zx2reme
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I purchased my new Mustang on April 23, 2015. I went through three dealers before I was able to pick it up. I was very specific in what I wanted: Oxford White, Performance Pack, Ebony Leather Recaro seats, 401A stereo. Ironically, there was one on a transport headed to a dealer at Grand Forks, ND. I initially went to my local dealer in Minot first, who said they would be able to get it, but after getting a call from the dealer in Devils Lake, who gave a better price, I decided to go with them. The problem I soon realized, however, was since there were only a handful of Mustangs sold in North Dakota at the time, Grand Forks didn't want to let go of it since they knew they could sell it fast. So I called them up and after some tough negotiating, worked out a deal and picked up the Mustang I wanted. And they weren't kidding about being able to sell it fast. There were several offers on it even before they got it off the trailer, with three more the morning I drove out to go pick it up. One of the offers came from a guy who pulled up in a 2013 Boss Mustang, handed the keys to the salesman and pointed at my car saying, I'm taking that home today! Fortunately for me, though, they had to let him down since I already purchased it!
Anyways, I found the best car the money and haven't regretted it one bit!
Here she is!
This is the day I picked her up at Lithia Ford in Grand Forks, ND on April 27, 2015.
Once I got her home, I took some better pictures.
About two weeks of having her home, I started getting the itch to start modding. To update the appearance and set apart from the other Mustangs on the road, I grabbed up a grille delete from RPI designs. To get the right stance, I ordered a set of SVE progressive rate springs from Late Model Restoration.
I then focused my attention on the performance so I turned to LMR again and picked up a Gibson exhaust and an Airraid intake/SCT X4 tuner combo.
With the new gear on, I hit up my first car show in the Mustang. It was Devils Run in Devils Lake, ND. I had the only 2015 there, which surprised me because there were a fair share of Mustangs there. It definitely got a lot of attention.
While there, I tried out the dyno. At the time, I only had the exhaust and intake installed. I pulled out 355.7 hp on a Dynotech dyno. In perspective, they dynoed a stock gt at 323hp the day prior.
After getting home from the show, I knew I wanted to improve the looks. I picked up a slew of carbon fiber goodies from Trufiber to include their rear decklid panel, mirror triangles, and engine cover insert as well as a set of coil covers from APR. Additionally, I tinted my taillights with a light smoke tint. And to finish off the engine bay, I added a set of MRT hood struts.
Not to neglect the performance side of things, I picked up a set of Steeda subframe support braces and a G-Trac K-member brace from LMR.
My next show was a local one on base. Again, I had the only 2015 there, so it was nice being a little unique.
I pretty much kept it as is for the remainder of the summer and wanted to just enjoy it for a while. I had a lot of fun cruising around and attending local meets. I got my first chance to run the car hard at the Sturgis Mustang Rally. I ran the autocross event, which was sponsored by Gateway Mustang. They gave ride-alongs as well as had their drivers sit along with you in your car to give tips on how to attack the course. I also ran at the drag strip there. My best time was a 9.19 in the 1/8th. I can't remember my 60-ft, but it sucked bad.
After the rally was over, I pretty much put the car up for the winter, with the exception of a few cruises. That didn't stop me from collecting parts. While I was at the Sturgis Rally, I entered in a drawing Race For the Cure. One of the prizes was a $2000 gift certificate to Ford Racing among other great prizes. Well, at the All Ford Show in Madison Wisconsin, they pulled the names. I had two tickets pulled and won a swag bag full of stuff to include shirts, a model Shelby GT500, mugs, etc. The other prize I won was the $2000 gift certificate. With that, I picked up their differential and subframe bushing kits, short shifter, sway bars and clutch line.
I also made good use of the Black Friday deals. I hit Lethal Performance up and picked up a set of BBK long tube headers with catted downpipes, BMR adjustable toe rods and vertical links, Steeda jacking rails, bump-steer kit, and transmission mount bushing insert. The headers were on backorder and were the primary piece I required to start installing everything, as I was trying to coordinate parts installs so I didn't have to duplicate efforts.
In the meantime, I took ownership of one of the best sets of wheels I've seen so far. I picked up a set of Work CR2P wheels from Grim Reaper. They are speced at 20x10+38 on Hankook Ventus EVO2 285/30/20 and 20x11+45 on 305/25/20.
Once I got my headers in April, it was time to begin.
I started with the headers. This was pretty challenging to say the least, but was better than the $1000 price quotes from a shop. A couple of issues I did run into was, first, when I tried lowering the motor back down after installing everything, the header was contacting the motor mount. It looked like my motor shifted slightly when I loosened the motor mounts. I just shifted it over as I lowered the motor and everything cleared. To get a little more clearance, I ordered Steeda's motor mounts.
Next to go in was the Steeda jacking rails. The rails are very well constructed and installation was a snap. The only complaint I really have is that it drops fairly low and because my car is already lowered, it makes going over a chore. I actually high-centered when pulling back off the lift.
The next major milestone was re-hauling the rear suspension. I started with removing the rear subframe to install the Ford Racing subframe to differential bushings and subframe to body bushings. In order to do this, I had to cut and hammer out the old bushings. It took me several hours to get just the first one done, but once I figured out a method, I was able to get the rest out a lot faster.
After putting the rear subframe back in, I then installed a set of BMR billet vertical links and adjustable toe rods. Again, the install was pretty straightforward.
While out back, I took the time to install the Steeda rear sway bar and billet sway bar mounts. Another easy install with easy to follow instructions. The bar looks great and really dresses the rear end up while providing much improved handling.
Next was the Ford Racing short shifter install. I figured since I had the driveshaft pulled out already, this would be the perfect time to do it. I also took this time to install the Steeda transmission mount bushing. LMR has an excellent step by step video that helped me a lot. They gave me the idea to buy the Steeda shifter bushing, which made perfect sense since it was out of the car already.
After the shifter was reinstalled, I put the driveshaft back in and buttoned up the rear end.
Exhaust finally got put back in and headers connected. I'm still waiting on a O2 sensor harness extension from BBK. The set they sent don't match up. Not sure if they are for 2011-2014. I still got to fire it up and the car sounds amazing. I'm hoping we can get the O2 sensor issue cleared up as I have a show in two weeks.
Now to the front. Steeda front sway bar with billet mounts were installed. I took a shot in comparison with the PP front sway bar. This was a pain in the rear trying to fish the Steeda bar through, granted I had it upside down the first time. It was difficult trying to keep that beautiful finish scratch free. I'll have to pull it out later and get it re-powdercoated.
The Steeda bumpsteer kit was next to go in,. The process isn't overly difficult, but much more difficult than the video and instructions lead to believe, namely getting the old steering components out.
After finalizing the performance mods, I wanted to address the appearance a little. I picked up a G2 paint system for the calipers. Overall, I'm happy with the outcome, despite it being a brush on application. I paid close attention to ensure there weren't any runs and the brush marks minimized as it dried.
Next up was a set of carbon fiber taillight trim pieces to match the decklid panel. I was a little skeptical at first, but they fit pretty well and matched the panel perfectly.
A set of Roush winglets were installed to
On the inside, I turned to Steeda again and added some of their billet parts. The install of these parts was straightforward and took very little time. I started by installing their billet hood latch handle. Next up was their clutch spring. The hardest part of the install was getting the vice grips to clamp on the stock spring during the removal; in spite of that, it was still a twenty minute job. The most involved of the interior upgrades was installing the billet reverse lockout. I think if I had the stock shifter, it would have been a little easier. Getting the shift knob to thread on enough was the biggest challenge. If you tightened it too much, it would keep you from engaging reverse. Making it more of a problem was the fact that you could only spin the shift knob two or three revolutions before it did this. So it took a lot of patience and fine tuning to get it set up right. I would imagine if you had the stock shifter or Steeda shifter, it would be easier. In the end, the piece looks great and works perfectly!
With the performance and suspension ironed out, I knew I had to continue to evolve the exterior if I wanted to be more competitive for the car shows. I added a set of carbon fiber fog light covers to carry on the carbon fiber theme. I got tired of the opened up look of the grille delete, along with the countless questions as to what happened to my grille. So to remedy this, I picked up a CustomCarGrilles.com mesh, cut to shape and had it powder-coated flat black by Finish First Coatings here in Minot. Next I added a set of Trufiber carbon fiber side skirts and replaced the Roush winglets with a carbon fiber set to maintain continuity.
After the side skirts were installed, I decided to match the front end with a Carbon Driven front splitter.
The show and cruising season was over and it was time to put the car away for winter again. I took the time at that point to map out my next direction for the car. After much internal debate, I decided to with an air bag setup. Doing a little research and combining the best setup with the best price, I chose to go with the Airlift Performance Digital Kit. The timing was perfect as I was able to snag one during a Black Friday sale from American Muscle.
After the Airlift kit was installed, I looked around for a way to spruce up the rear end in order to match the side skirts and front splitter. I chose the Anderson Composites rear diffuser. It provided an aggressive appearance without going over the top and I feel will be a nice functional piece when it is time to hit road course.
View attachment 383828
To finalize the carbon fiber look under the hood, I picked up a TruFiber brake reservoir cover. It fit nicely and cleaned up the look of the engine bay. I also found a Performance Pack decal for my TruFiber engine cover as it did not come with one.
Keeping with the theme, I also found a third brake light cover to add a subtle change to the exterior.
With a little extra cash I had left for winter projects, I was able to score some JP Coachworks suede center console, shift boot and e-brake boot covers. The install was fairly straight forward and it added a stylish custom touch to the interior, but looked like it could have come factory.
Now that the winter mods were complete, I went to my first car show of the season in Grand Forks, North Dakota (Prime Steel Show). All the hard work paid off because I won Best in Class.
Not long after, I got the speed bug again and decided to update my tune, so I chose to go with a Lund flex tune, taking advantage of the only E85 gas station in the area. I traveled down to Bismarck to attend a dyno day. This was the first time since adding the flex tune and headers. On E85, the car cranked out 426 hp/401 lb/ft to the wheels. I was more than pleased with the results.
With the Anderson Composites diffuser installed, it kind of overpowered the rear of the car and while I prefer the spoilerless look, it needed something now. I found a carbon fiber GT350 track pack style spoiler, which complemented the rest of the rear end perfectly.
I kept the car in this state for the majority of the summer, enjoying it by attending weekly car meets/shows. I knew I was still not finished with it however. This led me down my next nightmare. Trying to go with a show car theme combined with an occasional weekend track racer was still a challenge. I did, however, decide to plunge into the forced induction world. I researched superchargers and twin turbo options and came to the conclusion that I wanted something I could turn up if needed without having to pulley up. So twin turbos it was. I knew I either wanted the LPF or Boostworks kit. After hearing that the LPF kit took a couple months to build, I decided to go with the Boostworks kit since they had them in stock. That was a huge mistake. It turned out they weren't in stock and it would take a month to get shipped out. Couple this with the fact that they got hit by a hurricane and flooding, the delays went longer. So, while I was waiting, I thought I better start tearing down and installing supporting mods in the meantime. The first area to address was the transmission. I scored a McLeod RXT clutch and billet steel flywheel from a fellow forum member on Mustang6g. To add some more reliability, I also finally my Ford Racing clutch line that I picked up from my gift certificate I won the year prior.
Next up was installing a set of MMRs billet oil pump gears and crankshaft sprockets to withstand the higher revving and horsepower. The install was a little more in depth than anything I did on the car up to this point minus the clutch, but I was able to find enough information on the internet to assist. Finishing up the install, I added an ATI Damper.
I added a UPR dual valve catch can to scavenge excess oil and vapors.
The final performance mod was the addition of a Holley Sniper intake manifold with associated fuel rails. I kept the stock injectors installed in the mean time until I received the turbo kit. I really like the look it added to the engine bay and from my research it provided me the best option with the least drop in torque and still allowed me to run strut bar.
Once I finished the performance mods, I wanted to clean the engine bay up some more. I knew I wanted to do a wire tuck, but didn't know where the best place to start was. Luckily, Stroud Designs took the guesswork out. I installed their wire tuck which was designed to make clearance for the Armageddon twin turbo kit. I felt even though I was going with the Boostworks kit, it would save me from having to extend wires myself and make my own brackets. The relocated wiring and fuse box really opened up the bay.
I didn't stop there however. I also added a set of JLT radiator cover extensions to cover up the unsightly mess along the headlights and then got a matching JLT master cylinder cover to tie it all together.
The last piece of the puzzle prior to the turbo install was the installation of a N-Guage tuner. I love the look and it fit perfectly in my AC vent for a clean appearance.
At this point, I was ready for the Boostworks install, but one problem; I still didn't have the kit and it had been eight months. I had already started the process of notifying Better Business Bureau, PayPal and even researched Texas law in case I needed to go to court. I tried calling him multiple times everyday with either no answer or a busy signal. I also tried contacting him via email and Facebook with no results or if I did get an answer, it was always, "it should ship out in a week or so" or "we are boxing it up now." I finally got fed up and contacted my credit card company at the advice of other forum members who had the same issue. After a year of waiting, I finally got my money back. I decided to hold off on forced induction for the time being and focus my efforts on other aspects of the car.
With the performance parts tied up, I decided to go all in on the exterior carbon fiber bits. I switched out the HCM side skirts with some Anderson Composite GT350 style side skirts. These blended better with the lines of the diffuser. I also ordered a set of GT350 carbon fiber fenders from them. The fit was perfect on the passenger side, but needed a lot of finesse on the driver side fender. In the end, however, they look great, though the intention is to paint them.
After putting it away for the winter, I began mapping out the next round of mods. I decided to go all out to "finally" finish this project so I can move to others I have in waiting.
I started off by completing projects I had sitting for a couple years now, which sat due to the debacle with the Boostworks kit.
First, I addressed the braking by researching multiple options. While I would have loved to go with the GT350 setup all the way around, it would have cost me way more than I was willing to pay. To upgrade the rear, I went with Baer Deep Stage brakes in fire red. I bought these when I had ordered the Boostworks kit, but never got around to getting it installed. To match the rears, I tried finding a powder coat or vinyl wrap that matched, but to no avail. I then ran across Duplicolor Metalcast Red, which potentially could give me a close match until I can get it powdercoated down the road. The color came out great, but probably would have been even closer had I painted them in chrome first. After painting them, I added a set of Baer Eradispeed rotors and Powerstop Extreme Stop brake pads to match the rears. Goodridge stainless brake lines were added to finish off the brake setup.
Next, I scored a great deal on a Paxton 2200SL kit in the classifieds. It came with an NGauge, ID1000 injectors (both which I already had) and an 8-rib upgrade. I began the install, but found I was missing a couple spacers, so as I awaited the replacements, I painted some of the tubing, powdercoated brackets and upgraded to a Trufiber carbon fiber intake and Team Beefcake Racing torque booster wastegate setup. The one issue I ran into while installing it was it didn't necessarily fit with other mods I did. For instance, the intercooler tubing ran up the wheel well right where the fuse box and computer sat for the Stroud Designs Wire Tuck. Additionally, the Steeda motor mounts make the engine sit lower, which caused the piping connections to be misaligned, to include not being able to run the intake tube to the compressor housing.
As I waited on parts to come back from powdercoat, I installed other supporting pieces. I had a set of ID1000s from when I planned for the turbo kit and even though the Paxton kit I bought came with them, I decided to upgrade further, so installed a set of Injector Dynamics ID1050X's paired with a JMS boost-a-pump. I also installed a set of Brisk spark plugs while I was at it.
Thanks to Terminated on Mustang6G, I was able to get in touch with JDM Engineering to pick up a set of their breather filters. This really helped clean up the engine bay.
To help control detonation a little more, I added a Snow Performance Stage 2 Boost Cooler I had sitting around. This kit included a gauge for the interior to assist with monitoring the system and notifying me if there are issues. I picked up a vent gauge pod to help keep a clean install in the dash.
For the interior, I scored a GT350 steering wheel on the forums once again. It looks so much more aggressive and pairs well with the Recaro seats. It should have came standard on the lower level Mustangs, especially if the Performance Package was added as an option. To add just a little bit of flair, I added a red carbon fiber ignition button cover. To round out the interior mods, I ordered a set of Ecoboost performance pack gauges to get the integrated boost gauge.
I wanted to freshen up the exterior a bit as well. Starting with the rear, I went with a set of Vland euro clear taillights. I was hesitant at first because it brought me back to flashbacks of the early 2000s. But seeing them on the car changed my mind. I also like that it updated to a 2018 style taillight, making it a little more edgier. For the spoiler, I added a ZL1 Addons wicker bill. This provided for a more aggressive look. To round out the exterior, I swapped my carbon fiber decklid with my wife's EcoBoost decklid with running horse. The black matched the black trim of taillights better.
Up front, I wanted to go a lot more aggressive. The headlights were switched out for Morimoto XB LED headlights. Again, I was hesitant going away from the nostalgic tribar look, but definitely like the modern look when they were on.
The best front bumper design in my opinion is the GT350, so I took that as my inspiration. I wanted to stick with carbon fiber theme so that ruled out Ikon and MP Concepts. After some research, I took a chance on an AMPP bumper. The inserts were based on molds of GT350 from what I could tell. If I was wrong, it was going to be very costly. I started with Anderson Composites upper grille inserts and Trufiber lower grille insert. The lower grille fit perfectly while the upper was off slightly but still looked good. The big challenge was the splitter. I went with a California Super Coupes GT350R splitter. Again, I lucked out and it fit. For the turn signals I opted for some Arrow LED switchbacks. I finished the bumper off with a Howling Coyote badge.
To ensure extra clearance for the supercharger and add some more aggressiveness to the car, I added a VIS AMS style carbon fiber hood. It compliments the GT350 bumper well and provides extra cooling as well. I may keep the fenders unpainted for now, but we'll see.
The next project on the books was redesigning my trunk setup for my air ride. This was going to be the first time I did anything like this. I wanted to incorporate plexiglass, LEDs, and hardlines. After much research, I turned to BagRiders for all the parts I was going to need. I began by making templates of all the panels, transferred them to 1/2" MDF and cut everything out and wrapped with either black vinyl or suede. Still have to figure out the LEDs as electronics are not my expertise.
I finally got parts back from powder coat and was able to begin final install of supercharger.
To add some flair and tie the engine bay to the red accents on the exterior, I painted the valve covers. I tried going with a crinkle coat look, but didn't come out as good as I want. It'll work for now until I pick up some aluminum valve covers and get them powder coated.
Next I test fit the Trufiber intake tube.
Because I had the Holley intake installed, it changed the angle of the throttle body, causing me to modify the inlet tube. I got an offset straight coupler, cut a 2 inch piece of tube off the pipe the Team Beefcake torque booster tube replaced to make a connection, and cut the Paxton inlet tube some. I also had to clearance a spot on the fan shroud, but in the end everything turned well. In the future I'll get a custom aluminum pipe made, but this will work to get the car running. With that, the supercharger physical install was complete.
Once everything was assembled, I loaded the base tune courtesy of Alex and John from Lund. After a year of waiting and delays, it was finally running again!
To finish off engine bay, I had my JLT radiator shroud extensions painted. This helped refine the bay and give a more finished look.
Mods:
2015 Oxford White Mustang GT w/ Performance Pack
Black Ebony Leather Recaro Seats
401 Shaker Audio System
Engine:
Paxton 2200SL Supercharger w/ 8-rib setup/3.47" pulley
Team Beefcake Racing Torque Booster Upgrade
Vortech Carbon Fiber Inlet Tube
ID1050X Injectors
JMS Boost-A-Pump
Snow Performance Stage 2 Boost Cooler
Holley Sniper Intake Manifold
Gibson Exhaust
BBK Headers
MMR Billet Oil Pump Gears
MMR Billet Crank Sprocket
Brisk Spark Plugs
Steeda Motor Mounts
JDM Engineering Breather Filters
Trufiber Carbon Fiber Engine Cover Insert
APR Carbon Fiber Coil Covers
Carbon Fiber Radiator Cooling Panel
JLT Master Cylinder Cover
JLT Radiator Cover Extensions
UPR Billet Radiator Brackets
UPR Billet Oil Cap Cover
UPR Billet Coolant Cap Cover
Zspec Dressup Bolts
Stroud Designs Wire Tuck Kit
Transmission:
McLeod RXT Clutch
McLeod Billet Steel Flywheel
Ford Racing Clutch Line
Steeda Shifter Bushing
Steeda Transmission Mount Bushing Insert
Steeda Clutch Spring
Suspension:
Airlift Performance Digital Kit
Baer Rear Deep Stage Rear Brakes
Baer Eradispeed Rotors
Goodridge G-Stop Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines
Powerstop Extreme Performance Brake Pads
Steeda G-Trac K-member Brace
Steeda Subframe Brace
Steeda Jacking Rails
Steeda Bump-Steer Kit
Steeda Sway Bars
Steeda Billet Sway Bar Mounts
Steeda Motor Mounts
BMR Adjustable Toe Rods
BMR Billet Vertical Links
Wheels/Tires
Work CR2P w/Custom Young Bronze Powdercoat
(Front) 20x10 +38 w/Hankook Ventus EVO2 285/30/20
(Rear) 20x11 +45 w/Hankook Ventus EVO2 305/25/20
Exterior:
VIS Racing AMS Style Carbon Fiber Hood
AMPP GT350 Bumper Conversion
California Supercars Carbon Fiber GT350R Splitter
Trufiber Carbon Fiber GT350 Bumper Inserts
Anderson Composites Carbon Fiber GT350 Upper Grille Inserts
Anderson Composites Rear Diffuser
Anderson Composites GT350 Style Side Skirts
Anderson Composites GT350 Style Fenders
Trufiber Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers
Carbon Fiber GT350 Track Pack Spoiler
ZL1 Add-ons Wicker Bill
Carbon Fiber Third Brake Light Cover
Morimoto XB Headlights
VLAND Euro Style LED Taillight
MRT Hood Struts
LED Reverse Light
Arrow LED Switchback Turn Signals
Interior:
Carbon Fiber GT350 Style Steering Wheel
Trufiber Carbon Fiber Center Console
Carbontec Carbon Fiber Dash
Carbontec Carbon Fiber Door Handle Trim
Carbontec Carbon Fiber Rear Seat Panel Trim
Ford Racing Short Shifter
Steeda Billet Aluminum Reverse Lockout
Ford Ecoboost Performance Pack Boost Guages
Snow Performance Gauge
Trufiber Carbon Fiber Trunk Liner
Custom Trunk Display
Lund N-Gauge
LED Interior Lights
Red Carbon Fiber Starter Button
Steeda Billet Hood Release Latch
UPR Door Striker Cover
JP Coachworks Suede Arm Rest
JP Coachworks Suede Shift Boot
JP Coachworks Suede E-Brake Boot
Anyways, I found the best car the money and haven't regretted it one bit!
Here she is!
This is the day I picked her up at Lithia Ford in Grand Forks, ND on April 27, 2015.
Once I got her home, I took some better pictures.
About two weeks of having her home, I started getting the itch to start modding. To update the appearance and set apart from the other Mustangs on the road, I grabbed up a grille delete from RPI designs. To get the right stance, I ordered a set of SVE progressive rate springs from Late Model Restoration.
I then focused my attention on the performance so I turned to LMR again and picked up a Gibson exhaust and an Airraid intake/SCT X4 tuner combo.
With the new gear on, I hit up my first car show in the Mustang. It was Devils Run in Devils Lake, ND. I had the only 2015 there, which surprised me because there were a fair share of Mustangs there. It definitely got a lot of attention.
While there, I tried out the dyno. At the time, I only had the exhaust and intake installed. I pulled out 355.7 hp on a Dynotech dyno. In perspective, they dynoed a stock gt at 323hp the day prior.
After getting home from the show, I knew I wanted to improve the looks. I picked up a slew of carbon fiber goodies from Trufiber to include their rear decklid panel, mirror triangles, and engine cover insert as well as a set of coil covers from APR. Additionally, I tinted my taillights with a light smoke tint. And to finish off the engine bay, I added a set of MRT hood struts.
Not to neglect the performance side of things, I picked up a set of Steeda subframe support braces and a G-Trac K-member brace from LMR.
My next show was a local one on base. Again, I had the only 2015 there, so it was nice being a little unique.
I pretty much kept it as is for the remainder of the summer and wanted to just enjoy it for a while. I had a lot of fun cruising around and attending local meets. I got my first chance to run the car hard at the Sturgis Mustang Rally. I ran the autocross event, which was sponsored by Gateway Mustang. They gave ride-alongs as well as had their drivers sit along with you in your car to give tips on how to attack the course. I also ran at the drag strip there. My best time was a 9.19 in the 1/8th. I can't remember my 60-ft, but it sucked bad.
After the rally was over, I pretty much put the car up for the winter, with the exception of a few cruises. That didn't stop me from collecting parts. While I was at the Sturgis Rally, I entered in a drawing Race For the Cure. One of the prizes was a $2000 gift certificate to Ford Racing among other great prizes. Well, at the All Ford Show in Madison Wisconsin, they pulled the names. I had two tickets pulled and won a swag bag full of stuff to include shirts, a model Shelby GT500, mugs, etc. The other prize I won was the $2000 gift certificate. With that, I picked up their differential and subframe bushing kits, short shifter, sway bars and clutch line.
I also made good use of the Black Friday deals. I hit Lethal Performance up and picked up a set of BBK long tube headers with catted downpipes, BMR adjustable toe rods and vertical links, Steeda jacking rails, bump-steer kit, and transmission mount bushing insert. The headers were on backorder and were the primary piece I required to start installing everything, as I was trying to coordinate parts installs so I didn't have to duplicate efforts.
In the meantime, I took ownership of one of the best sets of wheels I've seen so far. I picked up a set of Work CR2P wheels from Grim Reaper. They are speced at 20x10+38 on Hankook Ventus EVO2 285/30/20 and 20x11+45 on 305/25/20.
Once I got my headers in April, it was time to begin.
I started with the headers. This was pretty challenging to say the least, but was better than the $1000 price quotes from a shop. A couple of issues I did run into was, first, when I tried lowering the motor back down after installing everything, the header was contacting the motor mount. It looked like my motor shifted slightly when I loosened the motor mounts. I just shifted it over as I lowered the motor and everything cleared. To get a little more clearance, I ordered Steeda's motor mounts.
Next to go in was the Steeda jacking rails. The rails are very well constructed and installation was a snap. The only complaint I really have is that it drops fairly low and because my car is already lowered, it makes going over a chore. I actually high-centered when pulling back off the lift.
The next major milestone was re-hauling the rear suspension. I started with removing the rear subframe to install the Ford Racing subframe to differential bushings and subframe to body bushings. In order to do this, I had to cut and hammer out the old bushings. It took me several hours to get just the first one done, but once I figured out a method, I was able to get the rest out a lot faster.
After putting the rear subframe back in, I then installed a set of BMR billet vertical links and adjustable toe rods. Again, the install was pretty straightforward.
While out back, I took the time to install the Steeda rear sway bar and billet sway bar mounts. Another easy install with easy to follow instructions. The bar looks great and really dresses the rear end up while providing much improved handling.
Next was the Ford Racing short shifter install. I figured since I had the driveshaft pulled out already, this would be the perfect time to do it. I also took this time to install the Steeda transmission mount bushing. LMR has an excellent step by step video that helped me a lot. They gave me the idea to buy the Steeda shifter bushing, which made perfect sense since it was out of the car already.
After the shifter was reinstalled, I put the driveshaft back in and buttoned up the rear end.
Exhaust finally got put back in and headers connected. I'm still waiting on a O2 sensor harness extension from BBK. The set they sent don't match up. Not sure if they are for 2011-2014. I still got to fire it up and the car sounds amazing. I'm hoping we can get the O2 sensor issue cleared up as I have a show in two weeks.
Now to the front. Steeda front sway bar with billet mounts were installed. I took a shot in comparison with the PP front sway bar. This was a pain in the rear trying to fish the Steeda bar through, granted I had it upside down the first time. It was difficult trying to keep that beautiful finish scratch free. I'll have to pull it out later and get it re-powdercoated.
The Steeda bumpsteer kit was next to go in,. The process isn't overly difficult, but much more difficult than the video and instructions lead to believe, namely getting the old steering components out.
After finalizing the performance mods, I wanted to address the appearance a little. I picked up a G2 paint system for the calipers. Overall, I'm happy with the outcome, despite it being a brush on application. I paid close attention to ensure there weren't any runs and the brush marks minimized as it dried.
Next up was a set of carbon fiber taillight trim pieces to match the decklid panel. I was a little skeptical at first, but they fit pretty well and matched the panel perfectly.
A set of Roush winglets were installed to
On the inside, I turned to Steeda again and added some of their billet parts. The install of these parts was straightforward and took very little time. I started by installing their billet hood latch handle. Next up was their clutch spring. The hardest part of the install was getting the vice grips to clamp on the stock spring during the removal; in spite of that, it was still a twenty minute job. The most involved of the interior upgrades was installing the billet reverse lockout. I think if I had the stock shifter, it would have been a little easier. Getting the shift knob to thread on enough was the biggest challenge. If you tightened it too much, it would keep you from engaging reverse. Making it more of a problem was the fact that you could only spin the shift knob two or three revolutions before it did this. So it took a lot of patience and fine tuning to get it set up right. I would imagine if you had the stock shifter or Steeda shifter, it would be easier. In the end, the piece looks great and works perfectly!
With the performance and suspension ironed out, I knew I had to continue to evolve the exterior if I wanted to be more competitive for the car shows. I added a set of carbon fiber fog light covers to carry on the carbon fiber theme. I got tired of the opened up look of the grille delete, along with the countless questions as to what happened to my grille. So to remedy this, I picked up a CustomCarGrilles.com mesh, cut to shape and had it powder-coated flat black by Finish First Coatings here in Minot. Next I added a set of Trufiber carbon fiber side skirts and replaced the Roush winglets with a carbon fiber set to maintain continuity.
After the side skirts were installed, I decided to match the front end with a Carbon Driven front splitter.
The show and cruising season was over and it was time to put the car away for winter again. I took the time at that point to map out my next direction for the car. After much internal debate, I decided to with an air bag setup. Doing a little research and combining the best setup with the best price, I chose to go with the Airlift Performance Digital Kit. The timing was perfect as I was able to snag one during a Black Friday sale from American Muscle.
After the Airlift kit was installed, I looked around for a way to spruce up the rear end in order to match the side skirts and front splitter. I chose the Anderson Composites rear diffuser. It provided an aggressive appearance without going over the top and I feel will be a nice functional piece when it is time to hit road course.
View attachment 383828
To finalize the carbon fiber look under the hood, I picked up a TruFiber brake reservoir cover. It fit nicely and cleaned up the look of the engine bay. I also found a Performance Pack decal for my TruFiber engine cover as it did not come with one.
Keeping with the theme, I also found a third brake light cover to add a subtle change to the exterior.
With a little extra cash I had left for winter projects, I was able to score some JP Coachworks suede center console, shift boot and e-brake boot covers. The install was fairly straight forward and it added a stylish custom touch to the interior, but looked like it could have come factory.
Now that the winter mods were complete, I went to my first car show of the season in Grand Forks, North Dakota (Prime Steel Show). All the hard work paid off because I won Best in Class.
Not long after, I got the speed bug again and decided to update my tune, so I chose to go with a Lund flex tune, taking advantage of the only E85 gas station in the area. I traveled down to Bismarck to attend a dyno day. This was the first time since adding the flex tune and headers. On E85, the car cranked out 426 hp/401 lb/ft to the wheels. I was more than pleased with the results.
With the Anderson Composites diffuser installed, it kind of overpowered the rear of the car and while I prefer the spoilerless look, it needed something now. I found a carbon fiber GT350 track pack style spoiler, which complemented the rest of the rear end perfectly.
I kept the car in this state for the majority of the summer, enjoying it by attending weekly car meets/shows. I knew I was still not finished with it however. This led me down my next nightmare. Trying to go with a show car theme combined with an occasional weekend track racer was still a challenge. I did, however, decide to plunge into the forced induction world. I researched superchargers and twin turbo options and came to the conclusion that I wanted something I could turn up if needed without having to pulley up. So twin turbos it was. I knew I either wanted the LPF or Boostworks kit. After hearing that the LPF kit took a couple months to build, I decided to go with the Boostworks kit since they had them in stock. That was a huge mistake. It turned out they weren't in stock and it would take a month to get shipped out. Couple this with the fact that they got hit by a hurricane and flooding, the delays went longer. So, while I was waiting, I thought I better start tearing down and installing supporting mods in the meantime. The first area to address was the transmission. I scored a McLeod RXT clutch and billet steel flywheel from a fellow forum member on Mustang6g. To add some more reliability, I also finally my Ford Racing clutch line that I picked up from my gift certificate I won the year prior.
Next up was installing a set of MMRs billet oil pump gears and crankshaft sprockets to withstand the higher revving and horsepower. The install was a little more in depth than anything I did on the car up to this point minus the clutch, but I was able to find enough information on the internet to assist. Finishing up the install, I added an ATI Damper.
I added a UPR dual valve catch can to scavenge excess oil and vapors.
The final performance mod was the addition of a Holley Sniper intake manifold with associated fuel rails. I kept the stock injectors installed in the mean time until I received the turbo kit. I really like the look it added to the engine bay and from my research it provided me the best option with the least drop in torque and still allowed me to run strut bar.
Once I finished the performance mods, I wanted to clean the engine bay up some more. I knew I wanted to do a wire tuck, but didn't know where the best place to start was. Luckily, Stroud Designs took the guesswork out. I installed their wire tuck which was designed to make clearance for the Armageddon twin turbo kit. I felt even though I was going with the Boostworks kit, it would save me from having to extend wires myself and make my own brackets. The relocated wiring and fuse box really opened up the bay.
I didn't stop there however. I also added a set of JLT radiator cover extensions to cover up the unsightly mess along the headlights and then got a matching JLT master cylinder cover to tie it all together.
The last piece of the puzzle prior to the turbo install was the installation of a N-Guage tuner. I love the look and it fit perfectly in my AC vent for a clean appearance.
At this point, I was ready for the Boostworks install, but one problem; I still didn't have the kit and it had been eight months. I had already started the process of notifying Better Business Bureau, PayPal and even researched Texas law in case I needed to go to court. I tried calling him multiple times everyday with either no answer or a busy signal. I also tried contacting him via email and Facebook with no results or if I did get an answer, it was always, "it should ship out in a week or so" or "we are boxing it up now." I finally got fed up and contacted my credit card company at the advice of other forum members who had the same issue. After a year of waiting, I finally got my money back. I decided to hold off on forced induction for the time being and focus my efforts on other aspects of the car.
With the performance parts tied up, I decided to go all in on the exterior carbon fiber bits. I switched out the HCM side skirts with some Anderson Composite GT350 style side skirts. These blended better with the lines of the diffuser. I also ordered a set of GT350 carbon fiber fenders from them. The fit was perfect on the passenger side, but needed a lot of finesse on the driver side fender. In the end, however, they look great, though the intention is to paint them.
After putting it away for the winter, I began mapping out the next round of mods. I decided to go all out to "finally" finish this project so I can move to others I have in waiting.
I started off by completing projects I had sitting for a couple years now, which sat due to the debacle with the Boostworks kit.
First, I addressed the braking by researching multiple options. While I would have loved to go with the GT350 setup all the way around, it would have cost me way more than I was willing to pay. To upgrade the rear, I went with Baer Deep Stage brakes in fire red. I bought these when I had ordered the Boostworks kit, but never got around to getting it installed. To match the rears, I tried finding a powder coat or vinyl wrap that matched, but to no avail. I then ran across Duplicolor Metalcast Red, which potentially could give me a close match until I can get it powdercoated down the road. The color came out great, but probably would have been even closer had I painted them in chrome first. After painting them, I added a set of Baer Eradispeed rotors and Powerstop Extreme Stop brake pads to match the rears. Goodridge stainless brake lines were added to finish off the brake setup.
Next, I scored a great deal on a Paxton 2200SL kit in the classifieds. It came with an NGauge, ID1000 injectors (both which I already had) and an 8-rib upgrade. I began the install, but found I was missing a couple spacers, so as I awaited the replacements, I painted some of the tubing, powdercoated brackets and upgraded to a Trufiber carbon fiber intake and Team Beefcake Racing torque booster wastegate setup. The one issue I ran into while installing it was it didn't necessarily fit with other mods I did. For instance, the intercooler tubing ran up the wheel well right where the fuse box and computer sat for the Stroud Designs Wire Tuck. Additionally, the Steeda motor mounts make the engine sit lower, which caused the piping connections to be misaligned, to include not being able to run the intake tube to the compressor housing.
As I waited on parts to come back from powdercoat, I installed other supporting pieces. I had a set of ID1000s from when I planned for the turbo kit and even though the Paxton kit I bought came with them, I decided to upgrade further, so installed a set of Injector Dynamics ID1050X's paired with a JMS boost-a-pump. I also installed a set of Brisk spark plugs while I was at it.
Thanks to Terminated on Mustang6G, I was able to get in touch with JDM Engineering to pick up a set of their breather filters. This really helped clean up the engine bay.
To help control detonation a little more, I added a Snow Performance Stage 2 Boost Cooler I had sitting around. This kit included a gauge for the interior to assist with monitoring the system and notifying me if there are issues. I picked up a vent gauge pod to help keep a clean install in the dash.
For the interior, I scored a GT350 steering wheel on the forums once again. It looks so much more aggressive and pairs well with the Recaro seats. It should have came standard on the lower level Mustangs, especially if the Performance Package was added as an option. To add just a little bit of flair, I added a red carbon fiber ignition button cover. To round out the interior mods, I ordered a set of Ecoboost performance pack gauges to get the integrated boost gauge.
I wanted to freshen up the exterior a bit as well. Starting with the rear, I went with a set of Vland euro clear taillights. I was hesitant at first because it brought me back to flashbacks of the early 2000s. But seeing them on the car changed my mind. I also like that it updated to a 2018 style taillight, making it a little more edgier. For the spoiler, I added a ZL1 Addons wicker bill. This provided for a more aggressive look. To round out the exterior, I swapped my carbon fiber decklid with my wife's EcoBoost decklid with running horse. The black matched the black trim of taillights better.
Up front, I wanted to go a lot more aggressive. The headlights were switched out for Morimoto XB LED headlights. Again, I was hesitant going away from the nostalgic tribar look, but definitely like the modern look when they were on.
The best front bumper design in my opinion is the GT350, so I took that as my inspiration. I wanted to stick with carbon fiber theme so that ruled out Ikon and MP Concepts. After some research, I took a chance on an AMPP bumper. The inserts were based on molds of GT350 from what I could tell. If I was wrong, it was going to be very costly. I started with Anderson Composites upper grille inserts and Trufiber lower grille insert. The lower grille fit perfectly while the upper was off slightly but still looked good. The big challenge was the splitter. I went with a California Super Coupes GT350R splitter. Again, I lucked out and it fit. For the turn signals I opted for some Arrow LED switchbacks. I finished the bumper off with a Howling Coyote badge.
To ensure extra clearance for the supercharger and add some more aggressiveness to the car, I added a VIS AMS style carbon fiber hood. It compliments the GT350 bumper well and provides extra cooling as well. I may keep the fenders unpainted for now, but we'll see.
The next project on the books was redesigning my trunk setup for my air ride. This was going to be the first time I did anything like this. I wanted to incorporate plexiglass, LEDs, and hardlines. After much research, I turned to BagRiders for all the parts I was going to need. I began by making templates of all the panels, transferred them to 1/2" MDF and cut everything out and wrapped with either black vinyl or suede. Still have to figure out the LEDs as electronics are not my expertise.
I finally got parts back from powder coat and was able to begin final install of supercharger.
To add some flair and tie the engine bay to the red accents on the exterior, I painted the valve covers. I tried going with a crinkle coat look, but didn't come out as good as I want. It'll work for now until I pick up some aluminum valve covers and get them powder coated.
Next I test fit the Trufiber intake tube.
Because I had the Holley intake installed, it changed the angle of the throttle body, causing me to modify the inlet tube. I got an offset straight coupler, cut a 2 inch piece of tube off the pipe the Team Beefcake torque booster tube replaced to make a connection, and cut the Paxton inlet tube some. I also had to clearance a spot on the fan shroud, but in the end everything turned well. In the future I'll get a custom aluminum pipe made, but this will work to get the car running. With that, the supercharger physical install was complete.
Once everything was assembled, I loaded the base tune courtesy of Alex and John from Lund. After a year of waiting and delays, it was finally running again!
To finish off engine bay, I had my JLT radiator shroud extensions painted. This helped refine the bay and give a more finished look.
Mods:
2015 Oxford White Mustang GT w/ Performance Pack
Black Ebony Leather Recaro Seats
401 Shaker Audio System
Engine:
Paxton 2200SL Supercharger w/ 8-rib setup/3.47" pulley
Team Beefcake Racing Torque Booster Upgrade
Vortech Carbon Fiber Inlet Tube
ID1050X Injectors
JMS Boost-A-Pump
Snow Performance Stage 2 Boost Cooler
Holley Sniper Intake Manifold
Gibson Exhaust
BBK Headers
MMR Billet Oil Pump Gears
MMR Billet Crank Sprocket
Brisk Spark Plugs
Steeda Motor Mounts
JDM Engineering Breather Filters
Trufiber Carbon Fiber Engine Cover Insert
APR Carbon Fiber Coil Covers
Carbon Fiber Radiator Cooling Panel
JLT Master Cylinder Cover
JLT Radiator Cover Extensions
UPR Billet Radiator Brackets
UPR Billet Oil Cap Cover
UPR Billet Coolant Cap Cover
Zspec Dressup Bolts
Stroud Designs Wire Tuck Kit
Transmission:
McLeod RXT Clutch
McLeod Billet Steel Flywheel
Ford Racing Clutch Line
Steeda Shifter Bushing
Steeda Transmission Mount Bushing Insert
Steeda Clutch Spring
Suspension:
Airlift Performance Digital Kit
Baer Rear Deep Stage Rear Brakes
Baer Eradispeed Rotors
Goodridge G-Stop Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines
Powerstop Extreme Performance Brake Pads
Steeda G-Trac K-member Brace
Steeda Subframe Brace
Steeda Jacking Rails
Steeda Bump-Steer Kit
Steeda Sway Bars
Steeda Billet Sway Bar Mounts
Steeda Motor Mounts
BMR Adjustable Toe Rods
BMR Billet Vertical Links
Wheels/Tires
Work CR2P w/Custom Young Bronze Powdercoat
(Front) 20x10 +38 w/Hankook Ventus EVO2 285/30/20
(Rear) 20x11 +45 w/Hankook Ventus EVO2 305/25/20
Exterior:
VIS Racing AMS Style Carbon Fiber Hood
AMPP GT350 Bumper Conversion
California Supercars Carbon Fiber GT350R Splitter
Trufiber Carbon Fiber GT350 Bumper Inserts
Anderson Composites Carbon Fiber GT350 Upper Grille Inserts
Anderson Composites Rear Diffuser
Anderson Composites GT350 Style Side Skirts
Anderson Composites GT350 Style Fenders
Trufiber Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers
Carbon Fiber GT350 Track Pack Spoiler
ZL1 Add-ons Wicker Bill
Carbon Fiber Third Brake Light Cover
Morimoto XB Headlights
VLAND Euro Style LED Taillight
MRT Hood Struts
LED Reverse Light
Arrow LED Switchback Turn Signals
Interior:
Carbon Fiber GT350 Style Steering Wheel
Trufiber Carbon Fiber Center Console
Carbontec Carbon Fiber Dash
Carbontec Carbon Fiber Door Handle Trim
Carbontec Carbon Fiber Rear Seat Panel Trim
Ford Racing Short Shifter
Steeda Billet Aluminum Reverse Lockout
Ford Ecoboost Performance Pack Boost Guages
Snow Performance Gauge
Trufiber Carbon Fiber Trunk Liner
Custom Trunk Display
Lund N-Gauge
LED Interior Lights
Red Carbon Fiber Starter Button
Steeda Billet Hood Release Latch
UPR Door Striker Cover
JP Coachworks Suede Arm Rest
JP Coachworks Suede Shift Boot
JP Coachworks Suede E-Brake Boot
Sponsored
Last edited:
