New to the Track, How does a stock Mustang GT hold up

Hey everyone. I'm considering a new Mustang GT with the PP1. I've never driven on a track and this is my first performance car.
How does the stock Mustang with a new track driver hold up and are their any mods I need to do before bringing it out on the track?

No mods needed to start entry level track day learning.
Before first weekend:
Bleed brakes with fresh DOT4 if car is more than 6 months old from build date since brake fluid slowly absorbs moisture.
5w-30 first track weekend

Before second weekend:
New fresh Ferodo or OEM pads
SRF brake fluid
Oil, trans, diff change just to confirm no shrapnel and good wear/break in from previous first track day.

Before Third weekend:
Brake ducts
Replace rotors
Ferodos or other race pads ie R16 and R12 or R10 rear etc.
titanium pad heat shims
oil, diff

As you progress and see CHT get above 240 sustained, you need to consider reische 170 thermostat, and possibly other airflow mods and possibly 5w-50 or oil cooler.

Avoid temptation to run brake pads hard below 50% without ti heat shims/shields. The thickness of pad helps keep heat out of caliper/brake fluid. Avoid starting your second track weekend with pads worn 50%, they might be only 30-10% left about when you are getting the most confident and strongest under braking toward end of second weekend.

Just my opinion for durability having tracked a 2015. I am very impressed with drivetrain durability

LastNightsPants said:

Hey everyone. I'm considering a new Mustang GT with the PP1. I've never driven on a track and this is my first performance car.

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If this is your first ever "performance car" I'd honestly recommend doing a driving experience or autocross (with your own car) before doing a full "track event".

Not saying you can't handle a full track event off the bat and the car can't either. But I'd start at the "beginner" level and go from there.

Either way, test drive the car(s) you are interested in, then make some posts on the internet. I honestly am not trying to plug myself, but I'm very experienced with purchasing new "performance" cars and also tracking them...

LastNightsPants said:

Hey everyone. I'm considering a new Mustang GT with the PP1. I've never driven on a track and this is my first performance car.
How does the stock Mustang with a new track driver hold up and are their any mods I need to do before bringing it out on the track?

Click to expand...

For your first time ever, you'll want to be driving a car that you're used to driving. You don't want to add learning "how my car drives now" to the things about track driving that are going to be brand-new to you (which is pretty much everything). Your first time out, plan on being relatively slow. It's learning things like braking and the line and having a whole different level of situational awareness than you can usually get away with in street driving that you'll be working on rather than peak speeds down the straights. Just the concept of using the entire width of the pavement up to, into, through, and out of the corners is not automatically obvious to every driver at his/her introductory event.

It's not a bad idea at all to take in an autocross (several, perhaps) just to get a feel for how the car behaves up closer to its limits than you can reasonably achieve on the street . . . and with far less risk. You'll get to feel "slip angles" if you're paying enough attention, which is something about harder cornering that most people never notice in their street driving even after many years.

Many (if not most) track day tech inspections will want to see at least 50% pad thickness, which will be your "before tracking" thickness. It will be measurably less going into successive track days, even with "track pads".


Norm

c_reber said:

If this is your first ever "performance car" I'd honestly recommend doing a driving experience or autocross (with your own car) before doing a full "track event".

Not saying you can't handle a full track event off the bat and the car can't either. But I'd start at the "beginner" level and go from there.

Either way, test drive the car(s) you are interested in, then make some posts on the internet. I honestly am not trying to plug myself, but I'm very experienced with purchasing new "performance" cars and also tracking them...

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Ya I defiantly plan on starting with some sort of performance drivers training and autocross, but just want to know if any like cooling mods or anything like that are needed before I can take it out on the track.

Also right know I'm also looking at a camero ss and a used C7 corvette with the z51 package.

Norm Peterson said:

For your first time ever, you'll want to be driving a car that you're used to driving. You don't want to add learning "how my car drives now" to the things about track driving that are going to be brand-new to you (which is pretty much everything).

Norm

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Thanks for the advice. I don't plan on tracking it or even autocross untill atleast a year after driving it in the streets. I will defiantly try auto cross though, seems like its a good starting point.

sigintel said:

No mods needed to start entry level track day learning.
Before first weekend:
Bleed brakes with fresh DOT4 if car is more than 6 months old from build date since brake fluid slowly absorbs moisture.
5w-30 first track weekend

Before second weekend:
New fresh Ferodo or OEM pads
SRF brake fluid
Oil, trans, diff change just to confirm no shrapnel and good wear/break in from previous first track day.

Before Third weekend:
Brake ducts
Replace rotors
Ferodos or other race pads ie R16 and R12 or R10 rear etc.
titanium pad heat shims
oil, diff

As you progress and see CHT get above 240 sustained, you need to consider reische 170 thermostat, and possibly other airflow mods and possibly 5w-50 or oil cooler.

Avoid temptation to run brake pads hard below 50% without ti heat shims/shields. The thickness of pad helps keep heat out of caliper/brake fluid. Avoid starting your second track weekend with pads worn 50%, they might be only 30-10% left about when you are getting the most confident and strongest under braking toward end of second weekend.

Just my opinion for durability having tracked a 2015. I am very impressed with drivetrain durability

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Sorry not familiar with all the technical terms but what I got is that generally the first few weekends I should be okay (Keeping up to date tires, breaks, oil and other fluids). It seemed like the only installed you recommended there were break ducts. Good to know, I was more worried about having to add cooling to the rear diff or transmission (manual) or something of that sort early to make it reliable.

The PP1 at least gets the front rotors that draw cooling air from the back side, which goes to keeping rotors/pads/caliper pistons/fluid somewhat cooler. On pad choices, that's a whole 'nother discussion by itself.

But brakes aside, the car is faster than you and will be for a while. I'm guessing that Michigan isn't going to be as hot as south Texas, Arizona, or SoCal, so you're getting a little help there as well.

You'll start out in a Novice group, preferably with an instructor sitting right seat to oversee and guide you.


Norm

The car is quite fast and holds up pretty well. I would say Sigintel's list is a little bit overkill for a novice, but its all good stuff to consider. I did my first day with barely anything done to the car but an alignment and fresh brake fluid, and the car performed really well.

Fresh brake fluid is #1
Pads, Tires, get worn out and replaced often, as does engine, transmission, and diff oil if you're tracking the car. Tire life will be extended if you get camber plates and run more than the usual stock front camber.

watch out for the left rear wheel hub, as it can loosen and should be checked after events. Nothing worse than unpredictable handling because the wheel hub is wobbling.

Autocross is also a good way to start out and begin the long process of leaning how to drive a performance car fast in an environment which is typically a little safer and a lot cheaper than full on HPDE track day.

OP, since your in Michigan, I would highly recommend starting at Waterford Hills northwest of Detroit. It's cheap, very well run, a relatively short track (1.4 miles) with top speeds rarely exceeding 100mph. It is a challenging track that is always moving, either right, left or up and down, a few times all at the same time. I would consider it a slightly faster, longer version of AutoX.
I took my bone stock PP EB there several times, and even sharing it with my nephew, without issue.
Bigger, faster tracks is where the above lists of needed upgrades really come into play.

Grafanton said:

OP, since your in Michigan, I would highly recommend starting at Waterford Hills northwest of Detroit. It's cheap, very well run, a relatively short track (1.4 miles) with top speeds rarely exceeding 100mph. It is a challenging track that is always moving, either right, left or up and down, a few times all at the same time. I would consider it a slightly faster, longer version of AutoX.
I took my bone stock PP EB there several times, and even sharing it with my nephew, without issue.
Bigger, faster tracks is where the above lists of needed upgrades really come into play.

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Agreed, just watch out for the curbing at the exit of the last corner. My friend's Mazdaspeed 3 got its alignment F'd going over those. Don't use them.

Those curbs have taken out more than one car.

I stay away from them.

[ame]

For your first time, all I would recommend is make sure you have fresh brake fluid and check to ensure your brake pads still have some meat on them. The car is highly capable in stock form and can be very fast in the hands of a skilled driver.

I see it all the time on track... people throw the whole "insert your favorite company name here" parts catalog at the car and expect to be the fastest on track and yet, they get passed by a miata or slam there car into the wall. Why? Driver skill.

Once you progress far enough in skill, the car will then tell you what it needs. Driving on track is exhilarating and highly addictive. You will have a blast.

AlbertD said:

The car is highly capable in stock form and can be very fast in the hands of a skilled driver.
Once you progress far enough in skill, the car will then tell you what it needs. Driving on track is exhilarating and highly addictive. You will have a blast.

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This^. I took my BONE stock 2015 GT w/o PP to VIR earlier this year. Had some brake fade if I stayed in gas on the straights, but otherwise car performed flawlessly. I also agree with trying an autocross or two before trying an HPDE. I will agree with the fresh brake fluid, but otherwise go out and enjoy the drive.

o-man said:

This^. I took my BONE stock 2015 GT w/o PP to VIR earlier this year. Had some brake fade if I stayed in gas on the straights, but otherwise car performed flawlessly.

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Hopefully the aftermarket will step up and provide rotors with the proper back-side air inlets in non-PP dimensions.


Norm