Horse
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After negotiating with dealers for over a week, I pulled the trigger on a manual V6 with 051A yesterday (12/31/15).
Yes, V6 is all I can/should get, and it will be my DD. (Also traded in my very reliable 140HP DD.)
There was a twist. When we were closing the deal, the dealer found out that the V6 is on a recall (seatbelt related, as it was built in the week of 9/28), and the parts will arrive in about a week. As I could not get the car, I wanted to back out of the deal. The manager, a nice and smart guy, must have spotted some weakness in me and offered to give me a loaner car to get by before the recall is done. I then commented that it all depended on what a fun car the manager would give me. The manager promised to make me happy.
So now, I am driving a S550 V8 manual.
Before this, I have test driven V6 and EB (all stick shift) only, as I never intended to buy a V8. But I ended up with an opportunity to drive a V8 anyways.
Between EB and V6, I personally prefer the smooth and linear power delivery of the V6 even though the EB has 10 more houses.
Yes, the V8 is king. The sound, the power ... you name it. (However, before anyone asks, I am not going to upgrade my V6 to a V8 any time soon. I am going to enjoy my V6 for a long time.)
Update 01/03/2016: After driving the V8 for some 60 miles (don't want to put too many miles on the loaner), the mods that have come to my mind are things like heel/toe gas pedal and possibly clutch pedal extension. I will have to wait until I get my V6 though, as (maybe) the V6 might have different pedal configuration.
Update 01/06/2016: I have driven the V8 (loaner) for some 90 miles. (As I mentioned, I don't want to put too many mile on the loaner.) Here are some observations.
1) Tried heel-toe some more in street traffic (thus no hard braking). Still not there, but getting a bit better. Often times, when I roll my right foot from brake pedal to gas pedal, the foot slips off the brake; so I just keep the momentum and hit the throttle (but with foot off the brake by now). The main problem is the slippery brake pedal cover and the fact that gas throttle is further away from the driver than the brake.
So, with plastic/rubber brake pedal cover on V6 (also less sensitive I guess), there could be even more hope doing heel-toe once I get my V6.
2) Clutch spring. Have been driving the V8 with spring in (of course, it a loaner). Although my 1-2 shifts are not as smooth as I like, I attribute it to my unfamiliarity with the car. I think I will keep the spring in (when I get my V6).
3) The 1-2 shift. Yes, my 1-2 shifts are still not smooth, but I am getting there. As we all know, it boils down to rev match. For up-shift, we just need to find the right moment to lift the clutch pedal. I have figured that the cause of non-smooth 1-2 gear shift is that the rpm does not drop as quickly. What to do? Just wait a bit longer. For this, my technique learned with my trade-in car actually works in the V8, which involves lifting gas pedal, wait for a moment, and then push in clutch and shift. The key is to wait for a moment (maybe up to a second?). You can call this `drive like a grandma', except that when it is time for me to step on the clutch and change gear I do it very quickly.
Update 01/08/2016: After driving the loaner V8 for over 100 miles, today I finally got the V6 home. Up till now I have driven the V6 for only 20 miles (10 for test drive, 10 for driving it home today). Some impressions/comparisons, all as expected (maybe).
1) Sound and power. Compared to V8, the V6 is quiet and tame. When you step on the gas, the growl is not as deep/throaty/angry as in a V8 and you are not pushed back to your seat as much as in a V8.
2) Smoothness. I will give it to V6. When you start a V8, you can feel the vibration. But in a V6, it is all very smooth. The same applies when you step on the gas. This might be b/c of less power of V6, or maybe b/c of the firing order of V6.
3) Heel-toe. It is definitely easier to heel-toe in V6. While the pedal configurations are (basically) the same in V6 and V8, the V6 has rubber pedal covers while the loaner V8 has metal covers (thus slippery). Also the brake in V6 is less sensitive and less grabby.
4) Fuel economy. The V6 wins in this category, of course.
5) Rev-hang (or whatever it is). The V6 seems to have more rev hang than V8. This might be b/c I had always driven the V8 in `sports' driving mode (shortly after I took it anyways), which might have reduced the rev hang. In comparison, since there is no `sports' driving mode on V6 (or whatever the reason), the rev hang on V6 is more noticeable and, to adapt, I have to wait longer for the rpm to drop before I shift up (esp. 1-2-3 upshifts). (The V8, even in sports mode, still has the rev hang issue/feature.)
Overall, while I definitely enjoyed the loaner V8, I didn't see it as my long term DD. The V6 has enough power for me, and I can see myself enjoying it for a long time.
Update 01/09/2016: some photos, see below (bottom of this post)
Update 01/12/2016: If I may say so, I have (almost) figured out how to make my 1-2-3 upshifts smooth. (You guys probably have known this all along.) The trick, beside waiting for the rpm to drop to the right value (which I knew all along), is to not gas it until after the engagement is complete. Why this is new to me? Because in all my previous cars (all less than 150 HP) the best way to shift up is to start giving it some gas right before the clutch engages. So in my V6, I did my upshift the same way as before, which always ended with engine rpm higher than needed -- so not smooth.
Today, I finally saw what I have been doing and thought maybe I should do it differently (as the car is different -- more powerful now). So I lifted the throttle, waited a bit for the rpm to drop, then clutch in, shift up, clutch out to engage, and then (and no earlier) pushed the throttle. All smooth.
I have driven it with the new way for the whole day today. Liking it, very smooth. After more practice, I believe/hope that 1-2-3 upshifts are no problem for me anymore.
01/13/2016 on future mods: First mod will likely be to bring the throttle pedal closer to the driver. The stock configuration is such that the gas pedal is further away from the driver than the brake pedal (thus making it difficult to heel-toe). GarageLine has pedal mount for S550 mustang, which seems a perfect solution. But the price is $109, while some members here have achieved same result with spacers/washers found at hardware stores for only a few bucks. So have to think about it.
Another mod that I will probably do down the road is MGW shifter. The stock shifer works OK now, but MGW will be a worthy upgrade. I have heard nothing but good things about MGW, and it is close by (free install if you drive there).
Then, after factory warranty expires, I might consider tuning my V6 (such as Unleashed Tuning by Torrie). Not to add any power, just to make the car behave in ways I prefer.
No plans for CAI, aftermarket exhaust, etc. I will keep it stock for the most part I think. But I might change my mind down the road, of course. Who knows?
Update 01/14/2016: Just over 300 miles on the odometer. With more time driving the car, I am gradually figuring it out. The sound of the V6, even though not as throaty as V8, has grown on me. The 1-2-3 upshifts are still not as smooth as desired, but I am getting there with the technique described in my last update (i.e., no pressing the throttle until the clutch is engaged/up). One interesting thing I have noticed is that my 4-3-2 down shifts are smoother than my 1-2-3 up shifts, which I think is b/c I always double clutch when down shifting. Makes me wonder if I should be doing double clutch when shifting up.
Fuel economy is getting better. Over the first 100 miles, it averaged 16 MPG. Now, with more highway driving, the overall average is almost 21 MPG (according to computer). I will make sure to report the average MPG after 1000 miles.
01/17/2016 update: Today is the first time to fill gas. Although there are gas stations close by, I drove to a gas station almost 20 miles away where the price there is 10 cent/gallon cheaper. (Confession: just wanted to drive the car.) It was 274 miles for 13.65 gallons (87 octane), rendering just over 20 mpg.
I think my 1-2-3 upshifts are no longer an issue anymore. My trick is (as mentioned before) to lift gas pedal and wait for the rpm to drop to the right value, then clutch in/down, shift up, clutch out/up, and remember to NOT press gas pedal until clutch engagement is complete. Very smooth. Yes, this is almost like granny shifting, expect that, when it's time to move my feet and right hand, I do it fast. New kind of hand/feet coordination for me, which has not become my 2nd nature yet.
Before this, my tendency was to press the gas pedal at the same time as I let the clutch up, which worked on my previous 140 HP car but always making the rpm too high on my mustang V6. This (old habit applied to V6) is almost like (semi) power shifting, which might be useful when drag racing.
Update 02/04/2016: With just over 1000 miles on the car, I am still loving my V6. Yes, I have found that the clutch rattles a little when being pressed down (only at the moment when the load on clutch is off), and the shiter makes some noise when pushed to the left.
Overall mpg is just over 22. The calculated mpg for the last tank was 23.1.
My very first mod turned out to be lifting the gas pedal with spacers found at Lowes (less than $5 total for the 6 spacers I bought, only 3 of which were installed). Result is amazing, and I can enjoy heel-toe now. See my post in the DIY forum for details
http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43590
Yes, V6 is all I can/should get, and it will be my DD. (Also traded in my very reliable 140HP DD.)
There was a twist. When we were closing the deal, the dealer found out that the V6 is on a recall (seatbelt related, as it was built in the week of 9/28), and the parts will arrive in about a week. As I could not get the car, I wanted to back out of the deal. The manager, a nice and smart guy, must have spotted some weakness in me and offered to give me a loaner car to get by before the recall is done. I then commented that it all depended on what a fun car the manager would give me. The manager promised to make me happy.
So now, I am driving a S550 V8 manual.
Before this, I have test driven V6 and EB (all stick shift) only, as I never intended to buy a V8. But I ended up with an opportunity to drive a V8 anyways.
Between EB and V6, I personally prefer the smooth and linear power delivery of the V6 even though the EB has 10 more houses.
Yes, the V8 is king. The sound, the power ... you name it. (However, before anyone asks, I am not going to upgrade my V6 to a V8 any time soon. I am going to enjoy my V6 for a long time.)
Update 01/03/2016: After driving the V8 for some 60 miles (don't want to put too many miles on the loaner), the mods that have come to my mind are things like heel/toe gas pedal and possibly clutch pedal extension. I will have to wait until I get my V6 though, as (maybe) the V6 might have different pedal configuration.
Update 01/06/2016: I have driven the V8 (loaner) for some 90 miles. (As I mentioned, I don't want to put too many mile on the loaner.) Here are some observations.
1) Tried heel-toe some more in street traffic (thus no hard braking). Still not there, but getting a bit better. Often times, when I roll my right foot from brake pedal to gas pedal, the foot slips off the brake; so I just keep the momentum and hit the throttle (but with foot off the brake by now). The main problem is the slippery brake pedal cover and the fact that gas throttle is further away from the driver than the brake.
So, with plastic/rubber brake pedal cover on V6 (also less sensitive I guess), there could be even more hope doing heel-toe once I get my V6.
2) Clutch spring. Have been driving the V8 with spring in (of course, it a loaner). Although my 1-2 shifts are not as smooth as I like, I attribute it to my unfamiliarity with the car. I think I will keep the spring in (when I get my V6).
3) The 1-2 shift. Yes, my 1-2 shifts are still not smooth, but I am getting there. As we all know, it boils down to rev match. For up-shift, we just need to find the right moment to lift the clutch pedal. I have figured that the cause of non-smooth 1-2 gear shift is that the rpm does not drop as quickly. What to do? Just wait a bit longer. For this, my technique learned with my trade-in car actually works in the V8, which involves lifting gas pedal, wait for a moment, and then push in clutch and shift. The key is to wait for a moment (maybe up to a second?). You can call this `drive like a grandma', except that when it is time for me to step on the clutch and change gear I do it very quickly.
Update 01/08/2016: After driving the loaner V8 for over 100 miles, today I finally got the V6 home. Up till now I have driven the V6 for only 20 miles (10 for test drive, 10 for driving it home today). Some impressions/comparisons, all as expected (maybe).
1) Sound and power. Compared to V8, the V6 is quiet and tame. When you step on the gas, the growl is not as deep/throaty/angry as in a V8 and you are not pushed back to your seat as much as in a V8.
2) Smoothness. I will give it to V6. When you start a V8, you can feel the vibration. But in a V6, it is all very smooth. The same applies when you step on the gas. This might be b/c of less power of V6, or maybe b/c of the firing order of V6.
3) Heel-toe. It is definitely easier to heel-toe in V6. While the pedal configurations are (basically) the same in V6 and V8, the V6 has rubber pedal covers while the loaner V8 has metal covers (thus slippery). Also the brake in V6 is less sensitive and less grabby.
4) Fuel economy. The V6 wins in this category, of course.
5) Rev-hang (or whatever it is). The V6 seems to have more rev hang than V8. This might be b/c I had always driven the V8 in `sports' driving mode (shortly after I took it anyways), which might have reduced the rev hang. In comparison, since there is no `sports' driving mode on V6 (or whatever the reason), the rev hang on V6 is more noticeable and, to adapt, I have to wait longer for the rpm to drop before I shift up (esp. 1-2-3 upshifts). (The V8, even in sports mode, still has the rev hang issue/feature.)
Overall, while I definitely enjoyed the loaner V8, I didn't see it as my long term DD. The V6 has enough power for me, and I can see myself enjoying it for a long time.
Update 01/09/2016: some photos, see below (bottom of this post)
Update 01/12/2016: If I may say so, I have (almost) figured out how to make my 1-2-3 upshifts smooth. (You guys probably have known this all along.) The trick, beside waiting for the rpm to drop to the right value (which I knew all along), is to not gas it until after the engagement is complete. Why this is new to me? Because in all my previous cars (all less than 150 HP) the best way to shift up is to start giving it some gas right before the clutch engages. So in my V6, I did my upshift the same way as before, which always ended with engine rpm higher than needed -- so not smooth.
Today, I finally saw what I have been doing and thought maybe I should do it differently (as the car is different -- more powerful now). So I lifted the throttle, waited a bit for the rpm to drop, then clutch in, shift up, clutch out to engage, and then (and no earlier) pushed the throttle. All smooth.
I have driven it with the new way for the whole day today. Liking it, very smooth. After more practice, I believe/hope that 1-2-3 upshifts are no problem for me anymore.
01/13/2016 on future mods: First mod will likely be to bring the throttle pedal closer to the driver. The stock configuration is such that the gas pedal is further away from the driver than the brake pedal (thus making it difficult to heel-toe). GarageLine has pedal mount for S550 mustang, which seems a perfect solution. But the price is $109, while some members here have achieved same result with spacers/washers found at hardware stores for only a few bucks. So have to think about it.
Another mod that I will probably do down the road is MGW shifter. The stock shifer works OK now, but MGW will be a worthy upgrade. I have heard nothing but good things about MGW, and it is close by (free install if you drive there).
Then, after factory warranty expires, I might consider tuning my V6 (such as Unleashed Tuning by Torrie). Not to add any power, just to make the car behave in ways I prefer.
No plans for CAI, aftermarket exhaust, etc. I will keep it stock for the most part I think. But I might change my mind down the road, of course. Who knows?
Update 01/14/2016: Just over 300 miles on the odometer. With more time driving the car, I am gradually figuring it out. The sound of the V6, even though not as throaty as V8, has grown on me. The 1-2-3 upshifts are still not as smooth as desired, but I am getting there with the technique described in my last update (i.e., no pressing the throttle until the clutch is engaged/up). One interesting thing I have noticed is that my 4-3-2 down shifts are smoother than my 1-2-3 up shifts, which I think is b/c I always double clutch when down shifting. Makes me wonder if I should be doing double clutch when shifting up.
Fuel economy is getting better. Over the first 100 miles, it averaged 16 MPG. Now, with more highway driving, the overall average is almost 21 MPG (according to computer). I will make sure to report the average MPG after 1000 miles.
01/17/2016 update: Today is the first time to fill gas. Although there are gas stations close by, I drove to a gas station almost 20 miles away where the price there is 10 cent/gallon cheaper. (Confession: just wanted to drive the car.) It was 274 miles for 13.65 gallons (87 octane), rendering just over 20 mpg.
I think my 1-2-3 upshifts are no longer an issue anymore. My trick is (as mentioned before) to lift gas pedal and wait for the rpm to drop to the right value, then clutch in/down, shift up, clutch out/up, and remember to NOT press gas pedal until clutch engagement is complete. Very smooth. Yes, this is almost like granny shifting, expect that, when it's time to move my feet and right hand, I do it fast. New kind of hand/feet coordination for me, which has not become my 2nd nature yet.
Before this, my tendency was to press the gas pedal at the same time as I let the clutch up, which worked on my previous 140 HP car but always making the rpm too high on my mustang V6. This (old habit applied to V6) is almost like (semi) power shifting, which might be useful when drag racing.
Update 02/04/2016: With just over 1000 miles on the car, I am still loving my V6. Yes, I have found that the clutch rattles a little when being pressed down (only at the moment when the load on clutch is off), and the shiter makes some noise when pushed to the left.
Overall mpg is just over 22. The calculated mpg for the last tank was 23.1.
My very first mod turned out to be lifting the gas pedal with spacers found at Lowes (less than $5 total for the 6 spacers I bought, only 3 of which were installed). Result is amazing, and I can enjoy heel-toe now. See my post in the DIY forum for details
http://www.mustang6g.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43590
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