CSL
Well-Known Member
It sounds like our driving style is very similar. I too am a trailbraker and love using the throttle to steer the car. I come from a couple of GT500s (albeit modified, one heavily) and a fox body race car. The rear end stability of the 350 was off the hook good compared to what I was used to, especially with the Cup2s. I never thought I would mess with the OEM setup. I chased around trying to find the right feel in my GT500s for years, which I immediately found in the 350. Don't get me wrong, rolling a well set up GT500 around the track is SUPER FUN...but the slippery slope of modding went a bit too far for me. NVH eventually became something I was not fond of, and I greatly appreciate how the 350 does both the street and the track extremely well.I have a very smooth driving style also. I am not into tossing the car around as it slows you down. ;) I did two events with the car in the stock configuration, just switching out tires to get a feel for the car and what tire worked best for my driving style and abilities.
I did not like how the rear end still had some squirming and wanted to slide out a little if upset in turn. So I did everything but the Steeda Strut braces at once, knowing that was probably going to happen anyway with the alignment I wanted to run and the inherent weakness in the IRS bushings and link designs.
The car is completely different and running on the same track in similar conditions I picked up over a second a lap as the ability (confidence) to enter the corner quicker/deeper and exit earlier with full throttle on was greatly improved. This was on a fairly short 1.7m track. I will have time differences on the other tracks over the next six weeks.
That said, I probably should have tried the Steeda IRS braces and subframe alignment kit with a revised alignment first before doing the bushings. Not that I would have stopped there as I firmly believe the bushing and link designs are in real need of improvement, but to see how well they worked with the stock suspension based on a subjective analysis with them installed after the bushings.
As for the NVH, there is a slight difference, but not much at all. The FTBR items are designed to provide as close to stock experience as possible while increasing performance. I do not notice it on smooth roads, even in sport mode, but there is a difference on rougher roads and those that are uneven. I am not going sugarcoat it, but it would never keep me from daily driving the car if needed. Of course, between the exhaust and turning up AC/DC, it does not bother me regardless of road conditions.
What I do know is that at the last event, driving against another GT350 and a GT350R with similar drivers or better on the same tires, I was anywhere from two to four seconds a lap faster on average. And this was my first time on this particular track with the car, the others already had a few events on this track.
Part of that is the track suits my driving style and I came up to speed quickly, but most of it is the changes to the car. The rear end is "really" planted now and throttle on capabilities right after apexing is so much better now. I had to relearn when to throttle on and I can do it in a more aggressive manner also. The last benefit, I love trail braking where appropriate and I no longer have any concerns with the car doing it.
Given the goal to retain OEM streetability, which mods would you have left off your list?
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