Dean Martin's GT4 Mustang

[Zombo]

Weren't the first GT350R-C's using the FPC's? I could have sworn I remember reading an article about the sound being what made them easily recognizable during the Continental championship. Awesome pics, thanks. And yeah, stitch welding was always done on the BMW race cars too. It was one of those signs of someone's car having gone off the deep end into being a race car.

I think you are correct about the FPC in the previous race car. This is the GT4 which employs a CPC. However, from what I've researched, it uses a lot of Voodoo components, at least the block & heads. I imagine the forged Al. pistons and forged steel rods with fracture split caps, too, but that's just my speculation. Yes, seam welding surely adds to the stiffness and durability of the chassis.

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[Mike02z]

I guess I'm getting too old as I saw the thread title and thought of Dean Martin from the rat pack

 

[Colleton]

Beautiful, thanks for posting the pics.

 

[Zitrosounds]

I think you are correct about the FPC in the previous race car. This is the GT4 which employs a CPC. However, from what I've researched, it uses a lot of Voodoo components, at least the block & heads. I imagine the forged Al. pistons and forged steel rods with fracture split caps, too, but that's just my speculation. Yes, seam welding surely adds to the stiffness and durability of the chassis.

The Continental sports car challenge car was a GT350R-C. So yes, it had a FPC and won the series for 16.

 

[Epiphany]

Regarding the crankshaft confusion...I find it interesting how the very subject is being handled so delicately by Ford. When Ford Racing introduced the FP350S they went out of their way to not discuss which crankshaft was going to be used. I was at PRI in Indy last fall and had a lengthy discussion with Bruce Smith of Ford Racing about the car, including bringing up which crankshaft was going to be used. He was very quiet about it but made a hint that was easy to decipher as to which one would be used. It is as if everyone has been told to not step on the production GT350's toes and as such to never speak negatively about the fact that the rotating assembly in that engine may not be the most favorable from a pure racing perspective. Look at this recent page created to better detail the GT4 effort and click on the tabs at the top of the page...

https://www.gt4mustang.com/

It mistakenly asserts that the GT4 cars are using the production flat plane crank - it isn't. When marketing decisions trump those of engineering, this is what you get, confusion. It doesn't help the fan base and IMHO, it's a bit of a white lie. I wish Ford would be a bit more transparent about what the actual race cars are using and stop worrying about the subsequent questioning which they apparently believe could lead to some sort of fallout. Note to Ford - we all know the 5.2 as used in the road going GT350 is a vibration monster and wholeheartedly understand why it may not be the best combination for a true race car. OK?


I wanted to thank Dean and his crew for their hospitality. Dean is indeed a very down to earth guy. His demeanor is that of a friend you may have known for a long time. The day that I was there he was changing tires, handling typical team owner duties, shaking hands, and in general, being busy as shit. When the car went down he was under there with his crew getting dirty and fixing the car. How many other drivers of his caliber do you see doing that? And everyone he has working for him or with him is approachable as well. They all worked very hard and towards a common goal - winning. They can also bust chops with the best of them, a sure sign of a cohesive group.

Regarding the hood, it had some different iterations as well. Here's an earlier version with the louvered sections designed to allow them to be flush with the hood. The current version has flanged fiber louver sections that fit over the hood.

Something many here can relate to - failed rear axle CV joints/boots. My own car suffered from a failed boot that spewed grease everwhere, was covered by warranty, and replaced with a new axle assembly. A new axle and CV joints all because of a failed boot. This extends over to the cars being raced as well because they are required to run the production axles. Here's a photo (not mine) that circulated earlier this year of a failed axle from Dean's GT4 car. I believe it was from Daytona.

So I immediately noticed the new factory axle sitting on a table and had a pretty good idea as to why.

Dean actually took the time to talk to me about it in detail. He brought up a couple of important considerations. For one, the GT4 cars deviate from the factory ride height and as such the driveline angles may be generating a bit more heat. And clearances are reduced on the cars such that heat from nearby components (such as the exhaust) can wreak havoc on the joints and boots themselves. Nobody made an official statement but I'm under the impression that Ford Racing (or even Ford corporate for that matter) is helping much. And maybe they can't, I don't know. So for now the team has to get by making sure that the grease can handle temperatures seen on race day, that the boots don't melt, and that they can vent off any pressure buildup. Not the easiest task.

While it isn't on the following list, it isn't as simple as switching to an aftermarket axle assembly from what I understand. Homologation dictates what can be used and the various sanctioning bodies know pretty much what is being used on the car. An example...

http://sportscarchallenge.imsa.com/...nlods/gs_component_declaration_2017_final.pdf


Something I didn't say much about, setup. There is a lot of time spent prepping the car for a given track, atmospheric conditions (etc), driver preference, tires - you name it. Experience is a huge help here but there are never any guarantees. I watched my good friend Tom Wenstrom quickly verify some settings prior to the car going back out to the track.

Measuring toe with toe plates...

Measuring camber...

The car was somewhere near 4* of negative camber when he checked it. Remember, changes can be relatively quick with the Multimatic camber plates used. Everything is scrutinized and the teams are regulated with respect to setup as well. For example, look at the following technical bulletin they had to live by regarding the right front tire at Watkins Glen.

http://sportscarchallenge.imsa.com/.../downlods/ictsc_tb_17-10_gs_camber_limits.pdf


In summation, the GT4 Mustang is a great effort from Multimatic and Kohr. Teams globally will no doubt benefit from their hard work on this one. I just hope Ford will offer as much support as possible. The Ford GT race program is a great one and it would be nice if Ford can spread the love around as much as possible. They sure are there watching...

 

[Zitrosounds]

I love the zip tie in the boot for ventilation! ; )

 

[TheDeadCow]

Really enjoying this thread, thanks Tob.

Do you think Multimatic will market the canards to the general public?

Also, there's a line plugged into the rear window, what's that?
I assume it's support for the onboard jacking system.

 

[Epiphany]

The line goes to a fitting in the roof that does indeed tie into the onboard jacking system.

Multimatic doesn't really retail to the public. I'd try contacting Kohr.

 

[DarkestHour]

Is there a regulations reason the car has the stock air box setup? I've always wondered this. It looks like it was also switched to a speed density setup?

Thank you for these pictures. I love these cars in how they are straight up business.

 

[Epiphany]

There are regulations upon regulations. A street GT350 isn't nearly as restricted when it comes to power output. The GT airbox you see is what was homologated. There is a restrictor the slips in place over the throttle body too.

And I noticed the car had no harness running to to where the mass air sensor would be and asked. Yup, speed density.

 

[sldghmr]

Incredilble closeup pics in this thread!!! I love those camber plates!!!!

 

[5.0 435]

Thanks for the great close up pictures. Hope to see more customer cars in the continental series. Years ago I was disappointed the mustang didn't run in the GTLM or GTD class and thanks again for all the time you took to cover the Mustang GT4.

 

[5.0 435]

I guess I'm getting too old as I saw the thread title and thought of Dean Martin from the rat pack

I'll drink to that !!! as Martin would say. :lol:

 

[Epiphany]

A closer look at the fourth GT4 chassis Multimatic has done popped up recently...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/brodygoble/sets/72157683418837381/with/35553079241/

 

[Optimum Performance]

Great Pictures, I see the car has changed quite a bit from the Daytona/Sebring event. The Porsche teams used to use a brake clean straw to vent the boots for Daytona. I didn't realize my picture was that famous LOL

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