks like it could be a lot of fun to drive. For a Focus it looks good, but not enough to excite me and it sounds well very boy racer, but I suspect to drive it could be exceptional.

2016 looks good for Ford. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom