This is Part 4 in a multi part series on the 1995 Mustang GTS project, if you missed PART 1, it can be found here LINK

As spring of 2005 turned to summer, I began to amass parts to start the crawl towards a respectable power output, but still operated on a budget. The parts pile started with a used set of MAC Performance 1 5/8” long tube headers, a matching MAC Performance Prochamber midpipe, and a Ford Racing M51 Catback Exhaust.

A C&L cast aluminium intake manifold was purchased and installed, it fit like garbage, and required extensive trimming with a hacksaw. The Aluminium heatsoaked like crazy but it may have added some power. While not helping power production, on the driveline side I purchased a set of Ford Racing 3.55:1 gears to replace the fuel miser 2.73:1 rear. To get rid of the broom-handle-in-a-bucket, I purchased and installed a UPR Blu-Thunder billet shifter, gone was the squishy FWD feeling original replaced pump-shotgun positive gear changes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cold Air Intake and Shifter were easily installed with basic hand tools in my rented single bay garage, but the exhaust and gear had to wait until the Canada Day long weekend, when I would be able to finagle a hoist, and Shawn’s gear setup skills.

Plied with a couple bottle of non-brand name “Baileys” Shawn expertly set up the gears while I did the exhaust work.

Not only did the OEM shorty headers get replaced, the 4 catalyst midpipe was scrapped and the 2.25” chokemaster mufflers I had stupidly wasted my money on. The scrapping didn’t stop there, I deleted the smog pump, replacing it with a billet idler, the EGR was capped off, and the dogbone was removed from the 8.8” differential housing.

The results were immediately gratifying, the exhaust note was awesome, authoritative but not noise ticket inducing, and the gears, that was the money shot, no one should ever drive 2.73 gears more than 5 feet. Even though the 3.55 gears are very moderate in the performance world, they gave a perfect balance of acceleration, cruise RPM, and top speed.

A return to the dyno was scheduled soon after the new modifications, and this time I didn’t bother trying to forecast the performance, the first experience taught me not to over think it.

Upon spinning the same Dynojet to a much improved 226 RWHP I was quite pleased, a full 33 RWHP and 31 RWTQ improvement over the last time. This put the flywheel numbers somewhere around 265 BHP, assuming 15% driveline loss, still not a world beater but much better than sad, sad, stock. If there was one thing that I think was the largest contributor to this gain would be the exhaust, the OEM 4 catalyst arrangement and 2.25” diameter pipe was clearly choking flow. So if you still have the OEM exhaust on your own 1994 or 1995, consider doing something about it.

On the 22^nd of July 2005 I purchased a cheap RCI helmet at the local speed shop, and made my first passes down the drag strip at Budweiser Motorsports Park, (Now Castrol Raceway) as Car #3419 and that was an experience, again very humbling.

I had thought myself to be a decent wheelman by this time, but once the lights dropped and I spun the tires to a 3.09 second 60 foot, and crossed the line with a 17.47 at 89.41 MPH I realized again I had much to learn.

Battling the clock throughout the evening I eventually figured out that there was more to this than planting the throttle and banging gears. Managing traction on my worn Hankooks and trying to muster a low 60 foot time was the key to maximum performance. With 4 passes total I retired the evening with a personal best of 2.399 second 60 foot with a finish of 15.07 at 92.86 MPH.

This was going to prove to be a challenge to perfect, the times were nothing to write home about, but I had established a baseline.

In PART 5 we “Cheat” on the exam for better performance.