Deposit May 2014 and today I took delivery, oh my, what a...
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CAR !!!
Hi there
If you don't know this then where have you being, but May 2014 I put a £1000 deposit down for the new Mustang, today I finally took delivery of the car. The spec is:
2015/16 Mustang GT PP
5.0l V8 415-425BHP / 390lb/ft
6 speed manual
3.55 ration with LSD
Brembo 6-pot front brakes with 380mm disc
Performance Pack, larger anti-roll bars, firmer springs, oil/rad coolers etc.
Premium interior pack, so RGB ambient lighting, dials, extra leather etc.
Custom pack, parking sensors, reverse camera, Shaker audio system, satnav etc.
Heated/AC sports seats with electric/manual adjustment
Auto wipers, lights, climate control, keyless entry and all that usual stuff.
Price paid: £35,385 with 15 delivery miles on the clock, pictures from picking up the car:
I did a close inspection, could not find any imperfections apart from some marks on the rear decklid, which did not bother me as I am replacing it anyway with a running pony version, same as pony badge on front of car as I dislike the fake filler cap on the rear.
I instructed my dealership not to fit plates as I did not want their large holders or my bumper drilling for the plates, which they agreed too. I also told them not to wash it but they said the car arrived to them looking filthy, I guess that is the issue with travelling on trains, boats and transporters for a few weeks. They agreed to get a valet guy in to do it professionally who would only use clean cloths etc, so I gave the go ahead just hoping I would not be confronted by a new car full of swirls as so many of them seem to have.
The valet guy however did find an issue with the car, I did not spot it until they pointed it out, unfortunately my drivers side window has a scratch in it, fortunately they have already ordered new glass and will fit it when the part arrives. They have also agreed to fit my Mustang side lower black decals as well once the recall part comes in for the wiring loom.
Upon close inspection I am amazed with the paint, so much so I no longer need to get the car detailed or paint corrected, some close up photos:
The magnetic paint is absolutely stunning, in dull light situations it looks just like a dark/deep grey and looks really nice. But under artificial lighting or sunlight the paint absolutely explodes with all the metallic flick in it and it is completely swirl and orange peel free, the paint work is absolutely stunning, one of the best I have ever seen on a car, it really is something else.
So what is it like to drive, well fire it up and the V8 makes itself very present indeed, it is kind of quiet on the outside, just a faint rumble unless you rev it to around 3000rpm. But in the car the engine sound is truly iconic and very true american muscle. So the noise is good, very good, it just needs to be louder, but I already have the exhaust to go on.
Driving at first it is like, oh my this is big, but then you starting turning the wheel and well it kind of shrinks around you and some of the big feeling is lost and when you do turn the wheel the car is very direct and response and the front-end on the car seems pretty damn good to be honest, but early days yet. Steering feel its not a 911 or the M3, but it is not lifeless by any means, I can certainly feel the road through it and in the sport setting the weighting is spot on.
Engine response is a little poor at first, all seems a bit laggy, I then selected sport mode, much improved, I then selected track/race and even better, throttle response is good and the power delivery is very smooth and impressive and it feels like the engine could rev forever, really is a very happy revvy V8 for sure.
I found a large roundabout just as things were getting cold and greasy and well tried normal, sport and race. The traction control system seems very intelligent, something I loved about the 911 was you could have that safety net but you had to get badly out of shape before it saved your ass and the Mustang in sport and race seems to let you have huge amounts of fun before it calms things down. In normal it steps in before a slide has developed at lower speeds. I have not tried wet/snow mode but it is supposed to work well, I might be finding out tomorrow as it is now snowing here.
Performance wise to early to tell the most I have done is rev it to around 6000rpm and then let the engine slow down by itself simply to ensure the valves are nicely seated. The clutch is very light but not so easy in 1st or 2nd, it is quite jerky, I am perfecting it but it seems a weak area of the car, I might if I cannot get it how I like it remove the clutch release spring to get a more linear pedal feel but lets see I've only put around 50-60 miles on the car yet. Engine torque in totally incredible, 5th gear 1000rpm and the car picks up and pulls and sounds lovely whilst doing so, trust me this car would drive around on a track or a country road in 4th gear no issues the engine response and pull is brilliant across the entire rev range. The gear change itself is gorgeous, it is actually a nicer gearbox than the 911, no joke the gear change is stunning, feels like a h-gate car and it just rifle bolts into place, seriously awesome work Ford on the engine and gear box, now just get better with clutches. The gearbox makes changing gear a joy, the clutch is a bit annoying in first couple of gears but hopeful I can remedy it by removing clutch assist spring, we shall see, will give it 1k miles just in case it is simply newness of the car.
Attention, even in the dark, people try to catch up to pull along side, or braking to slow down and see it. I took some photos in the petrol station and people were coming over commenting on what a stunning car it was, some new it was a Mustang and others had no idea, but attention it is getting for sure even in the dark.
Comfort and toys, I am blown away, the seats are incredible support yet so comfy like a sofa, they are heated and cooled, but make the car a lovely place to be. Ride quality also to be frank is superb, it blows the M3 and 911 away for lower speed dampening, it glides over bumps, there is no harshness or noise or clunks, just great ride quality, but at higher speeds it does have that floaty/bounce feeling reviewers have mentioned, like the dampers are struggling to keep the car settled and the floating feeling I suspect is because the car sits quite high of the ground. Its nothing so major to be honest but it does cause the car to feel less dynamic and sporty and more touring/bouncy. I think the FRPP handling kit I have which lowers car 1-1.5" and uses firmer/uprated dampers along with lighter springs and larger anti-roll bars and more solid bushes will sort this issue out.
So its a wonderful place to be, the fact you can customise the dash, ambient lighting as the car has RGB LED's pretty much throughout is a cool touch, the interior is actually very nice, for sure nicer than my E46 M3 when it had an interior but it is not upto latest BMW 5 series and Audi quality but not far off, on the whole its very good, couple of cheap bits here and there like plastic around window/mirror controls. The stereo was a bit so so, but for whatever reason in default mode it is almost like the rear speakers are off, you cannot hear them, after playing with faders, bass, mid and treble I've got it sounding nice, better than the Bose in my 911 and it has a lot more depth and bass ability. Of course compared to latest 911, Aston, BMW, Jaguar systems it is not as good, but it is still damn good if that makes sense. The Sync 2 system is superb, my phone paired with it with no issue, the satnav is great, the features are great.
Once I have owned the car for longer I shall go into more detail and of course it won't be staying standard for long, those who have being following my post in the Mustang thread will know I have a garage full of parts. I was going to fit the gear knob tonight, but I cannot get the old one off, someone in the Ford factory must of got excited with the loctite.
Tomorrow looks like I shall be testing out snow mode:
I simply love driving it, even at 10mph it has a character and charm I am afraid other cars have not given me, it might not be as cutting edge as a BMW M4 or a Mercedes C63 AMG. But starting this up makes me smile way more than the European similar performance rivalling cars could its full of character and it drives damn good out the box more so than I was expecting, one more thing which surprised me the car has a lot more grip than my M3 has got in colder/damp conditions. I think the chassis has great potential just need to unlock it, but I am very happy, cannot wait for tomorrows drive to work even if the roads are snow covered.
Any questions just ask.
Hi there
If you don't know this then where have you being, but May 2014 I put a £1000 deposit down for the new Mustang, today I finally took delivery of the car. The spec is:
2015/16 Mustang GT PP
5.0l V8 415-425BHP / 390lb/ft
6 speed manual
3.55 ration with LSD
Brembo 6-pot front brakes with 380mm disc
Performance Pack, larger anti-roll bars, firmer springs, oil/rad coolers etc.
Premium interior pack, so RGB ambient lighting, dials, extra leather etc.
Custom pack, parking sensors, reverse camera, Shaker audio system, satnav etc.
Heated/AC sports seats with electric/manual adjustment
Auto wipers, lights, climate control, keyless entry and all that usual stuff.
Price paid: £35,385 with 15 delivery miles on the clock, pictures from picking up the car:
I did a close inspection, could not find any imperfections apart from some marks on the rear decklid, which did not bother me as I am replacing it anyway with a running pony version, same as pony badge on front of car as I dislike the fake filler cap on the rear.
I instructed my dealership not to fit plates as I did not want their large holders or my bumper drilling for the plates, which they agreed too. I also told them not to wash it but they said the car arrived to them looking filthy, I guess that is the issue with travelling on trains, boats and transporters for a few weeks. They agreed to get a valet guy in to do it professionally who would only use clean cloths etc, so I gave the go ahead just hoping I would not be confronted by a new car full of swirls as so many of them seem to have.
The valet guy however did find an issue with the car, I did not spot it until they pointed it out, unfortunately my drivers side window has a scratch in it, fortunately they have already ordered new glass and will fit it when the part arrives. They have also agreed to fit my Mustang side lower black decals as well once the recall part comes in for the wiring loom.
Upon close inspection I am amazed with the paint, so much so I no longer need to get the car detailed or paint corrected, some close up photos:
The magnetic paint is absolutely stunning, in dull light situations it looks just like a dark/deep grey and looks really nice. But under artificial lighting or sunlight the paint absolutely explodes with all the metallic flick in it and it is completely swirl and orange peel free, the paint work is absolutely stunning, one of the best I have ever seen on a car, it really is something else.
So what is it like to drive, well fire it up and the V8 makes itself very present indeed, it is kind of quiet on the outside, just a faint rumble unless you rev it to around 3000rpm. But in the car the engine sound is truly iconic and very true american muscle. So the noise is good, very good, it just needs to be louder, but I already have the exhaust to go on.
Driving at first it is like, oh my this is big, but then you starting turning the wheel and well it kind of shrinks around you and some of the big feeling is lost and when you do turn the wheel the car is very direct and response and the front-end on the car seems pretty damn good to be honest, but early days yet. Steering feel its not a 911 or the M3, but it is not lifeless by any means, I can certainly feel the road through it and in the sport setting the weighting is spot on.
Engine response is a little poor at first, all seems a bit laggy, I then selected sport mode, much improved, I then selected track/race and even better, throttle response is good and the power delivery is very smooth and impressive and it feels like the engine could rev forever, really is a very happy revvy V8 for sure.
I found a large roundabout just as things were getting cold and greasy and well tried normal, sport and race. The traction control system seems very intelligent, something I loved about the 911 was you could have that safety net but you had to get badly out of shape before it saved your ass and the Mustang in sport and race seems to let you have huge amounts of fun before it calms things down. In normal it steps in before a slide has developed at lower speeds. I have not tried wet/snow mode but it is supposed to work well, I might be finding out tomorrow as it is now snowing here.
Performance wise to early to tell the most I have done is rev it to around 6000rpm and then let the engine slow down by itself simply to ensure the valves are nicely seated. The clutch is very light but not so easy in 1st or 2nd, it is quite jerky, I am perfecting it but it seems a weak area of the car, I might if I cannot get it how I like it remove the clutch release spring to get a more linear pedal feel but lets see I've only put around 50-60 miles on the car yet. Engine torque in totally incredible, 5th gear 1000rpm and the car picks up and pulls and sounds lovely whilst doing so, trust me this car would drive around on a track or a country road in 4th gear no issues the engine response and pull is brilliant across the entire rev range. The gear change itself is gorgeous, it is actually a nicer gearbox than the 911, no joke the gear change is stunning, feels like a h-gate car and it just rifle bolts into place, seriously awesome work Ford on the engine and gear box, now just get better with clutches. The gearbox makes changing gear a joy, the clutch is a bit annoying in first couple of gears but hopeful I can remedy it by removing clutch assist spring, we shall see, will give it 1k miles just in case it is simply newness of the car.
Attention, even in the dark, people try to catch up to pull along side, or braking to slow down and see it. I took some photos in the petrol station and people were coming over commenting on what a stunning car it was, some new it was a Mustang and others had no idea, but attention it is getting for sure even in the dark.
Comfort and toys, I am blown away, the seats are incredible support yet so comfy like a sofa, they are heated and cooled, but make the car a lovely place to be. Ride quality also to be frank is superb, it blows the M3 and 911 away for lower speed dampening, it glides over bumps, there is no harshness or noise or clunks, just great ride quality, but at higher speeds it does have that floaty/bounce feeling reviewers have mentioned, like the dampers are struggling to keep the car settled and the floating feeling I suspect is because the car sits quite high of the ground. Its nothing so major to be honest but it does cause the car to feel less dynamic and sporty and more touring/bouncy. I think the FRPP handling kit I have which lowers car 1-1.5" and uses firmer/uprated dampers along with lighter springs and larger anti-roll bars and more solid bushes will sort this issue out.
So its a wonderful place to be, the fact you can customise the dash, ambient lighting as the car has RGB LED's pretty much throughout is a cool touch, the interior is actually very nice, for sure nicer than my E46 M3 when it had an interior
but it is not upto latest BMW 5 series and Audi quality but not far off, on the whole its very good, couple of cheap bits here and there like plastic around window/mirror controls. The stereo was a bit so so, but for whatever reason in default mode it is almost like the rear speakers are off, you cannot hear them, after playing with faders, bass, mid and treble I've got it sounding nice, better than the Bose in my 911 and it has a lot more depth and bass ability. Of course compared to latest 911, Aston, BMW, Jaguar systems it is not as good, but it is still damn good if that makes sense. The Sync 2 system is superb, my phone paired with it with no issue, the satnav is great, the features are great.Once I have owned the car for longer I shall go into more detail and of course it won't be staying standard for long, those who have being following my post in the Mustang thread will know I have a garage full of parts. I was going to fit the gear knob tonight, but I cannot get the old one off, someone in the Ford factory must of got excited with the loctite.
Tomorrow looks like I shall be testing out snow mode:
I simply love driving it, even at 10mph it has a character and charm I am afraid other cars have not given me, it might not be as cutting edge as a BMW M4 or a Mercedes C63 AMG. But starting this up makes me smile way more than the European similar performance rivalling cars could its full of character and it drives damn good out the box more so than I was expecting, one more thing which surprised me the car has a lot more grip than my M3 has got in colder/damp conditions. I think the chassis has great potential just need to unlock it, but I am very happy, cannot wait for tomorrows drive to work even if the roads are snow covered.
Any questions just ask.
Stig said:
I believe the car comes on summer P Zeros (Gibbo can confirm)
Yes, they are a poor tyre. Only any good in warm/dry conditions. For wet and cold Michelin MPSS are far better and also better in the dry. But these will suffice for now, once I have destroyed them I shall fit winter tyres to the PP wheels and buy some new wheels with MPSS on. But in snow the Pzero is well fun and pretty useless:
sumpoil said:
Fantastic! Pleased for you. Looks lovely - that was my first colour choice (with custom pack and saddle leather) but after going through just about every colour combination in my mind and on the configurator about 300 times I finally changed to black. The rear lights and custom pack wheels look spot on with the magnetic. Awesome!
You've found the drive much the same as I did when I picked mine up - however, I've yet to actually change out of normal mode! Yes, 1st to 2nd is a bit tricky when you're just pottering around - it's better when you're really giving it death! For pottering I've found it helpful to have a few more revs in 1st than you think you need, then ease it across the gate, don't rush it. Then smoothly re-engage the clutch, making sure it's fully out before you get on the throttle. Works for me! Coming down the 'box (when pottering) I've found a bit of double de-clutch action makes all the difference - difficult to get brake and throttle at the same time unless you're really nailing the brakes. Not sure if the double de-clutch actually helps or whether it's just the fact that doing it makes the change slightly less rushed? Whatever the reason, it seems to help.
Enjoy!
Cheers yeah this morning drive was smooth, got the clutch figured out though it has zero feel, so will maybe pull the clutch assist spring in a few weeks.You've found the drive much the same as I did when I picked mine up - however, I've yet to actually change out of normal mode! Yes, 1st to 2nd is a bit tricky when you're just pottering around - it's better when you're really giving it death! For pottering I've found it helpful to have a few more revs in 1st than you think you need, then ease it across the gate, don't rush it. Then smoothly re-engage the clutch, making sure it's fully out before you get on the throttle. Works for me!
Coming down the 'box (when pottering) I've found a bit of double de-clutch action makes all the difference - difficult to get brake and throttle at the same time unless you're really nailing the brakes. Not sure if the double de-clutch actually helps or whether it's just the fact that doing it makes the change slightly less rushed? Whatever the reason, it seems to help.Enjoy!
I have had it in all modes, race mode is best, throttle is far more reactive and car pulls better/quicker and it really allows you some good slip with the safety net still there, just be smooth and gentle when pushing on and the car will keep you on the black stuff. Drive it like a FWD car and you risk being on your roof even with safety systems fully engaged.
The brakes are insanely good and take some getting use too.
Quinny said:
Did you place your order in 2014??
Yes before Ford knew exactly what was going on, I was the first, but dealership did not put my order in until May which caused a little delay.Some noise!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgtauL5OTPA
Snorty said:
Great review, thanks. I took delivery of mine last month, & all that hurts is my face from all the smiling! I went for the black wheels & no chrome window trim, plus I opted for the Ford factory fitted strips, as per pics. In my opinion Magnetic is the best colour, but the car looks great in any colour, the styling is that good. See you on the road sometime, or maybe at a meet.
Lovely, where in UK are you?Wheel and knob fitted:
I absolutely love the wheel, thicker grips, suede is lovely and just is more befitting to the type of car I feel, install took me 45 minutes in the dark, really a very easy job to do. No air bag lights or errors and you can only put the wheel back on in the position it came off so no need for an allignment afterwards.
The knob is very easy to install once you get the stock one off, mine the factory went OTT on the loctite so I need pipegrips and rubber mat to get it off. It feels no better than stock and yes its cold on an icy morning but I prefer the looks and it feels no worse.
[size=5]Stock wheel / knob[/size]
[size=5]Shelby wheel / billet knob[/size]
That is my interior modifications completed, the white stitching on the wheel matches the interior spot on as the seats and dash all have white stitching.
Won't manage to get the exhaust on today, got a party to go today and then the casino tonight, so wish me luck and if I am not too hungover tomorrow then maybe I shall fit it.
I absolutely love the wheel, thicker grips, suede is lovely and just is more befitting to the type of car I feel, install took me 45 minutes in the dark, really a very easy job to do. No air bag lights or errors and you can only put the wheel back on in the position it came off so no need for an allignment afterwards.
The knob is very easy to install once you get the stock one off, mine the factory went OTT on the loctite so I need pipegrips and rubber mat to get it off. It feels no better than stock and yes its cold on an icy morning but I prefer the looks and it feels no worse.
[size=5]Stock wheel / knob[/size]
[size=5]Shelby wheel / billet knob[/size]
That is my interior modifications completed, the white stitching on the wheel matches the interior spot on as the seats and dash all have white stitching.
Won't manage to get the exhaust on today, got a party to go today and then the casino tonight, so wish me luck and if I am not too hungover tomorrow then maybe I shall fit it.
nostruss said:
I was out in them today in 2C (35F) damp roads. They're growing on me. For sure if you hit the gas hard then they will be overwhelmed - but tbh - even winter tyres would, 400+BHP is a lot of horses. Doing hard braking (safe environment) grip was incredible. I'm sticking with the P-Zero's (excuse the pun). It does take a good few mileshttp://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/imgs/10.gif before they're worn in though.......
If you tried a tyre like the MPSS you'd not be saying that.I've had Pzero on my 911 and they were simply at time un-predictable and not so confident inspiring in wet conditions and lacked grip in cold/wet greatly. Changing to PS2 transformed the car to one full of confidence in the wet so even when grip was low there was still plenty of confidence.
I then went to MPSS and was simply blown away, it really is a tyre which excels at everything, even better they lasted twice as long.
MPSS FTW!!
Hi there
Fitted my rear decklid last night, very easy to do, just undo 4x 7mm bolts in the boot and I then pulled it off with my hands, swap cameras over and reversal. Does not take long and is easy to do.
Those who know their Mustangs will realise this is the EB rear decklid from the USA, but there is no mistaking my car for a V8 from the noise the 5.0l badges all over the car. I went with this because I feel it simply looks the best and cleanest of them all and it really sets the rear-end of.
My average mpg is now hovering in the 16-17mpg range and the car is now over 100 miles, struggling to clock them up due to all the horrible weather.
Still loving the car, still hating the clutch pedal and the car is getting so much attention on the road and when parked up, even in this horrible dull weather.
Fitted my rear decklid last night, very easy to do, just undo 4x 7mm bolts in the boot and I then pulled it off with my hands, swap cameras over and reversal. Does not take long and is easy to do.
Those who know their Mustangs will realise this is the EB rear decklid from the USA, but there is no mistaking my car for a V8 from the noise the 5.0l badges all over the car. I went with this because I feel it simply looks the best and cleanest of them all and it really sets the rear-end of.
My average mpg is now hovering in the 16-17mpg range and the car is now over 100 miles, struggling to clock them up due to all the horrible weather.
Still loving the car, still hating the clutch pedal and the car is getting so much attention on the road and when parked up, even in this horrible dull weather.
Hi there
Nothing to excited but I changed my boot or should I say trunk and all interior lighting to LED based, which was mainly just the map reading lights, but now the car only has white/RGB leds throughout, hard to show in a picture but here goes:
Wherever you see blue lights these are the stock RGB units from Ford where you can change to any colour you wish or adjust brightness. The LED lights I installed give a cleaner look and in the boot you can actually see more now as the LED's are obviously more powerful.
Next onto the clutch, as I've said several previous times the clutch is completely lacking any feel at all, it is very light and there is no biting point that I can feel. So it seems a very common thing in US to remove the clutch assist spring as it is just not me finding this issue but 100's of owners in the US who have all removed the spring. Here is a picture of the culprit:
Took a minute to remove with no tools, push pedal to floor with one hand and with the other hand take a good grip and push to centre of car, it just comes off. The clutch is now heavier for sure but I can feel the biting point and it has made my pulling off and 1st-2nd gear change much smoother. So seems us UK owners need to do the same as US guys.
Would be nice if I could find an in the middle spring as now the clutch pedal is very heavy, if I could make it a little lighter, just a little with say a weaker spring would be great, but the car is for sure better without it, just means I will have an Arnold size leg in a years time.
Nothing to excited but I changed my boot or should I say trunk and all interior lighting to LED based, which was mainly just the map reading lights, but now the car only has white/RGB leds throughout, hard to show in a picture but here goes:
Wherever you see blue lights these are the stock RGB units from Ford where you can change to any colour you wish or adjust brightness. The LED lights I installed give a cleaner look and in the boot you can actually see more now as the LED's are obviously more powerful.
Next onto the clutch, as I've said several previous times the clutch is completely lacking any feel at all, it is very light and there is no biting point that I can feel. So it seems a very common thing in US to remove the clutch assist spring as it is just not me finding this issue but 100's of owners in the US who have all removed the spring. Here is a picture of the culprit:
Took a minute to remove with no tools, push pedal to floor with one hand and with the other hand take a good grip and push to centre of car, it just comes off. The clutch is now heavier for sure but I can feel the biting point and it has made my pulling off and 1st-2nd gear change much smoother. So seems us UK owners need to do the same as US guys.
Would be nice if I could find an in the middle spring as now the clutch pedal is very heavy, if I could make it a little lighter, just a little with say a weaker spring would be great, but the car is for sure better without it, just means I will have an Arnold size leg in a years time.
Number plates were temporary, final plates now on the car:-
So the front plate is now removed and I am using a removable bracket that easily unlocks and locks into place so I can remove for shows etc. It is off at a slight angle though, will fix that tonight.
The rear plate not much change, just not wonky and a plainer looking plate with no dealer advertising on it and of course my private plate.
Looks so much better now!
So the front plate is now removed and I am using a removable bracket that easily unlocks and locks into place so I can remove for shows etc. It is off at a slight angle though, will fix that tonight.
The rear plate not much change, just not wonky and a plainer looking plate with no dealer advertising on it and of course my private plate.
Looks so much better now!
Hi there
Was not happy with the allignment on my bonnet, looked too pinched in centre and was sitting lower than front bumper, very hard to see, but well I knew it was there. Yet another failing on Ford's QC checks, the car might be great value but build quality on exterior panel allignment is an issue on these cars, though I've seen some far worse where it is so easily noticable. Luckily it is easily fixed by adjusting the bonnet catch and the bonnet stops.
[size=5]BEFORE![/size]
[size=5]AFTER![/size]
It is now flush with the front-end, an equal gap all across, we even measured everything to ensure absolutely spot on. Easy to do so kind of sucks Ford did not sort it to be frank when they built the car.
Also the chrome horse, is gone, for me it was making the front-end not aggressive enough, so now it has being replaced with a new horse, a black pony and I am very happy with result, front of car looks a lot more meaner and aggressive whilst still remaining completely factory specification.
Also a shot of the rear lights illuminated.
Weather has vastly improved to wet and warm, tyres clearly switched on, no more grease in them and starting to get more of a feel for the car, she handles above expectations to be frank and the LSD works very well and the front end really turns in very well and is very confident inspiring and I am finding feedback really not bad at all, to the point I can feel the road surface in the wheel, which I was not expecting as Dave reported his Shelby is completely lifeless on the steering and its not that I don't know what to look for I own a solid bushed M3 with hydraulic steering and have gone from a 911 (997.1) with hydraulic steering. The Mustang of course is not as good as either of those for steering feel, but it has feel and the weighting is spot on. I've managed to fully get on it second gear a couple of times now and wow does it shift it feels an incredibly strong 415BHP, I'd not be surprised if it has more horsepower than stated.
Was not happy with the allignment on my bonnet, looked too pinched in centre and was sitting lower than front bumper, very hard to see, but well I knew it was there. Yet another failing on Ford's QC checks, the car might be great value but build quality on exterior panel allignment is an issue on these cars, though I've seen some far worse where it is so easily noticable. Luckily it is easily fixed by adjusting the bonnet catch and the bonnet stops.
[size=5]BEFORE![/size]
[size=5]AFTER![/size]
It is now flush with the front-end, an equal gap all across, we even measured everything to ensure absolutely spot on. Easy to do so kind of sucks Ford did not sort it to be frank when they built the car.
Also the chrome horse, is gone, for me it was making the front-end not aggressive enough, so now it has being replaced with a new horse, a black pony and I am very happy with result, front of car looks a lot more meaner and aggressive whilst still remaining completely factory specification.
Also a shot of the rear lights illuminated.
Weather has vastly improved to wet and warm, tyres clearly switched on, no more grease in them and starting to get more of a feel for the car, she handles above expectations to be frank and the LSD works very well and the front end really turns in very well and is very confident inspiring and I am finding feedback really not bad at all, to the point I can feel the road surface in the wheel, which I was not expecting as Dave reported his Shelby is completely lifeless on the steering and its not that I don't know what to look for I own a solid bushed M3 with hydraulic steering and have gone from a 911 (997.1) with hydraulic steering. The Mustang of course is not as good as either of those for steering feel, but it has feel and the weighting is spot on. I've managed to fully get on it second gear a couple of times now and wow does it shift it feels an incredibly strong 415BHP, I'd not be surprised if it has more horsepower than stated.
HI there
Some more parts fitted to the car today, hood lifts and some colour added to engine bay:
[size=5]BEFORE![/size]
[size=5]AFTER![/size]
No more hood prop in the way and I even removed it. Blue coil covers which match the colour of the Whipple super charger, guess you can tell I am leaning towards a Whipple.
The hood lift kit also means closing the bonnet is easier as just lower the bonnet and let it fall using its own wait against the gas struts and it closes perfectly every time.
I then gave the car a real good clean, snow foam, followed by wash and then I allowed the car to dry by itself and no sunlight. Once dry my intention was to get a good sealant on the car and something I could use without putting any swirl marks into the paint. So I used Autobrite Project 32 sealant which is what the 911 was done in. What makes it so good is you literally spray it on the paint like a quick detailer on a body panel at a time, wipe it over and then turn the cloth and buff it off. Not only very easy to apply but also easy to remove and results in no rubbing or polishing kind of action on the paint. I managed to get two layers on today and already on a brand new car I can see the difference in depth and mirror/glass like look. It is great stuff.
Some photos:
Now I have washed and waxed the car I have being able to fully inspect the paint, no marks or blemishes, but unfortunately a small chip on drivers side rear quarter clearly from a stone, will ask Ford if they can touch it up, though it is not noticable I now know it is there.
The good news is the paint is completely swirl and marr free, no need for a detail or paint correction, just need to try and keep it that way and only using Project 32 along with two bucket method should certainly help, todays washing and waxing session did not introduce any marks into the paint.
Though it is hard to show here is a real close up of the paint:
Very happy with the car, yes it sits way too high and yes I really want to fit my FRPP handling suspension kit and fit my wheel spacers to get rid of those voids in the arches. However as hard as it is for me to resist I am enjoying the car on standard suspension for a few more weeks to fully understand how it handles from factory and to then start changing suspension parts one at a time.
Some more parts fitted to the car today, hood lifts and some colour added to engine bay:
[size=5]BEFORE![/size]
[size=5]AFTER![/size]
No more hood prop in the way and I even removed it. Blue coil covers which match the colour of the Whipple super charger, guess you can tell I am leaning towards a Whipple.
The hood lift kit also means closing the bonnet is easier as just lower the bonnet and let it fall using its own wait against the gas struts and it closes perfectly every time.
I then gave the car a real good clean, snow foam, followed by wash and then I allowed the car to dry by itself and no sunlight. Once dry my intention was to get a good sealant on the car and something I could use without putting any swirl marks into the paint. So I used Autobrite Project 32 sealant which is what the 911 was done in. What makes it so good is you literally spray it on the paint like a quick detailer on a body panel at a time, wipe it over and then turn the cloth and buff it off. Not only very easy to apply but also easy to remove and results in no rubbing or polishing kind of action on the paint. I managed to get two layers on today and already on a brand new car I can see the difference in depth and mirror/glass like look. It is great stuff.
Some photos:
Now I have washed and waxed the car I have being able to fully inspect the paint, no marks or blemishes, but unfortunately a small chip on drivers side rear quarter clearly from a stone, will ask Ford if they can touch it up, though it is not noticable I now know it is there.
The good news is the paint is completely swirl and marr free, no need for a detail or paint correction, just need to try and keep it that way and only using Project 32 along with two bucket method should certainly help, todays washing and waxing session did not introduce any marks into the paint.
Though it is hard to show here is a real close up of the paint:
Very happy with the car, yes it sits way too high and yes I really want to fit my FRPP handling suspension kit and fit my wheel spacers to get rid of those voids in the arches. However as hard as it is for me to resist I am enjoying the car on standard suspension for a few more weeks to fully understand how it handles from factory and to then start changing suspension parts one at a time.
Hi there
So today I decided to get back under the car again and get her up on axle stands, made incredibly easy with the Steeda jacking rails I must say, effortless to jack the car very high on the driveway now.
Even though I have no complaints about the transmission, it is a joy to use, I rate it better than my 911's gear change, but 2-3rd at over 6000rpm can on the rare occasion be a little hard to get 3rd if you going for a quick shift. So as I already had the Steeda transmission mount and transmission bushing insert I decided to get them installed.
I started with the transmission mount, thinking this would be harder as people say its hard to get off and to get the new one in you need to undo transmission cross member and drop the transmission an inch or two.
Well I decided to try without undoing the transmission cross member or lowering the trans/gearbox. I got the old one out and the new one in place all OK, yeah it was a little fiddly but it only took me about 45 minutes. I used a 10mm socket with several extensions to make it easy undoing and tightening back up.
I then did the bushing insert, support gearbox with a jack and undid cross member, this bushing is a real tight fit, it took a lot of persuasion, it would probably go in easier with something like WD40 but I wanted to only use the energy suspension grease which is very tracky and no doubt makes it a little harder.
Couple of images of the new parts and old parts:
You can see the stock part is a rather flimsy cheap looking item and you will also see I drilled a hole into the bushing insert to cut down on any potential NVH. So the drive, at first it is really hard to notice anything, maybe the gears a tad less notchy and slot in easier, but if the case then it is real slim. High RPM shifts seem spot on now, though before they were pretty fine, just 2nd-3rd you had to be mindful if doing it fast, so now its a bit easier.
NVH really quite unsure, I think there could be some which will be coming from bushing insert but I am not sure, so that is how minor it is, we shall see on my commute to work tomorrow as today I was simply having to much fun driving the car.
So the jury is out on these parts, I am not witnessing any vast change to how the car changes gear, it was always superb and still is, these parts any improvement is very minor and if they were over £100 I would not recommend them, as such the pair cost me £60, would I do it again, probably not as I found my gear change lovely, it still is but I cannot say this part has transformed the car in any way, it might for others and at £60 it is not breaking the bank. So make your own minds up but unfortunately it is not a part I can turn around and say OMG its made the car epic, or ruined the car, there is an improvement, but it is minor at best.
I was having some fun on a national speed limit road, now the Pzero's have got 250 miles on them and the fact it is 13c outside and wet/damp all of a sudden they are working quite well, full throttle in second gear and she just goes, even 1st gear traction in the damp is actually fantastic, this car can really get up and go from a dig. Loving the car in race mode to be honest, like my 911 the traction systems are dialed way out so they do not interfere, but I've not really pushed the car to hard yet. Then a guy came running out of his unit waving at me, I assumed me flying up and down the road upset him, but he was smiling, pulled into his car park and we got talking. His excitment was because he has a V8 Auto on order and cannot wait to get it, he also has a garage full of parts waiting to go on. Not only that he has a rather impressive garage, Lambo, GTR, Escort RS Cosworth, 911 and he just sold his M4, said he did not like it and the Mustang essentially replacing it. A good guy and someone handy to know as his business is working on cars, vans and trucks.
Couple of photos from tonight of the Stang:
A crowd started to develop, people only had positive things to say, they absolutely love it and it seems common that most people think the rear of the car looks very 60's Mustang and Aston Martin, not a bad thing at all.
So today I decided to get back under the car again and get her up on axle stands, made incredibly easy with the Steeda jacking rails I must say, effortless to jack the car very high on the driveway now.
Even though I have no complaints about the transmission, it is a joy to use, I rate it better than my 911's gear change, but 2-3rd at over 6000rpm can on the rare occasion be a little hard to get 3rd if you going for a quick shift. So as I already had the Steeda transmission mount and transmission bushing insert I decided to get them installed.
I started with the transmission mount, thinking this would be harder as people say its hard to get off and to get the new one in you need to undo transmission cross member and drop the transmission an inch or two.
Well I decided to try without undoing the transmission cross member or lowering the trans/gearbox. I got the old one out and the new one in place all OK, yeah it was a little fiddly but it only took me about 45 minutes. I used a 10mm socket with several extensions to make it easy undoing and tightening back up.
I then did the bushing insert, support gearbox with a jack and undid cross member, this bushing is a real tight fit, it took a lot of persuasion, it would probably go in easier with something like WD40 but I wanted to only use the energy suspension grease which is very tracky and no doubt makes it a little harder.
Couple of images of the new parts and old parts:
You can see the stock part is a rather flimsy cheap looking item and you will also see I drilled a hole into the bushing insert to cut down on any potential NVH. So the drive, at first it is really hard to notice anything, maybe the gears a tad less notchy and slot in easier, but if the case then it is real slim. High RPM shifts seem spot on now, though before they were pretty fine, just 2nd-3rd you had to be mindful if doing it fast, so now its a bit easier.
NVH really quite unsure, I think there could be some which will be coming from bushing insert but I am not sure, so that is how minor it is, we shall see on my commute to work tomorrow as today I was simply having to much fun driving the car.
So the jury is out on these parts, I am not witnessing any vast change to how the car changes gear, it was always superb and still is, these parts any improvement is very minor and if they were over £100 I would not recommend them, as such the pair cost me £60, would I do it again, probably not as I found my gear change lovely, it still is but I cannot say this part has transformed the car in any way, it might for others and at £60 it is not breaking the bank. So make your own minds up but unfortunately it is not a part I can turn around and say OMG its made the car epic, or ruined the car, there is an improvement, but it is minor at best.
I was having some fun on a national speed limit road, now the Pzero's have got 250 miles on them and the fact it is 13c outside and wet/damp all of a sudden they are working quite well, full throttle in second gear and she just goes, even 1st gear traction in the damp is actually fantastic, this car can really get up and go from a dig. Loving the car in race mode to be honest, like my 911 the traction systems are dialed way out so they do not interfere, but I've not really pushed the car to hard yet. Then a guy came running out of his unit waving at me, I assumed me flying up and down the road upset him, but he was smiling, pulled into his car park and we got talking. His excitment was because he has a V8 Auto on order and cannot wait to get it, he also has a garage full of parts waiting to go on. Not only that he has a rather impressive garage, Lambo, GTR, Escort RS Cosworth, 911 and he just sold his M4, said he did not like it and the Mustang essentially replacing it. A good guy and someone handy to know as his business is working on cars, vans and trucks.
Couple of photos from tonight of the Stang:
A crowd started to develop, people only had positive things to say, they absolutely love it and it seems common that most people think the rear of the car looks very 60's Mustang and Aston Martin, not a bad thing at all.
My drive to work is normally a 20-30 minute affair, this morning I took a detour and took a good hour, dry roads, finally time to unleash the car a bit more. The bushing insert I fitted yesterday I do feel causes NVH, not much but enough to the point I shall probably remove the bushing insert and just keep the uprated mount.
The car, the engine is totally awesome, huge torque between 1000-3000rpm and after 3000rpm it pulls like a train to 7000rpm limiter. The gearbox well I think you all know I like it.
Handling, its got grip, surprisingly more than I though you really can get on the power pretty early, certainly earlier than the M3 surprising considering the extra power and torque this has. The dampers are fine under 50mph, but over 50mph the car just seems to get floaty, hit a bump or change lanes over a crest and it literally bounces in slow motion like a boat going over waves, its not scary or losing grip but the car in my view needs more high speed rebound as the dampers are not controlling things in the back of the car very well. Car turns in well, very well, fast direction changes and well its no M3 or 911, you can feel its size and bulk, you can certainly get it through a section of corners fast, but you need a very smooth approach to control the mass. In short the grip is excellent, the handling is OK, its no M car, I'd say it is more on parr with a 3/5 series with M suspension/wheels for handling and direction change. Where it wins over an M car is for traction, it has got grip and the LSD works very well I am finding. But the suspension as a whole just needs tightening up, it needs to roll a little less and it needs a slightly firmer ride with dampers with better control. Hopefully my suspension modifications will resolve these short falls and most of the shall falls are stemming from the rear suspension of the car, the front-end in my view just needs tightening a little, bigger roll bar, braces should sort that. The rear however feels rubberised, floaty and wonderous, I am sure it can be improved.
Still even with these downfalls, even if I had to live with them, I would still be sticking with the Mustang, because it has got real character and soul, something really missing from most modern cars these days and this car has it.
Oh now I've driven it in the dry and unleashed full throttle in 2nd gear upwards, its quick, I'd say its 911 quick, probably no faster though and probably a touch slower than M3, so yes it does need more power, to most people would feel over-whelmed but the whole idea of this car was to turn it into a 700+ horsepower monster after a years ownership, and now I can just imagine flooring it in 3rd with such power will be a true occasion, but I do absolutely love how this engine revs, for a V8 with so much torque it is very impressive that it revs so well.
Anyway work time!
The car, the engine is totally awesome, huge torque between 1000-3000rpm and after 3000rpm it pulls like a train to 7000rpm limiter. The gearbox well I think you all know I like it.
Handling, its got grip, surprisingly more than I though you really can get on the power pretty early, certainly earlier than the M3 surprising considering the extra power and torque this has. The dampers are fine under 50mph, but over 50mph the car just seems to get floaty, hit a bump or change lanes over a crest and it literally bounces in slow motion like a boat going over waves, its not scary or losing grip but the car in my view needs more high speed rebound as the dampers are not controlling things in the back of the car very well. Car turns in well, very well, fast direction changes and well its no M3 or 911, you can feel its size and bulk, you can certainly get it through a section of corners fast, but you need a very smooth approach to control the mass. In short the grip is excellent, the handling is OK, its no M car, I'd say it is more on parr with a 3/5 series with M suspension/wheels for handling and direction change. Where it wins over an M car is for traction, it has got grip and the LSD works very well I am finding. But the suspension as a whole just needs tightening up, it needs to roll a little less and it needs a slightly firmer ride with dampers with better control. Hopefully my suspension modifications will resolve these short falls and most of the shall falls are stemming from the rear suspension of the car, the front-end in my view just needs tightening a little, bigger roll bar, braces should sort that. The rear however feels rubberised, floaty and wonderous, I am sure it can be improved.
Still even with these downfalls, even if I had to live with them, I would still be sticking with the Mustang, because it has got real character and soul, something really missing from most modern cars these days and this car has it.
Oh now I've driven it in the dry and unleashed full throttle in 2nd gear upwards, its quick, I'd say its 911 quick, probably no faster though and probably a touch slower than M3, so yes it does need more power, to most people would feel over-whelmed but the whole idea of this car was to turn it into a 700+ horsepower monster after a years ownership, and now I can just imagine flooring it in 3rd with such power will be a true occasion, but I do absolutely love how this engine revs, for a V8 with so much torque it is very impressive that it revs so well.
Anyway work time!
croyde said:
Loving the updates mate, really useful.
I have a 1000 miles on mine now and the grip is great. Not sure I've actually had a dry day yet. 100 mile drive to and from work on Friday in torrential rain covered the car in muck, it was filthy but it didn't put a tyre wrong, even at silly speeds.
My mpg is getting worse the more I am enjoying this car
Like the look of your front with the blacked out pony. Is it just a matter of unscrewing it?
Cheers and keep 'em coming.
Yes dry here today, full chat to 7000rpm through 2nd and 3rd, this car hauls ass well and no traction issues. Does need more power though! I have a 1000 miles on mine now and the grip is great. Not sure I've actually had a dry day yet. 100 mile drive to and from work on Friday in torrential rain covered the car in muck, it was filthy but it didn't put a tyre wrong, even at silly speeds.
My mpg is getting worse the more I am enjoying this car
Like the look of your front with the blacked out pony. Is it just a matter of unscrewing it?
Cheers and keep 'em coming.
To change the horse, jack the front end up high, remove belly pan and then get your hands up there to take the little retainers off, they are absolute gits as on tight if all is failing snap them off and it fall out, then remove the retainers from stock badge and use them to the hold the new one on. It is easy but fiddly and tricky.
Removed the bushing insert at lunch time, took 5 minutes and it was definetely causing NVH like a buzz in cabin, much nicer without it, so that mod can go in the parts bin, but the Steeda transmission mount, no NVH and seems to work well, no issues shifting at high rpm, but this gearbox is so good really no need, but as I had the parts had to give them a try.
Centurion07 said:
I think you did that the hard way!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C263cSiqYFY
On another note, was it you that bought about 4 or 5 different gearknobs?
Problem with removing catch, bonnet allignment unless paint is marked and more room by doing from below to move around, not end of world.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C263cSiqYFY
On another note, was it you that bought about 4 or 5 different gearknobs?
Yes I got plenty of knobs!
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