tweekdout
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2015
- Threads
- 8
- Messages
- 198
- Reaction score
- 64
- Location
- Ashburn, VA
- First Name
- Steve
- Vehicle(s)
- 2015 GT PP 6m
- Thread starter
- #1
I bought my 2015 DIB GT PP 6MT back in June 2015 and was really impressed with the out-of the box handling (the test drive sold me). I’m not a drag guy, but I do track days and time attacks in the South East (Atlanta Motorsports Park, Road Atlanta) and when I’m in Europe & UK. It was at the track days where I started to build a list of mods (in my head) for the car to help me better control it with the throttle and steering, as well as allow it to talk a bit more ’clearly’ to me as a driver. At the same time, I still needed it to be tame enough for the wife & kids to drive in a pinch and not be overly annoying as a daily driver. I also wanted to push the NA angle before I even thought about charging or turbos.
I planned to wait until I had my wheels and a few track days on the build before I wrote this but a few folks have been asking if I would share my experience, so here it is.
I was on the BMR - Steeda fence for upgrades. Based on reviews and feedback, I went the Steeda route. BMR had a price advantage, but when I started looking at the whole picture, it made sense to start in an area I could finish in w/o parts-contradictions. Blame it on this 6G forum, but Black Friday 2015 put me ‘over the edge’ and I went a bit nuts.
While it would have been insightful to do the upgrades incrementally to understand how the car developed as I went along, I did not have the bandwidth to do so with my job. This meant I was looking for a qualified shop to do everything at once. I researched and worked with Chad in Valdosta at Steeda. The fact that their Valdosta shop would actually install the headers (I hope Jamie doesn’t still hate me ;) and tune it on SCT with their CAI was the buy-in for me (Steeda shop installing their parts + their tune and their suspension setup).
Here’s the parts list I had installed at Steeda’s Valdosta shop in mid-January this year…
Driveline
Engine
Suspension and Brakes
Other
I set out 2 days with Chad to get the work done at Valdosta. Unfortunately some parts confusion on the way Kooks boxed the header pieces left us on day two with (2) driver side elbows. Here is where having a solid installer helps; Jamie & Scott mentioned they could help with getting a fab to fit if I could clear it with Kooks. I called Kooks up (and so did Terry from Beefcake) and they were good with the fit change. Shipping wait averted and I was done on my way home after day 2.5. Headers on this platform are not as easy as it looks if you don’t have experience (heads up). The gize in Valdosta know their shit and they like to engage a customer – I liked that.
Moments where you wonder if what you did was right…
1. First startup with headers and street cat-back (Woof!, grrrr, mmmmm…)
2. First drive on street then highway; OMG the shifting, set, throttle response, tone, turn, hook, feedback!
My impressions are that while I liked the car when I bought it, I am now actually enamored and have a working relationship with it. I can steer with the throttle and actually feel where the back end is going as well as modulate it. Turn in is snappy like a lighter car than it actually is, but it doesn’t tramline like a slammed civic on the highway.
I went with the KW V3 because of past experience, and the fact I was still uncomfortable with hoping someone else got the right adjustment for compression and re-bound right for me. Having the ability to weight at corners is something I really wanted, and glad I did for the future. I think these are valved differently from the Roush units based on what I read, but if the TUV can certify them they’re good enough for me. The camber plates and arms also help with that as well as cure some of the inherent ‘bump jump’ that some of the elliptical adjusters had.
For drive modes, I think my current ‘normal’ was what used to be ‘race’, but with more immediacy. Sport bumps it up some, and Race is like having a light switch for a gas pedal (it’s that snappy). This is where the Steeda Tri-Ax makes for a ‘complete picture’ – this is not the same car shifting. Although I can’t see it, I swear there’s an actual ‘gate’ down there since I know exactly where the lever goes (should have been like this from the factory, Ford ;)
That’s about all I can say for now, but I’ll update once I get the wider wheels, hit the track in April (and weight the car), and take more pics when the weather isn’t crap.
Gotta say thanks to all the people that did the hard work and answered my (nutty) questions …
I planned to wait until I had my wheels and a few track days on the build before I wrote this but a few folks have been asking if I would share my experience, so here it is.
I was on the BMR - Steeda fence for upgrades. Based on reviews and feedback, I went the Steeda route. BMR had a price advantage, but when I started looking at the whole picture, it made sense to start in an area I could finish in w/o parts-contradictions. Blame it on this 6G forum, but Black Friday 2015 put me ‘over the edge’ and I went a bit nuts.
While it would have been insightful to do the upgrades incrementally to understand how the car developed as I went along, I did not have the bandwidth to do so with my job. This meant I was looking for a qualified shop to do everything at once. I researched and worked with Chad in Valdosta at Steeda. The fact that their Valdosta shop would actually install the headers (I hope Jamie doesn’t still hate me ;) and tune it on SCT with their CAI was the buy-in for me (Steeda shop installing their parts + their tune and their suspension setup).
Here’s the parts list I had installed at Steeda’s Valdosta shop in mid-January this year…
Driveline
- Steeda Tri-Ax Race Short Throw Shifter
- Steeda Adjustable Differential Bushing Insert
- Steeda Heavy Duty Braided Clutch Line
- Raceseng shift knob ‘Globular’
Engine
- Steeda ProFlow Ultimate Induction Power Pack
- SCT Tuner + profile for catted headers and cat back with no restrictor
- Restrictor removed and sound tube deleted+plugged
- Drilled holes on driver side hex grille out completely for IAT
- Kooks Green Catted Headers (Team Beefcake)
- Magnaflow Street Cat back (Maryland Speed)
Suspension and Brakes
- Steeda Front and Rear Sway Bar Kit
- Steeda IRS 'Stop the Hop' Package
- IRS Subframe Bushing Support System
- IRS Subframe Alignment Kit
- Billet Aluminum Vertical Links
- IRS Subframe Support Braces
- Adjustable Rear Toe Links
- Steeda Billet Front and Rear Sway Bar Mount Kit
- Steeda Bumpsteer Kit
- Steeda Extreme G-Trac K-Member Brace
- Steeda Lower Control Arm Bushing
- Steeda Front Camber Plates
- Steeda Rear Adjustable Camber Arm
- KW V3 (Mod Bargains / Jurian)
- MRR FS01 Bronze 19 X 10/11 + Michellin Pilot SS 275/305 (Paul @ N4SMotors)
- Setup
- Front camber; -2.4 Toe; 0 Compression; -10 Rebound; -9
- Rear camber; -1.9 Toe; 0 Compression; -9 Rebound; -7
- Steeda Stainless Steel Brake Lines
- Motul RBF 660 Brake Fluid (flush & fill)
Other
- Blackvue DR 650 GW 1CH in dash 4k video +GPS
- Anchor room light tint for headlight side markers and rears
- UPR black-out badges
I set out 2 days with Chad to get the work done at Valdosta. Unfortunately some parts confusion on the way Kooks boxed the header pieces left us on day two with (2) driver side elbows. Here is where having a solid installer helps; Jamie & Scott mentioned they could help with getting a fab to fit if I could clear it with Kooks. I called Kooks up (and so did Terry from Beefcake) and they were good with the fit change. Shipping wait averted and I was done on my way home after day 2.5. Headers on this platform are not as easy as it looks if you don’t have experience (heads up). The gize in Valdosta know their shit and they like to engage a customer – I liked that.
Moments where you wonder if what you did was right…
1. First startup with headers and street cat-back (Woof!, grrrr, mmmmm…)
2. First drive on street then highway; OMG the shifting, set, throttle response, tone, turn, hook, feedback!
My impressions are that while I liked the car when I bought it, I am now actually enamored and have a working relationship with it. I can steer with the throttle and actually feel where the back end is going as well as modulate it. Turn in is snappy like a lighter car than it actually is, but it doesn’t tramline like a slammed civic on the highway.
I went with the KW V3 because of past experience, and the fact I was still uncomfortable with hoping someone else got the right adjustment for compression and re-bound right for me. Having the ability to weight at corners is something I really wanted, and glad I did for the future. I think these are valved differently from the Roush units based on what I read, but if the TUV can certify them they’re good enough for me. The camber plates and arms also help with that as well as cure some of the inherent ‘bump jump’ that some of the elliptical adjusters had.
For drive modes, I think my current ‘normal’ was what used to be ‘race’, but with more immediacy. Sport bumps it up some, and Race is like having a light switch for a gas pedal (it’s that snappy). This is where the Steeda Tri-Ax makes for a ‘complete picture’ – this is not the same car shifting. Although I can’t see it, I swear there’s an actual ‘gate’ down there since I know exactly where the lever goes (should have been like this from the factory, Ford ;)
That’s about all I can say for now, but I’ll update once I get the wider wheels, hit the track in April (and weight the car), and take more pics when the weather isn’t crap.
Gotta say thanks to all the people that did the hard work and answered my (nutty) questions …
- Steeda; David ‘6G’, Chad, Jamie, Scott, Jason
- Team Beefcake; Terry
- Kooks; Matt, Ely
- Need4Speed; Paul
- Jurian
- Maryland Speed
- Anchor Room; Jason
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