TheLion
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
My setup is in the sig. Obviously I'm limited on doing a true drag launch due to all season tires. But I wanted to get the car to respond the way I think it should before everything else.
My base model came with 3.31's. I will say this bluntly, 3.31's only consideration in the ecoboost is fuel economy. There was no performance consideration at all. It's not even a standard option in the GT (3.55 standard or 3.73 Torsen for PP).
Launching even on all seasons was tricky to say the least. If you didn't modulate throttle and clutch just right, you would bog the engine or you would over torque and just break traction.
The lower gearing allows much easier modulation of the clutch and throttle to more optimally get it moving. I don't think I've ever bogged down in 2nd and only slightly in 3rd even with a botched 2-3 shift. It may a be a bit of a different story on a stick drag strip with 305 ultra high performance rear tires...but I know other's running full bolt on's have noted that 2-3 can be a bit tricky without bogging the engine down, at least when running a full bolt on with a 3.55 rear and a manual. I realize most of you are running 3.55 PP cars and not base models or 3.15 auto's. But for those with a stick, the 3.73's do work very well.
I do not feel hey are too short at all for daily driving, in fact I think they are just right, especially for any car not making extreme power. Unless your trapping over 120 (top of 4th at 7k), the 3.73's will do very well on the 1/4 as you still shouldn't have an extra shift. This car will always be a pump gas car, I may go big turbo in a a couple years, but for next couple years it will remain stock internals and turbo with 93 pump gas and it really is a great gearing that feels "just right" for car at this power level. It would do well even with a relatively stock car.
For daily driving and fuel economy, I was still getting around 30~31 on the highway over a 25 mile jaunt, so not much change. My combined mileage was actually up a tad, from 25.3 to 25.6...at least until I started doing a bunch of spirited driving :-).
You can tell some what how a car is going to respond during daily driving when you rev up into the power band but with light throttle. With the 3.31's it never felt "peppy" even at light throttle, I had to step on it a bit to get that nice smooth consistent pull during normal driving. With the 3.73's I can now get a nice smooth consistent pull during normal driving without really much throttle at all. The car just feels eager to go. Hopefully towards the end of October here I"ll get a chance to go to the strip and see what I can do with all seasons.
Is this a 12 second car? Yah, but it will be a big challenge getting into the 12's with all seasons and a manual. However other than a down pipe, there's not much left in the bolt on category to do, so I think the power is there, especially with this 3.73 gearing and Torsen rear.
My impressions of the Torsen are the following: if you autocross you NEED one. If your drag and street you can live without, but I would still recommend it as an upgrade. The car puts down power exiting corners and on inconsistent traction surfaces far better. It's a night and day difference.
I would say the best bang for your buck would be (on an otherwise stock car) an inter cooler, a tune and a 3.73 Torsen rear. That combination will change the entire dynamic of the car. I could only imagine how hot of a selling car this would be if it came with those 3 upgrades from the factory, you could easily price in the added cost and it would sell like hot cakes (even though they already are). Then again GT sales would inevitably decline...
My base model came with 3.31's. I will say this bluntly, 3.31's only consideration in the ecoboost is fuel economy. There was no performance consideration at all. It's not even a standard option in the GT (3.55 standard or 3.73 Torsen for PP).
Launching even on all seasons was tricky to say the least. If you didn't modulate throttle and clutch just right, you would bog the engine or you would over torque and just break traction.
The lower gearing allows much easier modulation of the clutch and throttle to more optimally get it moving. I don't think I've ever bogged down in 2nd and only slightly in 3rd even with a botched 2-3 shift. It may a be a bit of a different story on a stick drag strip with 305 ultra high performance rear tires...but I know other's running full bolt on's have noted that 2-3 can be a bit tricky without bogging the engine down, at least when running a full bolt on with a 3.55 rear and a manual. I realize most of you are running 3.55 PP cars and not base models or 3.15 auto's. But for those with a stick, the 3.73's do work very well.
I do not feel hey are too short at all for daily driving, in fact I think they are just right, especially for any car not making extreme power. Unless your trapping over 120 (top of 4th at 7k), the 3.73's will do very well on the 1/4 as you still shouldn't have an extra shift. This car will always be a pump gas car, I may go big turbo in a a couple years, but for next couple years it will remain stock internals and turbo with 93 pump gas and it really is a great gearing that feels "just right" for car at this power level. It would do well even with a relatively stock car.
For daily driving and fuel economy, I was still getting around 30~31 on the highway over a 25 mile jaunt, so not much change. My combined mileage was actually up a tad, from 25.3 to 25.6...at least until I started doing a bunch of spirited driving :-).
You can tell some what how a car is going to respond during daily driving when you rev up into the power band but with light throttle. With the 3.31's it never felt "peppy" even at light throttle, I had to step on it a bit to get that nice smooth consistent pull during normal driving. With the 3.73's I can now get a nice smooth consistent pull during normal driving without really much throttle at all. The car just feels eager to go. Hopefully towards the end of October here I"ll get a chance to go to the strip and see what I can do with all seasons.
Is this a 12 second car? Yah, but it will be a big challenge getting into the 12's with all seasons and a manual. However other than a down pipe, there's not much left in the bolt on category to do, so I think the power is there, especially with this 3.73 gearing and Torsen rear.
My impressions of the Torsen are the following: if you autocross you NEED one. If your drag and street you can live without, but I would still recommend it as an upgrade. The car puts down power exiting corners and on inconsistent traction surfaces far better. It's a night and day difference.
I would say the best bang for your buck would be (on an otherwise stock car) an inter cooler, a tune and a 3.73 Torsen rear. That combination will change the entire dynamic of the car. I could only imagine how hot of a selling car this would be if it came with those 3 upgrades from the factory, you could easily price in the added cost and it would sell like hot cakes (even though they already are). Then again GT sales would inevitably decline...
Sponsored
Last edited:
