Street guys: even if you can’t use all you have, do you still want more?

[HKusp]

Yeah, you gotta wonder maybe a little. I mean, if a 500 ain’t gonna do it, well you know.

Although I have wondered about something related. Is it possible that these newer tires like P Zeros, PS4s, etc. can break loose a little at higher speeds like these guys are talking about on a Mustang without much if any noise and little to no drama? Maybe it’s the nannies IDK but if so I’ve never noticed much so I just stay in it. I guess that could bother some folks more than others depending on their experience with that sort of thing. Or, I could just be dreaming it up…

If you have not gotten the tires to break lose on even a stock HP'd mustang, you need to take the TC off. I am NOT a young man, as I was born in the late 60's. I had an '09 GT500 you can see the HP level in my signature. That car was raw and fun. I have a Whippled '03 Terminator convertible that the engine is out of and will be north of 600whp on pump 93 when I get it back running. I have the 2018 GT that was at 780ish wheel when I broke a ring land beating on 2 GT500's at the time. I am in the process of a built short block, worked heads, fuel system to go E85 and should be north of 900whp when we are back up and running. I just rode in a buddies ESS supercharged 900+whp '19 GT Sunday night. That car is a blast on the street, as I am sure mine will be also.

The day before I broke my 2018, I ran a C7 Z06 that had some serious work done to it, because I couldn't catch it. We were running neck and neck and as I stated earlier, I was at 780whp that day. I was pretty comfortable with 780, and when I couldn't catch the C7, I instantly knew I NEEDED more. Some of us are content, and I get it. I am not one of those guys. I will daily a 900whp car to the tune of 20K miles a year, and I am not kidding. These cars can do mid to low 9's on E70+with full interior and air conditioning, be comfortable and drive it 1000 miles to a vacation spot on a pump gas tune at 750+whp. To each his own.

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[ShadesOfBloo]

Do yourself a favor and go drive an HPDE day. It'll disabuse you of 'want more'...

^ Yes.
Well, it depends on some things. In my 159hp Nissan I want more on a front straight. In my 320hp Mitsubishi I want more on a front straight.
But when I went to an HPDE last October someone in my group had a stock GT with Gen III Coyote and another guy had a 2019/20 with a Whipple. The Whipple proved that "more" didn't help very much, because both those drivers gave point-bys to me and my 159hp Nissan.

I hope they were having fun. If I see them again, I hope they've learned to venture out from the middle 3rd of the track, see how fast they are with a proper line, and have more fun.

...And I hope I don't sound like I'm talking trash about them. Just by going to the track and running laps they are WAY ahead of the armchair racers that stayed home and watched NASCAR that day.

 

[RagmopInKona]

^ Yes.
Well, it depends on some things. In my 159hp Nissan I want more on a front straight. In my 320hp Mitsubishi I want more on a front straight.
But when I went to an HPDE last October someone in my group had a stock GT with Gen III Coyote and another guy had a 2019/20 with a Whipple. The Whipple proved that "more" didn't help very much, because both those drivers gave point-bys to me and my 159hp Nissan.

I hope they were having fun. If I see them again, I hope they've learned to venture out from the middle 3rd of the track, see how fast they are with a proper line, and have more fun.

...And I hope I don't sound like I'm talking trash about them. Just by going to the track and running laps they are WAY ahead of the armchair racers that stayed home and watched NASCAR that day.

It also depends on where you live, Some areas you can get away with more without getting lit up by a gumball machine.
Those that have that, god bless um. street light racing or roll racing or a banchee run within 150 miles of my place is almost a given to add points to your drivers licence .
So as fun as it be to have crazy power under ones right foot, it is pointless unless you are going to track the vehicle allot AND have scienced out the chassis to put it down.
For most it is bragging points bench racing at a cruise night or cars and coffee. Many of them can't power out of the event nevermind out of the apex of a turn.

 

[young at heart]

there are 31 flavors. try something else. And no, I don't want more power because if you can't put it down (and also not end up in jail) it's pointless. Do yourself a favor and go drive an HPDE day. It'll disabuse you of 'want more' and furthermore you'll understand the truism, it's better than sex.

When you're old and gray and whispering your last words, you don't want them to be "i was too chicken to drive my 500HP car on a proper race track".

Hey shogun, please clarify for an old guy who helped wear out the asphalt on local drag strips when younger but has never once been on a track with turns. By “disabuse you of want more” are you basically saying that most folks can’t use the power these cars have in the first place on a real track?

I have noticed that in some of the GT3/2 classes BMW and Porsche et. al. seem to limit their cars in the 500-550 hp range and concentrate on other parts of the car. Clearly they could make more power if allowed and they wanted to, so maybe enough is enough?

 

[young at heart]

It also depends on where you live, Some areas you can get away with more without getting lit up by a gumball machine.
Those that have that, god bless um. street light racing or roll racing or a banchee run within 150 miles of my place is almost a given to add points to your drivers licence .
So as fun as it be to have crazy power under ones right foot, it is pointless unless you are going to track the vehicle allot AND have scienced out the chassis to put it down.
For most it is bragging points bench racing at a cruise night or cars and coffee. Many of them can't power out of the event nevermind out of the apex of a turn.

IMO if we’re being honest this right here drives an awful lot of modding. And I’ll say it again, I’d love to see the sales figures on PP/HP optioned Mustangs if they were actually only bought by folks who could and would use them and you weren’t allowed to add the magic letters to your sig on Internet forums. But hey, all that is half the fun I guess.

 

[shogun32]

so maybe enough is enough?

Many series have various restrictions so 500ish may be all they are allowed.

My comment wasn't directed at you personally, as such. But if indeed all you've seen is a straight road in your halcyon years, then yes having to navigate 10 turns in 2 ish miles will change your tune.

 

[RagmopInKona]

IMO if we’re being honest this right here drives an awful lot of modding. And I’ll say it again, I’d love to see the sales figures on PP/HP optioned Mustangs if they were actually only bought by folks who could and would use them and you weren’t allowed to add the magic letters to your sig on Internet forums. But hey, all that is half the fun I guess.

I knew I could not use it on the street and why I got an EB/HHP fast enough and handles better than the nose heavy GT.
I have track only cars, for when I want to let loose.
Too many Police officers here to risk using 460 or more hp on the street. I have a Big block with 675hp and can't use much of it's power 99% of the time because the popo don't play games anymore, and just hand out a warning like they used to.
I do understand other places it might be different, and if you can use it great. In that case rule #1 get what you have to hook, and stick in a turn and the skill set to be able to do it.
Anyone can add power, fewer can drive it.

 

[young at heart]

I knew I could not use it on the street and why I got an EB/HHP fast enough and handles better than the nose heavy GT.
I have track only cars, for when I want to let loose.
Too many Police officers here to risk using 460 or more hp on the street. I have a Big block with 675hp and can't use much of it's power 99% of the time because the popo don't play games anymore, and just hand out a warning like they used to.
I do understand other places it might be different, and if you can use it great. In that case rule #1 get what you have to hook, and stick in a turn and the skill set to be able to do it.
Anyone can add power, fewer can drive it.

Given the current climate I know this will be hard to believe, but it’s true. If you or your Dad or other relative knew somebody-anybody really, even remotely connected with government it was almost impossible not to be able to get a ticket fixed no matter how bad, short of a fatal accident. 150 mph on the Athens by-pass? A contrite trip to see a local judge with a half gallon of Jack Black in a paper bag and you were good to go. No, it wasn’t right nor fair but we sure took advantage of it. Similar antics today would probably yield an impound and incarceration.

 

[TeeLew]

I focused on setting up my car so it handles. No point in having power if you can't use it. Once I had traction and good grip on the corners I did the basics. H pipe, CAI and a tune. Handles like it's on rails. It's enough.

Ya, but that's it's own bunny hole. I've done similar. It's really to the point where I can't evaluate my chassis changes on the street. I've got to get on some legitimate piece of asphalt to know what the next change actually did.

 

[TeeLew]

I knew I could not use it on the street and why I got an EB/HHP fast enough and handles better than the nose heavy GT.
I have track only cars, for when I want to let loose.
Too many Police officers here to risk using 460 or more hp on the street. I have a Big block with 675hp and can't use much of it's power 99% of the time because the popo don't play games anymore, and just hand out a warning like they used to.
I do understand other places it might be different, and if you can use it great. In that case rule #1 get what you have to hook, and stick in a turn and the skill set to be able to do it.
Anyone can add power, fewer can drive it.

Ditto, but I thought the 4 was a little soggy on stock power. A proper engine map really improves the car. I've spent the majority of my time on handling, though, too.

 

[TeeLew]

If I want to pass somebody from 50mph in my Mustang, I need to shift down a gear or two.
That's when I want more.

Ironically, that's where the Eco feels really good. It's got all sorts of punch, but it runs out of breath early.

 

[WonderDud]

Being a little over 600 wheel I will personally say It's enough power to take you right off the road if trying to use 1st gear. Its enough power to get you going somewhere pretty darn quick, but I'm the kind of guy that likes to put anything I ever run into on the street to bed. Pump gas and 8-10PSI does wonders, but If I run into a supped up vette or even some of these pretty high tier performance/super cars I need them to know they just have to try harder... and I like the giddy anxiety I get when doing a pull down an empty road. I personally don't like speeding. I don't go shooting down the highway 10 over just because. I set the cruise at the posted speed and enjoy my comfy car. It depends on the goal and setup too. 800 wheel is usable on the street with a higher roll speed and a good tire. That's why I think a centrifugal on a daily driven car or even a dedicated street car is perfect, "low" torque compared to other FI applications, good headroom for more, and unless you want 1000 plus it can generally meet your goals. It really comes down to how hard you want to hold on to the steering wheel or how much you want to freak out passengers. Over the years its been linear power gains for me. When I got the mustang a year and a half ago I thought stock was quick then got bored, FBO I was happy for a few months then got bored, and after being supercharged for 2 months I'm already eyeing a fuel system because again. I'm getting bored.

 

[TeeLew]

When I got the mustang a year and a half ago I thought stock was quick then got bored, FBO I was happy for a few months then got bored, and after being supercharged for 2 months I'm already eyeing a fuel system because again. I'm getting bored.

Then quit driving in straight lines. I go 550mph all the time in a straight line and that's boring as hell. 200 HP on a road course can be a riot. It's not the car that's boring, guy. It's your choice of venue.

 

[WonderDud]

Then quit driving in straight lines. I go 55mph all the time in a straight line and that's boring as hell. 200 HP on a road course can be a riot. It's not the car that's boring, guy. It's your choice of venue.

Unfortunately I live in an area that a road course Is quite a trip to make just to get to one. We have some autoX in the area and I have a buddy that beats all the miatas and built up cars in his brand new m2. Fun yes, but otherwise its once a month and then you wait for the next month. We also don't have bendy roads or any good hills, but this is where family and home is at. Also I'd probably go to a different platform for something like that... (specifically getting out of this Auto with its long gears and 4000lbs)

 

[TeeLew]

I AutoX my car and it's a barrel of monkeys. My 4-banger is on E30, so it's got a good torque hit, but it doesn't make the power of a Coyote. It's much lighter on the nose than a V8 (especially boosted V8's), so it's got more front end grip. I've got a lot of suspension stuff done, so I can run well in CAM even though I've got 1/2 the HP of some cars. Miata's will always be the king of the parking lot, but hustling our pigs around is a hoot and it doesn't take a lot of engine mods to have a great time.

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