Anybody here track the Mach 1? Considering getting one

[Fp_Mach1]

Victor,

I'm slowly doing the things on your list.. I'm installing camber plates, put on racing pads, squared 305 setup with longer studs.. Better tires as well.

Looking forward to another HPDE event with an instructor.

I experienced the rear end shudder on hard breaking from about 135 down to 50 to a hair pin. It's fine as long as I keep it in a straight line during braking. Which the instructers are good about telling you.

I see different options on bushings. Steeda offers stiffeners or solid.

My question, how much noise do the solids generate. I do use the car sometimes for making work related calls.

Thanks and I love your list!

What size square set up did you go with?

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[KilgoreLSU]

What size square set up did you go with?

305 on 19”.. put hubs with longer studs on the front with 28mm spacers.

I did put Mach 1 HP flares up front. They definitely stick out compared to stock.

 

[Noleftist]

CTR as in Civic Type R.

Thanks for the input, it seems like Ford is really stingy about warranty coverage which is funny considering how Jim Farley has been open about creating new cars for enthusiasts. At least the Coyote long block is around $10k, I can stomach that having to drop +$25k for a new 5.2L Voodoo

And yeah I wouldn't mess with forced induction, NA is just so much better in terms of cooling for track use.

Im currently considering a GR86, a Camaro or the Mach 1. Heavily leaning towards the Mach 1 because Mustang lol

Get in the cars and drive them. The driver view and position is important to me. Most are terrible, but MACH 1 was good for me at 6ft 1. Also compare maintenance cost and time, seems to be better on the MACH 1.

 

[BlkMach10510]

Get in the cars and drive them. The driver view and position is important to me. Most are terrible, but MACH 1 was good for me at 6ft 1. Also compare maintenance cost and time, seems to be better on the MACH 1.

Yea, the Mach 1 is fine for my height too (6'0") and view. Way better being to see out than my C7.

 

[Noleftist]

Yea, the Mach 1 is fine for my height too (6'0") and view. Way better being to see out than my C7.

I tested the: Corvette, Supra, miata, Porche Cayman, Bullit, Camaro.
They did not fit me, and had too many other negatives like basic maintenance next to impossible for the avg. guy and super expensive especially the Supra, Vette and Porsche. The dash in the Camaro was way too big and tall.
The Miata too small my head hit the roof, and that was without a helmet on, and UNDER powered.
I also really like the sound of the MACH 1 W/HP and open valves.
The 10r80/10l80 leaves alot to be desired as far as durability.

 

[BlkMach10510]

I tested the: Corvette, Supra, miata, Porche Cayman, Bullit, Camaro.
They did not fit me, and had too many other negatives like basic maintenance next to impossible for the avg. guy and super expensive especially the Supra, Vette and Porsche. The dash in the Camaro was way too big and tall.
The Miata too small my head hit the roof, and that was without a helmet on, and UNDER powered.
I also really like the sound of the MACH 1 W/HP and open valves.
The 10r80/10l80 leaves alot to be desired as far as durability.

I hacve not had problems with my 10R80 yet but when I do then an excuse to have it rebuilt and reinforced.

 

[S550HPP]

Quick update. Hopefully I don't get flamed but ultimately ended up getting a BRZ. I'd get a Miata but I don't fit comfortably enough in one.

Definitely doesn't have the same cool factor as a Mach 1 or a GT350, or even a Mustang GT lol but it was really hard to ignore its price tag and how long lasting the consumables are and how inexpensive it is. $780 for a set of Hankook RS4s vs nearly double the price for ones that fit the Mach 1 is nothing to sneeze at. I am going to the track alot and its already done its damage to my bank account. I'd rather have something that I can afford and take to the track for 15 days a year vs something I can afford for only 5. I love the Mustangs, but the reality is that it just takes a lot to run these cars, and my pockets aren't that deep for how much I plan to be at the track.

Also I am not an experienced driver and Im going to be honest, theres no way I can fully extract the performance of the Mach 1/GT350, I have seen those guys on the track and there's nothing wrong with that, its just that I don't want to be that person. The measly hp and balanced chassis of the GT86/BRZ make it a perfect car to learn RWD on. I've already learned alot with my CTR and excited to get better with my BRZ.


Please feel free to engage in discussion though, I am lurking and enjoying the discussions

Good choice. Now put cheap AS tires on it until your skill set will support better ones...it's all about finesse

 

[JudSam]

It's the best S550 track car money can buy.

Plenty of cooling, good brakes, Recaros, etc.

Consumables aren't bad.

Maintenance is easy.

Coyote is much more reliable than voodoo.

And this exactly why the Mach 1 is so special. A GT350R with a Coyote engine.

 

[Fp_Mach1]

305 on 19”.. put hubs with longer studs on the front with 28mm spacers.

I did put Mach 1 HP flares up front. They definitely stick out compared to stock.

More pock than the HP wheels ?

 

[derklink]

Hi KilgoreLSU, I'm not a suspension expert by any means, I only know, what I know from talking to experts, or much more experienced people and more importantly, my own personal experience.

On a prior street car that saw a lot of track use, I replaced the bonded rubber sub-frame bushings with solid, billet aluminum bushings. On the Mustang the fix is much easier, with more options, but end-result is basically solid mounting of the rear sub-frame. In both cases, I could detect no difference in noise, vibration or any other daily-driver characteristics. At the time of that upgrade there were no other changes to the suspension and am pretty sure you won't notice a change. Now, I bet if you had some sensitive instrumentation there's probably a change in low frequency vibrations coming through the cabin, but I don't think it's detectable by normal people.

As it relates to the weight of cars used on track, the trend over time has obviously been going up. And, yes consumables get eaten up faster, no doubt. Remember the era of the NIssan GT-Rs? They were at every track event and they were fast. Now I almost never see them. Even the Porsche 911 series (GT3 too) has gotten bigger and heavier over time. I've been tracking for 15+ years and I still have no plans to buy a track car, trailer and tow vehicle. Now if you want to experience what a really good track vehicle is like, then you need to try a full-on, factory race car. Absolutely, incredible experience and performance (corners and braking), and much easier to drive at advanced HPDE levels than anything else you will experience.

For me, I have to have a dual-purpose street-track car. A non-streetable track car and trailer is just not practical. I have a friend who has a highly modified GT3-RS which gets trailered every where. He likes it that way, it's just not for me. Right now I'm still faster than he is (just barely) and he's starting to run slicks now, so we'll see at the next two events what happens. Probably (highly likely) I'll be eating his dust now, but that's okay too. The last point, you can't touch with a dedicated track car. After the event is over, you pull off your numbers, air up the tires and hit the road. Turn on the stereo, crank up the seat cooling and enjoy your ride home while your friends are still tying down their cars to their trailers.
That's how they did it in the 1960s (way before my time), but I guess I'm old school that way.

I had the pleasure of riding along in VictorH’s Mach 1 on one of the most technical tracks in the country. It was an eye-opener as to what this car is capable of in the right hands and with the right mods. He wasn’t even going all out. He knows what he is doing and is one of the kindest people I have met, always trying to help others.

It may be harder to learn on this platform but it can be used for quite a while before it’s maxed out.

The GR86 is a great car, no doubt, and you can’t deny the cost argument, but I could see someone wanting more power down the road.

Nonetheless, congrats to the OP, who seems to be dipping his feet into HPDE. The car you chose is great and you will have a ton of fun with it. Maybe in a while, when finances allow, you’ll be in a Mustang

 

[KilgoreLSU]

More pock than the HP wheels ?



looks the same to me. I haven’t put camber plates on yet.

 

[Tucker80]

Quick update. Hopefully I don't get flamed but ultimately ended up getting a BRZ. I'd get a Miata but I don't fit comfortably enough in one.

Definitely doesn't have the same cool factor as a Mach 1 or a GT350, or even a Mustang GT lol but it was really hard to ignore its price tag and how long lasting the consumables are and how inexpensive it is. $780 for a set of Hankook RS4s vs nearly double the price for ones that fit the Mach 1 is nothing to sneeze at. I am going to the track alot and its already done its damage to my bank account. I'd rather have something that I can afford and take to the track for 15 days a year vs something I can afford for only 5. I love the Mustangs, but the reality is that it just takes a lot to run these cars, and my pockets aren't that deep for how much I plan to be at the track.

Also I am not an experienced driver and Im going to be honest, theres no way I can fully extract the performance of the Mach 1/GT350, I have seen those guys on the track and there's nothing wrong with that, its just that I don't want to be that person. The measly hp and balanced chassis of the GT86/BRZ make it a perfect car to learn RWD on. I've already learned alot with my CTR and excited to get better with my BRZ.


Please feel free to engage in discussion though, I am lurking and enjoying the discussions

Are you tracking both the BRZ and CTR? I've got a CTR, but I just can't push myself to track it yet!

 

[VictorH]

Hi Marc,
Thanks for the kind words. The Mustang (and other makes for that matter) are a great community. I met Marc (DERKLINK) via for sale ad for a set of Mustang wheels and then subsequently at a Ozarks track event. Super nice guy too.
The more we can learn and share from each other the nicer this hobby is for us and others.

 

[RPDBlueMoon]

Are you tracking both the BRZ and CTR? I've got a CTR, but I just can't push myself to track it yet!

Not yet! Just waiting for the brake pads on the BRZ to come in before I take it out for the first time. But I've done the CTR a few times and its very fun! I didnt start tracking it until year 3 of ownership so enjoy it while you can

 

[CobaltFilly]

Quick update. Hopefully I don't get flamed but ultimately ended up getting a BRZ. I'd get a Miata but I don't fit comfortably enough in one.

Definitely doesn't have the same cool factor as a Mach 1 or a GT350, or even a Mustang GT lol but it was really hard to ignore its price tag and how long lasting the consumables are and how inexpensive it is. $780 for a set of Hankook RS4s vs nearly double the price for ones that fit the Mach 1 is nothing to sneeze at. I am going to the track alot and its already done its damage to my bank account. I'd rather have something that I can afford and take to the track for 15 days a year vs something I can afford for only 5. I love the Mustangs, but the reality is that it just takes a lot to run these cars, and my pockets aren't that deep for how much I plan to be at the track.

Also I am not an experienced driver and Im going to be honest, theres no way I can fully extract the performance of the Mach 1/GT350, I have seen those guys on the track and there's nothing wrong with that, its just that I don't want to be that person. The measly hp and balanced chassis of the GT86/BRZ make it a perfect car to learn RWD on. I've already learned alot with my CTR and excited to get better with my BRZ.


Please feel free to engage in discussion though, I am lurking and enjoying the discussions

This was a fabulous choice. Getting into the sport in a cheaper on consumable and more lightweight car is the best way in my opinion.

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