BigDipper

I need some help with some upgrade decisions. I have a stock setup on my 04 GT , and a local track (1.8 mile road course) has a "run what you brung" street car only race day every month. I want to start racing there , but don't know what kind of upgrades I can do that will make a real difference. My car is a daily driver , I thought of Steeda sway bar (front & back) , SFC, strut tower brace , and better shock's . I don't really mind the ride hight and don't know if its neccesary to lower the car. I thought of the Bullitt/Mach 1 package from FRPP , comes with it all and is very cheaply priced. I have read this entire forum and it sem's like the srpings and struts/shocks are good . How about the sway bars?
Thank's for any help you could give.Don't wanna waste money on stuff that is not really needed or very helpfull.

bassman97

I'd go w/ the FRPP Handling Pack, MM/Steeda full length subframes, Cobra front brakes, and MM rear lower control arms as a start. However, in the future, coil overs, torque arm/single upper control arm, Cobra rear brakes, caster/camber plates, solid steering shaft, and a poly bushing kit for the entire car (except the upper control arms) are also good stuff to invest in if you want a good r/t car.

01FR500

I will wait to hear from R3d. I think your going in the right direction but it really depends on how much you want to spend before I could start saying what I think you should upgrade to. I wish I had a track close to me that had an event like that.

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2003 GT

BigDipper

Thanks for the help bassman97 ! My Budget for now is about $1,000 I can't afford the cobra brake kit right now , with all of the suspension upgrades. I was planning on just getting drilled/slotted rotors and new pad's.( whitch takes away from my suspetion budget) Any thought's on that ? How much of a difference will the rear lower control arm's make ? Summit racing makes a set are they worth a crap ? Do I really need to lower the car ? Can I just get good shock's,SFC's,STB,Sway bar's, and as you suggested rear lower control arms' ? I'm worried about the lowering process with new CC-plates and alignment , or is the worry all for nothin ?

01FR500

The way I see it, if your not going to lower the car and put in a higher spring rate, then there is no reason to put in new struts and shocks, and therefore no need for C/C plates. Since you already have sway bars, I don't think new ones would benifit you any noticable amount. SFC's I would recomend to any Mustang, lowered, or not. I think you should add siffer springs. The FRPP package might be a good place to start, and not that expensive, may not require C/C plates. That would leave you enough money for SFC's, and better brake pads (no need to upgrade the rotors untill you've maxed out the pads). Other than that for around $1K I would go the route I went. H&R super sport springs, Tockico or equal dampers, SFC's and C/C plates if you can't get the car aligned w/o them. I am really happy with my set-up right now and it works pretty good for me in Autocross and is not a harsh ride on the daily. Spen the strut tower brace money on something else, most people say it is pretty useless.

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2003 GT

BigDipper

01FR500 , Thanks for the advice. I think I will go with the FRPP,SFC,CC plate's also , just in case (don't wanna have to go back and do it later).Then save the rest of my "rat-hole" for the cobra brake's. I this something I can do in my garage on a weekend ? Is there a break-in period , or can I start drivin' right away ?

P.S. The track is in Jennings , OK. about 45 min away from me (Tulsa,OK).hallettracing.net , don't know how far that is from Texarkana.

01FR500

That sounds good. If you've got some automotive experience with suspension I don't see why it should take you more than a good long weekend. The SFC'c need to be welded in by a shop. The Cobra brakes are a great upgrade (from what I hear) but you might want to make sure that you really need'em. If you already went to high performance pads and you notice brake fade and really feel like your stock brakes don't have much left in them then the Cobra brakes would be good insurance. I just don't want you to spend money while on a budget for something that isn't needed. I've never reached the limit of my brakes so I can't justify the Cobra brake upgrade yet.
I go to school in Conway, AR and Tulsa is about 3.5 hours away, I got my car from a guy in Tulsa.

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2003 GT

bassman97

For $400, I think it's better for the piece of mind to get the Cobra front brake kit, especially since you're going racing.

BigDipper

The more I think of it I am leaning toward the brakes first ! Not to say I am a professional driver , but with all of those other amateurs on the track brakes will probably be more important in the beginning than springs and shocks ! I think that after a while I will come to find out just what improvement's I need to make. Once again , thank you guys for all the help BIG TIME!! I will let you know what happens.

'02SilverBullet

I think I kinda agree with that.... plus.... with all that added stopping power it means you can stay on the go pedal longer in the straights. Of course once you have slowed down enough to enter the turn. then ya need the suspension to handle that turn LOL. But yeah.... brakes is a good idea for your needs

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01FR500

I think the brakes are good for piece-of-mind, and you'll never have to upgrade again proabably. Might want to do just the brake upgrade, do a race or two and then make a decision on how far you want to take the suspension. I might have a different point of view If I had already gotten cobra brakes, I just haven't had a problem with not enough stoping power yet.

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2003 GT

00whtgt

What I am doing for my suspension is:
Bullitt suspension package from buyfordracing.com $425
Maximum Motorsports Full Length Subframe Connectors $179
Maximum Motorsports Rear Lower Control Arms $249ish
Remove Front Sway Bar when at the track
Sticky Tires such as Mickey Thompson ET streets or Nitto Drags
This should allow you to achieve MUCH better 60ft times

Also, I just changed my brakes to Brembo replacement rotors and Hawk Pads for $200 from Tire Rack and the difference is INCREDIBLE!

Scott